WO2021246328A1

WO2021246328A1 - Operation method for substrate processing device

Info

Publication number: WO2021246328A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/020440
Authority: WO
Inventors: 水根李
Original assignee: 東京エレクトロン株式会社
Priority date: 2020-06-04
Filing date: 2021-05-28
Publication date: 2021-12-09
Also published as: TW202213596A; JPWO2021246328A1; JP7455972B2

Abstract

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

Description

Operation method of board processing equipment

This disclosure relates to an operation method of a substrate processing apparatus.

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, various treatments such as chemical treatment, film formation treatment, heat treatment and the like are performed on a substrate to be processed (for example, a semiconductor wafer) by using a substrate processing system including a transport unit and a processing unit. .. Patent Document 1 discloses, as a substrate processing system, a coating and developing apparatus for applying a resist to a substrate and developing after exposure. In this coating and developing apparatus, a substrate for temperature monitoring called a wireless wafer is used. The wireless wafer has a plurality of temperature sensors and controllers, and can transmit the temperature detected by the temperature sensors by wireless communication. The time course of the actual temperature of the wireless wafer is measured when the wireless wafer is placed on the heating plate and when the wireless wafer is transferred to the heating plate before and after the heating plate. The control parameters of the heating plate can be adjusted appropriately based on the measurement results.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-08489

The present disclosure provides an operation method of a substrate processing apparatus capable of easily and quickly identifying the cause of generation of pollutants such as particles by using an inspection substrate.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the product is between the processing unit that processes the product substrate, the loading / unloading section where the product substrate processed by the processing unit is loaded / unloaded, and the loading / unloading section and the processing unit. A method of operating a substrate processing apparatus including a transport mechanism for transporting a substrate, wherein a plate-shaped base material, an image pickup element provided on at least a part of the surface of the base material, and the image pickup element are provided. An inspection board including a light-transmitting protective layer formed on the surface and an output unit that outputs the output of the image pickup element to the outside of the inspection board, and the light emitted from the light source is the protective layer. A step of preparing the inspection board configured to be able to detect the adhered state of the contaminated substance to the protective layer based on the output of the image pickup element that changes by being blocked by the contaminated substance adhering to the top. The inspection board is processed by the processing unit, and the state of contaminants adhering to the inspection board is detected by the inspection board after or during the processing, and the inspection board is conveyed by the transfer mechanism. At the same time, an inspection step of performing at least one of detecting the state of the contaminants adhering to the inspection board after or during the transfer by the inspection board, and the contaminants detected in the inspection step. The present invention provides an operation method including a determination step for determining whether or not to process or transport a product substrate by the substrate processing apparatus based on the state of.

According to the present disclosure, the cause of generation of pollutants such as particles can be easily and quickly identified by using an inspection board.

It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate processing system which concerns on one Embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a schematic vertical sectional view which shows the structure of the doctor wafer which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a schematic plan view which shows the arrangement of the electrode in the doctor wafer which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a schematic vertical sectional view which shows an example of the structure of the processing unit included in a substrate processing system. It is a schematic vertical sectional view which shows the other example of the structure of the processing unit included in a substrate processing system. It is a schematic vertical sectional view which shows an example of the structure of the substrate transfer apparatus included in a substrate processing system. It is a graph which shows the example of the time-dependent change of the particle level from the start of the processing liquid from a nozzle. It is a piping block diagram which shows the example of the structure of the processing liquid supply system which supplies the processing liquid to a nozzle. It is a flowchart explaining the specific example 4 of operation of a doctor wafer. It is a figure which shows an example of the particle distribution which concerns on a specific example 5. It is a figure which shows the other example of the particle distribution related to the specific example 5. It is a figure which shows still another example of the particle distribution which concerns on a specific example 5. It is a figure which shows the example of the particle distribution which concerns on a specific example 6. It is schematic cross-sectional view explaining the detection of the particle size by a doctor wafer. It is a distribution map explaining the detection of the particle size by a doctor wafer. It is schematic cross-sectional view explaining the case where a scratch is formed on a doctor wafer. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other structural example of a doctor wafer. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other structural example of a doctor wafer. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other structural example of a doctor wafer. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other structural example of a doctor wafer. It is a schematic plan view which shows the other structural example of a doctor wafer.

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

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

As shown in FIG. 1, the board processing system 1 includes an loading / unloading station 2 and a processing station 3. The loading / unloading station 2 and the processing station 3 are provided adjacent to each other.

The loading / unloading station 2 includes a carrier mounting section 11 and a transport section 12. A plurality of substrates, and in the present embodiment, a plurality of carriers C for accommodating a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer W) in a horizontal state are mounted on the carrier mounting portion 11.

The transport section 12 is provided adjacent to the carrier mounting section 11, and includes a substrate transport device 13 (transport mechanism) and a delivery section 14 inside. The substrate transfer device 13 includes a wafer holding mechanism for holding the wafer W (board). Further, the substrate transfer device 13 can move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and swivel around the vertical axis, and transfers the wafer W between the carrier C and the delivery portion 14 by using the wafer holding mechanism. conduct.

The processing station 3 is provided adjacent to the transport unit 12. The processing station 3 includes a transport unit 15 and a plurality of processing units 16. The plurality of processing units 16 are provided side by side on both sides of the transport unit 15.

The transport unit 15 is provided with a substrate transport device 17 (transport mechanism) inside. The substrate transfer device 17 includes a wafer holding mechanism for holding the wafer W. Further, the substrate transfer device 17 can move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and swivel around the vertical axis, and transfers the wafer W between the delivery unit 14 and the processing unit 16 by using the wafer holding mechanism. I do.

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

The substrate processing system 1 includes a notch aligner 90 that aligns the wafer in the circumferential direction, that is, a positioning device. The notch aligner 90 can be provided, for example, in the transport section 12 of the carry-in / out station 2 (for example, in the transport space of the substrate transport device 13 or in the delivery section 14). As the positioning device, instead of the notch aligner 90, a device that positions the wafer by detecting the orientation flat may be used.

The substrate processing system 1 may include a doctor wafer storage unit 92 for storing a doctor wafer (inspection substrate) DW, which will be described later. The doctor wafer storage unit 92 can be provided at an arbitrary position in the substrate processing system 1 if the substrate transfer device 13 or the substrate transfer device 17 is accessible.

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

The program may be recorded on a storage medium readable by a computer, and may be installed from the storage medium in the storage unit 19 of the control device 4. Examples of storage media that can be read by a computer include a hard disk (HD), a flexible disk (FD), a compact disk (CD), a magnetic optical disk (MO), and a memory card.

In the substrate processing system 1 configured as described above, first, the substrate transfer device 13 of the loading / unloading station 2 takes out the wafer W from the carrier C mounted on the carrier mounting portion 11 and receives the taken out wafer W. Placed on Watanabe 14. The wafer W placed on the delivery section 14 is taken out from the delivery section 14 by the substrate transfer device 17 of the processing station 3 and carried into the processing unit 16.

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

Contaminants, especially particles, adhere to the wafer W at various locations in the substrate processing system 1 described above. In order to analyze the cause of particles adhering to the wafer W, the following doctor wafer DW (inspection substrate) is conveyed and processed in the substrate processing system 1.

As is clear from the following explanation, the doctor wafer DW can widely detect contaminants other than particles, such as water marks, or surface defects such as scratches. Hereinafter, in the present specification, particles will be described as an example as the most typical detection target.

The configuration of the doctor wafer DW will be described below. FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the doctor wafer DW. The doctor wafer DW includes a wiring layer 102, a light receiving layer 104, and a protective layer 106 sequentially laminated on a substrate 100 (disk-shaped base material) made of a semiconductor wafer.

The wiring layer 102 and the light receiving layer 104 can be formed by using a well-known image pickup element (for example, back-illuminated CMOS) forming technique. It can be said that the doctor wafer DW is an image pickup device having the same size as the wafer W. The wiring layer 102 and the light receiving layer 104 may be configured to correspond to a CCD image pickup device.

The light receiving layer 104 has a large number (s) of photodiodes arranged in a matrix. Since it is not necessary to distinguish colors in the doctor wafer DW, a color filter is not provided on the photodiode. Therefore, the light receiving layer 104 of the doctor wafer DW has a detection resolution that corresponds exactly to the number of photodiodes (number of pixels). One photodiode is hereinafter referred to as pixel 105. In a non-limiting and exemplary embodiment, the size of one pixel 105 is 5 nm.

The protective layer 106 has sufficient light transmission, is not easily attacked by the processing fluid to which the doctor wafer DW is exposed, and has surface characteristics (for example, hydrophobicity) similar to those of the wafer W (product wafer). It is preferably formed from a material. In the illustrated embodiment, the protective layer 106 is formed of a pixel protective damper 106a provided on the light receiving layer 104 and transparent glass (SiOx) 106b. The surface properties (eg, hydrophobicity) of the transparent glass are similar to those of the wafer W.

The material constituting the protective layer 106 (particularly its surface) can be changed according to the processing fluid to which the doctor wafer DW is exposed. In order to bring the surface characteristics (for example, hydrophobicity) of the protective layer 106 close to the surface characteristics of the substrate to be treated, a light-transmitting coating having desired characteristics (for example, a transparent PFA or PTFA thin film) may be applied. In order to make the protective layer 106 resistant to various treatment liquids, a light-transmitting coating may be provided on the outermost surface of the protective layer 106. As the light-transmitting coating, SiN, SiOx or the like can be used when acid resistance is desired, SiOx or the like can be used when alkali resistance is desired, and SiOx or the like can be used when oil resistance is desired.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of electrodes 108 (power receiving portions) are provided on the peripheral edge of the doctor wafer DW. The electrode 108 has a function as a power receiving electrode for receiving power for operating the image pickup element (102 + 104), and receives a command signal from an external device (for example, a signal processing device) instructing the image pickup element to read pixel data. It has a function as an input electrode and a function as an output electrode for outputting the pixel data output from the doctor wafer DW to an external device (for example, a signal processing device).

Two or more different functions among the above functions may be assigned to the same electrode 108 (electrode member). A different function may be assigned to each electrode 108 (electrode member). As the electric power for operating the image pickup device, when the image pickup device is a back-illuminated CMOS, the supply electrode to the pixel amplifier is exemplified.

The electrode 108 is electrically in contact with various components with which the wafer W is in contact in the substrate processing system 1, such as a gripping claw of a mechanical spin chuck (described later), a holding claw of a transport arm, and the like (described later). It is installed in a position where it can be used. The electrode 108 can be provided, for example, so as to be exposed on the surface (side peripheral surface) of Apex of the doctor wafer DW, the bevel portion or a flat portion in the vicinity thereof.

The electrode 108 is electrically connected to the wiring layer 102. It is assumed that the gripping claw of the mechanical spin chuck is arranged at a position where it comes into contact with the black-painted electrode 108 of FIG. It is assumed that the holding claw of the transport arm is not always arranged at a position where it comes into contact with the black-painted electrode 108, but is arranged at a position where it comes into contact with, for example, the white electrode 108. In this case, a connection line 110 for connecting electrodes 108 (for example, electrodes that transmit and receive power, command signals, and pixel data (image signals) to and from a specific area of the doctor wafer DW) having the same role is provided. be able to.

When particles adhere to the surface of the protective layer 106 of the doctor wafer DW, the illumination light radiated to the doctor wafer DW is blocked by the particles. That is, the output of the pixel 105 below the particles is reduced. Utilizing this, the distribution of particles on the doctor wafer DW can be detected.

Further, by reading an image (pixel data) from a doctor wafer DW at a sufficiently high frame rate (for example, several hundreds to several thousand fps), it is possible to grasp the movement of particles over time, for example, during liquid processing. .. In this case, since the amount of data becomes enormous, for example, a short time interval is set only from the pixels located on two straight lines (a straight line extending in the X direction and a straight line extending in the Y direction) extending along the diameter of the doctor wafer DW. (Corresponding to the above high frame rate) Data may be acquired. By forming a Signal-Time 3D map based on this data, the movement of particles over time may be grasped.

In order to detect particles on the doctor wafer DW, it is necessary to irradiate the doctor wafer DW with light. Therefore, lighting devices can be provided at various locations in the substrate processing system 1. The place where the lighting device is provided is arbitrary, but it is particularly preferable to provide the lighting device in a place where particles are likely to be generated. Examples of places where particles are likely to be generated include the inside of the processing unit 16 and the vicinity of the delivery portion 14 where the wafer W is delivered.

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

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

The spin chuck 30 is configured as a mechanical chuck. The spin chuck 30 has a substrate holding portion 31. The substrate holding portion 31 has a disk-shaped support plate 32 and a plurality of gripping claws 33 provided on the peripheral edge portion of the support plate 32, preferably at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. At least one or more of the gripping claws 33 are movable gripping claws. The spin chuck 30 holds the wafer W in a horizontal posture by engaging the grip claw 33 with the peripheral edge of the wafer W. The support plate 32 is rotationally driven by an electric motor (driving unit) 34, whereby the wafer W is rotationally driven around the vertical axis.

The gripping claw 33 is provided with an electrode 35 that can be electrically contacted with the electrode 108 of the doctor wafer DW. The notch N of the doctor wafer DW (see FIG. 3) has a predetermined positional relationship with the electrode 108 of the doctor wafer DW. Since the doctor wafer DW is positioned in the circumferential direction by the notch aligner 90, each electrode 108 of the doctor wafer DW always comes into contact with the predetermined electrode 35 of the gripping claw 33 when held by the spin chuck 30.

The electrode 35 has a power supply 36 that supplies power necessary for operating the doctor wafer DW (for example, power for operating a pixel amplifier), an output of a command signal instructing the doctor wafer DW to read pixel data, and output of a command signal. A signal processing device (transmission / reception unit and calculation unit) 37 that processes the pixel data signal output from the doctor wafer DW is connected to the signal processing device (transmission / reception unit and calculation unit) 37.

The processing fluid supply unit 40 has one or more nozzles 41 for discharging the processing fluid. The nozzle 41 is supported on the tip of a nozzle arm 42 that can be swiveled around the vertical axis, and moves at least between a position directly above the center of the wafer W and a position directly above the peripheral edge of the wafer W. can do. A processing fluid supply mechanism 43 that supplies a processing fluid (processing liquid, processing gas) to the nozzle 41 is connected to each nozzle 41. A plurality of types of processing fluids may be supplied from each nozzle 41, and in this case, a plurality of processing fluid supply mechanisms 43 are connected to one nozzle 41. The number of nozzles 41 and the number of nozzle arms 42 provided in one processing unit 16 are arbitrary.

The substrate holding portion 31 of the spin chuck 30 is surrounded by the recovery cup 50. The recovery cup 50 collects the processing liquid scattered from the wafer W. A drainage port 51 and an exhaust port 52 are formed at the bottom of the recovery cup 50. The treatment liquid is discharged to the outside of the recovery cup 50 from the drain port 51. The exhaust port 52 is always sucked during the normal operation of the processing unit 16, whereby the atmosphere in the space above the wafer W (for example, the clean air supplied from the FFU 21 into the chamber 20) is sucked into the recovery cup 50. To. Due to the air flow generated by this, the treatment liquid scattered from the wafer W is suppressed from reattaching to the wafer W.

A lighting device 45 is provided on the lower surface of the nozzle arm 42. When the nozzle 41 is located directly above the central portion of the wafer W, the illuminating device 45 may continuously (seamlessly) irradiate the section from the central portion to the peripheral portion of the surface of the wafer W. The lighting device 45 is arranged on the nozzle arm 42 so as to be able to do so. When the lighting device 45 is turned on when the nozzle 41 is located directly above the center of the doctor wafer DW, the surface of the doctor wafer DW has a linear or linear shape extending continuously from the center to the periphery in the radial direction. An elongated strip-shaped irradiation section is formed.

FIG. 5 shows a modified example of the processing unit 16. In this modification, the lighting device 46 is provided at the place where the FFU 21 was provided in the example of FIG. The illuminating device 46 can be composed of a disk-shaped member having a diameter larger than the diameter of the wafer W. The lighting device 46 can be configured to include a light emitting unit 46a and a polarizing filter 46b made of graphene or the like. In this case, the surface of the wafer W can be irradiated with parallel light (light traveling only in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the wafer W), and the wafer W is irradiated with light from a relatively distant position. Nevertheless, the particle inspection accuracy can be improved. The configuration of the lighting device 45 shown in FIG. 4 may be the same as that of the lighting device 46. In the modified example of FIG. 5, a side flow type FFU 21 outlet can be provided on the side wall of the chamber 20. Except for the points described above, the configuration of the processing unit 16 of FIG. 5 may be the same as that of the processing unit of FIG.

Next, the configuration of the substrate transfer device 17 (particularly the configuration near the substrate holder) will be described with reference to FIG. The substrate transfer device 17 has a moving base 171 that can translate in the X direction (horizontal direction) and the Z direction (vertical direction) and can rotate around the vertical axis. A fork 172 (board holder) that can move forward and backward in the horizontal direction is provided on the moving base 171.

FIG. 6 shows the fork 172 in the retracted position. The fork 172 is located at a forward position when the wafer W is delivered to and from the wafer holding structure such as the spin chuck 30 of the processing unit 16 and the stage of the delivery section 14, and the wafer W is placed in the wafer holding structure described above. It is located in the retracted position when transporting between.

The fork 172 is provided with a plurality of holding claws 173, and at least one of them is movable. By moving the movable holding claw 173, the fork 172 can hold and release the wafer W (doctor wafer DW). The holding claw 173 is provided with an electrode 175 that can be electrically contacted with the electrode 108 of the doctor wafer DW. Each electrode 108 of the properly positioned doctor wafer DW always comes into contact with the predetermined electrode 175 of the holding claw 173 when held by the fork 172.

The electrode 175 has a power supply 177 that supplies power necessary for operating the doctor wafer DW, an output of a command signal instructing the doctor wafer DW to read pixel data, and pixel data (image) output from the doctor wafer DW. A signal processing device 179 (or the signal processing device 37 described above) that processes the signal) is connected to the signal processing device 179 (or the signal processing device 37 described above).

The moving base 171 is provided with a lighting device 174. The lighting device 174 is provided so as to be able to irradiate the entire surface of the doctor wafer DW held by the fork 172 located at the retracted position with light. The configuration of the lighting device 174 may be the same as that of the

lighting devices

45 and 46 provided in the processing unit 16.

The lighting device 174 may be in the shape of a strip extending in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the fork 172 moves forward and backward (the length thereof is preferably equal to or larger than the diameter of the doctor wafer DW). In this case, it is sufficient that the entire area of the doctor wafer DW crosses the strip-shaped irradiation region of the lighting device 174 as the fork 172 moves forward and backward.

Further, as schematically shown in FIG. 5, one of the side walls of the chamber 20 of the processing unit 16 is provided with a wafer loading / unloading port 22 with a shutter (the same applies to the configuration of FIG. 4, but the figure is also shown in FIG. 4 is not shown). For example, a strip-shaped lighting device 47 having a length equal to or larger than the diameter of the wafer W may be provided on the ceiling of the wafer loading / unloading port 22. In this case, the doctor wafer DW can be inspected when the fork 172 holding the doctor wafer DW passes below the lighting device 47.

Units / devices other than the processing unit 16 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and the substrate transfer device 17 shown in FIG. 6 can also be electrically contacted with the electrode 108 of the doctor wafer DW, and such. A lighting device that irradiates the doctor wafer DW in the unit / device with light can be provided. Also in this case, the power supply for supplying the power required for operating the doctor wafer DW to the electrodes, the output of the command signal instructing the doctor wafer DW to read the pixel data, and the pixel data output from the doctor wafer DW (also in this case). It can be connected to a signal processing device that processes image signals).

The lighting device can also be provided on the ceiling of the room forming the wafer transport space, the ceiling of the delivery section 14, and the like.

Next, a specific example of investigating the state of particle generation and / or analyzing the cause of particle generation using the doctor wafer DW will be described. In each of the following specific examples, the amount of particles existing on the surface of the doctor wafer DW is measured based on the signal output from each pixel 105 of the doctor wafer DW.

<Specific example 1>
The carrier C accommodating the doctor wafer DW is placed on the carrier mounting portion 11 (step 1). The fork (board holder) of the board transfer device 13 of the carry-in / out station 2 invades the carrier C and takes out the doctor wafer DW from the carrier C (step 2). The fork of the substrate transfer device 13 invades the delivery section 14, and the doctor wafer DW is placed on the delivery section 14 (step 3).

When the notch aligner 90 is in the transport unit 12, the doctor wafer DW is positioned between step 2 and step 3. By performing the positioning, the electrode 175 of the fork 172 of the substrate transfer device 17 (13) and the electrode 35 of the spin chuck 30 can be surely brought into contact with the electrode 108 of the doctor wafer DW. When the positioned doctor wafer DW is housed in the carrier C, the positioning operation can be omitted. When the doctor wafer storage unit 92 is located in the transport unit 12, a series of steps are performed from the step of transporting the positioned doctor wafer DW stored in the doctor wafer storage unit 92 from the doctor wafer storage unit 92 to the delivery unit 14. You may start.

After step 3, the fork of the board transfer device 17 of the processing station 3 invades the delivery section 14, and the doctor wafer DW is taken out from the delivery section 14 (step 4). The fork of the substrate transfer device 17 penetrates into the processing unit 16 and passes the doctor wafer DW to the spin chuck 30 in the processing unit 16 (step 5). Liquid treatment is performed on the doctor wafer DW in the processing unit 16 (step 6). After the liquid treatment is completed, the fork of the substrate transfer device 17 invades the processing unit 16 and takes out the doctor wafer DW from the processing unit 16 (step 7). The fork of the substrate transfer device 17 invades the delivery section 14, and the doctor wafer DW is placed on the delivery section 14 (step 8). The fork of the substrate transfer device 13 invades the delivery section 14, and the doctor wafer DW is taken out from the delivery section 14 (step 9). The fork of the substrate transfer device 13 penetrates into the original carrier C, and the doctor wafer DW is accommodated in the carrier C (step 10).

From step 1 to step 10 above, it is possible to grasp the change in the adhesion state of the particles on the doctor wafer DW based on the output signal of the doctor wafer DW. In the doctor wafer DW, the electrode 108 of the doctor wafer DW is an external electrode (for example, the electrode 35 of the gripping claw 33 of the spin chuck 30 of the processing unit 16 or the electrode 175 of the holding claw 173 of the fork 172 of the substrate transfer device 17). The signal can be output to the outside while in contact with. If data is also required when the electrode 108 of the doctor wafer DW is not in contact with the external electrode as described above, a data buffer (memory unit) may be provided in the doctor wafer DW as described later, or the doctor wafer DW may be provided with a data buffer (memory unit). A wireless output unit (antenna) may be provided on the doctor wafer DW (described later).

By investigating the change in the amount of particles (here, for example, the total amount of particles) on the doctor wafer DW between

steps

1 and 10, it is possible to identify the step in which a large number of particles are generated. By focusing on particle countermeasures in this specified step, particles can be reduced efficiently.

When the wafer W is being processed without any problem, the doctor wafer DW may be used to periodically acquire the data of the transition of the particle amount as described above. By comparing the data of the transition of the amount of particles acquired at a certain time with the data of the transition of the amount of particles acquired before that, it is possible to predict the possibility of a problem related to particles. For example, if the amount of particles is larger than before in

steps

3, 4, 8, 9 and the like in which the doctor wafer DW is taken in and out of the delivery section 14, the particle-causing substance is attached to the delivery section 14. Is presumed to be. In this case, by cleaning the delivery portion 14, particle contamination of the wafer W can be prevented.

A series of steps excluding only step 6 (liquid treatment) from step 1 to step 10 above is executed (

steps

5 and 7 related to loading and unloading to and from the processing unit 16 are executed), and particles generated by transport are detected. You can do it. By specifying the coordinates of the place where the particles increased during transportation, it can be estimated that the components of the board processing system in the vicinity of the coordinates are the cause of the particle generation, so it is easy to take measures against the particles. Can be done.

Steps 1 to 10 may be executed while changing only the processing unit 16 that is the target of steps 5 to 7. In this case, the processing unit 16 in which particles are likely to be generated can be specified.

<Specific example 2>
It is also possible to further subdivide the above-mentioned step 6 and investigate the transition of the particle amount. When the above-mentioned step 5 is completed (that is, when the doctor wafer DW is held by the spin chuck 30), liquid treatment is performed on the doctor wafer DW in the processing unit 16 (step 6). Step 6 is composed of a plurality of steps (sub-steps). First, the spin chuck 30 is rotated to rotate the doctor wafer DW, and the pre-wet liquid (for example, DIW) is supplied from the nozzle 41 to the doctor wafer DW (step 61). Next, the chemical solution A is supplied to the doctor wafer DW (step 62), then the rinse solution is supplied to the doctor wafer DW (step 63), then the chemical solution B is supplied to the doctor wafer DW (step 64), and then the doctor wafer. A rinse solution is supplied to the DW (step 65), then an IPA is supplied to the doctor wafer DW (step 66), and then the doctor wafer DW is shaken off and dried (step 67).

By investigating the change in the amount of particles (here, for example, the total amount of particles) on the doctor wafer DW between steps 61 and 67, it is possible to identify the step in which a large number of particles are generated. By focusing on particle countermeasures in this specified step, particles can be reduced efficiently. For example, if the amount of particles is not sufficiently low after step 65, it is presumed that there is something wrong with the rinsing process. In this case, it is sufficient to confirm whether or not there is a defect in the conditions of the rinsing process and whether or not the constituent members of the processing unit 16 related to the rinsing process are contaminated.

In this specific example 2, as in the specific example 1, when the wafer W is processed without any problem, the doctor wafer DW is used to periodically collect the data of the transition of the particle amount as described above. You may get it. By comparing the data of the transition of the amount of particles acquired at a certain time with the data of the transition of the amount of particles acquired before that, it is possible to predict the possibility of a problem related to particles.

<Specific example 3>
The contamination status of one nozzle 41 and the processing fluid supply mechanism 43 connected to the nozzle 41 can be detected by using the doctor wafer DW. In this case, the nozzle 41 supplies the processing liquid to the vicinity of the center of the doctor wafer DW rotated by the spin chuck, and the particle level is detected only in the vicinity of the center of the doctor wafer DW by the doctor wafer DW. do. As shown in the graph of FIG. 7, the change with time of the detection value of the particle amount by the doctor wafer DW (specifically, the increment from before the start of the processing of the particle amount) is detected from the time when the discharge of the treatment liquid from the nozzle 41 is started. do.

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

In such a piping system, for example, as shown by a solid line in the graph of FIG. 7, if the particle amount is high immediately after the start of ejection of the treatment liquid from the nozzle 41 and then the particle amount decreases, the nozzle It can be seen that there is a high possibility that the vicinity of the discharge port of 41 is contaminated. In such a case, for example, it may be a countermeasure to change the process recipe so as to perform a dummy discharge for about 3 seconds before the start of ejection of the processing liquid from the nozzle 41.

Further, for example, as shown by the broken line in the graph of FIG. 7, the amount of particles immediately after the start of ejection of the treatment liquid from the nozzle 41 is low, but the amount of particles increases at T (sec) (about 5 sec in the graph) after the start of ejection. And then it declines. In this case, it can be seen that there is a high possibility that the piping system parts located upstream from the tip of the nozzle 41 by a distance D (cm) are contaminated. When the discharge flow rate of the processing liquid from the nozzle 41 is V (ml / sec) and the cross-sectional area of the pipe is A (cm ² ), L can be approximately obtained by the following equation.
D = VT / A

For example, if the on-off valve 435 is a member located at a distance D from the tip of the nozzle 41, the on-off valve 435 may be contaminated or dust may be generated by the opening / closing operation of the on-off valve 435. It is presumed to have high sex. In this case, the on-off valve 435 may be washed or replaced with a new one. When the on-off valve 435 is contaminated, the inside of the branch supply pipe 432 (contact with the on-off valve 435) is preferably performed by performing dummy discharge from the nozzle 41 at a relatively large flow rate and preferably for a relatively long time. It may be possible to remove contaminants (including liquid level).

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

<Specific example 4>
Next, whether or not to process the wafer W in the processing unit 16 and how to deal with it, which is periodically performed using the doctor wafer DW, will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

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

If the determination result is negative (NG), that is, if it is determined that the surface of the doctor wafer DW is contaminated, the inspection is temporarily stopped (step 202). In this case, the surface of the contaminated doctor wafer DW can be subjected to two-fluid cleaning or scrub cleaning, or the surface of the doctor wafer DW can be regenerated (details will be described later). The contaminated doctor wafer DW may be replaced with another clean doctor wafer DW and the process may proceed to step 203.

If the judgment result is OK, that is, if it is determined that the surface of the doctor wafer DW has sufficient cleanliness, a series of processes are performed on the doctor wafer DW using the process recipe of the wafer W. conduct. After the processing is completed, the amount of particles on the surface of the doctor wafer DW is measured (step 203). This measurement can be performed, for example, in a state where the doctor wafer DW is continuously held by the spin chuck 30 of the processing unit 16.

Then, the amount of particles before the liquid treatment and the amount of particles after the liquid treatment are compared (step 204), and if the increment of the particle amount is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the determination result is OK, and the wafer W by the processing unit 16 Processing is permitted (step 205). With the above, the inspection is completed.

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

If it is determined in step 206 that the determination is NG for the first time, an alarm is generated by a user interface such as a display or an alarm sound generator, and processing of the wafer W by the processing unit 16 to be inspected is temporarily prohibited. (Step 208). When the inspection using the doctor wafer DW is performed in parallel with the normal processing of the wafer W, the processing schedule may be changed so as to exclude the processing unit 16.

Next, the cause of particle generation is estimated by comparing the time-dependent change data of particles measured using the doctor wafer DW with the processing log of the processing unit 16. The processing log is data showing the relationship between the time and the executed procedure. For example, "13:56:25: Open the on-off valve of the processing fluid supply mechanism 43 (start discharging the chemical solution A from the nozzle 41). ) ”, Which is a collection of data in the format. Specifically, for example, the cause of particle generation is estimated by making the determination as described in the above-mentioned Specific Example 2 and Specific Example 3 (step 209).

Next, it is determined whether the cause of the generation of particles is (A) dirt on the processing fluid supply mechanism 43 (liquid supply system) or (B) other than that (step 210). Please refer to the above-mentioned Specific Example 2 and Specific Example 3 for the example of the contamination of the liquid supply system of (A).

If the cause of the generation of particles is (A) dirt on the piping (including valves, flowmeters, etc.) of the processing fluid supply mechanism 43 (liquid supply system), for example, the liquid supply system is washed (flushed). Specifically, for example, the processing fluid supply mechanism 43 is used to execute a dummy tip spence from the nozzle 41 for a predetermined time to wash away the dirt in the pipe (step 211).

(B) As an example of other causes, dirt on the inner wall of the chamber 20, dirt on the recovery cup 50, and the like are exemplified. In the case of dirt on the chamber 20 or the recovery cup 50, the particles tend to concentrate on the peripheral edge of the doctor wafer DW, and based on this, it can be determined that the cause is (B).

An example of determining the cause (A) and (B) of occurrence will be described below. When it is detected that there are many particles at the place where the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle 41 has landed on the doctor wafer DW (for example, the center of the doctor wafer DW) during the processing, the inside of the processing fluid supply mechanism 43 It can be determined that there is a high possibility that there is a cause of particle generation (that is, the cause is (A)) (in the flow path of the treatment liquid). On the other hand, when the recovery cup 50 is heavily soiled, the treatment liquid scattered from the doctor wafer DW collides with the recovery cup 50 and then scatters together with the dirt and reattaches to the peripheral portion of the doctor wafer DW. Therefore, if a large number of particles are detected in the peripheral portion of the doctor wafer DW during processing, it can be determined that the cause is likely to be (B). If a large number of particles are detected on the peripheral edge of the doctor wafer DW while the treatment liquid is being applied to the center of the doctor wafer DW, the cause may be (B). Turns out to be higher.

When it is determined that the amount of particles is increased due to the dirt on the chamber 20 or the recovery cup 50 being removed, the cleaning liquid is sprayed from a cup inner wall cleaning nozzle or a chamber inner wall cleaning nozzle (not shown) to spray the cleaning liquid on the inner wall of the cup and the inner wall of the cup. Clean the inner wall of the chamber (step 212).

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

If the determination result in step 204 is NG again, the determination result in step 206 is correct (Y), and the processing of the wafer W of the processing unit 16 is prohibited. In this case, an alarm is generated by a user interface such as a display or an alarm sound generator, prompting an operator to clean or overhaul the processing unit 16.

In the above specific example, in step 211 and step 212, a cleaning operation that can be executed by automatic operation is performed, but the cleaning operation is not limited to this. In

steps

211 and 212, the processing unit 16 may be cleaned or overhauled by an operator.

<Specific example 5>
The cause of particle generation can be estimated from the distribution tendency of particles on the doctor wafer DW. For example, if the distribution of particles as shown in FIG. 10 is confirmed immediately after the fork of the substrate transfer device 13 takes out the doctor wafer DW from the carrier C, it can be determined that the slot of the carrier C is contaminated. In FIG. 10, particles are recognized in the portion of the doctor wafer DW that comes into contact with the slot of the carrier C.

Further, for example, if the distribution of particles as shown in FIG. 11 is confirmed immediately after the fork of the substrate transport device 17 takes out the doctor wafer DW from the delivery section 14, it can be determined that the delivery section 14 is contaminated. .. In this case, it is considered that the cause is that the particles that have fallen off from the ceiling portion of the delivery portion 14 fall.

Further, for example, if the distribution of particles as shown in FIG. 12 is confirmed immediately after the processing of the doctor wafer DW by the processing unit 16 (or at the beginning of the processing), the three gripping claws of the spin chuck 30 (at equal intervals in the circumferential direction) are confirmed. It can be determined that (placed) is contaminated. When the gripping claw is contaminated, the processing liquid that is about to scatter to the outside of the doctor wafer DW collides with the gripping claw, and the particles adhering to the gripping claw fall off, contaminating the surface of the doctor wafer DW. do.

Further, although not shown, gripping the fork immediately after the doctor wafer DW held by the fork 172 of the substrate transfer device 17 (or 13) is placed at the transfer destination (for example, the spin chuck of the processing unit 16). If particles are confirmed in the vicinity of the portion in contact with the claw, it can be determined that the holding claw 173 of the fork 172 is contaminated.

<Specific example 6>
FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C show the relationship between the position of the nozzle 41 and the amount of particles when the processing liquid is supplied from the nozzle 41 to the rotating doctor wafer DW. The area painted in black is the area with a particularly large number of particles. In this case, there are many particles near the landing point of the treatment liquid from the nozzle 41. In such a case, it is presumed that a large amount of particles are contained in the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle 41.

When a liquid having a certain degree of light-shielding property is discharged from the nozzle 41 to the doctor wafer DW, the pixels acquired by the doctor wafer DW based on the data of the formats shown in FIGS. 13A to 13C. The landing point of the liquid on the doctor wafer DW can be confirmed based on the data. That is, it is possible to confirm whether or not the position control of the nozzle 41 is properly performed.

FIG. 13 (D) shows the state at the time of shaking off and drying, and a region having many ring-shaped particles is formed on the peripheral edge of the doctor wafer DW. In this case, it is considered that the drying conditions are inappropriate or the mist scattered from the doctor wafer DW is repelled by the recovery cup and reattached to the doctor wafer DW.

<Detection of particle size by doctor wafer>
The particle detection by the doctor wafer DW will be further described below. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which particles P larger than the pixel size are present above the plurality of pixels 105. As shown in FIG. 14, the thickness of the particles P is thick at the central portion and thin at the peripheral portion. In this case, most of the illumination light L applied to the central portion of the particles P is blocked by the particles P and does not reach the pixel 105. On the other hand, a part of the illumination light L applied to the peripheral portion of the particles P transmits the particles. Further, the illumination light L may wrap around the periphery of the particle P and reach the pixel.

FIG. 15 schematically shows the distribution of the light receiving amount of each pixel 105 in the case shown in FIG. It corresponds to one pixel 105 of one black dot, and the larger the size of the black dot, the smaller the amount of light received.

In consideration of the above, the intensity of the light when the illumination light L reaches the pixel 105 as it is (without being blocked by the particles P) is set to 1, and the intensity of the light reaching the pixel 105 is predetermined. If it is smaller than the threshold value (for example, less than 0.8), it may be determined that the particles are directly above the pixel 105. The threshold value may be set experimentally by collating the data obtained by a proven conventional method (for example, a method utilizing laser reflection / diffraction) with the data obtained by using the doctor wafer DW.

In adjacent pixels 105, if the intensity of light received by one pixel 105 is greater than the threshold and the intensity of light received by the other pixel 105 is less than the threshold, particles between the adjacent pixels 105. It can be determined that a part of the contour of P exists. By detecting all of the other adjacent pixels 105 having such a relationship, the contour of the particle P can be specified.

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

As described above, it is possible to detect other defects such as water marks and scratches by using the doctor wafer DW. This is because these defects also prevent the illumination light from entering the pixel. Water marks can be detected by the same detection principle as particles, except that the light transmittance is larger than that of general particles.

When a scratch S is generated on the surface of the protective layer 106 of the doctor wafer DW, the illumination light L is turned by the scratch S and hardly reaches the pixel 105 directly under the scratch S as shown in FIG. The scratch S extends continuously linearly over a large number of pixels 105. Therefore, when the pixels 105 having a small light receiving amount are linearly connected, it can be determined that there is a scratch above these pixels 105.

<Regeneration of doctor wafer>
It is not preferable to perform the inspection on the doctor wafer DW in which the scratch S is generated on the surface or the particles that cannot be removed by cleaning are firmly adhered to the surface. In order to regenerate such a doctor wafer DW, the following regeneration method may be executed.

When the particles are firmly adhered or a shallow scratch S is formed, the doctor wafer DW is reused by thinly scraping at least the vicinity of the outermost surface of the protective layer 106 by chemical treatment or CMP treatment. You will be able to do it. When the hydrophobic thin film is formed on the outermost surface of the protective layer 106, the hydrophobic thin film may be reformed after the above treatment.

When the scratch S is deep and the protective layer 106 of the doctor wafer DW is composed of the pixel protective damper 106a and the transparent glass (SiOx) 106b, the transparent glass 106b is completely removed leaving the pixel protective damper 106a. After that, the layer of the transparent glass 106b may be formed again.

<Deformation embodiment of doctor wafer>
As described above, the basic function of the doctor wafer DW is to output the electric charge output from each pixel 105 of the light receiving layer 104 to the outside via the wiring layer 102 (including a logic circuit, an amplifier, etc.). .. In this basic configuration, data acquisition and data are acquired only when the electrode of the doctor wafer DW and the external electrode (for example, the electrode of the gripping claw of the spin chuck, the electrode of the holding claw of the fork of the substrate transport mechanism 13, etc.) are in contact with each other. Cannot send.

In order to solve the above problem, one or a combination of two or more of the following configurations can be added to the basic configuration of the doctor wafer DW. This enables flexible operation of the doctor wafer DW.
(A) Memory unit 107a for temporarily storing pixel data
(B) Power storage unit 107b for storing electric power for operating the doctor wafer DW.
(C) For non-contact power supply to the doctor wafer DW (power reception of the doctor wafer DW), or wireless transmission of data between the doctor wafer DW and an external device (for example, reception of a pixel data read command and pixel data). Antenna unit 107c for transmission to an external device)

The memory unit 107a can be composed of, for example, a DRAM, an RRAM, an MRAM, a NAND flash memory, or the like. The power storage unit 107b can be composed of a battery, a capacitor, or the like. The antenna portion can be made of an amorphous soft magnetic material.

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

As shown in FIG. 20, the nanolens array may be incorporated in the protective layer 106. In this case, the individual nanolenses 109 can be placed directly above each pixel 105. Also in this case, the outermost surface of the protective layer 106 can be formed of transparent glass (SiOx) or the like.

Instead of providing the light receiving layer 104 on the entire surface of the doctor wafer DW, the light receiving layer 104 may be provided only on a part of the surface of the doctor wafer DW. For example, as shown in FIG. 21, the light receiving layer 104 may be provided only on a plurality of lines extending in the diameter direction of the doctor wafer DW. By doing so, the amount of data to be handled is reduced, so that the burden of data transmission / reception and arithmetic processing is reduced. For example, when an inspection is performed in which only the total amount of particles on the surface of the doctor wafer DW is a problem (distribution does not matter), the inspection efficiency is improved.

Each layer such as the wiring layer 102 to the doctor wafer DW and the light receiving layer 104 can be formed on the semiconductor wafer by using the semiconductor device manufacturing technology (film forming technology). However, a doctor wafer DW may be constructed by attaching a preformed imaging device onto a substrate.

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

According to the above embodiment, by using the doctor wafer DW, particle level inspection can be performed at various places of the substrate processing system 1. If a lighting device that appropriately irradiates the doctor wafer DW with illumination light is installed, particle level inspection can be performed even during processing and transportation of the doctor wafer DW. Further, by providing the doctor wafer DW with the memory unit 107a, the power storage unit 107b, the antenna unit 107c, and the like, it is possible to perform particle level inspection at an arbitrary timing. This makes it possible to easily identify the cause of particle generation in a short time.

The conventional particle level inspection method using a stand-alone particle inspection device can only compare the particle level before and after processing and before and after transportation, and cannot inspect the particle level during processing and transportation. Of course, wet wafers cannot be inspected. Further, in order to identify the cause of particle generation, it is necessary to process many wafers and compare the processing results with each other. In addition, it takes a long time to inspect one wafer. Therefore, it takes a very long time to identify the cause of particle generation, and the cost is high. In addition, the wafer may be contaminated while it is being transported to the stand-alone particle inspection device. Many of these problems can be solved in the above embodiments.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The above embodiments may be omitted, replaced or modified in various forms without departing from the scope of the appended claims and their gist.

DW inspection board 100 base material 102 + 104 image sensor 106 protective layer 108 output part (electrode)

Claims

A processing unit for processing the product substrate, an loading / unloading section for loading / unloading the product substrate processed by the processing unit, and a transport mechanism for transporting the product substrate between the loading / unloading section and the processing unit. It is an operation method of the board processing equipment that is provided.
The plate-shaped base material, the image pickup element provided on at least a part of the surface of the base material, the light-transmitting protective layer formed on the surface of the image pickup element, and the output of the image pickup element are measured by the inspection substrate. Based on the output of the image sensor, which is an inspection substrate provided with an output unit for outputting to the outside of the image sensor, which changes when the light emitted from the light source is blocked by the contaminants adhering to the protective layer. A step of preparing the inspection substrate configured to be able to detect the adhered state of the contaminant to the protective layer, and a step of preparing the inspection substrate.
-The inspection board is treated by the processing unit, and the state of contaminants adhering to the inspection board is detected by the inspection board after or during the treatment, and-the inspection board is conveyed by the transfer mechanism. At the same time, the inspection board should be used to detect the state of contaminants adhering to the inspection board after or during transportation.
Inspection steps that perform at least one of the
A determination step for determining whether or not the product substrate can be processed or transported by the substrate processing apparatus based on the state of the contaminants detected in the inspection step.
Operation method with.
The inspection step comprises performing on the inspection board a series of transport and processing operations that is the same as a series of transport and processing operations performed on the product substrate.
The determination step is a series of steps for the product substrate by the substrate processing apparatus based on the comparison result of the state of the contaminants on the inspection board at the start time and the end time of the series of transfer operation and processing operation for the inspection board. The operation method according to claim 1, which comprises determining whether or not the transport operation and the processing operation can be executed.
The inspection step is
Performing the same series of transport operations and processing operations on the inspection board as the series of transport operations and processing operations performed on the product board.
Identifying transport and / or treatment operations that contribute significantly to the increase in contaminants on the inspection board based on changes in the state of contaminants on the inspection board during each transport operation and each treatment operation. And, the operation method according to claim 1.
The inspection step is to continuously monitor the state of contaminants on the inspection board between at least the first time point and the second time point while the inspection board is being processed by the processing unit. 1. The operation method according to claim 1.
The inspection step comprises detecting the state of contaminants on the inspection board at least at each of the first and second time points when the inspection board is processed by the processing unit. The described operation method.
The inspection step is to continuously monitor the state of contaminants on the inspection board between at least the first time point and the second time point while the inspection board is being conveyed by the transfer mechanism. 1. The operation method according to claim 1.
The operation method according to claim 6, wherein the inspection step includes specifying the coordinates of the inspection board transported by the transport mechanism when the amount of contaminants on the inspection board increases.
The inspection step comprises detecting the state of contaminants on the inspection board at least at each of the first and second time points while the inspection board is being transported by the transfer mechanism. The operation method described in Item 1.
The inspection step is performed when the inspection board is liquid-treated by the processing unit, and the liquid treatment includes supplying a treatment liquid from a nozzle to the inspection board.
The inspection step comprises continuously monitoring the state of contaminants on the inspection substrate from the time when the treatment liquid is started to be discharged from the nozzle, and the time when the treatment liquid is started to be discharged. A claim comprising identifying contaminated sites in the nozzle and the treatment fluid supply pipe connected to the nozzle based on the elapsed time from to the point in time when the amount of contaminants on the inspection substrate has increased. 1 Operation method described.
The inspection step is executed when the inspection board is liquid-treated by the processing unit, and the liquid treatment comprises a series of processing steps.
The inspection step identifies one or more treatment steps that contribute significantly to the increase in contaminants on the inspection board, based on changes in the state of contaminants on the inspection board as each treatment step is performed. The operation method according to claim 1, which includes the above-mentioned operation method.
The inspection step is executed when the inspection board is subjected to liquid treatment including a series of treatment steps by the treatment unit.
The inspection step comprises determining the increment of contaminants after and before execution of the series of treatment steps detected in the inspection step.
The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the determination step prohibits processing of the product substrate in the processing unit when the increment is larger than a predetermined threshold value.