TWI832216B - Substrate processing method,substrate processing apparatus,and program - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of more appropriate exception handling. The substrate processing method of the solution of the present invention includes a setting step, a substrate processing step, a detection step (S1), and a first abnormality processing step. In the setting step, one of a plurality of processing contents for defining a series of processes on the substrate is set as a jump destination so as to correspond to each of the plurality of processing contents. In the substrate processing step, a series of processes are started on the substrate. Abnormalities are detected in the detection step (S1). In the first exception processing step (S4), when an abnormality is detected, a series of processes is performed starting from a jump destination set corresponding to the execution content, that is, the processing content being executed.

Description

Substrate processing method, substrate processing device and program

The present invention relates to a substrate processing method, a substrate processing device and a program.

A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate has been proposed in the past (for example, Patent Document 1). The substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of processing units and a transfer robot that transfers the substrate to each processing unit. Each processing unit sequentially supplies various processing liquids to the substrate while rotating the substrate in a horizontal posture. Thereby, the substrate can be processed in sequence according to the processing liquid. For example, the processing unit sequentially performs chemical liquid processing, rinsing processing, and drying processing on the substrate.

When an abnormality is detected in the substrate processing apparatus, the processing unit stops processing the substrate and executes predetermined abnormality processing. Specifically, the processing unit performs flushing processing and drying processing as abnormality processing.

Thereby, even if the processing unit is performing chemical processing when an abnormality occurs, the chemical solution adhering to the substrate can still be replaced with the rinse liquid and then the substrate can be dried. Therefore, damage to the substrate caused by leaving the chemical solution remaining on the substrate can be suppressed.

[Prior technical literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-109347.

However, depending on when the exception occurs, there may be situations where exception handling is not desired. For example, when an abnormality is detected during execution of the drying process, if the processing unit performs the flushing process and the drying process again as abnormality processing, unnecessary flushing processing will be performed.

In addition, as exception handling, it is not always optimal to use predetermined handling.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can perform more appropriate exception handling.

A first aspect of the substrate processing method includes: a setting step of assigning one of the plurality of processing contents for defining a series of processes on the substrate to correspond to each of the plurality of the aforementioned processing contents. The mode of the content is set as the jump destination; the substrate processing step is to start the aforementioned series of processing on the aforementioned substrate; the detection procedure is to detect an abnormality; and the first exception handling procedure is to set and execute when the aforementioned abnormality is detected. The content, that is, the jump destination corresponding to the processing content being executed starts to perform the above series of processing.

A second aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method as described in the first aspect, further comprising: a second exception processing step, which is the jump corresponding to the execution content when the abnormality is not detected. When the destination is reached, or when the abnormality is detected during the execution of the first exception processing step, a second exception processing that is set in advance and is not affected by the execution content is performed.

A third aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method described in the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein in the setting step, a plurality of the processing contents and the jump destination are displayed on the display unit.

A fourth aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method described in any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising: a continuous processing step, wherein the execution content is to supply the chemical solution to When the substrate is treated with a chemical solution, the chemical solution treatment is continued before the first abnormality processing step.

A fifth aspect of the substrate processing method is a substrate processing method as described in the fourth aspect, wherein in the continuous processing step, when the remaining time from the end time of the chemical liquid processing is less than a threshold value, the continuous processing step is continued. The aforementioned medicinal liquid processing; when the remaining time is greater than the aforementioned threshold value, the aforementioned medicinal liquid processing is stopped.

One aspect of a substrate processing apparatus is provided with: a processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate; a sensor that detects abnormalities; and a control unit that specifies one of a plurality of processing contents for the series of processes. The aforementioned processing content is set as a jump destination in a manner corresponding to each of the plurality of aforementioned processing contents, and the aforementioned processing unit is caused to start a series of processing on the aforementioned substrate. When the aforementioned sensor detects the aforementioned abnormality, the aforementioned processing content is set as a jump destination. The processing unit performs the series of processing starting from the jump destination set to correspond to the execution content, that is, the processing content being executed.

One type of program is used to control a substrate processing device. The substrate processing device is provided with: a processing unit that performs a series of processes on the substrate; and a sensor that detects abnormalities; the aforementioned program is used to cause the computer to perform the following Process: setting process is to set one of the aforementioned processing contents among the plurality of processing contents for defining the aforementioned series of processing as a jump destination in a manner corresponding to each of the plurality of aforementioned processing contents; substrate processing The process is to cause the processing unit to start the series of processes on the substrate; the detection process is to detect an abnormality; and the first abnormality processing process is to cause the processing unit to change from setting to execution content when the aforementioned abnormality is detected, that is, The jump destination corresponding to the processing content being executed starts to perform the above series of processing.

Depending on the first aspect of the substrate processing method, the aspect of the substrate processing apparatus, and the aspect of the program, a part of a series of appropriate processes can be performed on the substrate as the first abnormality process. Therefore, more appropriate first abnormality processing can be performed on the substrate.

According to the second aspect of the substrate processing method, the possibility of salvaging the substrate can be increased.

According to the third aspect of the substrate processing method, the user can easily confirm the content of the first exception processing while setting the jump destination.

According to the fourth aspect of the substrate processing method, when the chemical liquid treatment of the substrate is completed, there is no need to process the substrate after the abnormality processing, so the substrate can be directly entered into the next manufacturing process.

According to the fifth aspect of the substrate processing method, the time required for abnormality processing can be shortened.

1: Chamber

2:Substrate holding part

4:Nozzle moving mechanism

6:Blocking board

7: Protective parts

10: Sensor

21: Carrier platform

22: Clamp pin

23: Rotating mechanism

24:Shaft parts

25: Motor

31:Nozzle

32:Liquid supply pipe

33: valve

41: arm

42:Support column

43:Rotating mechanism

51: Fixed nozzle

52:Liquid supply pipe

53: valve

60:Support shaft

61:Liquid supply pipe

61a: spitting mouth

61b:Nozzle

62:Liquid supply pipe

63:Valve

64:Air supply path

65:Air supply pipe

66: spit mouth

67:Valve

68:Lifting mechanism

69: Rotating mechanism

71 to 73: Protective parts

74:Lifting mechanism

81 to 83: Recycling tube

90:Control Department

91: Calculation processing device

92,93:Storage Department

94:Storage device

94P:Processor

95:Bus cable

96:Input part

97:Display part

98: Ministry of Communications

100:Substrate processing device

101:Loading port

110: Index robot

120:Center robot

130: Processing unit

140:Substrate placing part

AP1 to AP3: arm status

B1:Button

C: Carrier

D1: Setting information

F1: First flag

F2: Second flag

Q1:Rotation axis

Q2:Central axis

RSC: jump destination

S1 to S8, S10, S11, S81 to S85: steps

SS1: Setting screen

ST1:Table

W: substrate

[Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the structure of a substrate processing apparatus.

[Fig. 2] is a diagram schematically showing an example of the structure of a control unit.

[Fig. 3] is a diagram schematically showing an example of the structure of a processing unit.

[Fig. 4] is a diagram showing an example of substrate processing and jump destination.

[Fig. 5] A diagram schematically showing an example of a setting screen.

[Fig. 6] is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus.

7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the structure of a substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment.

9 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus.

[Fig. 10] is a flowchart showing an example of continuous processing.

[Fig. 11] is a flowchart showing another example of continuous processing.

The embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings in the appendix. In addition, the components described in this embodiment are only examples, and the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited to the above-described embodiment. In the drawings, in order to facilitate understanding, the size or quantity of each component may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary.

Expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (such as "in one direction", "along one direction", "parallel", "orthogonal", "center", "concentric", "coaxial", etc.), when there is no In particularly limited cases, it does not only strictly represent the positional relationship, but also represents a state in which the angle or distance is displaced within a tolerance or within a range where the same degree of function can be obtained. Expressions indicating a state of equality (such as "same", "equal", "homogeneous", etc.), without particular limitation, not only represent a quantitative and strict state of equality, but also represent the existence of tolerances or the ability to obtain the same degree of functionality. The state of difference. Expressions that represent shapes (such as "rectangular" or "cylindrical shape", etc.), without particular limitation, not only strictly represent the shape geometrically, but also represent a range in which the same degree of effect can be obtained, such as having Concave and convex or chamfered shapes. The expressions "have", "have", "have", "include" or "include" one constituent element are not exclusive expressions that exclude the existence of other constituent elements. The expression "at least one of A, B and C" includes: only A; only B; only C; any two of A, B and C; and all of A, B and C.

[First Embodiment]

[Overall structure of substrate processing apparatus 100]

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the structure of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes: a load port 101; an index robot 110; A center robot 120; at least one processing unit 130 (four processing units in FIG. 1); and a control unit 90.

Each processing unit 130 is a blade-type device that processes the substrates W one by one. The processing unit 130 can have a chamber 1 . In this case, the control unit 90 controls the atmosphere in the chamber 1 , thereby allowing the processing unit 130 to perform substrate processing in a required atmosphere.

The control unit 90 can control operations of various components of the substrate processing apparatus 100 . The carrier C is a container that accommodates the substrate W. In addition, the loading port 101 is a container holding mechanism for holding a plurality of carriers C. The index robot 110 can transport the substrate W between the loading port 101 and the substrate placing unit 140 . The center robot CR can transport the substrate W between the substrate placing unit 140 and the processing unit 130 .

With the above configuration, the index robot 110 , the substrate placing unit 140 and the center robot 120 function as a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate W between each processing unit 130 and the loading port 101 .

The unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the carrier C by the index robot 110 . Then, the unprocessed substrate W is delivered to the center robot 120 via the substrate placing unit 140 . The center robot 120 carries the unprocessed substrate W into the processing unit 130 . Then, the processing unit 130 processes the substrate W.

The central robot 120 takes out the substrate W that has been processed in the processing unit 130 from the processing unit 130 . Then, after passing through another processing unit 130 as necessary, the processed substrate W is delivered to the index robot 110 via the substrate placing unit 140 . The index robot 110 carries the processed substrate W into the carrier C. The substrate W is processed through the above method.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the structure of the control unit 90. The control unit 90 can be configured by a general computer having circuits. Specifically, the control unit 90 includes, for example, an arithmetic processing device 91 such as a CPU (Central Processor Unit), a non-transitory storage unit 92 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM ( Random Access Memory; random storage The temporary storage part 93 of the memory), the storage device 94, the input part 96, the display part 97, the communication part 98, and the bus line 95 connecting these devices to each other.

The storage unit 92 stores basic programs. The storage unit 93 is used as a work area when the arithmetic processing device 91 performs predetermined processing. The storage device 94 is composed of a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory and a hard disk device. The input unit 96 includes various switches such as a mouse and a keyboard or a touch panel, and receives input of various information such as operation recipes from the operator. The display unit 97 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device and a lamp, and displays various information under the control of the arithmetic processing device 91 . The communication unit 98 has a data communication function via a communication network such as LAN (Local Area Network).

The storage device 94 stores the processing program 94P. The arithmetic processing device 91 controls each component of the substrate processing apparatus 100 by executing the processing program 94P. In addition, the processing program 94P can also be stored in portable storage media such as optical discs. If this storage medium is used, the processing program 94P can be installed in the control unit 90 . In addition, part or all of the functions executed by the control unit 90 do not necessarily need to be implemented by software, but may also be implemented by hardware such as a dedicated logic circuit.

[Processing unit 130]

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the structure of the processing unit 130. The processing unit 130 illustrated in FIG. 3 is a device capable of performing various processes on the substrate W. Hereinafter, a series of processes performed by the processing unit 130 on the substrate W is referred to as a series of processes. This series of processes can also be called a flow recipe. A series of treatment systems include chemical solution treatment, flushing treatment and drying treatment. In addition, as an example here, setting pre-processing and post-processing is not included in a series of processes. The pre-processing is a pre-dispense process performed in the previous stage of these processes; the post-processing is a series of processes. The cleaning process in the processing unit 130 and the like are performed in the latter stages of these processes.

In the example of FIG. 3 , the processing unit 130 includes a chamber 1 , a substrate holding part 2 , a nozzle 31 and a sensor 10 .

The internal space of the chamber 1 corresponds to a processing space for processing the substrate W. The side wall of the chamber 1 is provided with a transfer port (not shown) and a gate (not shown). The transfer port is used to deliver the substrate W to the central robot 120 and the gate is used to transfer the transfer port. Open and close.

The substrate holding part 2 is provided in the chamber 1 and holds the substrate W in a horizontal posture. The horizontal posture referred to here refers to a posture in which the thickness direction of the substrate W is aligned with the vertical direction. In the example of FIG. 3 , the substrate holding part 2 includes a stage 21 and a plurality of clamp pins 22 . The stage 21 has a disk shape and is installed vertically below the substrate W. The stage 21 is installed in an attitude such that the thickness direction of the stage 21 is along the vertical direction. A plurality of clamp pins 22 are erected on the upper surface of the stage 21 and hold the periphery of the substrate W. In addition, the substrate holding part 2 does not necessarily have the clamp pin 22 . For example, the substrate holding portion 2 may attract the lower surface of the substrate W to adsorb the substrate W.

In the example of FIG. 3 , the substrate holding part 2 further includes a rotation mechanism 23 that rotates the substrate W with the rotation axis Q1 as an axis. The rotation axis Q1 is an axis passing through the center of the substrate W and along the vertical direction. The rotation mechanism 23 includes a shaft 24 and a motor 25, for example. The upper end of the shaft 24 is connected to the lower surface of the carrier 21 and extends from the lower surface of the carrier 21 along the rotation axis Q1. The motor 25 rotates the shaft 24 about the rotation axis Q1 to rotate the stage 21 . Thereby, the substrate W held by the plurality of clamp pins 22 rotates about the rotation axis Q1. Such substrate holding portion 2 may also be called a jig pin.

In the following, the radial direction related to the rotation axis Q1 is simply referred to as the radial direction.

The nozzle 31 is installed in the chamber 1 . The nozzle 31 is used to supply the processing liquid to the substrate W. In the example of FIG. 1 , the nozzle 31 is connected to a processing liquid supply source (not shown) via a liquid supply pipe 32 . That is, the downstream end of the liquid supply pipe 32 is connected to the nozzle 31 , and the upstream end of the liquid supply pipe 32 is connected to the processing liquid supply source. The processing liquid supply source includes, for example, a storage tank (not shown) that stores the processing liquid, and supplies the processing liquid to the liquid supply pipe 32 . For example, the treatment liquid contains at least one of the following: a chemical liquid, such as an etching liquid, for removing the object on the substrate W; a rinse liquid, for rinsing away the chemical liquid; and a neutralizing liquid, for example. To remove the charge of the substrate W.

The liquid supply pipe 32 is provided with a valve 33. When the valve 33 opens, the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply source to the nozzle 31 through the liquid supply pipe 32 and ejected from the nozzle 31 . When the valve 33 performs the closing operation, the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle 31 is completed.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 , the processing unit 130 may include a plurality of nozzles 31 . Different types of treatment liquids can be supplied to each nozzle 31 .

In the example of FIG. 3 , the nozzle 31 is movably installed in the chamber 1 by the nozzle moving mechanism 4 . The nozzle moving mechanism 4 moves the nozzle 31 between the processing position and the standby position. The processing position is a position where the nozzle 31 supplies the processing liquid to the substrate W, and is, for example, a position opposite to the center portion of the substrate W in the vertical direction. The standby position is a position where the nozzle 31 does not supply the processing liquid to the substrate W, and is, for example, a position radially outward of the substrate holding portion 2 . When the nozzle 31 is in the standby position, the nozzle 31 does not interfere with the conveyance path of the substrate W between the substrate holding unit 2 and the center robot 120 .

In the example of FIG. 3 , the nozzle moving mechanism 4 includes an arm 41 , a support column 42 and a rotating mechanism 43 . The arm 41 has a rod-like shape extending in the horizontal direction, and the front end of the arm 41 is coupled to the nozzle 31 . The base end of the arm 41 is combined with the support column 42 . The support column 42 is provided radially outside the guard 7 described below and extends in the vertical direction. The rotation mechanism 43 rotates the support column 42 about the central axis Q2 of the support column 42 as an axis. The rotation mechanism 43 includes a motor, for example. The support column 42 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 43, so that the arm 41 and the nozzle 31 rotate about the central axis Q2. The support column 42 is installed at a predetermined position in the chamber 1 so that the processing position and the standby position are located on the movement path of the nozzle 31 .

In FIG. 3 , a plurality of nozzle moving mechanisms 4 are provided, and each nozzle moving mechanism 4 moves one or more nozzles 31 respectively. In the example of FIG. 3 , a plurality of nozzles 31 (two in this case) are combined with one arm 41 . Therefore, the arm 41 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 43, thereby causing the plurality of nozzles 31 installed on the arm 41 to move integrally. Although two nozzle moving mechanisms 4 are provided in the example of FIG. 3 , three or more nozzle moving mechanisms 4 may be provided. In addition, the number of nozzles 31 moved by each nozzle moving mechanism 4 can also be changed appropriately. In other words, the number of nozzles 31 coupled to the arm 41 can be appropriately changed.

The processing unit 130 can sequentially perform processing (chemical liquid processing and rinsing processing) based on each processing liquid by sequentially ejecting the processing liquid from each nozzle 31 to the rotating substrate W. For example, when performing chemical liquid treatment, the processing unit 130 uses the nozzle moving mechanism 4 to move the nozzle 31 that can spray the chemical liquid to the processing position, and opens the valve 33 corresponding to the nozzle 31, thereby supplying the chemical liquid. to the rotating substrate W. This allows the substrate W to be treated with a chemical solution.

In the example of FIG. 3 , the fixed nozzle 51 is also provided in the chamber 1 . The fixed nozzle 51 is fixed in the chamber 1 and is used to supply the rinse liquid to the substrate W. In the example of FIG. 3 , the fixed nozzle 51 is disposed radially outside the substrate holding portion 2 and releases the rinse liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W. In the example of FIG. 3 , the ejection opening of the fixed nozzle 51 is directed toward the center of the upper surface of the substrate W. Therefore, the rinse liquid sprayed from the fixed nozzle 51 adheres to the center portion of the upper surface of the substrate W.

The fixed nozzle 51 is connected to a flushing liquid supply source (not shown) through a liquid supply pipe 52 . That is, the downstream end of the liquid supply pipe 52 is connected to the fixed nozzle 51 , and the upstream end of the liquid supply pipe 52 is connected to the flushing liquid supply source. The flushing fluid supply source includes, for example, a storage tank (not shown) for storing flushing fluid, and supplies the flushing fluid to the liquid supply pipe 52 . The rinse liquid is, for example, pure water or isopropyl alcohol.

The liquid supply pipe 52 is provided with a valve 53 . When the valve 53 opens, the flushing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply source through the liquid supply pipe 52 to the fixed nozzle 51 and ejected from the fixed nozzle 51 . When the valve 53 performs the closing operation, the discharge of the flushing liquid from the fixed nozzle 51 is completed.

The processing unit 130 can perform a rinsing process on the substrate W by causing the fixed nozzle 51 to spray the rinsing liquid onto the rotating substrate W. Since the fixed nozzle 51 is not displaced by a driving mechanism such as the nozzle moving mechanism 4, there is no abnormality in the driving system and the reliability is high.

In the example of FIG. 3 , a blocking plate 6 is also provided in the chamber 1 . The blocking plate 6 is provided vertically above the substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 2 and faces the substrate W in the vertical direction. The blocking plate 6 is a disc-shaped member having a diameter that is approximately the same as the diameter of the substrate W or slightly larger than the diameter of the substrate W. The blocking plate 6 is provided in a horizontal attitude vertically above the substrate holding portion 2 so as to block The central axis of the broken plate 6 coincides with the rotation axis Q1. The lower surface of the blocking plate 6 is flat and faces the substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 2 .

In addition, a through hole that penetrates the blocking plate 6 in the vertical direction is formed in the center portion of the blocking plate 6 . The lower end of the through hole is opened at the center of the lower surface of the blocking plate 6 . The support shaft 60 is installed on the upper surface of the blocking plate 6 . The support shaft 60 is hollow, and the internal space of the support shaft 60 is connected with the through hole. The liquid supply pipe 61 is inserted into and penetrates the hollow part of the support shaft 60 in a non-contact state. The lower end of the liquid supply pipe 61 reaches the through hole of the blocking plate 6 .

A nozzle 61 b is formed at the lower end of the liquid supply pipe 61 , and the nozzle 61 b has an ejection port 61 a for ejecting the processing liquid toward the center of the upper surface of the substrate W. The downstream end of the liquid supply pipe 62 is connected to the upstream end of the liquid supply pipe 62 , and the processing liquid (chemical liquid or flushing liquid) from a processing liquid supply source (not shown) is supplied to the liquid supply pipe 61 via the liquid supply pipe 62 the upstream end. The processing liquid supplied to the liquid supply pipe 61 is ejected downward from the ejection port 61a of the nozzle 61b. The liquid supply pipe 62 is provided with a valve 63 for switching between supplying and stopping the supply of the processing liquid to the liquid supply pipe 61 .

In addition, an air supply path 64 surrounding the liquid supply pipe 61 is formed between the support shaft 60 and the liquid supply pipe 61 . The air supply pipe 65 is connected to the air supply path 64 . The gas system from a gas supply source (not shown) is supplied to the gas supply path 64 via the gas supply pipe 65 . The gas system supplied to the air supply path 64 flows downward in the air supply path 64 and is sprayed downward from the through hole of the blocking plate 6 . Between the inner peripheral surface of the blocking plate 6 (the surface defining the through holes) and the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 61 b is a discharge port 66 for spraying gas from the air supply path 64 . As the gas supplied to the gas supply path 64, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is used. In addition, the gas supply pipe 65 is provided with a valve 67 for switching between supplying the gas to the gas supply path 64 and stopping the supply.

In addition, the lifting mechanism 68 and the rotating mechanism 69 are combined with the support shaft 60 . By inputting the driving force of the lifting mechanism 68 to the support shaft 60, the support shaft 60 and the blocking plate 6 are integrally raised and lowered between the approach position where the lower surface of the blocking plate 6 is close to the substrate and the standby position. The standby position is the position of the upper surface of W. The standby position is a position vertically above the approach position. The lifting mechanism 68 has, for example, Ball screw mechanism or cylinder mechanism of motor. In FIG. 2 , the state where the support shaft 60 and the blocking plate 6 are stopped at the standby position is shown.

By inputting the driving force of the rotation mechanism 69 to the support shaft 60, the support shaft 60 and the blocking plate 6 are integrally rotated about the rotation axis Q1. The rotation mechanism 69 includes a motor, for example.

With the blocking plate 6 lowered to the close position, the volume of the space between the blocking plate 6 and the substrate W can be reduced. Therefore, it is easy to control the atmosphere of the space. For example, if the valve 67 is opened and nitrogen gas is ejected from the gas ejection port 66, the proportion of nitrogen gas in the space can be increased and the proportion of oxygen gas can be reduced. Furthermore, by opening the valve 63 and spraying the processing liquid from the nozzle 61b while controlling the atmosphere of the space, the substrate W can be processed in a predetermined atmosphere.

Alternatively, the blocking plate 6 can be utilized for drying processing. For example, with the blocking plate 6 lowered to the close position, the substrate W is rotated at high speed while the substrate holder 2 is spouting nitrogen gas from the gas spout port 66 (spin drying). Thereby, since the processing liquid can be pressed by the nitrogen gas and moved toward the periphery of the substrate W or the evaporation of the processing liquid can be promoted, the substrate W can be effectively dried.

As described above, since the processing unit 130 illustrated above includes the nozzle 31, the fixed nozzle 51, and the nozzle 61b, various processes can be performed. In addition, in a series of processes (process recipes) performed on the substrate W, the processing unit 130 does not necessarily use all nozzles. Since a series of processes on the substrate W differ depending on the type and manufacturing stage of the substrate W, it is only necessary to use a required nozzle for the series of processes.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 3 , a protective member 7 is also provided in the chamber 1 . The guard 7 has a cylindrical shape surrounding the substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 2 . The guard 7 catches the processing liquid scattered from the periphery of the substrate W.

In the example of FIG. 3 , a plurality of (three in the figure) protective members 7 are provided. In the following, the three protective members 7 may be referred to as the protective member 71 , the protective member 72 and the protective member 73 as necessary. The plurality of protective parts 7 are arranged concentrically. In the example of FIG. 3 , the protective piece 71 , the protective piece 72 and the protective The protectors 73 are arranged sequentially from the radially inner side to the radially outer side. In addition, each protective piece 7 is configured to be able to be raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism 74 . The lifting mechanism 74 has, for example, a ball screw mechanism including a motor or a cylinder mechanism.

When the lifting mechanism 74 raises all the guards 7 to the upper position, the inner guard 71 catches the processing liquid scattered from the substrate W and guides the processing liquid to the recovery pipe 81 . In a state where the lifting mechanism 74 only lowers the inner guard 71 to the lower position, the guard 72 catches the processing liquid and guides the treatment liquid to the recovery pipe 82 . In a state where the lifting mechanism 74 only raises the outer guard 73 to the upper position, the guard 73 catches the processing liquid and guides the treatment liquid to the recovery pipe 83 .

As described above, the lifting mechanism 74 raises and lowers each guard 7 according to the type of the processing liquid, and can guide the processing liquid to the recovery pipe 81 to 83 corresponding to the type of the processing liquid. The supply destination of each recovery pipe may be a storage tank of a processing liquid supply source corresponding to the type of processing liquid, or may be an external waste liquid unit.

The sensor 10 detects various abnormalities in the processing unit 130 . For example, the sensor 10 includes at least one of the following sensors: a sensor that detects abnormalities in the rotation mechanism 23 of the substrate holding unit 2 , a sensor that detects abnormal leakage of each processing liquid, and a sensor that detects nozzles. Sensors for abnormality of the moving mechanism 4 , sensors for detecting abnormality of the lifting mechanism 74 , sensors for detecting abnormality of the lifting mechanism 68 , and sensors for detecting abnormality of the rotating mechanism 69 .

In addition, the abnormality detected by the sensor 10 is not limited to the above, and may also be other types of abnormality. For example, when an exhaust mechanism (not shown) for exhausting gas in the chamber 1 is provided, the sensor 10 can also detect abnormalities in the exhaust mechanism. In addition, when the chamber 1 is provided with a removable cover (not shown) for maintenance, the sensor 10 can also detect the attachment and detachment status of the removable cover. Since the removable cover is removed during maintenance and the user performs maintenance in the chamber 1, when the removable cover is removed during substrate processing, the sensor 10 detects the removal of the removable cover as Abnormal.

[Substrate processing and exception handling]

Next, an example of substrate processing (a series of processing) and abnormality processing executed by each processing unit 130 will be described. The abnormality processing referred to here refers to processing for remediating the substrate W when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

[Substrate processing]

The contents of a series of processes on the substrate W can be set by the user as will be described later. As an example here, a series of processes is set to sequentially execute chemical solution processing, rinsing processing, and drying processing. In addition, as an example here, it is set that the nozzle 61b and the fixed nozzle 51 are not used.

As will be described later, treatments such as chemical solution treatment, rinsing treatment, and drying treatment (ie, process recipe) are specified in more subdivided processing contents (hereinafter referred to as recipe steps). That is, a series of processes is specified by a plurality of process recipes, and each process recipe is specified by a plurality of recipe steps.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of a series of processes according to each recipe step. The first row (column) of the table shown in FIG. 4 represents the execution order of the recipe steps, and the second row represents the content of the recipe steps. In the example in Figure 4, "preparing chemical solution processing" is set as the first recipe step. In this recipe step, a process for preparing a chemical solution is specified. For example, the movement of the arm 41 and the guard 7 is specified. Here, in the chemical liquid processing, the chemical liquid is sprayed from the nozzle 31 of a certain arm 41, and the chemical liquid scattered from the substrate W is caught by the guard 72. In this case, in the recipe step it is provided that the arm 41 is moved to the processing position and the guards 72, 73 are raised to the upper position.

In the example in Figure 4, "Start chemical solution processing" is set as the second recipe step. Furthermore, although illustration is omitted, "chemical solution processing" is set as the third recipe step and the fourth recipe step, and "end chemical solution processing" is set as the fifth recipe step. In these formulating steps, for example, the rotation speed of the substrate W, the flow rate of the chemical solution, and the required time are specified. When a plurality of nozzles 31 are coupled to the arm 41 , the nozzle used to eject the chemical solution among the nozzles 31 is specified. The time required refers to the time required for each recipe step. In addition, in the recipe step corresponding to "end chemical solution processing", arm 41 is specified as necessary. Move to standby position. Specifically, in the next process recipe (rinsing process in this case), when the rinse liquid is ejected from the nozzle 31 of the same arm 41, the arm 41 is not required to move to the standby position. When the flushing liquid is sprayed, the regulation arm 41 moves to the standby position. Here, it is assumed that the nozzle 31 of the same arm 41 sprays the rinse liquid.

In the example of Figure 4, "Start Rinse Processing" is set as the sixth recipe step. Here, during the rinsing process, the rinsing liquid scattered from the substrate W is caught by the guard 71 . In this case, in the recipe step of "starting the flushing process", it is specified that the guard members 71 to 73 rise to the upper position. Furthermore, although illustration is omitted, "rinsing processing" is set as the seventh recipe step, and "end rinsing processing" is set as the eighth recipe step. In these recipe steps, for example, the rotation speed of the substrate W, the nozzle 31 used to spray the rinse liquid, the flow rate of the rinse liquid, and the required time are specified. In addition, in the formula step of "ending the flushing process", the arm 41 is required to move to the standby position as necessary.

In the example of Figure 4, "Start Drying Processing" is set as the ninth recipe step. Furthermore, although illustration is omitted, the "drying process" is set to the tenth recipe step and the eleventh recipe step, and the "end drying process" is set to the twelfth recipe step. In these recipe steps, for example, the rotation speed of the substrate W and the required time are specified. The rotation speed in this recipe step is set to a value higher than the rotation speed in the chemical solution treatment and flushing treatment. In addition, in the recipe step of "ending the drying process", the protective member 7 is required to be lowered to the lower position as necessary.

In the example of Figure 4, "End Recipe Processing" is set as the thirteenth recipe step. In this recipe step, various components are defined as needed and moved to the starting position.

Information defining the flow of a series of processes as described above is stored in the storage device 94 as setting information D1. In the following, information specifying a series of processes will also be referred to as process recipe information. The control unit 90 controls the operations of various components of the substrate processing apparatus 100 based on the setting information D1. Thereby, the substrate processing apparatus 100 can perform a series of processes on the substrate W.

[Exception handling]

[First exception handling]

When any sensor 10 detects an abnormality during the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 , the control unit 90 causes each processing unit 130 to execute the first abnormality processing corresponding to the processing content being executed (equivalent to the execution content). . Specifically, the control unit 90 causes the processing unit 130 to execute a series of processes starting from a jump destination set to correspond to the content of the process being executed as the first exception process.

In the example of FIG. 4 , the jump destination corresponding to each recipe step is displayed in the third row of the table. As a specific example, the thirteenth recipe step is set as the jump destination corresponding to the first recipe step. That is, in this example, when an abnormality is detected during execution of the recipe step of "preparing chemical solution processing", the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes starting from the recipe step of "ending recipe processing" as the first exception processing .

Thereby, when an abnormality is detected during the execution of the "chemical solution preparation process" in which the processing liquid has not yet been performed on the substrate W, the processing using the processing liquid (chemical liquid processing and rinsing processing) is not performed, but is performed. The formula step of "end formula processing" after drying process. Therefore, the consumption of treatment liquid can be reduced. In addition, since no drying process is performed, the power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be reduced.

In the example of FIG. 4 , the sixth recipe step is set as the jump destination corresponding to the second to fifth recipe steps. In this example, when an abnormality is detected during the execution of the chemical liquid process, the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes starting from the recipe step of "start flushing process" as the first exception process. That is, the processing unit 130 sequentially executes the recipe steps from "start flushing processing" to the final "end recipe processing".

Accordingly, in the first abnormality processing, the processing unit 130 flushes away the chemical solution on the substrate W due to the chemical solution processing through the flushing process, and dries the substrate W through the drying process. Therefore, damage to the substrate W caused by the chemical solution can be suppressed.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 4 , the sixth recipe step is set as the jump destination corresponding to the sixth to eighth recipe steps. In this example, when an exception is detected during execution of the flushing process, the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes starting from the recipe step of "start flushing process" as the first exception process. That is, the processing unit 130 sequentially executes the recipe steps from "start flushing processing" to the final "end recipe processing".

Accordingly, in the first abnormality processing, since the processing unit 130 restarts the rinsing process of the substrate W from the beginning, the rinsing process of the substrate W can be completed more reliably. Therefore, the chemical solution can be appropriately suppressed from remaining on the substrate W.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 4 , the ninth recipe step is set as the jump destination corresponding to the ninth to twelfth recipe steps. In this example, when an abnormality is detected during execution of the drying process, the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes starting from the recipe step of "start drying process" as abnormality processing. That is, the processing unit 130 sequentially executes the recipe steps from "start drying process" to the final "end recipe process".

Accordingly, since the processing unit 130 does not perform flushing processing in the first exception processing, the consumption of flushing fluid can be reduced. In addition, in the first abnormality processing, the processing unit 130 restarts the drying process of the substrate W from the beginning, so that the drying process of the substrate W can be completed more reliably. Therefore, the rinse liquid can be appropriately suppressed from remaining on the substrate W.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 4 , the thirteenth recipe step is set as the jump destination corresponding to the thirteenth recipe step. In this example, when an exception is detected during the execution of the process related to "End Recipe Processing", the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes starting from the recipe step of "End Recipe Processing" as the first exception process.

When some kind of abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus 100, the plurality of processing units 130 execute the first abnormality processing. For example, when the exception occurs in one of the processing units 130, the processing units 130 perform first exception processing in response to detecting the exception.

However, in the one processing unit 130, the possibility that the same exception still occurs during the execution of the first exception processing is high. When an exception still occurs during the execution of the first exception processing, the one processing unit 130 may end the operation without re-executing the first exception processing. Alternatively, the one processing unit 130 may also perform second exception processing that is different from the first exception processing. The second exception handling will be described in detail later.

On the other hand, the possibility that other processing units 130 can complete the first exception processing is high. Therefore, other processing units 130 can properly repair the substrate W.

As described above, since all the processing units 130 execute the first abnormality processing and stop operating in response to the abnormality detection in the substrate processing apparatus 100, the user can quickly respond to the abnormality.

[Setting method of first exception handling]

Next, an example of how to set a jump destination will be described. For example, the user performs an input instructing display of the setting screen SS1 to the input unit 96 . In response to this input, the control unit 90 causes the display unit 97 to display the setting screen SS1.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the setting screen SS1. The setting screen SS1 illustrated in FIG. 5 includes a table ST1 showing processing contents (recipe steps in this case) in execution order. The first row of the table ST1 represents numbers used to identify the processing content of each column, and the numbers in the first row represent the execution order of the processing content.

The (N-1)th row starting from the second row in table ST1 represents the recipe steps specified in each column. As a specific example, the recipe step includes items "AP1" to "AP3". “AP1” to “AP3” are symbols for identifying the arm 41 . That is, here, the processing unit 130 includes three nozzle moving mechanisms 4 .

Items "AP1" to "AP3" indicate arm status. The arm state includes, for example, the position of the arm 41 and the state of ejection from each nozzle 31 of the arm 41 . The formula step may also appropriately include information such as the position of the guard 7, the rotation speed of the substrate W, and the flow rate of the processing liquid.

The user performs input for specifying the contents of each process to the input unit 96 . As a more specific example, the user inputs various information from the second row to the (N-1)th row into the input unit 96 column by column (that is, according to each recipe step). The control unit 90 sets a series of processes to be executed by the processing unit 130 in response to the input, and displays the set contents on the display unit 97 . The display unit 97 displays each recipe step in the table ST1 in the setting screen SS1.

In addition, the user performs an input for specifying a jump destination corresponding to each recipe step in the input unit 96 . In response to the input, the control unit 90 sets a jump destination corresponding to each recipe step, and displays the set content on the display unit 97 . The display unit 97 displays the jump destination in the table ST1 in the setting screen SS1. In the example of FIG. 5, the item "RSC" in the Nth row is an item indicating the jump destination.

The control unit 90 stores flow recipe information indicating a series of processes set by the user and jump destination information indicating a jump destination as setting information D1 in the storage device 94 . In the example of FIG. 5 , the “save” button B1 is displayed on the setting screen SS1, and the user operates the input unit 96 and selects (clicks) the button B1. The control unit 90 causes the storage device 94 to store the setting information D1 in response to the input.

When the sensor 10 detects an abnormality in the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 90 specifies a jump destination corresponding to the processing content being executed based on the setting information D1. Furthermore, the control unit 90 causes the processing unit 130 to perform a series of processing starting from the processing content of the specific jump destination as the first exception processing.

[Second exception handling]

Next, the second exception processing will be described. The second exception handling is executed when an exception is detected during execution of the first exception handling. The order of this second exception processing is determined in advance and is not affected by the content of the processing being executed when the exception is detected. However, the processing conditions (for example, the flow rate of the processing liquid and the rotation speed of the substrate W) in the second abnormality processing can be arbitrarily changed by the user. In other words, the input unit 96 accepts the input of the processing conditions of the second exception processing.

The second abnormality processing includes, for example, flushing processing and drying processing using predetermined nozzles. As a specific example, the flushing process of the second abnormality process is a flushing process using the fixed nozzle 51 .

Thereby, even when the processing unit 130 cannot complete the first exception processing, it is still possible to complete the second exception processing. For example, when an exception related to the processing liquid using the nozzle 31 occurs in one processing unit 130, the same exception may also occur during execution of the first exception processing in the one processing unit 130. However, since the nozzle 31 is not used in the second exception process, the same exception will not occur during execution of the second exception process. Therefore, the one processing unit 130 can complete the second exception processing.

Thereby, even when the first abnormality processing cannot be executed, the chemical solution on the substrate W can still be replaced by the rinse liquid through the second abnormality processing, so damage to the substrate W caused by the chemical solution can be suppressed.

[flag]

The control unit 90 can cause the storage device 94 to store the first flag F1, and the first flag F1 is used to set the validity and invalidity of the first exception processing. For example, the input unit 96 accepts input for specifying whether the first exception processing is valid or invalid. The control unit 90 sets or clears the first flag F1 in response to the input. Here, when the first flag F1 is set, the first exception handling is set to be valid; when the first flag F1 is removed, the first exception handling is set to be invalid.

The validity and invalidity of the first exception processing can be set for each processing unit 130, or a common setting can be made for two or more processing units 130.

The control unit 90 may also cause the storage device 94 to store a second flag F2. The second flag F2 is used to set the validity or invalidity of the second exception processing. For example, the input unit 96 accepts input for specifying whether the second exception processing is valid or invalid. The control unit 90 sets or clears the second flag F2 in response to the input. Here, when the second flag F2 is set, the second exception handling is set to be valid; when the second flag F2 is removed, the second exception handling is set to be invalid.

Whether the second exception processing is valid or invalid can be set for each processing unit 130, or a common setting can be made for two or more processing units 130.

[Example of operation of substrate processing apparatus 100]

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus. First, the user sets various information (step S10: setting process). Specifically, the user performs input for specifying the contents of a series of processes and a jump destination to the input unit 96 . As a specific example, in the setting process, as described above, the display unit 97 displays the recipe steps and jump destinations. The user inputs a series of processes and a jump destination into the input unit 96 while confirming the display unit 97 . Through this setting process, the setting information I)1 including the process recipe information and jump destination information is stored in the storage device 94. By displaying the recipe steps and the jump destination on the display unit 97, the user can easily confirm the content of the first exception processing and set the jump destination.

In addition, in the setting process, the user inputs the first exception processing to be valid or invalid and the second exception processing to be valid or invalid to the input unit 96 . In response to the input, the control unit 90 causes the storage device 94 to store the first flag F1 and the second flag F2.

Next, the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrate W (step S11: substrate processing step). Specifically, the control unit 90 controls each component of the substrate processing apparatus 100 based on the setting information D1. Thereby, the substrates W in the carrier C are sequentially transported to the processing units 130, and a series of processes are performed in each processing unit 130. When all the substrates W are processed by the processing unit 130 and transported to the carrier C without any abnormality occurring in the substrate processing apparatus 100, the substrate processing apparatus 100 ends the processing.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus 100 . FIG. 7 shows a flow of processing regarding a processing unit 130. In the following, the one processing unit 130 is also referred to as the self-processing unit 130 . First, any sensor 10 in the substrate processing apparatus 100 detects an abnormality, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 90 (step S1: detection process). The abnormality referred to here refers to an abnormality in which the guard 7 does not move to a predetermined position, an abnormality in which the substrate holding part 2 does not rotate, an abnormality in which the removable cover is removed from the chamber 1 during processing of the substrate W, and Abnormalities such as leakage of the processing liquid and an abnormality in the exhaust pressure from the processing unit 130 being outside a predetermined range may occur in the path on which the processing liquid reaches each nozzle 31 .

When an abnormality is detected, the control unit 90 determines whether the first abnormality processing is valid or invalid (step S2). Specifically, the control unit 90 determines whether the first flag F1 stored in the storage device 94 is being set.

When the first flag F1 is being set, the control unit 90 determines whether a jump destination corresponding to the processing content being executed is set based on the setting information D1 (step S3). Specifically, the control unit 90 confirms the setting information D1 stored in the storage device 94 . The case where the jump destination is not set as referred to here includes the case where the information itself of the jump destination is not set and the case where information such as a mark unrelated to the jump destination is set.

When a jump destination is set, the control unit 90 causes the processing unit 130 to execute a series of processes starting from the processing content of the jump destination (step S4: first exception processing step). That is, the self-processing unit 130 does not directly continue a series of processes, but executes a series of processes starting from the processing content of the jump destination (first exception processing).

Next, the control unit 90 determines whether the sensor 10 in the self-processing unit 130 detects an abnormality during execution of the first abnormality processing (step S5). That is, the control unit 90 determines whether an abnormality that prevents execution of the first abnormality processing is detected. The control unit 90 continues the abnormality monitoring obtained by the sensor 10 at least until the first abnormality processing is completed. When no exception occurs, the self-processing unit 130 can complete the first exception. Handle regularly. For example, when the exception in step S1 occurs in another processing unit 130, the self-processing unit 130 can complete a more appropriate first exception processing.

On the other hand, when an abnormality is detected by the sensor 10 during execution of the first abnormality processing, the control unit 90 determines whether the second abnormality processing is valid (step S6). Specifically, the control unit 90 determines whether the second flag F2 stored in the storage device 94 is being set.

When the second flag F2 is being set, the control unit 90 causes the self-processing unit 130 to execute the second exception processing (step S7: second exception processing step). The second abnormality process includes, for example, a flushing process of spraying flushing liquid from the fixed nozzle 51 and a drying process after the flushing process. According to this, even if a chemical solution exists on the substrate W, the substrate W can be dried after replacing the chemical solution with a rinse liquid. Therefore, damage to the substrate W caused by the chemical solution can be suppressed.

In addition, when an exception occurs in the self-processing unit 130 during the execution of the second exception processing, the control unit 90 may also cause the self-processing unit 130 to end the second exception processing midway. Alternatively, the control unit 90 may cause the processing unit 130 to re-execute the second exception processing a predetermined number of times. When an exception occurs in all the second exception processing that is restarted from the beginning, the control unit 90 may cause the self-processing unit 130 to end the second exception processing in the middle.

When the first exception processing is set to be invalid (step S2: No), the control unit 90 determines whether the second exception processing is valid (step S6). In addition, when the jump destination corresponding to the processing content being executed is not set (step S3: No), the control unit 90 determines whether the second exception processing is valid (step S6).

When the second exception processing is set to be invalid (step S6: No), the control unit 90 stops the operation of the self-processing unit 130. That is, the self-processing unit 130 stops operating and does not perform abnormality processing on the substrate W.

[Processing example]

Specific processing examples are described below. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the jump destination is set to correspond to all recipe steps, and the first exception handling and the second exception handling are set to be valid.

[Abnormality in the exhaust mechanism]

A case in which an abnormality occurs in the exhaust mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described. When such an abnormality occurs, the pressure in the chamber 1 will fluctuate. However, even if the pressure in the chamber 1 changes, each driving mechanism in each processing unit 130 can operate normally, so the first abnormality processing can be performed.

Therefore, when such an exception occurs during the execution of a series of processes, each processing unit 130 can complete the first exception process (step S1 to step S5). In addition, although the abnormality of the exhaust mechanism can be detected during execution of the first abnormality process, the control unit 90 does not prevent the continuation of the first abnormality process, so the first abnormality process continues.

[Exception of processing unit 130]

Next, a case where an abnormality occurs in one processing unit 130 will be described. This abnormality is, for example, an abnormality in the drive system of the nozzle moving mechanism 4 .

Since such an exception also occurs during the execution of the first exception processing by the one processing unit 130, the one processing unit 130 performs the second exception processing in response to detecting the exception (steps S1 to S7).

On the other hand, since no exception occurs in the other processing unit 130, the other processing unit 130 can complete the first exception processing (steps S1 to S5).

[No jump destination set]

In addition, there may be cases where the jump destination is not appropriately set to correspond to certain processing contents among the processing contents of a series of processes. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of substrate processing and jump destinations. In the example of FIG. 8 , a jump destination corresponding to the processing content of the chemical solution processing is not set. Specifically, jump destinations corresponding to the second to fifth recipe steps are not set.

In this case, when an exception occurs during execution of the chemical solution process, the processing unit 130 performs the second exception processing (steps S1 to S3, step S6, and step S7) without performing the first exception processing.

[Effects of the first embodiment]

As described above, when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus 100, each processing unit 130 does not continue to perform a series of processes but performs the first abnormality processing (step S4). Specifically, each processing unit 130 performs a series of processes as the first exception process starting from a jump destination corresponding to the content of the process being executed when the exception occurs. That is, the first exception processing is equivalent to a part of a series of processes. Since a series of processing is defined by processing content suitable for the substrate W, the first exception processing is also processing suitable for the substrate W.

For example, in a series of processes, in the flushing process performed after the chemical liquid treatment, a flushing liquid suitable for the type of chemical liquid is used, and the flow rate and processing time of the flushing liquid are also appropriately set. Thereby, the chemical liquid on the substrate W can be appropriately replaced with the rinse liquid in a series of processes. Furthermore, according to the aspect of this embodiment, when an abnormality occurs during execution of the chemical solution process, the same flushing process as a series of processes is performed in the first abnormality process. Therefore, the chemical liquid on the substrate W can be appropriately replaced with the rinse liquid in the first abnormality processing.

In addition, for example, the substrate W whose pattern is likely to collapse due to drying is processed in such a manner that the pattern does not collapse during a series of processes. As a specific example, the processing unit 130 sequentially performs a chemical solution process, a first rinse process, a hydrophobization process, a second rinse process, and a drying process as a series of processes. The hydrophobization treatment is a treatment in which a hydrophobization liquid is supplied to the substrate W and a hydrophobization film is formed on the pattern surface of the substrate W. The second rinse treatment is a treatment in which the hydrophobization liquid on the substrate W is replaced with a rinse liquid. By performing hydrophobic treatment in this manner, pattern collapse during the drying process can be suppressed.

In this case, the user only needs to set the recipe step corresponding to starting the first flushing process as the jump destination corresponding to the chemical liquid process. According to this, when an abnormality occurs during execution of the chemical solution process, the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes starting from the first flushing process as the first abnormality process. That is, the processing unit 130 sequentially performs the first rinsing process, the hydrophobization process, and the second rinsing process. and drying processing as the first exception processing. Therefore, pattern collapse can be more reliably suppressed even in the first exception processing.

As described above, since the first exception processing is the same as a part of a series of processes, abnormality processing that is more appropriate for the substrate W can be performed. Therefore, various defects that may occur in the substrate W can be suppressed or avoided.

In addition, since the input unit 96 accepts the input of a jump destination corresponding to each processing content of a series of processes, the user can set a more appropriate first exception process. For example, the user only needs to set the processing content of the drying process as a jump destination corresponding to the processing content of the drying process (see also FIG. 4 ). In this case, when an abnormality occurs during execution of the drying process, the processing unit 130 performs a series of processes starting from the drying process as the first abnormality process. In other words, the processing unit 130 does not perform flushing processing in the first exception processing. Therefore, the consumption of the rinse liquid and the power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be reduced.

In addition, for example, the user only needs to set the processing content after drying (for example, "end recipe processing") to the processing content in a situation where the processing liquid has not been ejected and the processing liquid has not adhered to the substrate W (for example, "preparation of chemical solution processing"). ) corresponding to the jump destination (see also Figure 4). In this case, when an abnormality occurs during execution of the processing contents before ejecting the processing liquid, the processing unit 130 performs a series of processes starting from the processing contents after the drying process. In other words, the processing unit 130 does not perform the flushing process and the drying process in the first exception process. Therefore, the consumption of rinsing liquid can be reduced, and the power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be further reduced.

In addition, in the above example, when an exception occurs in the processing unit 130 during the execution of the first exception processing, the processing unit 130 in which the exception occurred does not perform the first exception processing again, but performs a process different from the first exception processing. Second exception processing (step S5 and step S6). In the second abnormality processing, a flushing process using a preset nozzle (for example, the fixed nozzle 51 ) and a drying process after the flushing process are performed.

Furthermore, if no exception occurs during the second exception processing, the processing unit 130 can complete the second exception processing. For example, even if a drive abnormality occurs in the nozzle moving mechanism 4 in the first abnormality processing, the flushing process using the fixed nozzle 51 can still be performed in the second abnormality processing. Therefore, even when the first abnormality processing cannot be performed, the processing liquid of the substrate W can still be removed and dried by the second abnormality processing. Therefore, damage to the substrate W caused by the chemical solution can be suppressed.

In addition, in the above example, the first flag F1 used to indicate whether the first exception processing is valid or invalid is set. Accordingly, usability can be improved.

In addition, in the above example, the second flag F2 is set to indicate whether the second exception processing is valid or invalid. Accordingly, usability can be improved.

[Other setting examples of jump destination]

In the above example, the jump destination corresponding to the recipe step of "Prepare Chemical Solution Processing" is the recipe step of "End Recipe Processing" (see Figure 4). However, the user can also set the recipe step of "Prepare Medical Solution Processing" as a jump destination corresponding to the recipe step of "Prepare Medical Solution Processing". Accordingly, when an exception occurs during the execution of the recipe step of "preparing chemical solution processing", the processing unit 130 starts a series of processes from the recipe step of "preparing chemical solution processing" as the first exception processing.

In this case, although the formula step of "preparing chemical solution processing" can be performed repeatedly, since this formula step does not supply the chemical solution to the substrate W, there will be no problem even if repeated operations occur. Furthermore, the processing unit 130 sequentially performs chemical solution processing, flushing processing, and drying processing as the first abnormality processing. Therefore, if no exception occurs in the first exception processing, the processing unit 130 can complete a substantial series of processes. Therefore, the substrate W can be salvaged without discarding the substrate W, and the substrate W can still enter the next manufacturing process.

On the other hand, if an exception occurs during the execution of the first exception processing, the processing unit 130 performs the second exception processing. This can prevent damage to the substrate W caused by the chemical solution.

In addition, in the above example, the blocking plate 6 is not used in a series of processes, but the blocking plate 6 may also be used. For example, during chemical solution treatment and drying treatment, the blocking plate 6 may also be stopped at a close position. In this case, the formula step of "preparing the chemical solution process" specifies that the blocking plate 6 is lowered to the close position, and the formula step of "ending the formula process" specifies that the blocking plate 6 rises to the initial position.

In this case, you can also set the recipe step of "End Recipe Processing" as the jump destination corresponding to the recipe step of "Prepare Chemical Solution Processing" as shown in Figure 4. When an abnormality occurs during the execution of "preparing chemical solution processing", since the processing unit 130 starts a series of processing from the recipe step of "ending recipe processing", the blocking plate 6 can be raised to the initial position. In addition, in this case, since the rinsing process and the drying process are not performed, the consumption of the processing liquid and the power consumption can be reduced.

[Automatic setting of jump destination]

In the above example, the user sets all jump destinations. However, it does not have to be limited to this. The control unit 90 may also automatically set a jump destination for several recipe steps or all recipe steps in a series of processing.

For example, the control unit 90 may automatically set the jump destination corresponding to the recipe step of the processing content before supplying the processing liquid (for example, "preparation of chemical solution processing") to the recipe step after the drying process (for example, "end of recipe processing" ). The formula step after the formula step after the drying process includes a formula step in which the moving object is moved to the standby position by various driving mechanisms (nozzle moving mechanism 4, lifting mechanism 68, and lifting mechanism 74).

When the user inputs the jump destination into the input unit 96, the control unit 90 only needs to update the jump destination in response to the input. That is, the control unit 90 only needs to update the automatically set jump destination to the jump destination input by the user.

Accordingly, since the user can set the jump destination more easily, the usability can be further improved.

[Second Embodiment]

The structure of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment.

In the second embodiment, when the first exception processing is valid (step S2: Yes), the control unit 90 performs the continuation process (step S8: continuation process). FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a specific example of continuous processing. First, the control unit 90 determines whether the processing content being executed when the abnormality occurs is the processing content specified in the process recipe (step S81). When the processing content being executed is not the processing content specified in the process recipe, the control unit 90 ends the continuous processing. When the processing content being executed is the processing content specified in the process recipe, the control unit 90 determines whether the processing content being executed is chemical liquid processing (step S82). When the content of the processing being executed is not chemical solution processing, the control unit 90 ends the continuous processing.

When the content of the processing being executed is chemical solution processing, the control unit 90 continues the chemical solution processing (step S83). In addition, when an abnormality occurs during the continuation of the chemical solution processing and the chemical solution processing cannot be continued, the control unit 90 may also end the chemical solution processing.

Next, after continuing the process (step S8), the control unit 90 executes the steps after step S3 (see FIG. 9) in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

As described above, in the second embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus 100 during the execution of chemical liquid processing by the processing unit 130 , the processing unit 130 continues to perform the chemical liquid processing. Therefore, for example, when an abnormality occurs in another processing unit 130, the processing unit 130 can complete the chemical liquid processing.

Furthermore, after the chemical solution processing is completed, the processing unit 130 performs the first exception processing or the second exception processing, similarly to the first embodiment. According to this, even when the chemical liquid processing is not set at the jump destination in the first exception processing, the chemical liquid processing can still be completed. In addition, when the chemical solution processing is performed in the first exception processing, since the chemical solution processing is repeatedly performed, the continuous processing can be performed only when the jump destination is not set to the chemical solution processing.

As described above, in the second embodiment, when an abnormality occurs during execution of the chemical solution process, the chemical solution process is continued in the continuation process (step S83). Furthermore, when the chemical liquid treatment can be completed without abnormality occurring during the continuation of the chemical liquid treatment, the substrate W after the abnormality treatment can be allowed to proceed to the next manufacturing process as it is.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing another example of continuous processing. In the example of FIG. 11 , when an abnormality occurs and the processing content being executed is chemical solution processing (step S82 : YES), the control unit 90 obtains the remaining time of the chemical solution processing (step S84 ). The remaining time is the remaining time from the current time to the end time of chemical solution processing. Specifically, the control unit 90 calculates the remaining time based on the processing time of the chemical solution process specified in the flow recipe information and the elapsed time from the start of the chemical solution process. The elapsed time is measured, for example, by a timer circuit.

Next, the control unit 90 determines whether the remaining time is equal to or less than the threshold value (step S85). The threshold value is, for example, preset and stored in the storage device 94 . When the remaining time is less than the threshold value, the chemical solution processing can be completed in a short time, so the control unit 90 continues the chemical solution processing (step S83). On the other hand, when the remaining time is greater than the threshold value, the control unit 90 stops the chemical solution processing and ends the continuous processing.

In the above example, when the remaining time of the chemical liquid treatment is short, the control unit 90 continues the chemical liquid treatment. When the remaining time of the chemical liquid treatment is long, the control unit 90 does not continue to perform the chemical liquid treatment. This can prevent the time required for the first exception processing from becoming too long when an exception occurs. That is, exception processing can be completed in a shorter time.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 has been described in detail as above, but the above description is an example in all aspects, and the substrate processing apparatus 100 and the substrate processing method are not limited thereto. It should be understood that numerous modifications that are not illustrated can be conceived without departing from the scope of the present invention. The components described in the above embodiments and modifications can be appropriately combined or omitted as long as they do not conflict with each other.

S1 to S7: Steps

Claims (7)

A substrate processing method comprising: a setting step of setting one of the plurality of processing contents for defining a series of processing on the substrate in a manner corresponding to each of the plurality of the aforementioned processing contents. is the jump destination; the substrate processing process is to start the aforementioned series of processes on the aforementioned substrate; the detection process is to detect an abnormality; and the first exception handling process is to, when the aforementioned abnormality is detected, change from the setting to the execution content, that is, the The jump destination corresponding to the executed processing content begins to perform the aforementioned series of processing on the aforementioned substrate. A substrate processing method comprising: a setting step of setting one of the plurality of processing contents for defining a series of processing on the substrate in a manner corresponding to each of the plurality of the aforementioned processing contents. is the jump destination; the substrate processing process is to start the aforementioned series of processes on the aforementioned substrate; the detection process is to detect an abnormality; the first exception handling process is to when the aforementioned abnormality is detected, the setting is the same as the execution content, that is, it is being executed. The aforementioned jump destination corresponding to the processing content starts to perform the aforementioned series of processing; and the second exception handling process is when the aforementioned jump destination corresponding to the aforementioned execution content is not set when the aforementioned exception is detected or when the aforementioned third exception processing step is performed. When the above-mentioned exception is detected during the execution of an exception handling process, a second exception processing that is preset and is not affected by the above-mentioned execution content is performed. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the setting step, a plurality of the processing contents and the jump destination are displayed on the display unit. A substrate processing method comprising: a setting step of setting one of the plurality of processing contents for defining a series of processing on the substrate in a manner corresponding to each of the plurality of the aforementioned processing contents. is the jump destination; the substrate processing process is to start the aforementioned series of processes on the aforementioned substrate; the detection process is to detect an abnormality; the first exception handling process is to when the aforementioned abnormality is detected, the setting is the same as the execution content, that is, it is being executed. The jump destination corresponding to the processing content starts to perform the aforementioned series of processing; and the continuous processing process is continued before the aforementioned first exception processing step when the aforementioned execution content is the chemical liquid processing of supplying the chemical liquid to the aforementioned substrate. The aforementioned liquid treatment. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, wherein in the continuous processing step, when the remaining time from the end time of the chemical liquid treatment is less than a threshold value, the chemical liquid treatment is continued; when the remaining time is greater than the aforementioned When the critical value is reached, the aforementioned liquid treatment is stopped. A substrate processing device is provided with: a processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate; a sensor that detects abnormalities; and a control unit that specifies one of the plurality of processing contents for the series of processes. The content is set as a jump destination in a manner corresponding to each of the plurality of aforementioned processing contents, and causes the aforementioned processing unit to start a series of processing on the aforementioned substrate. When the aforementioned sensor detects When the abnormality occurs, the processing unit is caused to perform the series of processing on the substrate starting from the jump destination set to correspond to the execution content, that is, the processing content being executed. A program is used to control a substrate processing device. The substrate processing device is provided with: a processing unit that performs a series of processes on the substrate; and a sensor that detects abnormalities; the aforementioned program is used to cause the computer to execute the following process: setting process , one of the plurality of processing contents for defining the aforementioned series of processing is set as a jump destination in a manner corresponding to each of the plurality of aforementioned processing contents; the substrate processing process is such that the aforementioned The processing unit starts the series of processing on the substrate; the detection step is to detect an abnormality; and the first exception processing step is to change the setting of the processing unit from the setting to the execution content, that is, the processing content being executed, when the aforementioned abnormality is detected. The corresponding jump destination starts performing the series of processes on the substrate.

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