WO2023243562A1

WO2023243562A1 - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Info

Publication number: WO2023243562A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/021576
Authority: WO
Inventors: 水根李; 洋丸本
Original assignee: 東京エレクトロン株式会社
Priority date: 2022-06-17
Filing date: 2023-06-09
Publication date: 2023-12-21
Also published as: TW202403948A

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a substrate holding unit (31), an imaging device (60), and a control unit (18). The substrate holding unit (31) holds and rotates the substrate to be processed. The imaging device (60) images the substrate held by the substrate holding unit (31). The control unit (18) controls units. Additionally, the control unit (18) includes an execution unit (18a), an acquisition unit (18b), and a detection unit (18d). The execution unit (18a) executes a series of substrate processing operations on a substrate delivered from outside and held by the substrate holding unit (31). The acquisition unit (18b) acquires image data by imaging, using the imaging device (60), the substrate following substrate processing. On the basis of the acquired image data and stored reference data, the detection unit (18d) detects a positional deviation of the substrate in the rotation direction following substrate processing.

Description

Substrate processing equipment and substrate processing method

The disclosed embodiments relate to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

Conventionally, single-wafer processing in which substrates such as semiconductor wafers (hereinafter also referred to as wafers) are processed one by one is performed while rotating the substrate while holding it in a substrate holder (see Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 5847661

The present disclosure provides a technique that can detect rotational slippage in a substrate.

A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a substrate holding section, an imaging device, and a control section. The substrate holding section holds and rotates a substrate to be processed. The imaging device images the substrate held by the substrate holding section. The control section controls each section. Further, the control section includes an execution section, an acquisition section, and a detection section. The execution unit executes a series of substrate processing on the substrate carried in from the outside and held by the substrate holding unit. The acquisition unit acquires image data by capturing an image of the substrate after substrate processing using the imaging device. The detection unit detects a positional shift in the rotational direction of the substrate after substrate processing based on the acquired image data and stored reference data.

According to the present disclosure, slippage in the rotational direction of the substrate can be detected.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of the processing unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the acquisition process according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of difference data according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the correlation between the X coordinate of the peak caused by the notch and the position of the notch in the rotational direction. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining prediction processing according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining another example of the control process according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining another example of the control process according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control processing procedure executed by the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for positional displacement detection processing executed by the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of the temporal change detection process executed by the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating another example of a control processing procedure executed by the substrate processing system according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the dimensional relationship of each element, the ratio of each element, etc. may differ from reality. Furthermore, drawings may include portions with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

Conventionally, single-wafer processing in which substrates such as semiconductor wafers (hereinafter also referred to as wafers) are processed one by one is performed while rotating the substrate while holding it in a substrate holder. Therefore, if substrate processing is performed while the substrate is not being held sufficiently, the substrate will slip along the rotation direction, resulting in insufficient substrate processing or large splashes of processing liquid on the inner walls of the chamber. Problems such as this may occur.

On the other hand, while conventional technology can detect misalignment of the substrate placed on the substrate holder from the transport device, it cannot detect slippage in the rotational direction that may occur after single-wafer processing. Ta.

Therefore, it is hoped that a technology will be realized that can overcome the above-mentioned problems and detect slippage in the rotational direction of the substrate.

<Summary of substrate processing system>
First, a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system 1 according to an embodiment. The substrate processing system 1 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus. In the following, in order to clarify the positional relationship, an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other are defined, and the positive direction of the Z-axis is defined as a vertically upward direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 1 includes a 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 hoop placement section 11 and a transport section 12. A plurality of hoops H that horizontally accommodate a plurality of substrates, in the embodiment semiconductor wafers W (hereinafter referred to as wafers W), are placed on the hoop mounting section 11 .

The transport section 12 is provided adjacent to the hoop mounting section 11 and includes a substrate transport device 13 and a transfer section 14 inside. The substrate transfer device 13 includes a wafer holding mechanism that holds the wafer W. Further, the substrate transfer device 13 is capable of horizontal and vertical movement and rotation about a vertical axis, and uses a wafer holding mechanism to transfer the wafer W between the hoop H and the transfer section 14. conduct.

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

The transport section 15 includes a substrate transport device 17 inside. The substrate transfer device 17 includes a wafer holding mechanism that holds the wafer W. Further, the substrate transfer device 17 is capable of horizontal and vertical movement and rotation about a vertical axis, and is capable of transferring wafers W between the transfer section 14 and the processing unit 16 using a wafer holding mechanism. I do.

The processing unit 16 performs predetermined substrate processing on the wafer W transported by the substrate transport device 17.

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

Note that such a program may be one that has been recorded on a computer-readable storage medium, and may be one that is installed in the storage unit 19 of the control device 4 from the storage medium. Examples of computer-readable storage media include hard disks (HD), flexible disks (FD), compact disks (CD), magnetic optical disks (MO), and memory cards.

In the substrate processing system 1 configured as described above, first, the substrate transfer device 13 of the loading/unloading station 2 takes out a wafer W from the hoop H placed on the hoop placement section 11, and receives the taken out wafer W. Place it on Watabe 14. The wafer W placed on the transfer section 14 is taken out from the transfer section 14 by the substrate transport device 17 of the processing station 3 and carried into the processing unit 16.

The wafer W carried into the processing unit 16 is processed by the processing unit 16, and then carried out from the processing unit 16 by the substrate transport device 17 and placed on the transfer section 14. Then, the processed wafer W placed on the transfer section 14 is returned to the hoop H of the hoop placement section 11 by the substrate transfer device 13.

<Processing unit configuration>
Next, the configuration of the processing unit 16 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of the processing unit 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the processing unit 16 includes a chamber 20, a substrate processing section 30, a liquid supply section 40, a collection cup 50, and an imaging device 60.

The chamber 20 accommodates a substrate processing section 30, a liquid supply section 40, a collection cup 50, and an imaging device 60. A fan filter unit (FFU) 21 is provided on the ceiling of the chamber 20 . FFU 21 forms a downflow within chamber 20 .

The substrate processing section 30 includes a substrate holding section 31, a support section 32, and a driving section 33, and performs a given substrate processing on the mounted wafer W. The substrate holding section 31 holds the wafer W horizontally. The support portion 32 is a member extending in the vertical direction, has a base end rotatably supported by a drive portion 33, and a distal end portion that supports the substrate holding portion 31 horizontally. The drive section 33 rotates the support section 32 around a vertical axis.

The substrate processing unit 30 rotates the substrate holding unit 31 supported by the support unit 32 by rotating the support unit 32 using the drive unit 33, thereby rotating the wafer W held by the substrate holding unit 31. Rotate.

A holding member 31a that holds the wafer W from the side is provided on the upper surface of the substrate holding section 31 included in the substrate processing section 30. The wafer W is held horizontally by the holding member 31a while being slightly spaced apart from the upper surface of the substrate holding section 31. Note that the wafer W is held by the substrate holder 31 with the surface on which substrate processing is performed facing upward.

Note that the substrate holding unit 31 is not limited to holding the substrate by the holding member 31a, and may hold the wafer W horizontally by suctioning the lower surface of the wafer W, for example. Furthermore, the substrate holding section 31 may be an electrostatic chuck or the like.

The liquid supply unit 40 supplies processing fluid to the wafer W. The liquid supply section 40 includes

nozzles

41a and 41b, an arm 42 that horizontally supports the

nozzles

41a and 41b, and a turning and lifting mechanism 43 that turns and raises and lowers the arm 42.

The nozzle 41a is connected to a processing liquid supply source 46a via a valve 44a and a flow rate regulator 45a. The processing liquid supply source 46a is a tank that stores processing liquid. Such a treatment liquid is used, for example, for liquid treatment of the wafer W (eg, etching treatment, cleaning treatment, etc.).

The nozzle 41b is connected to a DIW supply source 46b via a valve 44b and a flow regulator 45b. The DIW supply source 46b is, for example, a tank that stores DIW (DeIonized Water). Such DIW is used for rinsing the wafer W, for example.

Although the example in FIG. 2 shows an example in which the liquid supply unit 40 supplies the processing liquid and the rinsing liquid (DIW) to the wafer W, the present disclosure is not limited to such an example, and other chemical liquids may be supplied to the wafer W. It may be configured to do so.

The collection cup 50 is arranged to surround the substrate holding part 31 and collects the processing liquid scattered from the wafer W by the rotation of the substrate holding part 31. A drain port 51 is formed at the bottom of the recovery cup 50, and the processing liquid collected by the recovery cup 50 is discharged to the outside of the processing unit 16 from the drain port 51. Furthermore, an exhaust port 52 is formed at the bottom of the collection cup 50 to discharge the gas supplied from the FFU 21 to the outside of the processing unit 16.

The imaging device 60 is disposed above the wafer W near the periphery of the wafer W, for example, and images the wafer W held by the substrate holder 31. The imaging device 60 is arranged at a position where it can image the outline Wa (see FIG. 4) of the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W, for example.

<Details of detection processing>
Next, details of the detection processing according to the embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 4 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 4 includes a control section 18 and a storage section 19.

Further, the above-described substrate processing section 30, liquid supply section 40, and imaging device 60 are connected to the control device 4. In addition to the functional units shown in FIG. 3, the control device 4 may include various functional units included in known computers, such as various input devices and audio output devices.

The storage unit 19 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. The storage unit 19 includes a reference data storage unit 19a, a captured image storage unit 19b, and a positional deviation angle storage unit 19c. Details of these storage units will be described later. Furthermore, the storage unit 19 stores information used for various processes in the control unit 18.

The control unit 18 is realized by, for example, a CPU, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., executing a program stored in the storage unit 19 using the RAM as a work area.

Further, the control unit 18 may be realized by, for example, an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

The control unit 18 includes an execution unit 18a, an acquisition unit 18b, a creation unit 18c, a detection unit 18d, a notification unit 18e, and a prediction unit 18f, and realizes the functions and actions of the control processing described below. Or run. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 18 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 3, and may be any other configuration as long as it performs the control processing described below.

The execution unit 18a executes a series of substrate processing on the wafer W carried in from the outside of the processing unit 16 and held by the substrate holding unit 31. For example, the execution unit 18a controls the substrate processing unit 30 and the like to rotate the wafer W at a given rotation speed, and controls the liquid supply unit 40 and the like to rotate the wafer W according to a recipe specified by an operator or the like. A processing liquid is supplied onto W at a given supply amount.

Furthermore, the execution unit 18a performs a DIW rinsing process on the wafer W that has been subjected to the liquid treatment using the treatment liquid. Further, the execution unit 18a performs a drying process such as spin drying on the wafer W after the rinsing process.

The acquisition unit 18b images the wafer W, which has been subjected to substrate processing by the execution unit 18a, with the imaging device 60, and acquires image data. Further, the acquisition unit 18b may acquire another image data by capturing an image of the wafer W before the substrate processing is performed by the execution unit 18a using the imaging device 60. The details of the acquisition processing by the acquisition unit 18b will be explained with reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of acquisition processing according to the embodiment. As shown in (a) of FIG. 4, the acquisition unit 18b images the wafer W held by the substrate holding unit 31 (see FIG. 2) using the imaging device 60 (see FIG. 2) before substrate processing; A captured image of the wafer W is acquired.

In this captured image before substrate processing, for example, an outline Wa of the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W and a notch N formed at the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W are recorded. Note that this image data before substrate processing is stored, for example, in the reference data storage section 19a of the storage section 19 as reference data.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the acquisition unit 18b images the wafer W held by the substrate holding unit 31 with the imaging device 60 after substrate processing, and acquires a captured image of the wafer W. The outline Wa of the outer circumferential edge of the wafer W and the notch N formed at the outer circumferential edge of the wafer W are also recorded in the captured image after this substrate processing.

Note that various image processing (for example, edge detection processing, etc.) may be performed on these captured images in order to clarify the outline Wa and the notch N.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 3. The creation unit 18c creates difference data of the outline Wa of the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W using the image data of the wafer W after substrate processing acquired by the acquisition unit 18b and the reference data stored in the reference data storage unit 19a. create.

The reference data used by the creation unit 18c during the creation process is, for example, image data of the wafer W before substrate processing acquired by the acquisition unit 18b. The details of this creation process will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

The creation unit 18c first identifies the X and Y coordinates of multiple points where the outline Wa stored in the reference data (for example, image data of the wafer W before substrate processing) is located. Similarly, the creation unit 18c identifies the X coordinates and Y coordinates of multiple points where the outline Wa stored in the image data of the wafer W after substrate processing is located.

Next, the creation unit 18c calculates the Y-coordinate value of the contour Wa in the image data of the wafer W after substrate processing from the Y-coordinate value of the contour Wa in the image data of the wafer W before substrate processing at the same X coordinate value. Subtract the value. That is, the creation unit 18c calculates the difference between the Y-coordinate value of the contour Wa before substrate processing and the Y-coordinate value of the contour Wa after substrate processing, at the same X-coordinate value.

Here, if no slippage in the rotational direction occurs in the wafer W after the substrate processing, the outline Wa of the wafer W before the substrate processing and the outline Wa of the wafer W after the substrate processing basically all match. Therefore, in this case, at the same X coordinate value, the Y coordinate value of the outline Wa before substrate processing and the Y coordinate value of the outline Wa after substrate processing are approximately equal (that is, the difference is almost zero). .

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, if slippage in the rotational direction occurs in the wafer W after substrate processing, at the X coordinate where the notch N is located, the contour Wa of the wafer W before substrate processing and the contour Wa after substrate processing It no longer matches the contour Wa of the wafer W.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of difference data according to the embodiment, and is a diagram showing an example of difference data when two image data as shown in FIG. 4 are obtained before and after substrate processing. Note that FIG. 5 is data obtained by smoothing the transition of the difference using the moving average method.

As shown in FIG. 5, the peak P1 located at X=X1 is a peak caused by the notch N before substrate processing (see (a) in FIG. 4). This is because when X=X1, the value of Y is large because the notch N is located before the substrate processing, whereas the value of Y is small because the notch N is not located after the substrate processing.

Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 5, the negative peak P2 located at X=X2 is a peak resulting from the notch N after substrate processing (see (b) in FIG. 4). This is because when X=X2, the value of Y is small because the notch N is not located before the substrate processing, whereas the value of Y is large because the notch N is located after the substrate processing.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 3. The detection unit 18d detects a positional shift in the rotational direction of the wafer W after the substrate processing, based on the image data acquired after the substrate processing and the reference data stored in the reference data storage unit 19a.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when a peak P1 greater than or equal to a given threshold value A and a peak P2 less than or equal to a given threshold value −A are detected in the differential data, the detection unit 18d It can be determined that a positional shift in the rotational direction has occurred in the wafer W after processing.

Further, the detection unit 18d determines the amount of deviation of the notch N after processing the substrate, that is, the rotation The amount of positional deviation in the direction can be estimated.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the correlation between the X coordinate of the peak caused by the notch N and the position of the wafer W in the rotational direction. Note that in the data shown in FIG. 6, the position of the wafer W in the rotational direction when the notch N is located approximately at the center of the image data (for example, the case shown in FIG. 4(a)) is defined as 180 (deg). are doing.

As shown in FIG. 6, it can be seen that in the image data of the contour Wa, the value of the peak X caused by the notch N and the position of the wafer W in the rotational direction have a very high correlation.

Therefore, the detection unit 18d calculates the position of the notch N before substrate processing shown in FIG. 5 (that is, the position in the rotational direction of the wafer W) based on the correlation shown in FIG. 6. Furthermore, the detection unit 18d calculates the position of the notch N after substrate processing (that is, the position in the rotational direction of the wafer W) based on the correlation shown in FIG.

Then, the detection unit 18d detects the rotation of the wafer W after the substrate processing by taking the difference between the calculated rotational direction position of the wafer W before the substrate processing and the rotational direction position of the wafer W after the substrate processing. The positional deviation angle in the direction can be calculated.

As described so far, in the embodiment, slippage in the rotational direction of the wafer W can be detected by detecting the positional deviation of the wafer W in the rotational direction based on image data after substrate processing.

Note that in the present disclosure, the correlation used to calculate the position of the wafer W in the rotational direction is not limited to the linear correlation shown in FIG. 6. For example, data storing the correlation between the rotational direction position of the wafer W and the peak X value is prepared in advance as a table, and this table is referred to when calculating the rotational direction position of the wafer W. It's okay.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 3. The notification unit 18e notifies that the positional deviation of the wafer W has occurred when the positional deviation angle of the wafer W calculated by the detection unit 18d is greater than or equal to a given threshold value. This allows the operator to recognize the abnormal state of the substrate holding section 31.

Additionally, the notification unit 18e may save the captured image of the wafer W being processed when the positional deviation angle of the wafer W is greater than or equal to a given threshold value. Such a captured image is, for example, a moving image, and is stored in the captured image storage section 19b of the storage section 19.

Further, the notification unit 18e may associate the captured image during substrate processing stored in the captured image storage unit 19b as described above with log information indicating that an abnormal state has been reported for the same wafer W.

In this way, by storing the captured image of the wafer W in which slippage in the rotational direction has been detected during processing in the storage unit 19, the operator can check the details of the defect again at a later date using the stored captured image. can. Furthermore, by associating captured images during substrate processing with log information indicating that an abnormal condition has been reported, the operator can easily check captured images during abnormal conditions.

In addition to the above-mentioned detection processing, the above-mentioned detection unit 18d calculates the positional deviation angle in the rotational direction for each of the plurality of wafers W successively carried into the processing unit 16, and stores the positional deviation angle in the storage unit 19. It is stored in the positional deviation angle storage section 19c.

Then, the prediction unit 18f predicts the holding state of the substrate holding unit 31 based on the change over time of the plurality of positional deviation angles stored in the positional deviation angle storage unit 19c. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining prediction processing according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the positional deviation angle storage unit 19c according to the embodiment, for example, the horizontal axis is time (or the number of processed wafers W), and the vertical axis is the value of the positional deviation angle of the wafer W. Data of a plurality of wafers W is plotted in the XY space.

The prediction unit 18f predicts the holding state of the substrate holding unit 31 based on the change in positional deviation angle over time as shown in FIG. The prediction unit 18f predicts the holding state of the substrate holding unit 31 by, for example, linear regression analysis.

For example, in the example of FIG. 7, the time course of the positional deviation angle regresses to a straight line with positional deviation angle = 0 in the period up to time T0. That is, in the example of FIG. 7, there is no noticeable change in the positional deviation angle of the wafer W until time T0, and it is presumed that a good holding state is maintained.

On the other hand, after time T0, the time course of the positional deviation angle regresses to the straight line L having an inclination. Therefore, the prediction unit 18f predicts that when the holding state becomes abnormal at time T2, which is the intersection of the straight line L and the upper limit value (or lower limit value) of the positional deviation angle at which the holding state is considered to be maintained satisfactorily, Prediction is made at time T1.

In this way, in the embodiment, the holding state of the substrate holding section 31 can be predicted with high accuracy based on the change in the positional deviation angle over time. Therefore, according to the embodiment, based on the obtained prediction, the operator can prepare parts such as the board holding part 31 in advance and plan maintenance.

Although the example of FIG. 7 shows an example in which the prediction unit 18f predicts the holding state of the substrate holding unit 31 by linear regression analysis, the present disclosure is not limited to such an example, and the prediction unit 18f predicts the holding state of the substrate holding unit 31 by using various analysis methods. The holding state of the holding section 31 may be predicted.

<Another example of control processing>
Next, another example of various processes in the control section 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a positional shift in the rotational direction is detected based on the position of the notch N (see FIG. 4) shown in the image data captured by the imaging device 60, but the present disclosure does not apply to such an example. Not limited.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining another example of the control processing according to the embodiment. In the example of FIG. 8, slippage in the rotational direction of the wafer W is detected based on the line C of the pattern formed on the surface of the wafer W.

For example, the detection unit 18d (see FIG. 3) detects the following depending on the direction (for example, the inclination angle of the line C) of the line C of the pattern shape shown on the wafer W before substrate processing shown in FIG. The position in the rotational direction of the wafer W before substrate processing is calculated.

Further, the detection unit 18d detects the wafer W before substrate processing according to the direction (for example, the inclination angle of line C) of the line C of the pattern shape shown on the wafer W after substrate processing shown in FIG. 8(b). The position in the rotational direction at W is calculated. The line C of the pattern shape shown on the wafer W is detected by, for example, Hough conversion processing.

Note that in this case, the inclination angle of the line C and the position (rotation angle) of the wafer W in the rotation direction do not necessarily match. Therefore, data storing the correlation between the inclination angle of the line C at a given part of the wafer W and the position (rotation angle) in the rotational direction of the wafer W is prepared in advance as a table, and the inclination angle of the line C is It is preferable to refer to this table when calculating the position of the wafer W in the rotational direction.

Note that in the present disclosure, the index for detecting the position of the wafer W in the rotational direction is not limited to the notch N or the line C of the pattern shape. For example, the position of the wafer W in the rotational direction may be detected based on the position of a stamp such as a lot number stamped on the back side of the wafer W. In this case, the imaging device 60 is preferably arranged so as to be able to image the back side of the wafer W.

Further, in the above embodiment, image data of the wafer W before substrate processing is used as the reference data, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining another example of the detection process according to the embodiment. In addition, in FIG. 9, the outline Wa of the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W and the notch N are shown by broken lines for easy understanding.

In the example of FIG. 9, a given elliptic approximation curve O is used as reference data. In this example, the detection unit 18d determines the absolute position of the notch N after substrate processing (that is, the rotational direction of the wafer W) by taking the difference between the ellipse approximate curve O and the outline Wa of the wafer W after substrate processing. absolute position) is calculated based on the given correlation. This also makes it possible to detect slippage in the rotational direction of the wafer W.

Further, by using the process of detecting the absolute position of the notch N as described above, the processing unit 16 can perform alignment of the wafer W in the rotational direction (so-called alignment process).

Specifically, for example, the control unit 18 images the wafer W carried in and held by the substrate holding unit 31 with the imaging device 60, and based on the obtained imaging data of the wafer W, the control unit 18 images the wafer W in the imaging data. The difference between the contour Wa and the ellipse approximate curve O is calculated. Thereby, the control unit 18 determines the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction.

Next, the control unit 18 determines whether the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction matches a given set position. If the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction matches the given set position, the control unit 18 considers that the alignment of the wafer W is correct, and ends the series of alignment processes.

On the other hand, if the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction is shifted from the given set position, the control unit 18 temporarily returns the wafer W to the substrate transfer device 17 and changes the rotational direction of the substrate holding unit 31. Adjust the position.

At this time, the control unit 18 controls the substrate holding unit 31 so that the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction is within a given range, based on the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction detected above. It is best to adjust the position in the rotation direction.

Next, the control unit 18 images the wafer W carried in again and held by the substrate holding unit 31 with the imaging device 60, and based on the obtained imaging data of the wafer W, the control unit 18 determines the contour Wa of the wafer W in the imaging data. and the elliptic approximate curve O. Thereby, the control unit 18 calculates the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction again.

Next, the control unit 18 determines again whether the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction matches the given set position. Then, the control unit 18 repeats the above-described process until the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction matches the predetermined set position.

Thereby, in the embodiment, alignment of the wafer W in the rotational direction can be performed in the processing unit 16. Therefore, according to the embodiment, the cost of the substrate processing system 1 can be reduced because the rotational direction alignment of the wafer W can be performed without using a dedicated alignment adjustment device.

The substrate processing apparatus (substrate processing system 1) according to the embodiment includes a substrate holding section 31, an imaging device 60, and a control section 18. The substrate holding unit 31 holds and rotates a substrate (wafer W) to be processed. The imaging device 60 images the substrate (wafer W) held by the substrate holder 31. The control section 18 controls each section. Further, the control unit 18 includes an execution unit 18a, an acquisition unit 18b, and a detection unit 18d. The execution unit 18a executes a series of substrate processing on a substrate (wafer W) carried in from the outside and held by the substrate holding unit 31. The acquisition unit 18b images the substrate (wafer W) after substrate processing using the imaging device 60 and acquires image data. The detection unit 18d detects a positional shift in the rotational direction of the substrate (wafer W) after substrate processing based on the acquired image data and the stored reference data. Thereby, slippage in the rotational direction of the wafer W can be detected.

Further, in the substrate processing apparatus (substrate processing system 1) according to the embodiment, the detection unit 18d calculates the positional deviation angle in the rotational direction of the substrate (wafer W) after substrate processing based on the image data and the reference data. do. Thereby, slippage in the rotational direction of the wafer W can be detected with high accuracy.

In the substrate processing apparatus (substrate processing system 1) according to the embodiment, the acquisition unit 18b images and separates the substrate (wafer W) carried in from the outside and held by the substrate holding unit 31 before a series of substrate processing. Obtain the image data of. The acquisition unit 18b also stores other acquired image data as reference data. Thereby, slippage in the rotational direction of the wafer W that occurs during substrate processing can be detected.

Further, in the substrate processing apparatus (substrate processing system 1) according to the embodiment, the control unit 18 includes a creation unit that creates difference data of the outline Wa of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate (wafer W) using the image data and the reference data. 18c. Furthermore, the detection unit 18d detects a positional shift in the rotational direction of the substrate (wafer W) after substrate processing based on the difference data. Thereby, slippage in the rotational direction of the wafer W can be detected with high accuracy.

Further, in the substrate processing apparatus (substrate processing system 1) according to the embodiment, the detection unit performs the following based on the pattern shape of the surface of the substrate shown in the image data and the pattern shape of the surface of the substrate shown in the reference data. Detects displacement in the rotational direction of the substrate after substrate processing. Thereby, slippage in the rotational direction of the wafer W can be detected.

Further, in the substrate processing apparatus (substrate processing system 1) according to the embodiment, the control unit 18 controls whether the substrate (wafer W) is misaligned when the calculated misalignment angle is greater than or equal to a given threshold. It further includes a notification section 18e that notifies the occurrence of the occurrence. This allows the operator to recognize the abnormal state of the substrate holding section 31.

In the substrate processing apparatus (substrate processing system 1) according to the embodiment, the detection unit 18d stores the positional deviation angle in the storage unit 19 when the calculated positional deviation angle is less than a given threshold. do. Thereby, the change in positional deviation angle over time can be stored in the storage unit 19.

Further, in the substrate processing apparatus (substrate processing system 1) according to the embodiment, the control unit 18 includes a prediction unit 18f that predicts the holding state of the substrate holding unit 31 based on the temporal change of the plurality of stored positional deviation angles. , further has. Thereby, the holding state of the substrate holding section 31 can be predicted with high accuracy.

In the substrate processing apparatus (substrate processing system 1) according to the embodiment, the acquisition unit 18b acquires image data of the substrate (wafer W) held by the substrate holding unit 31 before or after substrate processing. Further, the detection unit 18d detects the position (absolute position) of the substrate (wafer W) in the rotational direction with respect to the substrate holding unit 31 based on the acquired image data and the stored reference data. Thereby, the wafer W can be aligned in the rotational direction without using a dedicated alignment adjustment device, so the cost of the substrate processing system 1 can be reduced.

<Control processing procedure>
Next, the procedure of the control processing according to the embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control processing procedure executed by the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment.

In the control process according to the embodiment, first, the control section 18 holds the wafer W carried into the processing unit 16 with the substrate holding section 31 (step S101).

Next, the control unit 18 stores the reference data (step S102). For example, the control unit 18 images the wafer W before substrate processing with the imaging device 60, and stores the image data of this wafer W as reference data. Such reference data is stored in the reference data storage section 19a of the storage section 19, for example.

Next, the control unit 18 supplies a processing liquid, a rinsing liquid, etc. to the wafer W while rotating the wafer W held by the substrate holding unit 31, and performs a given process on the wafer W (step S103).

Next, the control unit 18 performs a positional deviation detection process to detect a positional deviation in the rotational direction of the wafer W held by the substrate holding unit 31 (step S104). Details of this positional deviation detection processing will be described later.

Finally, the control unit 18 performs a temporal change detection process to detect a temporal change in the holding state of the wafer W held by the substrate holding unit 31 (step S105), and ends the series of control processes. Details of this temporal change detection processing will be described later.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for positional deviation detection processing performed by the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment. In this positional deviation detection process, first, the control unit 18 acquires image data of the wafer W after substrate processing held by the substrate holding unit 31 using the imaging device 60 (step S201).

Next, the control unit 18 uses the image data of the wafer W after substrate processing and the reference data stored in the reference data storage unit 19a to create difference data of the outline Wa of the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W ( Step S202).

Next, the control unit 18 determines whether two peaks P1 and P2 are detected in the difference data of the created contour Wa (step S203). If the two peaks P1 and P2 are not detected in the difference data (step S203, No), the control unit 18 determines that no slippage in the rotational direction has occurred in the wafer W (step S204), and sets the series of positions. End the shift detection process.

On the other hand, if two peaks P1 and P2 are detected in the difference data (Step S203, Yes), the control unit 18 calculates the positional deviation angle of the wafer W based on the two detected peaks P1 and P2. (Step S205). Then, the control unit 18 determines whether the calculated positional deviation angle of the wafer W is within a given range (step S206).

Then, if the positional deviation angle of the wafer W is within the given range (step S206, Yes), the series of positional deviation detection processing is ended. On the other hand, if the positional deviation angle of the wafer W is not within the given range (step S206, No), the control unit 18 notifies that the positional deviation has occurred in the wafer W held by the substrate holding unit 31 ( Step S207).

Then, the control unit 18 stores the captured image of the wafer W during substrate processing, captured by the imaging device 60, in the captured image storage unit 19b of the storage unit 19 (step S208), and ends the series of positional deviation detection processing. do.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of the temporal change detection process executed by the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment.

In this temporal change detection process, first, the control unit 18 stores the positional deviation angle of the wafer W detected in the process of step S205 described above in the positional deviation angle storage unit 19c of the storage unit 19 (step S301).

In addition, in the process of step S203 described above, if it is determined that no slippage in the rotational direction has occurred in the wafer W, the positional deviation angle of the wafer W is stored as zero in the positional deviation angle storage unit 19c of the storage unit 19. Ru.

Next, the control unit 18 performs a linear regression analysis of the change in positional deviation angle over time in the XY space in which the change in positional deviation angle over time in the plurality of wafers W is plotted (step S302).

Next, the control unit 18 determines whether there is a significant difference in the slopes of the straight lines created by linear regression analysis (step S303). If it is determined that there is a significant difference in the slope of the straight line created by the linear regression analysis (step S303, Yes), the control unit 18 predicts the timing at which the positional deviation angle of the wafer W deviates from the allowable range. (Step S304).

Furthermore, the control unit 18 notifies the worker of the predicted deviation timing (step S305), and ends the series of temporal change detection processing. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no significant difference in the slope of the straight line created by the linear regression analysis (step S303, No), the series of temporal change detection processing is ended.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the control processing procedure executed by the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment. In this control process, the processing unit 16 performs an alignment process on the wafer W.

In a control process according to another example, first, the control unit 18 holds the wafer W carried into the processing unit 16 with the substrate holding unit 31 (step S401). Then, the control unit 18 acquires image data of the wafer W held by the substrate holding unit 31 using the imaging device 60 (step S402).

Next, the control unit 18 uses the image data of the wafer W after substrate processing and the reference data stored in the reference data storage unit 19a to create difference data of the outline Wa of the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W ( Step S403). In this case, for example, an elliptic approximation curve O is used as the reference data.

Next, the control unit 18 detects the absolute position in the rotational direction of the wafer W held by the substrate holding unit 31 based on the created difference data (step S404). Then, the control unit 18 determines whether the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction is within a given range (step S405).

Then, if the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction is within the given range (step S405, Yes), the series of control processing ends. On the other hand, if the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction is not within the given range (step S405, No), the control unit 18 returns the wafer W from the substrate holding unit 31 to the substrate transfer device 17 (step S406).

Further, the control unit 18 controls the substrate holding unit so that the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction is within a given range based on the absolute position of the wafer W in the rotational direction detected in the process of step S404. 31 in the rotational direction is adjusted (step S407). Then, the process returns to step S401.

The substrate processing method according to the embodiment includes a holding step (step S101), an executing step (step S103), an acquiring step (step S201), and a detecting step (steps S203 to S205). In the holding step (step S101), the substrate holding unit 31 holds the substrate (wafer W) carried in from the outside. The step to be performed (step S103) is to perform a series of substrate processing on the substrate (wafer W). In the acquiring step (step S201), the substrate (wafer W) after substrate processing is imaged by the imaging device 60 to acquire image data. The detecting step (steps S203 to S205) detects a positional shift in the rotational direction of the substrate (wafer W) after substrate processing, based on the acquired image data and the stored reference data. Thereby, slippage in the rotational direction of the wafer W can be detected.

Further, in the substrate processing method according to the embodiment, the step of detecting (steps S203 to S205) calculates the positional deviation angle in the rotational direction of the substrate (wafer W) after substrate processing based on the image data and the reference data. do. Thereby, slippage in the rotational direction of the wafer W can be detected with high accuracy.

Furthermore, the substrate processing method according to the embodiment further includes a storing step (step S102). In the storing step (step S102), a substrate (wafer W) brought in from the outside and held in the substrate holding unit 31 is imaged by the imaging device 60 before a series of substrate processing to obtain another image data. Other image data is stored as reference data. Thereby, slippage in the rotational direction of the wafer W that occurs during substrate processing can be detected.

Furthermore, the substrate processing method according to the embodiment further includes a step of notifying (step S207). In the reporting step (step S207), if the calculated positional deviation angle is greater than or equal to a given threshold, it is notified that a positional deviation has occurred in the substrate (wafer W). This allows the operator to recognize the abnormal state of the substrate holding section 31.

Further, in the substrate processing method according to the embodiment, the step of detecting (steps S203 to S205) stores the positional deviation angle in the storage unit 19 when the calculated positional deviation angle is less than a given threshold value. do. Thereby, the change in positional deviation angle over time can be stored in the storage unit 19.

Furthermore, the substrate processing method according to the embodiment further includes a step of predicting (step S304). The predicting step (step S304) predicts the holding state of the substrate holding section 31 based on the temporal change of the plurality of stored positional deviation angles. Thereby, the holding state of the substrate holding section 31 can be predicted with high accuracy.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which reference data, captured images, changes in positional deviation angle over time, etc. are stored in the storage unit 19 provided in the control device 4 of the substrate processing system 1, but the present disclosure Not limited to examples. For example, in the present disclosure, reference data, captured images, changes in positional deviation angle over time, etc. may be stored in another storage device connected to the control device 4 via a network.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. Indeed, the embodiments described above may be implemented in various forms. Moreover, the above-described embodiments may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

W wafer (an example of a substrate)
Wa Outline 1 Substrate processing system (an example of substrate processing equipment)
4 Control device 16 Processing unit 18 Control section 18a Execution section 18b Acquisition section

18c Creation section

18d Detection section

18e Notification section

18f Prediction section 19 Storage section 19a Reference data storage section 19b Captured image storage section 19c Position deviation angle storage section 31 Substrate holding section 60 Imaging device

Claims

a substrate holder that holds and rotates the substrate to be processed;
an imaging device that images the substrate held by the substrate holding section;
A control unit that controls each part,
Equipped with
The control unit includes:
an execution unit that executes a series of substrate processing on the substrate carried in from the outside and held in the substrate holding unit;
an acquisition unit that acquires image data by imaging the substrate after substrate processing with the imaging device;
a detection unit that detects a positional shift in the rotational direction of the substrate after substrate processing based on the acquired image data and stored reference data;
A substrate processing apparatus having:
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit calculates a positional deviation angle in a rotational direction of the substrate after substrate processing based on the image data and the reference data.
The acquisition unit is configured to image the substrate brought in from the outside and held in the substrate holding unit before a series of substrate processing to acquire another image data, and store the acquired another image data as the reference data. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.
The control unit includes:
further comprising a creation unit that creates difference data of the outline of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate using the image data and the reference data,
The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detection unit detects a positional shift in the rotational direction of the substrate after substrate processing based on the difference data.
The detection unit detects a positional shift in the rotational direction of the substrate after substrate processing based on a pattern shape of the surface of the substrate shown in the image data and a pattern shape of the surface of the substrate shown in the reference data. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the substrate processing apparatus detects.
The control unit includes:
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a notification unit that notifies that a positional deviation has occurred in the substrate when the calculated positional deviation angle is equal to or greater than a given threshold value.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the detection unit stores the positional deviation angle in a storage unit when the calculated positional deviation angle is less than a given threshold value.
The control unit includes:
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a prediction unit that predicts a holding state of the substrate holding unit based on a change over time of the plurality of stored positional deviation angles.
The acquisition unit acquires image data of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit before substrate processing or after substrate processing,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects a position of the substrate in a rotational direction with respect to the substrate holding unit based on the acquired image data and the stored reference data.
a step of holding a board brought in from the outside by a board holder;
performing a series of substrate treatments on the substrate;
a step of capturing an image of the substrate after substrate processing with an imaging device to obtain image data;
Detecting a positional shift in the rotational direction of the substrate after substrate processing based on the acquired image data and stored reference data;
Substrate processing methods including.
The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein the step of detecting calculates a positional deviation angle in a rotational direction of the substrate after substrate processing based on the image data and the reference data.
The substrate brought in from the outside and held in the substrate holder is imaged by the imaging device before a series of substrate processing to obtain another image data, and the obtained another image data is stored as the reference data. The substrate processing method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:
12. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of notifying that a positional deviation has occurred in the substrate when the calculated positional deviation angle is greater than or equal to a given threshold value.
The substrate processing method according to claim 11 or 13, wherein the step of detecting stores the calculated positional deviation angle in a storage unit when the calculated positional deviation angle is less than a given threshold value.
15. The substrate processing method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of predicting a holding state of the substrate holder based on a change over time of the plurality of stored positional deviation angles.