TW202410973A - Control parameter adjustment method, program and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the present invention is to provide a technology that can suppress the consumption of substrates and appropriately adjust the discharge control parameters in accordance with the actual environment of discharging the processing liquid to the substrate. The solution of the present invention is: in the first adjustment step S1, the discharge control parameters are adjusted according to the first pressure waveform when the simulated coating is performed. In the third adjustment step S3, according to the discharge control parameters adjusted by the first adjustment step S1, the second pressure waveform during the actual coating is performed, and it is determined whether to adjust the discharge control parameters again. In the case of re-adjustment, the discharge control parameters are adjusted again according to the third pressure waveform when the simulated coating is performed. In the fourth adjustment step S4, the fourth pressure waveform during actual coating is performed based on the discharge control parameters that have been readjusted in the third adjustment step S3, and it is determined whether to readjust the discharge control parameters. If readjustment is performed, the discharge control parameters are readjusted based on the fifth pressure waveform during actual coating.

Description

Control parameter adjustment method, program and recording medium

The subject matter disclosed in this invention specification is related to a parameter adjustment method, program and recording medium.

In the manufacturing process of flat panel displays (FPD), a substrate processing device called a coater is sometimes used. A coater discharges a processing liquid such as an anti-etching agent from a nozzle onto a substrate such as glass while scanning the substrate with the nozzle. A coater applies pressure to the processing liquid such as the anti-etching agent so that the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle. Furthermore, a coating film of the processing liquid is formed on the surface of the substrate by moving the substrate relative to the nozzle using a moving mechanism.

In this type of substrate processing device, it is sometimes required to make the film thickness of the coating film uniform over the entire substrate. In order to make the film thickness uniform, the discharge control parameters are appropriately adjusted. In this adjustment operation, for example, a technician adjusts a plurality of discharge control parameters while visually confirming the waveform of the discharge pressure. Therefore, the adjustment operation depends largely on the knowledge or experience of the technician. Therefore, the adjustment of the discharge control parameters requires a lot of time and effort from the technician. In addition, there is a risk of consuming a large amount of processing liquid or substrate. Therefore, a technology for efficiently adjusting the control parameters has not been proposed so far.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a substrate processing method, which includes: a simulated discharging step, which discharges a processing liquid to the outside of the substrate; a discharging characteristic measurement step, which measures the discharging characteristics of the processing liquid in the simulated discharging step; a state quantity derivation step, which derives a state quantity that deviates from a target characteristic of the measured discharging characteristic; and a learning step, which mechanically learns and constructs a learning model based on the change of the state quantity accompanying the change of the parameter. In the substrate processing method, when the state quantity exceeds a specific allowable range, after changing the parameters according to the learning model, the simulation discharge step, discharge characteristic measurement step, state quantity derivation step and learning step are repeatedly executed. On the other hand, when the state quantity becomes an allowable range, the last changed parameter is set as the parameter when the processing liquid is discharged in the processing liquid supply step. [Prior art literature] [Patent literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-040046

(Invent the problem you want to solve)

In Patent Document 1, the consumption of substrates can be suppressed by adjusting the ejection control parameters based on simulated ejection. However, simulated ejection is different from the actual ejection of the processing liquid onto the substrate in various conditions such as the environment around the nozzle. Therefore, when the ejection control parameters adjusted by simulated ejection are used, it is sometimes difficult to reproduce the ideal pressure waveform when the processing liquid is actually applied to the substrate.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a technology that can suppress the consumption of the substrate while appropriately adjusting the discharge control parameters in accordance with the actual environment in which the processing liquid is discharged to the substrate. (Technical means to solve the problem)

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the first aspect is a control parameter adjustment method for adjusting the discharge control parameter used to control the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle, which includes the following steps: a) adjusting the aforementioned discharge control parameter based on a first pressure waveform representing the pressure change in the aforementioned nozzle when the simulated coating of the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle to a place other than the substrate; b) obtaining a second pressure waveform representing the pressure change in the aforementioned nozzle when the actual coating of the processing liquid is discharged from the aforementioned nozzle to the substrate according to the aforementioned discharge control parameter adjusted by the aforementioned step a); c) determining whether to readjust the aforementioned discharge control parameter based on the aforementioned second pressure waveform; d) when the aforementioned discharge control parameter is adjusted by the aforementioned step a); When the aforementioned step c) determines that readjustment is to be performed, the aforementioned extrusion control parameters are readjusted according to the third pressure waveform indicating the pressure change in the aforementioned nozzle when the aforementioned simulated coating is performed; e) according to the aforementioned extrusion control parameters readjusted by the aforementioned step d), the fourth pressure waveform indicating the pressure change in the aforementioned nozzle when the aforementioned actual coating is performed is obtained; f) based on the aforementioned fourth pressure waveform, it is determined whether the aforementioned extrusion control parameters are to be readjusted; and g) when it is determined that readjustment is to be performed by the aforementioned step f), the aforementioned extrusion control parameters are readjusted according to the fifth pressure waveform indicating the pressure change in the aforementioned nozzle when the aforementioned actual coating is performed.

The second aspect is a control parameter adjustment method as in the first aspect, further comprising the following steps: h) adjusting a movement control parameter for controlling the relative movement of the aforementioned substrate relative to the aforementioned nozzle; the aforementioned actual coating is to move the aforementioned substrate relative to the aforementioned nozzle according to the movement control parameter adjusted by the aforementioned step h), while ejecting a processing liquid from the aforementioned nozzle to the aforementioned substrate.

The third aspect is a control parameter adjustment method as in the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the step h) is to adjust the movement control parameter according to a velocity waveform representing a change in a relative velocity of the substrate relative to the nozzle.

The fourth aspect is a computer executable program that enables the aforementioned computer to execute the control parameter adjustment method of any one of the first to third aspects.

The fifth aspect is a computer-readable recording medium that records the program of the fourth aspect. (Compared with the efficacy of the prior art)

According to the control parameter adjustment method of the first to fourth aspects, the consumption of the substrate can be suppressed by adjusting and re-adjusting the ejection control parameter according to the pressure waveform obtained by the simulated coating. Furthermore, the ejection control parameter can be adjusted to match the actual coating by re-adjusting the ejection control parameter adjusted according to the pressure waveform obtained by the simulated coating according to the fifth pressure waveform obtained by the actual coating.

According to the control parameter adjustment method of the second aspect, coating on the substrate can be appropriately performed by adjusting the movement control parameters.

According to the control parameter adjustment method of the third aspect, the movement control parameters can be appropriately adjusted according to the speed waveform.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, the constituent elements described in the embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present invention to them. In the drawings, the size or quantity of each part may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary for easy understanding.

<1. Implementation> FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall structure of a coating device 1 of an implementation. The coating device 1 is a substrate processing device that coats a processing liquid on the upper surface Sf of a substrate S. The substrate S is, for example, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device. Furthermore, the substrate S may also be a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a mask, a glass substrate for a plasma display, a glass substrate or a ceramic substrate for a magnetic disk or optical disk, a glass substrate for an organic EL, a glass substrate or a silicon substrate for a solar cell, other flexible substrates, and a printed substrate, etc., and may be various substrates to be processed that are suitable for electronic devices. The coating device 1 is, for example, a slit coater.

In FIG. 1 , in order to illustrate the configuration relationship of each element of the coating device 1, an XYZ coordinate system is defined. The moving direction of the substrate S is the "X direction". In the X direction, the direction in which the substrate S moves (towards the downstream side of the moving direction) is the +X direction, and the opposite direction (towards the upstream side of the moving direction) is the -X direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the X direction is the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions is the Z direction. In the following description, the Z direction is taken as the hammer direction, and the X and Y directions are taken as horizontal directions. In the Z direction, the +Z direction is taken as the upper direction, and the -Z direction is taken as the lower direction.

The coating device 1 includes an input conveyor 100, an input transfer unit 2, a floating platform unit 3, an output transfer unit 4, and an output conveyor 110 in order toward the +X direction. The input conveyor 100, the input transfer unit 2, the floating platform unit 3, the output transfer unit 4, and the output conveyor 110 constitute a moving path through which the substrate S passes. The coating device 1 further includes a moving mechanism 5, a coating mechanism 7, a processing liquid supply mechanism 8, and a control unit 9.

The substrate S is transported from the upstream side to the input conveyor 100. The input conveyor 100 has a roller conveyor 101 and a rotary drive mechanism 102. The rotary drive mechanism 102 rotates the rollers of the roller conveyor 101. By the rotation of the rollers of the roller conveyor 101, the substrate S is transported downstream (+X direction) in a horizontal posture. "Horizontal posture" refers to the state in which the main surface (the surface with the largest area) of the substrate S is parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane).

The input transfer unit 2 is equipped with a roller conveyor 21 and a rotation and lifting drive mechanism 22. The rotation and lifting drive mechanism 22 rotates each roller of the roller conveyor 21 and lifts the roller conveyor 21. By the rotation of the roller conveyor 21, the substrate S is transported downstream (+X direction) in a horizontal posture. In addition, by lifting and lowering the roller conveyor 21, the position of the substrate S in the Z direction is changed. The substrate S is transferred from the input conveyor 100 to the floating table unit 3 via the input transfer unit 2.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the floating platform portion 3 is roughly flat. The floating platform portion 3 is divided into three parts along the X direction. The floating platform portion 3 has an entrance floating platform 31, a coating platform 32, and an exit floating platform 33 in order toward the +X direction. The upper surface of the entrance floating platform 31, the upper surface of the coating platform 32, and the upper surface of the exit floating platform 33 are located on the same plane. The floating platform portion 3 is further equipped with a lifting pin driving mechanism 34, a floating control mechanism 35, and a lifting driving mechanism 36. A plurality of lifting pins are arranged on the entrance floating platform 31. The lifting pin driving mechanism 34 lifts and lowers a plurality of lifting pins. The floating control mechanism 35 supplies compressed air used to float the substrate S to the entrance floating platform 31, the coating platform 32, and the exit floating platform 33. The lifting drive mechanism 36 is used to lift the outlet floating platform 33.

On the upper surface of the inlet floating platform 31 and the upper surface of the outlet floating platform 33, a plurality of ejection holes for ejecting compressed air supplied from the floating control mechanism 35 are arranged in a matrix. When the compressed air is ejected from each ejection hole, the substrate S floats upward relative to the floating platform 3. Therefore, the lower surface Sb of the substrate S is supported in a horizontal posture while being spaced from the upper surface of the floating platform 3. In the floating state of the substrate S, the distance (floating amount) between the lower surface Sb of the substrate S and the upper surface of the floating platform 3 is preferably greater than 10 μm. The distance is preferably less than 500 μm.

On the upper surface of the coating table 32, the ejection holes for ejecting the compressed air supplied from the floating control mechanism 35 and the suction holes for sucking the gas are arranged alternately in the X direction and the Y direction. The floating control mechanism 35 controls the ejection amount of the compressed air from the ejection holes and the suction amount of the air from the suction holes. In this way, the floating amount of the substrate S relative to the coating table 32 is precisely controlled so that the position of the upper surface Sf of the substrate S passing above the coating table 32 in the Z direction becomes a specified value. Furthermore, the floating amount of the substrate S relative to the coating table 32 is calculated by the control unit 9 based on the detection result of the sensor 61 or the sensor 62 described later. Furthermore, the floating amount of the substrate S relative to the coating stage 32 can be preferably adjusted with high precision by controlling the airflow.

The substrate S carried into the floating stage 3 is given a thrust in the +X direction from the roller conveyor 21 and is carried onto the entrance floating stage 31. The entrance floating stage 31, the coating stage 32, and the exit floating stage 33 support the substrate S in a floating state. The floating stage 3 may also adopt the structure described in Patent No. 5346643, for example.

The moving mechanism 5 is arranged below the floating table 3. The moving mechanism 5 has a chuck mechanism 51 and an adsorption/movement control mechanism 52. The chuck mechanism 51 has an adsorption pad (not shown) provided on the adsorption member. The chuck mechanism 51 supports the substrate S from the bottom side in a state where the adsorption pad abuts against the peripheral portion of the lower surface Sb of the substrate S. The adsorption/movement control mechanism 52 adsorbs the substrate S to the adsorption pad by applying negative pressure to the adsorption pad. In addition, the adsorption/movement mechanism 52 moves the chuck mechanism 51 back and forth in the X direction.

The chuck mechanism 51 holds the substrate S in a state where the lower surface Sb of the substrate S is located at a higher position than the upper surface of the floating stage 3. While the peripheral portion of the substrate S is held by the chuck mechanism 51, the substrate S is kept in a horizontal position by the buoyancy given from the floating stage 3.

As shown in FIG1 , the coating device 1 is provided with a sensor 61 for measuring the plate thickness. The sensor 61 is arranged near the roller conveyor 21. The sensor 61 detects the position of the upper surface Sf of the substrate S held by the chuck mechanism 51 in the Z direction. Furthermore, by placing the chuck (not shown) which does not hold the substrate S directly below the sensor 61, the sensor 61 can detect the position of the adsorption surface of the upper surface of the adsorption member in the hammer direction Z.

The chuck mechanism 51 holds the substrate S carried into the floating stage 3 and moves in the +X direction. Thus, the substrate S is transported from above the entrance floating stage 31 to above the coating stage 32 and to above the exit floating stage 33. Furthermore, the substrate S is moved from the exit floating stage 33 to the output transfer unit 4.

The output transfer unit 4 moves the substrate S from the position above the exit floating platform 33 to the output conveyor 110. The output transfer unit 4 has a roller conveyor 41 and a rotation and lifting drive mechanism 42. The rotation and lifting drive mechanism 42 drives the roller conveyor 41 to rotate and lift the roller conveyor 41 in the Z direction. The substrate S moves in the +X direction by the rotation of each roller of the roller conveyor 41. In addition, the substrate S is displaced in the Z direction by the lifting of the roller conveyor 41.

The output conveyor 110 includes a roller conveyor 111 and a rotation drive mechanism 112. The output conveyor 110 transports the substrate S in the +X direction by the rotation of each roller of the roller conveyor 111, and discharges the substrate S to the outside of the coating apparatus 1. In addition, the input conveyor 100 and the output conveyor 110 are part of the coating apparatus 1. However, the input conveyor 100 and the output conveyor 110 may also be assembled in a device different from the coating apparatus 1.

The coating mechanism 7 coats the processing liquid on the upper surface Sf of the substrate S. The coating mechanism 7 is arranged above the moving path of the substrate S. The coating mechanism 7 has a nozzle 71. The nozzle 71 is a slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port on the lower surface. The nozzle 71 is connected to a positioning mechanism (not shown). The positioning mechanism moves the nozzle 71 between a coating position (a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1 ) above the coating table 32 and a maintenance position described later. The processing liquid supply mechanism 8 is connected to the nozzle 71. The processing liquid supply mechanism 8 supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle 71, and discharges the processing liquid from the discharge port arranged on the lower surface of the nozzle 71.

In the coating device 1, the moving mechanism 5 coats the processing liquid on the substrate S by moving the substrate S relative to the nozzle 71 that discharges the processing liquid. However, the moving mechanism 5 may be configured to move the nozzle 71 relative to the substrate S arranged at a fixed position. Furthermore, the moving mechanism 5 may be configured to move both the nozzle 71 and the substrate S. In this case, the moving direction of the substrate S may be opposite to the moving direction of the nozzle 71. Furthermore, the moving direction of the substrate S may be the same as the moving direction of the nozzle 71. In this case, the moving mechanism 5 may transport the nozzle 71 and the substrate S in a manner such that the nozzle 71 catches up with the substrate S at a speed faster than the speed of the substrate S being transported.

FIG2 is a diagram showing the structure of the treatment liquid supply mechanism 8. The treatment liquid supply mechanism 8 includes a pump 81, a piping 82, a treatment liquid replenishing unit 83, a piping 84, a switch valve 85, a pressure gauge 86, and a drive unit 87. The pump 81 is a supply source for supplying the treatment liquid to the nozzle 71, and supplies the treatment liquid by volume change. The pump 81 may also be a bellows-type pump as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Gazette No. 10-61558. As shown in FIG2, the pump 81 has a flexible tube 811 that can expand and contract elastically in the radial direction. One end of the flexible tube 811 is connected to the treatment liquid replenishing unit 83 via the piping 82. The other end of the flexible tube 811 is connected to the nozzle 71 via the pipe 84.

The pump 81 has a bellows 812 that is elastically deformable in the axial direction. The bellows 812 has a small bellows portion 813, a large bellows portion 814, a pump chamber 815, and an actuating disc portion 816. The pump chamber 815 is located between the flexible tube 811 and the bellows 812. A non-compressible medium is sealed in the pump chamber 815. The actuating disc portion 816 is connected to the drive portion 87.

The treatment liquid replenishing unit 83 has a storage tank 831 for storing the treatment liquid. The storage tank 831 is connected to the pump 81 via the piping 82. A switch valve 833 is inserted into the piping 82. The switch valve 833 is switched according to the instruction from the control unit 9. When the switch valve 833 is opened, the treatment liquid can be supplied from the storage tank 831 to the flexible tube 811 of the pump 81. On the other hand, when the switch valve 833 is closed, the supply of the treatment liquid from the storage tank 831 to the flexible tube 811 of the pump 81 is restricted.

The piping 84 is connected to the output side of the pump 81. The switch valve 85 is inserted into the piping 84. The switch valve 85 is switched according to the command from the control unit 9. By switching the switch valve 85, the delivery and stop of the processing liquid to the nozzle 71 are switched. The pressure gauge 86 is arranged on the piping 84. The pressure gauge 86 detects the pressure (discharge pressure) of the processing liquid delivered to the nozzle 71, and outputs a signal indicating the detected pressure value to the control unit 9.

FIG3 is a diagram showing the movement pattern of the actuating disc portion 816 of the pump 81 shown in FIG2 . In FIG3 , the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the movement speed of the actuating disc portion 816 . The driving portion 87 displaces the actuating disc portion 816 axially in the movement pattern shown in FIG3 (a pattern representing the change in the speed of the actuating disc portion 816 relative to the passage of time) according to the instruction from the control unit 9 . The volume of the inner side of the bellows 812 changes due to the displacement of the actuating disc portion 816 . Thereby, the flexible tube 811 expands and contracts in the radial direction to perform the pumping action, and the treatment liquid supplied from the treatment liquid supply unit 83 is delivered to the nozzle 71 . Since the movement pattern of the operating disk portion 816 is closely related to the discharge characteristics of the treatment liquid discharged from the nozzle 71, a pressure waveform representing the temporal variation of the discharge pressure can be obtained according to the movement pattern. Furthermore, the discharge amount (the amount of the treatment liquid discharged from the nozzle 71) also increases or decreases according to the increase or decrease of the discharge pressure.

In this embodiment, by adjusting various parameters (acceleration time, constant speed, constant speed time, deceleration time, etc.) that define the movement of the operating disk portion 816, an optimization process (adjustment process) is appropriately performed to make the pressure waveform of the discharge pressure of the treatment liquid discharged from the nozzle 71 consistent with or close to the ideal waveform. This optimization process will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a sensor 62 is disposed at a nozzle 71 that supplies a treatment liquid from a treatment liquid supply mechanism 8. The sensor 62 detects the height of the substrate S in the Z direction in a non-contact manner. The sensor 62 is connected to the control unit 9 in a data-communicative manner. The control unit 9 measures the distance (interval) between the floating substrate S and the upper surface of the coating table 32 based on the detection result of the sensor 62. The control unit 9 adjusts the coating position of the nozzle 71 by a positioning mechanism based on the interval measured by the sensor 62. Furthermore, as the sensor 62, an optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor can be used.

The coating mechanism 7 is provided with a nozzle cleaning standby unit 72. The nozzle cleaning standby unit 72 performs specific maintenance on the nozzle 71 arranged at the maintenance position. The nozzle cleaning standby unit 72 has a roller 721, a cleaning portion 722, and a roller groove 723. The nozzle cleaning standby unit 72 adjusts the discharge port of the nozzle 71 to a state suitable for coating processing by cleaning the nozzle 71 and forming liquid accumulation. Furthermore, in the coating device 1, in order to evaluate the discharge pressure applied to the processing liquid, the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle 71 to the outer peripheral surface of the roller 721 in a state where the nozzle 71 is arranged at the maintenance position (simulated coating position), that is, in a state where the discharge port of the nozzle 71 faces the outer peripheral surface of the roller 721. At this time, the roller 721 rotates, so that the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle 71 can be applied to the moving surface. That is, the coating on the moving substrate S can be simulated.

When the processing liquid is ejected from the nozzle 71 onto the surface of the roller 721, it is called "simulated coating" in which the processing liquid is ejected outside the substrate S. On the other hand, when the processing liquid is applied from the nozzle 71 onto the substrate S, it is called "actual coating".

FIG4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control unit 9. The control unit 9 controls the operation of each element of the coating device 1. The control unit 9 is a computer having a computing unit 91, a storage unit 93, and a user interface 95. The computing unit 91 is a processor composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The storage unit 93 is composed of a disposable storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a non-disposable auxiliary storage device such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and a SDD (Solid State Drive).

The user interface 95 includes a display for displaying information to the user and an input device for receiving input operations from the user. As the control unit 9, for example, a desktop, laptop or tablet computer can be used.

The storage unit 93 stores the program 931. The program 931 is provided by a recording medium M. That is, the recording medium M records the program 931 in a readable manner by the control unit 9 belonging to the computer. The recording medium M is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or an optical disk, a magnetic disk, or the like.

The calculation unit 91 functions as a discharge control unit 910 , a discharge pressure measuring unit 911 , a movement control unit 912 , a speed measuring unit 913 , a discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 , and a movement control parameter adjustment unit 917 by executing a program 931 .

The discharge control unit 910 controls the operation (supply operation) of the pump 81 for supplying the processing liquid to the nozzle 71. The discharge control unit 910 controls the supply operation of the pump 81 according to a preset discharge control parameter.

The discharge pressure measuring unit 911 measures a pressure waveform representing the temporal variation of the discharge pressure. That is, the discharge pressure measuring unit 911 periodically obtains the discharge pressure measured by the pressure gauge 86 at a specific sampling period. In this way, the discharge pressure applied to the processing liquid is obtained during the period when the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle 71, and is stored in the storage unit 93 as data representing the pressure waveform (discharge data). The discharge data is data representing the relationship between a certain moment and the discharge pressure measured at that moment (that is, the temporal variation of the discharge pressure).

The movement control unit 912 controls the operation (movement operation) of the suction/movement mechanism 52 for moving the substrate S relative to the nozzle 71 according to a preset movement control parameter.

The speed measuring unit 913 measures the moving speed of the substrate S by the chuck mechanism 51 and the suction and moving mechanism 52. The speed measuring unit 913 measures the moving speed of the substrate S based on the output of the suction and moving mechanism 52 (e.g., the output of the rotary encoder, etc.). The speed measuring unit 913 stores the acquired speed as speed data in the storage unit 93. The speed data is data indicating the relationship between a time and the moving speed measured at that time (i.e., the change in the moving speed over time).

The discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 performs a process of optimizing the discharge control parameters. The discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 evaluates the pressure waveform obtained by performing simulated coating, and updates the discharge control parameters according to the evaluation result. The discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 optimizes the discharge control parameters by repeating simulated coating, obtaining of pressure waveform, evaluation of pressure waveform, and updating of discharge control parameters.

In the coating device 1, in order to coat the processing liquid ejected from the nozzle 71 on the upper surface Sf of the substrate S with a uniform film thickness, it is important to adjust the ejection speed of the processing liquid when ejected from the nozzle 71, that is, the ejection pressure. Therefore, the ejection control parameters closely related to the pressure waveform are optimized in such a way that the pressure waveform of the ejection pressure is close to the ideal waveform. Specifically, the ejection control parameters to be optimized are the set values that specify the movement of the actuating disk part 816, which are the set values for the 16 pump controls shown in Figure 3 and below. •Constant speed V1 •Acceleration time T1: time to accelerate from a stopped state to a constant speed V1 •Constant speed time T2: time to keep constant speed V1 •Constant speed V2 •Acceleration time T3: time to decelerate from constant speed V1 to constant speed V2 •Constant speed time T4: time to keep constant speed V2 •Constant speed V3 •Acceleration time T5: time to accelerate from constant speed V2 to constant speed V3 •Constant speed time T6: time to keep constant speed V3 •Constant speed V4 •Acceleration time T7: time to decelerate from constant speed V3 to constant speed V4 •Constant speed time T8: time to keep constant speed V4 •Constant speed V5 •Acceleration time T9: time to accelerate from constant speed V4 to constant speed V5 •Constant speed time T10: The time to maintain the constant speed V5 •Deceleration time T11: The time to decelerate from the constant speed V5 to the stop state

The 16 discharge control parameters correspond to the control amount for controlling the operation (feeding operation) of the pump 81 for feeding the treatment liquid to the nozzle 71. The type and number of discharge control parameters are not particularly limited, and any control amount for controlling the feeding operation of the pump 81 can be set arbitrarily.

The movement control parameter adjustment unit 917 adjusts the movement control parameters. The movement control parameter adjustment unit 917 updates the movement control parameters according to the simulated movement. "Simulated movement" refers to the relative movement of the substrate S relative to the nozzle 71 during the simulated reproduction of actual coating. In the simulated movement, the substrate S is not coated with the processing liquid. For example, the simulated movement of the present embodiment refers to the movement of the chuck mechanism 51 by controlling the adsorption/movement mechanism 52 by the movement control unit 912 according to the movement control parameters. Furthermore, in the simulated movement, the chuck mechanism 51 may actually hold the substrate S, or may hold a simulated component other than the substrate S. Furthermore, the chuck mechanism 51 may not hold anything.

The movement control parameter adjustment unit 917 evaluates the speed waveform obtained by the simulated movement and updates the movement control parameters according to the evaluation result. Then, the simulated movement is performed again according to the updated movement control parameters. In this way, the movement control parameter adjustment unit 917 optimizes the movement control parameters by repeating the simulated movement and the acquisition of the speed waveform, the evaluation of the speed waveform and the updating of the movement control parameters.

<Adjustment of control parameters> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the process of adjusting the control parameters by the control unit 9. As shown in FIG. 5, the adjustment of the control parameters includes a first adjustment step S1, a second adjustment step S2, a third adjustment step S3, and a fourth adjustment step S4. Furthermore, the adjustment of the control parameters is performed in the order of the first adjustment step S1, the second adjustment step S2, the third adjustment step S3, and the fourth adjustment step S4. Each step is described below.

<First adjustment step S1> FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the details of the first adjustment step S1 shown in FIG. 5. The first adjustment step S1 is a step of adjusting the discharge control parameters in advance by simulating the coating when the actual coating is performed in the coating device 1.

As shown in FIG6 , when the first adjustment step S1 starts, first, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 sets the discharge control parameter to a specific initial value (step S11). The initial value may be an arbitrary value, or may be a value set according to a specific algorithm. The discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 stores the set discharge control parameter in the storage unit 93. Furthermore, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 may also accept an input of an initial value from a user, and store the accepted initial value in the storage unit 93.

After setting the discharge control parameters in step S11, the control unit 9 performs simulated coating and obtains a pressure waveform (step S12). Specifically, the control unit 9 moves the nozzle 71 to a specific maintenance position (a position opposite to the roller 721). Thereafter, the control unit 9 controls the pump 81 according to the control parameters set in the first adjustment step S1, and discharges the processing liquid from the nozzle 71 to the roller 721. Furthermore, during the simulated coating, the discharge pressure measuring unit 911 obtains the data of the pressure waveform by sampling the discharge pressure measured by the pressure gauge 86. The pressure waveform obtained in step S12 is an example of the "first pressure waveform".

After the pressure waveform of the simulated coating is obtained in step S12, the pressure waveform is evaluated (step S13). As an example of the evaluation method, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 determines whether the pressure waveform obtained in step S12 is the same as the first ideal waveform Wt1 (see FIG. 9 ) belonging to the ideal pressure waveform. Specifically, it is determined whether the deviation of the pressure waveform obtained in step S12 from the first ideal waveform Wt1 exceeds a specific allowable range.

Furthermore, in step S13, the user can also evaluate the pressure waveform. In this case, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can also display the pressure waveform and the first ideal waveform Wt1 on the display. In addition, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can also display the above-mentioned deviation amount on the display. In this way, by displaying various information on the display, the user can be appropriately assisted in evaluation. In addition, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can also accept the input of the evaluation result from the user through the input device, and store the input evaluation result in the storage unit 93.

When the pressure waveform of the simulated coating is evaluated to be the same as the first ideal waveform Wt1 by step S13 (for example, when the deviation is within the allowable range. In step S13, it is "Yes"), the coating device 1 ends the first adjustment step S1. On the other hand, when the pressure waveform of the simulated coating is evaluated to be different from the first ideal waveform Wt1 by step S13 (for example, when the deviation exceeds the allowable range. In step S13, it is "No"), the coating device 1 updates the discharge control parameter (step S14). Specifically, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 updates the discharge control parameters stored in the storage unit 93 based on the evaluation result of step S13 so that the pressure wave formed when the simulated coating is performed becomes the first ideal waveform Wt1. As an algorithm for updating the discharge control parameters, for example, Bayesian optimization, genetic algorithm, gradient method, linear programming method, etc. can be arbitrarily selected.

Furthermore, as described in Patent Document 1, the discharge control parameter can also be updated using a learned model that has learned the relationship between the change amount of the discharge control parameter and the above-mentioned deviation amount. As a learning model, a neural network can be used.

Furthermore, in step S14, the user may also update the discharge control parameter. In this case, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 may also receive input of a new discharge control parameter through the input device and store the received discharge control parameter in the storage unit 93.

As described above, in the first adjustment step S1, the ejection control parameters for actual coating are adjusted based on the pressure waveform obtained by the simulated coating in step S12. Therefore, compared with the case where the ejection control parameters are adjusted by actual coating, the consumption of the substrate S can be suppressed.

<Second adjustment step S2> FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the details of the second adjustment step S2 shown in FIG. 5. The second adjustment step S2 is a step of adjusting the movement control parameters in advance by simulating movement when the coating device 1 performs actual coating.

As shown in FIG. 7 , when the second adjustment step S2 starts, first, the motion control parameter adjustment unit 917 sets the motion control parameter to a specific initial value (step S21). The initial value may be any value, or may be a value set according to a specific algorithm. The motion control parameter adjustment unit 917 stores the set motion control parameter in the storage unit 93. Furthermore, the motion control parameter adjustment unit 917 may also accept an input of an initial value from a user, and store the accepted initial value in the storage unit 93.

After the movement control parameters are set in step S21, the control unit 9 performs simulated movement and obtains a speed waveform (step S22). Specifically, the movement control unit 912 controls the suction and movement mechanism 52 according to the movement control parameters to move the chuck mechanism 51 holding the substrate S. During the simulated movement, the speed measuring unit 913 samples the movement speed of the chuck mechanism 51 based on the output of the suction and movement mechanism 52 to obtain data of the speed waveform.

After the speed waveform of the simulated movement is obtained in step S22, the speed waveform is evaluated (step S23). As an example of an evaluation method, the movement control parameter adjustment unit 917 evaluates whether the shape of the speed waveform is the same as the shape of the pressure waveform adjusted in step S11. Furthermore, when comparing the shape of the speed waveform and the shape of the pressure waveform, normalization is performed to make the scale of the speed in the speed waveform consistent with the scale of the pressure waveform. Thereafter, it is determined whether the deviation of the speed waveform from the pressure waveform exceeds a specific allowable range.

Furthermore, the regression parameters obtained by regressing the velocity waveform and the pressure waveform with a specific function can be derived as evaluation values, and whether the shapes are consistent can be determined based on the evaluation values.

Furthermore, in step S23, the user can also evaluate the speed waveform. In this case, the movement control parameter adjustment unit 917 can display the normalized speed waveform and pressure waveform on the display. Furthermore, the movement control parameter adjustment unit 917 can also display the above-mentioned deviation on the display. In this way, by displaying various information on the display, the user can be appropriately assisted in evaluation. Furthermore, the movement control parameter adjustment unit 917 can also accept the input of the evaluation result from the user through the input device, and store the input evaluation result in the storage unit 93.

When the shapes of the speed waveform and the pressure waveform of the simulated movement are the same as those of the pressure waveform evaluated in step S23 (for example, when the deviation is within the allowable range, then "Yes" in step S23), the coating device 1 ends the second adjustment step S2. On the other hand, when the shapes of the speed waveform and the pressure waveform of the simulated movement are different as evaluated in step S23 (for example, when the deviation exceeds the allowable range, then "No" in step S23), the coating device 1 updates the movement control parameters (step S24). Specifically, the movement control parameter adjustment unit 917 updates the movement control parameters stored in the storage unit 93 so that the shape of the movement waveform when the simulated movement is performed becomes the pressure waveform. As an algorithm for updating the motion control parameters, for example, Bayesian optimization, genetic algorithm, gradient method, linear programming method, etc. can be arbitrarily selected.

Furthermore, the updating of the discharge control parameter can also be performed using a learned model that has learned the relationship between the change amount of the movement control parameter and the above-mentioned deviation amount. As a model for learning, a neural network can be used.

Furthermore, in step S24, the user may also update the movement control parameters. In this case, the movement control parameter adjustment unit 917 may also receive input of new movement control parameters from the user via the input device, and store the received movement control parameters in the storage unit 93.

As described above, in the second adjustment step S2, the movement control parameters are adjusted so that the shape of the velocity waveform matches the shape of the pressure waveform. By performing actual coating according to the adjusted movement control parameters, the processing liquid can be coated on the substrate S with a uniform thickness.

<Third adjustment step S3> FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the details of the third adjustment step S3 shown in FIG. 5. The third adjustment step S3 is a step of re-adjusting the discharge control parameters adjusted in the first adjustment step S1 according to the pressure waveform obtained by the simulated coating when the actual coating is performed in the coating device 1.

When the third adjustment step S3 starts, the coating device 1 performs actual coating according to the discharge control parameters adjusted by the first adjustment step S1 and the movement control parameters adjusted by the second adjustment step S2, and obtains a pressure waveform (step S31). Specifically, the coating mechanism 7 moves the nozzle 71 to the coating position. Thereafter, the movement control unit 912 controls the adsorption/movement mechanism 52 according to the movement control parameters to move the substrate S, and the discharge control unit 910 controls the pump 81 according to the discharge control parameters to discharge the processing liquid from the nozzle 71 to the substrate S. Furthermore, during the actual coating, the discharge pressure measuring unit 911 acquires a pressure waveform by sampling the discharge pressure measured by the pressure gauge 86. The pressure waveform acquired in step S31 is an example of the "second pressure waveform".

After the pressure waveform actually applied is obtained in step S31, the pressure waveform is evaluated (step S32). The pressure waveform evaluation method in step S32 may be the same as the pressure waveform evaluation method in step S13 shown in FIG6. That is, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 may also determine whether the deviation of the pressure waveform obtained in step S31 from the first ideal waveform Wt1 exceeds a specific allowable range.

Furthermore, in step S32, the user can also evaluate the pressure waveform actually applied. In this case, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can display the pressure waveform and the first ideal waveform Wt1 on the display. Furthermore, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can also display the above-mentioned deviation amount on the display. In this way, by displaying various information on the display, the user can be appropriately assisted in evaluation. Furthermore, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can also accept the input of the evaluation result from the user through the input device, and store the input evaluation result in the storage unit 93.

When the pressure waveform of actual coating is evaluated to be the same as the first ideal waveform Wt1 by step S32 (for example, when the deviation is within the allowable range. Then it is "Yes" in step S32), the coating device 1 ends the third adjustment step S3. On the other hand, in step S32, when the pressure waveform of actual coating is evaluated to be different from the first ideal waveform Wt1 (for example, when the deviation exceeds the allowable range. Then it is "No" in step S32), the control unit 9 determines that it is necessary to readjust the discharge control parameters, and readjusts the discharge control parameters.

In the re-adjustment of the discharge control parameter, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 updates the discharge control parameter (step S33). Specifically, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 updates the discharge control parameter stored in the storage unit 93 so that the pressure wave when performing the simulated coating is formed into the second ideal waveform Wt2 described later (refer to FIG. 6). As an algorithm for updating the discharge control parameter, for example, Bayesian optimization, genetic algorithm, gradient method, linear programming method, etc. can be arbitrarily selected.

Furthermore, as described in Patent Document 1, the discharge control parameter can also be updated using a learned model that has learned the relationship between the change amount of the discharge control parameter and the above-mentioned deviation amount. As a learning model, a neural network can be used.

Furthermore, in step S33, the user may also update the discharge control parameter. In this case, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 may also receive input of new discharge control parameters from the user through the input device, and store the received discharge control parameters in the storage unit 93.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of setting the second ideal waveform Wt2. The second ideal waveform Wt2 is generated, for example, by the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 and is stored in the storage unit 93. The second ideal waveform Wt2 has a shape different from the first ideal waveform Wt1. Specifically, the second ideal waveform Wt2 has a shape in which the first ideal waveform Wt1 is deformed according to the difference value (deviation amount) between the actually applied pressure waveform Wr1 obtained in step S31 and the first ideal waveform Wt1. More specifically, the second ideal waveform Wt2 has a shape obtained by subtracting the above-mentioned difference value from the first ideal waveform Wt1. Furthermore, the shape of the second ideal waveform Wt2 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 9, and can be appropriately set.

Returning to FIG. 8 , after the discharge control parameters are updated in step S33, the coating device 1 performs simulated coating according to the updated discharge control parameters (step S34). When the nozzle 71 is located at the coating position above the coating table 32, the coating mechanism 7 moves the nozzle 71 to the maintenance position. Thereafter, the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle 71 toward the rotating roller 721. During the simulated coating, the discharge pressure measuring unit 911 obtains a pressure waveform by sampling the discharge pressure measured by the pressure gauge 86. The pressure waveform obtained in step S34 is an example of the "third pressure waveform".

After the pressure waveform of the simulated coating is obtained in step S34, the pressure waveform is evaluated (step S35). The pressure waveform evaluation method can also be the same as the pressure waveform evaluation method in step S13 shown in FIG6. However, in step S35, the second ideal waveform Wt2 is used instead of the first ideal waveform Wt1. Specifically, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can also determine whether the deviation of the pressure waveform obtained in step S34 from the second ideal waveform Wt2 exceeds a specific allowable range.

Furthermore, in step S35, the user can also evaluate the pressure waveform. In this case, in step S6, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can display the pressure waveform and the second ideal waveform Wt2 on the display. In addition, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can also display the above-mentioned deviation amount on the display. In this way, by displaying various information on the display, the user can be appropriately assisted in evaluation. In addition, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can also accept the input of the evaluation result from the user through the input device, and store the input evaluation result in the storage unit 93.

When the pressure waveform of the simulated coating is different from the second ideal waveform Wt2 through evaluation in step S35 (for example, when the deviation exceeds the allowable range. Then it is "No" in step S35), the coating device 1 performs step S33 again (update of the discharge control parameter). On the other hand, when the pressure waveform of the simulated coating is the same as the second ideal waveform Wt2 through evaluation in step S35 (for example, when the deviation is within the allowable range. Then it is "Yes" in step S35), the coating device 1 performs step S31 again (acquisition of the pressure waveform of actual coating). In this way, the coating apparatus 1 readjusts the discharge control parameters by repeatedly performing steps S33 to S35 until the pressure waveform obtained by the simulated coating is evaluated to be the same as the second ideal waveform Wt2.

As described above, in the third adjustment step S3, when the pressure waveform of actual coating is not an ideal waveform as evaluated in step S32, the discharge control parameter is readjusted based on the pressure waveform obtained by the simulated coating in step S34. In this way, the discharge control parameter can be readjusted while suppressing the consumption of the substrate S. By suppressing the consumption of the substrate S, the environmental load can be reduced.

In the simulated coating and the actual coating, due to the difference in environmental conditions, even with the same discharge control parameters, the pressure waveform obtained may change. In the present embodiment, the second ideal waveform Wt2, which is the basis for evaluating the pressure waveform of the simulated coating, is a shape obtained by deforming the first ideal waveform Wt1 according to the difference between the pressure waveform Wr1 of the actual coating and the first ideal waveform Wt1. Therefore, the discharge control parameters can be appropriately readjusted so that the pressure wave of the actual coating is formed into the first ideal waveform Wt1.

<Fourth adjustment step S4> FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the details of the fourth adjustment step S4 shown in FIG. 5. The fourth adjustment step S4 is a step of re-adjusting the discharge control parameters adjusted in the third adjustment step S3 according to the pressure waveform obtained by the actual coating while the actual coating is being performed in the coating device 1.

When the fourth adjustment step S4 starts, the coating device 1 performs actual coating according to the discharge control parameters adjusted by the third adjustment step S3 and the movement control parameters adjusted by the second adjustment step S2, and obtains a pressure waveform (step S41). The pressure waveform obtained in the actual coating using the discharge control parameters adjusted by the third adjustment step S3 is an example of the "fourth pressure waveform".

After the pressure waveform of actual coating is obtained in step S41, the pressure waveform is evaluated (step S42). As an example of the evaluation method, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 determines whether the pressure waveform of actual coating obtained in step S41 is the same as the shape of the first ideal waveform Wt1. More specifically, it is determined whether the deviation of the pressure waveform of actual coating from the first ideal waveform Wt1 exceeds a specific allowable range.

Furthermore, in step S42, the user can also evaluate the pressure waveform. In this case, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can display the pressure waveform and the first ideal waveform Wt1 on the display. In addition, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can also display the above-mentioned deviation amount on the display. In this way, by displaying various information on the display, the user can be appropriately assisted in evaluation. In addition, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 can also accept the input of the evaluation result from the user through the input device, and store the input evaluation result in the storage unit 93.

When the pressure waveform actually applied is different from the first ideal waveform Wt1 after evaluation in step S42 (for example, when the deviation exceeds the allowable range. If it is "No" in step S42), the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 updates the discharge control parameter (step S43). Specifically, the discharge control parameter adjustment unit 915 updates the discharge control parameter stored in the storage unit 93 according to the evaluation result of step S42 so that the pressure wave actually applied is formed into the first ideal waveform Wt1. As an algorithm for updating the discharge control parameter, for example, Bayesian optimization, genetic algorithm, gradient method, linear programming method, etc. can be arbitrarily selected.

Furthermore, as described in Patent Document 1, the discharge control parameter can be updated by using a learned model that has learned the relationship between the change amount of the discharge control parameter and the deviation amount. A neural network can be used as a learning model.

When the discharge control parameters are updated in step S43, the coating apparatus 1 executes step S41 (acquisition of the pressure waveform of actual coating) again. The pressure waveform of actual coating acquired using the updated discharge control parameters is an example of the "fifth pressure waveform".

When the pressure waveform of actual coating is evaluated to be the same as the first ideal waveform Wt1 by step S42 (for example, when the deviation is within the allowable range. In step S42, it is "yes"), the coating device 1 determines whether to end the actual coating (step S43). When it is determined by step S43 that the actual coating is ended (for example, when there is no substrate S to be coated. In step S43, it is "yes"), the coating device 1 ends the fourth adjustment step S4. When it is determined in step S43 that actual coating is to be continued (for example, when there is a substrate S to be subjected to coating processing, the answer is "No" in step S43), the coating apparatus 1 performs step S41 again.

As described above, in the first adjustment step S1 and the third adjustment step S3, since the discharge control parameters are updated based on the pressure waveform obtained by the simulated coating, there may be a situation where the discharge control parameters cannot be fully adjusted to match the actual coating. In contrast, in the fourth adjustment step S4, the discharge control parameters are updated based on the pressure waveform obtained by the actual coating. Therefore, the discharge control parameters can be adjusted to match the actual coating. Therefore, the ideal pressure waveform can be reproduced in the actual coating.

Furthermore, if the ejection control parameters are adjusted only by the fourth adjustment step S4 without performing the first adjustment step S1 and the third adjustment step S3, a large amount of substrates will be consumed, which may increase the environmental load. In this embodiment, since the ejection control parameters are adjusted to a certain extent by the first adjustment step S1 and the third adjustment step S3 before performing the fourth adjustment step S4, the consumption of the substrate S can be suppressed. Thus, the environmental load can be reduced.

<2. Variations> Although the above describes the implementation form, the present invention is not limited to the above and various variations are possible.

For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the simulated coating is to spit the coating liquid onto the roller 721. However, the coating liquid may be spitted to a place other than the roller 721. For example, the coating liquid may be spitted to a container such as the roller groove 723 that can receive the coating liquid spitted from the nozzle 71.

Although the present invention has been described in detail, the above description is for illustrative purposes only and the present invention is not limited thereto. It is understood that numerous variations not shown in the examples can be conceived without departing from the scope of the present invention. The various components described in the above embodiments and variations can be appropriately combined or omitted as long as they do not contradict each other.

1: Coating device 2: Input transfer unit 3: Floating platform unit 4: Output transfer unit 5: Moving mechanism 7: Coating mechanism 8: Processing liquid supply mechanism 9: Control unit 21, 41, 101, 111: Roller conveyor 22, 42: Rotation and lifting drive mechanism 31: Inlet floating platform 32: Coating platform 33: Outlet floating platform 34: Lifting pin drive mechanism 35: Floating control mechanism 36: Lifting drive mechanism 51: Chuck mechanism 52: Adsorption and moving mechanism 61, 62: Sensor 71: Nozzle 72: Nozzle cleaning standby unit 81: Pump 82, 84: Piping 83: Processing fluid supply unit 85, 833: Switch valve 86: Pressure gauge 87: Drive unit 91: Calculation unit 93: Storage unit 95: User interface 100: Input conveyor 102, 112: Rotary drive mechanism 110: Output conveyor 721: Roller 722: Cleaning unit 723: Roller groove 811: Flexible tube 812: Bellows 813: Small bellows unit 814: Large bellows unit 815: Pump chamber 816: Actuating disc unit 831: Storage unit 910: Discharge control unit 911: Discharge pressure measuring unit 912: Movement control unit 913: Speed measuring unit 915: Discharge control parameter adjustment unit 917: Movement control parameter adjustment unit 931: Program M: Recording medium S: Substrate Sf: Upper surface Sb: Lower surface T1, T3, T5, T7, T9: Acceleration time T2, T4, T6, T8, T10: Constant speed time T11: Deceleration time Wr1: Pressure waveform Wt1: First ideal waveform Wt2: Second ideal waveform +X, -X, X, Y, +Z, -Z, Z: Direction XY: Plane V1, V2, V3, V4, V5: Constant speed

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall structure of the coating device of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the processing liquid supply mechanism. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the movement mode of the actuating disc portion of the pump shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of the control unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the process of adjusting the control parameter by the control unit. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the details of the first adjustment step shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the details of the second adjustment step shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the details of the third adjustment step shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of setting the second ideal waveform. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the details of the fourth adjustment step shown in FIG. 5.

Claims (5)

A control parameter adjustment method is used to adjust the discharge control parameters for controlling the discharge of a treatment liquid from a nozzle, and includes the following steps: a) adjusting the discharge control parameters according to a first pressure waveform indicating the pressure change in the nozzle when the simulated coating of the treatment liquid is discharged from the nozzle to a place other than a substrate; b) obtaining a second pressure waveform indicating the pressure change in the nozzle when the actual coating of the treatment liquid is discharged from the nozzle to the substrate according to the discharge control parameters adjusted by the aforementioned step a); c) determining whether to re-adjust the discharge control parameters according to the aforementioned second pressure waveform; d) When it is determined by the aforementioned step c) that readjustment is to be performed, the aforementioned discharge control parameter is readjusted according to the third pressure waveform indicating the pressure change in the aforementioned nozzle when the aforementioned simulated coating is performed; e) According to the aforementioned discharge control parameter readjusted by the aforementioned step d), the fourth pressure waveform indicating the pressure change in the aforementioned nozzle when the aforementioned actual coating is performed is obtained; f) Based on the aforementioned fourth pressure waveform, it is determined whether the aforementioned discharge control parameter is to be readjusted; and g) When it is determined by the aforementioned step f) that readjustment is to be performed, the aforementioned discharge control parameter is readjusted according to the fifth pressure waveform indicating the pressure change in the aforementioned nozzle when the aforementioned actual coating is performed. The control parameter adjustment method of claim 1 further comprises the following steps: h) adjusting the movement control parameter for controlling the relative movement of the substrate relative to the nozzle; the actual coating is to move the substrate relative to the nozzle according to the movement control parameter adjusted by the step h), while ejecting the processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate. A control parameter adjustment method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the aforementioned step h) is to adjust the aforementioned movement control parameter according to a velocity waveform representing a change in the relative velocity of the aforementioned substrate relative to the aforementioned nozzle. A computer executable program that enables the aforementioned computer to execute the control parameter adjustment method of any one of request items 1 to 3. A computer-readable recording medium that records the program recorded in claim 4.