WO2023248927A1

WO2023248927A1 - Substrate treatment device and substrate treatment method

Info

Publication number: WO2023248927A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/022312
Authority: WO
Inventors: 洋丸本
Original assignee: 東京エレクトロン株式会社
Priority date: 2022-06-24
Filing date: 2023-06-15
Publication date: 2023-12-28

Abstract

The present disclosure explains a substrate treatment device and a substrate treatment method with which the state of coverage of a substrate surface by a treatment liquid can be detected, and while doing so, the surface condition of the substrate and the quality of the state of the substrate treatment device can be evaluated.　The substrate treatment device executes: a process of controlling a rotary holding part to rotate the substrate; a process of controlling a supply part to supply a treatment liquid to the surface of the rotating substrate; a process of detecting an arrival of the treatment liquid at a first irradiation site on the basis of a change in the intensity of reflected light obtained by a first light sensor at the first irradiation site; a process of detecting an arrival of the treatment liquid at a second irradiation site on the basis of a change in the intensity of reflected light obtained by a second light sensor at the second irradiation site; a process of calculating a diffusion speed of the treatment liquid on the surface of the substrate on the basis of a time difference between the arrival time of the treatment liquid at the first irradiation site and the arrival time of the treatment liquid at the second irradiation site; and a process of determining the suitability of the treatment of the substrate on the basis of the calculated diffusion speed.

Description

Substrate processing equipment and substrate processing method

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

Currently, there are known substrate processing systems that perform substrate processing by discharging various processing liquids onto the substrate when microfabricating a substrate (for example, a semiconductor wafer) to manufacture a semiconductor device. Patent Document 1 discloses that coating is performed by comparing the difference between the laser reflected light from the substrate before discharging the coating liquid onto the substrate and the laser reflected light from the substrate during discharging the coating liquid onto the substrate with a threshold value. A substrate processing method that detects the discharge state of liquid is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-258658

The present disclosure describes a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that are capable of evaluating the quality of the surface condition of the substrate and the condition of the substrate processing apparatus while detecting the coating condition of the surface of the substrate with the processing liquid.

An example of a substrate processing apparatus includes a rotating holding section configured to hold and rotate a substrate, a supply section configured to supply a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate, and a substrate held by the rotating holding section. a first optical sensor configured to irradiate light toward a first irradiation point set to overlap with the surface of the substrate and receive the reflected light; and a surface of the substrate held by the rotation holder. A second irradiation point configured to irradiate light toward a second irradiation point that overlaps with the first irradiation point and is located radially outward of the substrate, and to receive the reflected light. It includes an optical sensor and a control section. The control unit performs a first process of controlling the rotation holding unit to rotate the substrate, a second process of controlling the supply unit and supplying the processing liquid to the surface of the rotating substrate, and a first process of controlling the rotation holding unit to rotate the substrate. a third process of detecting the arrival of the treatment liquid at the first irradiation point based on a change in the intensity of the reflected light acquired by the first optical sensor at the irradiation point; a fourth process of detecting arrival of the processing liquid at the second irradiation location based on a change in the intensity of the reflected light acquired by the optical sensor; and a time point at which the processing liquid reaches the first irradiation location; The fifth processing is configured to calculate the diffusion rate of the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate based on the time difference from the time when the processing liquid reaches the second irradiation location.

According to the substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method according to the present disclosure, it is possible to evaluate the quality of the surface condition of the substrate and the condition of the substrate processing apparatus while detecting the state of coating of the surface of the substrate with the processing liquid.

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing system. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing an example of a liquid processing unit. FIG. 3 is a top view showing an example of the irradiation position by the optical sensor. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the main parts of the substrate processing system. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the controller. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a substrate processing procedure. FIG. 7 is a side view for explaining an example of a procedure for calculating a diffusion rate. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the results of measuring the intensity of reflected light at irradiation points P1 to P3 using a hydrophilic substrate. FIG. 9 is a graph showing the results of measuring the intensity of reflected light at irradiation points P1 to P3 using a hydrophilic substrate. FIG. 10 is a graph showing the coating speed of the treatment liquid under the treatment conditions shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. FIG. 11 is a graph showing the results of measuring the intensity of reflected light at irradiation points P1 to P3 using hydrophobic and hydrophilic substrates. FIG. 12 is a graph showing the results of measuring the intensity of reflected light at irradiation points P1 to P3 using hydrophobic and hydrophilic substrates. FIG. 13 is a graph showing the results of measuring the intensity of reflected light at irradiation points P1 to P3 using hydrophobic and hydrophilic substrates. FIG. 14 is a graph showing the coating speed of the treatment liquid under the treatment conditions shown in FIGS. 11 to 13. FIG. 15 is a top view showing another example of the irradiation position by the optical sensor. FIG. 16 is a graph showing the results of measuring the intensity of reflected light at irradiation points P1 to P3 using hydrophobic and hydrophilic substrates. FIG. 17 is a graph showing the results of measuring the intensity of reflected light at irradiation points P1 to P3 using hydrophobic and hydrophilic substrates. FIG. 18 is a graph showing the results of measuring the intensity of reflected light at irradiation points P1 to P3 using hydrophobic and hydrophilic substrates.

In the following explanation, the same elements or elements having the same function will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. In this specification, when referring to the upper, lower, right, or left side of a figure, the direction of the symbol in the figure is used as a reference.

[Substrate processing system configuration]
First, with reference to FIG. 1, a substrate processing system 1 (substrate processing apparatus) configured to process a substrate W will be described. The substrate processing system 1 includes a loading/unloading station 2, a processing station 3, and a controller Ctr (control unit). The loading/unloading station 2 and the processing station 3 may be arranged horizontally in a row, for example.

The substrate W may have a disk shape, or may have a plate shape other than a circle, such as a polygon. The substrate W may have a partially cutout portion. The cutout portion may be, for example, a notch (U-shaped, V-shaped groove, etc.) or a straight portion extending in a straight line (so-called orientation flat). The substrate W may be, for example, a semiconductor substrate (silicon wafer), a glass substrate, a mask substrate, an FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrate, or other various substrates. The diameter of the substrate W may be, for example, about 200 mm to 450 mm.

The loading/unloading station 2 includes a loading section 4 (obtaining section), a loading/unloading section 5, and a shelf unit 6. The mounting section 4 includes a plurality of mounting tables (not shown) lined up in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1). Each mounting table is configured such that the carrier 7 can be placed thereon. When the carrier 7 is placed on the placement section, the placement section 4 reads data regarding the type of substrate W stored in the storage section 7a (described later) of the carrier 7, and transmits the data to the controller Ctr. is configured to do so.

The carrier 7 is configured to accommodate at least one substrate W in a sealed state. The carrier 7 includes an opening/closing door (not shown) for loading and unloading the substrate W. The carrier 7 includes a storage section 7a that stores data regarding the type of substrate W accommodated within the carrier 7. The same type of substrates W may be accommodated in one carrier 7. Examples of the information indicating the type of substrate W include the surface energy of the substrate W, the warpage of the substrate W, and the arrangement of patterning formed on the surface of the substrate W. The surface energy of the substrate W is an index indicating the wettability of the surface of the substrate W, and depending on its size, it is possible to determine whether the substrate W is hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Note that in this specification, "the surface of the substrate W" refers to the upper surface Wa or the lower surface Wb (see FIG. 2) of the substrate W.

The loading/unloading section 5 is arranged adjacent to the loading section 4 in the direction in which the loading/unloading station 2 and the processing station 3 are lined up (the left-right direction in FIG. 1). The loading/unloading section 5 includes an opening/closing door (not shown) provided to the placing section 4. With the carrier 7 placed on the loading section 4, both the opening/closing door of the carrier 7 and the opening/closing door of the loading/unloading section 5 are opened, so that the inside of the loading/unloading section 5 and the inside of the carrier 7 are communicated with each other. do.

The loading/unloading section 5 incorporates a transport arm A1 and a shelf unit 6. The transport arm A1 is configured to be capable of horizontal movement in the width direction of the carrying-in/carry-out section 5, vertical movement in the vertical direction, and rotational movement around the vertical axis. The transport arm A1 is configured to take out the substrate W from the carrier 7 and transfer it to the shelf unit 6, and also to receive the substrate W from the shelf unit 6 and return it into the carrier 7. The shelf unit 6 is located near the processing station 3 and is configured to accommodate substrates W.

The processing station 3 includes a transport section 8 and a plurality of liquid processing units U (substrate processing apparatus). The transport unit 8 extends horizontally, for example, in the direction in which the loading/unloading station 2 and the processing station 3 are lined up (the left-right direction in FIG. 1). The transport section 8 has a built-in transport arm A2 (transport section). The transport arm A2 is configured to be capable of horizontal movement in the longitudinal direction of the transport unit 8, vertical movement in the vertical direction, and rotational movement around the vertical axis. The transport arm A2 is configured to take out the substrate W from the shelf unit 6 and deliver it to the liquid processing unit U, and also to receive the substrate W from the liquid processing unit U and return it into the shelf unit 6.

The plurality of liquid processing units U are arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the transport section 8 (horizontal direction in FIG. 1) on each of both sides of the transport section 8. The liquid processing unit U is configured to perform predetermined processing (for example, etching processing, cleaning processing, etc.) on the substrate W. Details of the liquid processing unit U will be described later.

The controller Ctr is configured to partially or completely control the substrate processing system 1. Details of the controller Ctr will be described later.

[Details of liquid processing unit]
Next, the liquid processing unit U will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The liquid processing unit U includes a rotation holding section 10,

supply sections

20 and 30, an imaging section 40, and a plurality of optical sensors 50, as illustrated in FIG.

The rotation holding section 10 includes a driving section 11, a shaft 12, and a holding section 13. The drive unit 11 is configured to operate based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr and rotate the shaft 12. The drive unit 11 may be, for example, a power source such as an electric motor.

The holding part 13 is provided at the tip of the shaft 12. The holding unit 13 is configured to hold the lower surface Wb of the substrate W by suction, for example. That is, the rotation holding unit 10 may be configured to rotate the substrate W around the rotation center axis Ax perpendicular to the surface of the substrate W while the substrate W is in a substantially horizontal orientation.

The supply unit 20 is configured to supply the chemical liquid L1 to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. Although not shown, the supply unit 20 may be configured to supply the chemical liquid L1 to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W. The chemical liquid L1 may be, for example, an acidic chemical, an alkaline chemical, or an organic chemical. Examples of acid-based chemical solutions include SC-2 solution (mixture of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), SPM (mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide), HF solution (hydrofluoric acid), and DHF solution (dilute fluorofluoride). acid), HNO ₃ +HF solution (mixture of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid), etc. The alkaline chemical solution may include, for example, SC-1 solution (a mixed solution of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), hydrogen peroxide solution, and the like.

The supply unit 20 includes a liquid source 21, a pump 22, a valve 23, a nozzle 24, a pipe 25, and a drive source 26. The liquid source 21 is a supply source of the chemical liquid L1. The pump 22 is configured to operate based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and send out the chemical liquid L1 sucked from the liquid source 21 to the nozzle 24 via the piping 25 and the valve 23.

The valve 23 operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and is configured to transition between an open state that allows fluid to flow through the pipe 25 and a closed state that prevents fluid flow through the pipe 25. There is. The nozzle 24 is arranged above the substrate W so that the discharge port faces the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. The nozzle 24 is configured to discharge the chemical liquid L1 sent out from the pump 22 toward the upper surface Wa of the substrate W from the discharge port. Since the substrate W is being rotated by the rotation holding unit 10, the chemical liquid L1 discharged onto the upper surface Wa of the substrate W spreads from the center of the substrate W toward the periphery at a predetermined diffusion rate, and spreads toward the periphery of the substrate W. be swung outward from

The piping 25 connects the liquid source 21, the pump 22, the valve 23, and the nozzle 24 in this order from the upstream side. The drive source 26 is connected to the nozzle 24 directly or indirectly. The drive source 26 operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and is configured to move the nozzle 24 above the substrate W along the horizontal or vertical direction. Therefore, the chemical liquid L1 can be discharged not only toward the center of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W but also toward any arbitrary position on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. For example, the nozzle 24 may move from the periphery of the substrate W toward the center while the nozzle 24 continues discharging the chemical liquid L1 (so-called scan-in operation). Alternatively, the nozzle 24 may move from the center of the substrate W toward the periphery while the nozzle 24 continues discharging the chemical L1 (so-called scan-out operation).

The supply unit 30 is configured to supply the rinsing liquid L2 to the substrate W. The rinsing liquid L2 is a liquid for removing (washing away) from the substrate W, for example, the chemical liquid L1 supplied to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W, components dissolved in the film by the chemical liquid L1, etching residues, and the like. The rinsing liquid L2 may include, for example, deionized water (DIW), ozone water, carbonated water (CO ₂ water), ammonia water, or the like.

The supply unit 30 includes a liquid source 31, a pump 32, a valve 33, a nozzle 34, a pipe 35, and a drive source 36. The liquid source 31 is a supply source of the rinsing liquid L2. The pump 32 is configured to operate based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and send out the rinsing liquid L2 sucked from the liquid source 31 to the nozzle 34 via the piping 35 and the valve 33.

The valve 33 operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and is configured to transition between an open state that allows fluid to flow through the pipe 35 and a closed state that prevents fluid flow through the pipe 35. There is. The nozzle 34 is arranged above the substrate W so that the discharge port faces the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. Like the nozzle 24, the nozzle 34 is configured to discharge the rinsing liquid L2 sent out from the pump 32 toward the upper surface Wa of the substrate W from the discharge port. Since the substrate W is being rotated by the rotation holding unit 10, the rinsing liquid L2 discharged onto the upper surface Wa of the substrate W spreads at a predetermined diffusion rate from the center of the substrate W toward the periphery of the substrate W. It is shaken outward from the periphery.

The piping 35 connects the liquid source 31, the pump 32, the valve 33, and the nozzle 34 in this order from the upstream side. The drive source 36 is connected directly or indirectly to the nozzle 34. The drive source 36 operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and is configured to move the nozzle 34 above the substrate W along the horizontal or vertical direction. Therefore, the rinse liquid L2 can be discharged not only toward the center of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W but also toward any arbitrary position on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. For example, the nozzle 34 may move from the periphery of the substrate W toward the center while the rinsing liquid L2 continues to be discharged from the nozzle 34 (so-called scan-in operation). Alternatively, the nozzle 34 may move from the center of the substrate W toward the periphery while the rinsing liquid L2 continues to be discharged from the nozzle 34 (so-called scan-out operation).

The imaging unit 40 is arranged above the substrate W. The imaging unit 40 is configured to operate based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr and to image the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. Specifically, the imaging unit 40 captures a still image or a moving image of the covering state of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W with the chemical solution L1 or the rinsing solution L2 when the upper surface Wa of the substrate W is supplied with the chemical solution L1 or the rinsing solution L2. The image may be taken by

The imaging unit 40 is configured to send captured images to the controller Ctr. The imaging unit 40 may be, for example, a CCD camera, a CMS camera, or the like. The installation location of the imaging section 40 is not particularly limited as long as it is within the liquid processing unit U. For example, when the chemical liquid L1 or the rinsing liquid L2 is supplied to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, the imaging unit 40 may be arranged below the substrate W.

The plurality of optical sensors 50 are arranged above the substrate W. The plurality of optical sensors 50 include an irradiating section (not shown) and a light receiving section (not shown). The irradiation unit operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and is configured to irradiate light onto the upper surface Wa of the substrate W being rotated by the rotation holding unit 10. The light receiving section is configured to receive light reflected from the upper surface Wa of the substrate W (reflected light) and transmit the intensity of the reflected light (hereinafter referred to as "reflection intensity") to the controller Ctr.

The optical sensor 50 may be a laser sensor, a photoelectric sensor, or a color sensor, for example. When the optical sensor 50 is a laser sensor, the irradiation unit may use, for example, a red laser (wavelength: 655 nm) as the laser light, or may use another type of laser light.

The irradiation section of the optical sensor 50 may irradiate light downward along a direction perpendicular to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. The irradiating section of the optical sensor 50 may irradiate the upper surface Wa of the substrate W with light through a light reflecting member (for example, a mirror), and the light receiving section of the optical sensor 50 receives the reflected light through the mirror. You may. In these cases, the irradiating section and the light receiving section of the optical sensor 50 may be arranged in the same housing, or may be physically separated.

The irradiation section of the optical sensor 50 may irradiate light obliquely downward along a direction inclined with respect to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. In this case, the irradiating part and the light receiving part of the optical sensor 50 may be physically separated and arranged such that the light irradiating part on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W is located between them.

The plurality of optical sensors 50 may include three optical sensors 51 to 53, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The optical sensors 51 to 53 each emit light toward irradiation points P1 to P3 set to overlap with the upper surface Wa of the substrate W held by the rotation holding unit 10, and the light is reflected from the irradiation points P1 to P3. It is configured to receive the reflected light. Each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 is a fixed position and does not change even if the substrate W rotates.

The irradiation points P1 to P3 are set at different positions, as illustrated in FIG. 2. That is, the irradiation points P1 to P3 may be arranged from the center side of the substrate W toward the peripheral edge side. Specifically, the irradiation point P2 may be located closer to the periphery of the substrate W than the irradiation point P1, and the irradiation point P3 may be located closer to the periphery of the substrate W than the irradiation point P2. . The irradiation locations P1 to P3 may be arranged in a line in the radial direction of the substrate W, as illustrated in FIG. 3(a). Alternatively, the irradiation points P1 to P3 may not be lined up in the radial direction of the substrate W but may be lined up offset in the circumferential direction of the substrate W, as illustrated in FIG. 3(b). That is, the irradiation points P1 and P2 may not be on the straight line connecting the irradiation point P3 and the center of the substrate W, and the irradiation points P2 and P3 may not be on the straight line connecting the irradiation point P1 and the center of the substrate W. The irradiation points P1 and P3 may not be on the straight line connecting the irradiation point P2 and the center of the substrate W.

The intervals between the irradiation points P1 to P3 may be approximately the same or may be different. When the radius of the substrate W is about 150 mm, the irradiation point P1 may be at a position of about 50 mm from the center of the substrate W, the irradiation point P2 may be at a position of about 100 mm from the center of the substrate W, The irradiation point P3 may be located approximately 147 mm from the center of the substrate W.

[Controller details]
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the controller Ctr includes a reading section M1, a storage section M2, a processing section M3, and an instruction section M4 as functional modules. These functional modules merely divide the functions of the controller Ctr into a plurality of modules for convenience, and do not necessarily mean that the hardware constituting the controller Ctr is divided into such modules. Each functional module is not limited to being realized by executing a program, but may be realized by a dedicated electric circuit (for example, a logic circuit) or an integrated circuit (ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that integrates the same. You can.

The reading unit M1 is configured to read a program from a computer-readable recording medium RM. The recording medium RM records a program for operating each part of the substrate processing system 1 including the liquid processing unit U. The recording medium RM may be, for example, a semiconductor memory, an optical recording disk, a magnetic recording disk, or a magneto-optical recording disk. In addition, below, each part of the substrate processing system 1 may include the rotation holding part 10, the

supply parts

20 and 30, the imaging part 40, and the optical sensor 50.

The storage unit M2 is configured to store various data. The storage unit M2 may store, for example, a program read from the recording medium RM by the reading unit M1, setting data input by an operator via an external input device (not shown), and the like. The storage unit M2 may store imaged data captured by the imaging unit 40. The storage unit M2 may store reflection intensity data acquired by the optical sensor 50. The storage unit M2 may store data regarding the type of substrate W accommodated in the carrier 7, which is read from the storage unit 7a of the carrier 7 in the mounting unit 4.

The storage unit M2 stores data regarding the type of the substrate W and information about the type of substrate W when a processing liquid (chemical liquid L1 or rinsing liquid L2) is supplied to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W while the substrate W having the type is rotated. Correspondence information may be stored that is associated with the permissible range R of the diffusion rate of the processing liquid on the upper surface Wa. Here, the permissible range R may be defined, for example, as a diffusion rate included between the permissible lower limit value Vmin and the permissible upper limit value Vmax.

This tolerance range R may differ depending on the type of substrate W. For example, when the substrate W is hydrophobic, the diffusion rate tends to be low, so the allowable lower limit value Vmin and allowable upper limit value Vmax can take relatively small values. On the other hand, for example, when the substrate W is hydrophilic, the diffusion rate tends to increase, so the lower limit value Vmin and the upper limit value Vmax can take relatively large values. Further, for example, if the center of the substrate W is curved so as to be convex downward, the diffusion rate tends to decrease, so the allowable lower limit value Vmin and allowable upper limit value Vmax should take relatively small values. obtain. On the other hand, for example, if the center of the substrate W is curved upward, the diffusion rate tends to increase, so the allowable lower limit value Vmin and allowable upper limit value Vmax take relatively large values. obtain. For example, if a large proportion of the patterning formed on the surface of the substrate W extends along the circumferential direction of the substrate W, the diffusion rate tends to be low, so the allowable lower limit value Vmin and the allowable upper limit value Vmin The value Vmax can take a relatively small value. On the other hand, for example, if a large proportion of the patterning formed on the surface of the substrate W extends along the radial direction of the substrate W, the diffusion rate tends to increase. The allowable upper limit value Vmax can take a relatively large value.

Based on the above, an example of the correspondence information stored in the storage unit M2 is shown below.
Type A of substrate W: Tolerance range R1 (lower limit value Vmin1 to upper limit value Vmax1)
Type B of substrate W: Tolerance range R2 (lower limit value Vmin2 to upper limit Vmax2)
Type C of substrate W: Tolerance range R3 (tolerable lower limit value Vmin3 to allowable upper limit value Vmax3)
...

Note that the allowable range R may include an adjustment-free range Ra and an adjustment range Rb. The adjustment-free range Ra can be defined, for example, as the diffusion rate included between the adjustment-free lower limit value Vlow and the adjustment-free upper limit value Vhigh. The adjustment-free lower limit value Vlow is a value larger than the permissible lower limit value Vmin, and the adjustment-free upper limit value Vhigh is a value smaller than the permissible upper limit value Vmax. That is, the adjustment-free range Ra is included in the allowable range R (Ra⊂R). On the other hand, the adjustment range Rb can be defined as the diffusion rate included in the range from the allowable lower limit value Vmin to the adjustment-free lower limit value Vlow, and the range from the adjustment-free upper limit value Vhigh to the allowable upper limit value Vmax. That is, the lower limit value of the adjustment range Rb is equal to the permissible lower limit value Vmin and smaller than the adjustment-free lower limit value Vlow, and the upper limit value of the adjustment range Rb is equal to the permissible upper limit value Vmax and smaller than the adjustment-free upper limit value Vhigh. is also a large value. The adjustment-free range Ra and the adjustment range Rb may also be set to values depending on the type of substrate W.

The processing unit M3 is configured to process various data. The processing section M3 may generate signals for operating each section of the substrate processing system 1, for example, based on various data stored in the storage section M2.

The instruction section M4 is configured to transmit the operation signal generated in the processing section M3 to each section of the substrate processing system 1.

The hardware of the controller Ctr may be configured by, for example, one or more control computers. The controller Ctr may include a circuit C1 as a hardware configuration, as shown in FIG. The circuit C1 may be composed of electrical circuit elements (circuitry). The circuit C1 may include, for example, a processor C2, a memory C3, a storage C4, a driver C5, and an input/output port C6.

The processor C2 is configured to implement each of the above-described functional modules by executing a program in cooperation with at least one of the memory C3 and the storage C4 and inputting and outputting signals via the input/output port C6. may have been done. The memory C3 and the storage C4 may function as the storage unit M2. The driver C5 may be a circuit configured to drive each part of the substrate processing system 1, respectively. The input/output port C6 may be configured to mediate input/output of signals between the driver C5 and each part of the substrate processing system 1.

The substrate processing system 1 may include one controller Ctr, or may include a controller group (control unit) composed of a plurality of controllers Ctr. When the substrate processing system 1 includes a controller group, each of the above functional modules may be realized by one controller Ctr, or may be realized by a combination of two or more controllers Ctr. . When the controller Ctr is composed of a plurality of computers (circuit C1), each of the above functional modules may be realized by one computer (circuit C1), or two or more computers (circuit C1) may be implemented. ) may be realized by a combination of the following. Controller Ctr may include multiple processors C2. In this case, each of the above functional modules may be realized by one processor C2, or may be realized by a combination of two or more processors C2.

[Substrate processing method]
Next, a method for treating the substrate W with a treatment liquid will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 14.

First, the carrier 7 is placed on the mounting table of the mounting section 4. At least one substrate W of the same type is accommodated within the carrier 7. When the mounting unit 4 detects that the carrier 7 is placed on the mounting table, the mounting unit 4 reads data regarding the type of substrate W stored in the storage unit 7a of the carrier 7, and transmits the data to the controller Ctr (FIG. 6). (see step S1). The controller Ctr searches the correspondence information stored in the storage unit M2 based on the data regarding the type of substrate W, and obtains the tolerance range R corresponding to the data regarding the type of substrate W (step in FIG. (See S2).

Next, the controller Ctr controls the transport arms A1 and A2 to take out one substrate W from the carrier 7 and transport it into one of the liquid processing units U. The substrate W transported into the liquid processing unit U is sucked and held by the holding section 13 (see step S3 in FIG. 6).

Next, the controller Ctr controls the rotation holding unit 10 to rotate the substrate W while holding the lower surface Wb of the substrate W by suction with the holding unit 13. In this state, the controller Ctr controls the supply unit 20 to supply the chemical liquid L1 from the nozzle 24 to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W for a predetermined period of time (see step S4 in FIG. 6). At this time, the nozzle 24 may perform a scan-in operation or a scan-out operation. The chemical liquid L1 supplied to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W spreads over the entire surface of the substrate W due to the rotation of the substrate W, and is shaken off from the periphery of the substrate W to the outside. Therefore, while the supply of the chemical liquid L1 from the nozzle 24 continues, a liquid film of the chemical liquid L1 is formed on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. As a result, the upper surface Wa of the substrate W is processed. At this time, the imaging unit 40 captures an image of the covering state of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W with the chemical solution L1 when the upper surface Wa of the substrate W is supplied with the chemical solution L1, and transmits the captured image data to the controller Ctr. Good too.

Next, the controller Ctr controls the rotation holding unit 10 to rotate the substrate W while holding the back surface of the substrate W by suction with the holding unit 13. In this state, the controller Ctr controls the supply unit 30 to supply the rinsing liquid L2 from the nozzle 34 to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W for a predetermined period of time (see step S5 in FIG. 6). At this time, the nozzle 34 may perform a scan-in operation or a scan-out operation. The rinsing liquid L2 supplied to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W spreads over the entire surface of the substrate W due to the rotation of the substrate W, and is shaken off from the periphery of the substrate W to the outside. Therefore, while the supply of the rinsing liquid L2 from the nozzle 34 continues, a liquid film of the rinsing liquid L2 is formed on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. As a result, the upper surface Wa of the substrate W is cleaned. At this time, the imaging unit 40 captures an image of the covering state of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W with the rinsing liquid L2 when the upper surface Wa of the substrate W is supplied with the rinsing liquid L2, and transmits the imaged data to the controller Ctr. You may.

Here, as illustrated in FIG. 7, before the rinsing liquid L2 is supplied to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W, light is irradiated to the irradiation points P1 to P3 by the optical sensors 51 to 53, and the light is reflected. Obtain the change in intensity (see step S6 in FIG. 6). When the rinsing liquid L2 spreads radially outward on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W, the rinsing liquid L2 passes through the irradiation points P1 to P3 in this order. Before and after the rinsing liquid L2 passes through the irradiation points P1 to P3, the intensity of reflection from the upper surface Wa of the substrate W changes significantly. It is presumed that this is because the surface of the liquid film of the rinsing liquid L2 fluctuates rapidly and the light is diffusely reflected. Other possible factors for changes in reflection intensity include the type of processing liquid, the flow rate of the processing liquid, and the thickness of the liquid film of the processing liquid.

Here, the results of measuring the reflection intensity at the irradiation points P1 to P3 using the hydrophilic substrate W are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Specifically, the hydrophilic substrate W is a substrate on which a thermal oxide film (Th-Ox) is formed.

FIG. 8(a) shows changes in reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1500 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 200 rpm. . FIG. 8(b) shows the change in reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1500 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 500 rpm. . FIG. 8(c) shows the change in reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1500 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1000 rpm. . FIG. 8(d) shows the change in reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1500 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1500 rpm. .

FIG. 9(a) shows the change in reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 200 rpm. . FIG. 9(b) shows the change in reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 500 rpm. . FIG. 9(c) shows the change in reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1000 rpm. . FIG. 9(d) shows changes in reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1500 rpm. .

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, it can be seen that the reflection intensity increases rapidly (the reflection intensity rises) in the order of the irradiation points P1 to P3. That is, it can be determined that the processing liquid has reached the irradiation points P1 to P3 at the time when the reflection intensity rises. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, by plotting the rise of the reflection intensity and the positions of the irradiation points P1 to P3 on a graph and finding an approximate straight line, the slope of the approximate straight line (that is, the processing liquid The diffusion rate can be calculated from the difference in time between arrival at the irradiation points P1 to P3 (see step S7 in FIG. 6).

FIG. 10(a) shows the rise time of the reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 and the rinse It shows the rise time of the reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 200 rpm. FIG. 10(b) shows the rising time of the reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 and the rinse The figure shows the rise of the reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 500 rpm.

FIG. 10(c) shows the rise time of the reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 and the rinse The figure shows the rise of the reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1000 rpm. FIG. 10(d) shows the rise time of the reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 and the rinse The figure shows the rise of the reflection intensity at each of the irradiation points P1 to P3 when the discharge flow rate of the liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1500 rpm.

Note that using a hydrophobic substrate W, the results of measuring the reflection intensity at the irradiation points P1 to P3 in the same manner as above are shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 in comparison with the hydrophilic substrate W described above. 11(a) to (c) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1000 rpm. It shows changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3. FIGS. 12(a) to (c) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1500 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1000 rpm. It shows changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3. 13(a) to (c) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1000 rpm. It shows changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3.

Specifically, the hydrophobic substrate W is a silicon substrate (so-called "bare silicon") after a natural oxide film has been removed by surface treatment using a DHF solution (dilute hydrofluoric acid). As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, it can be seen that even on the hydrophobic substrate W, the reflection intensity increases rapidly (the reflection intensity rises) in the order of the irradiation points P1 to P3. However, it can be seen that especially as the rotation speed of the substrate W becomes slower, the rise of the reflection intensity at the irradiation point P3 becomes slower than that of the hydrophilic substrate W. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, it was confirmed that the hydrophobic substrate W has a slower diffusion rate than the hydrophilic substrate W.

Next, the controller Ctr determines whether the diffusion rate calculated in step S7 is within the tolerance range R obtained in step S2 (see step S8 in FIG. 6). As a result of the judgment by the controller Ctr, if the diffusion rate calculated in step S7 is not within the tolerance range R obtained in step S2 (see "NO" in step S8 in FIG. 6), the processing of the substrate W is inappropriate. There is a possibility. Therefore, the controller Ctr stores the imaging data of the substrate W being processed or the processing conditions of the substrate W imaged by the imaging section 40 together with the inappropriate judgment result in the storage section M2 (Fig. (See step S9 of 6). At this time, the controller Ctr may issue an alarm indicating that the diffusion rate is not within the allowable range R from a notification section (not shown) (for example, the alarm may be displayed on a display, or from a speaker). (Alarm sounds and warning guidance may be issued). After step S9, processing of the substrate W is completed. Thereafter, the processing of the subsequent substrate W may be interrupted, or the subsequent substrate W may be processed using a liquid processing unit U that is different from the liquid processing unit U in which the inappropriate processing of the substrate W may have been performed. You may also perform the following processing.

As a result of the determination by the controller Ctr, if the diffusion rate calculated in step S7 is within the tolerance range R obtained in step S2 (see "YES" in step S8 of FIG. 6), the process proceeds to step S10. In step S10, the controller Ctr determines whether the diffusion rate calculated in step S7 is within the adjustment-free range Ra in the allowable range R obtained in step S2. As a result of the judgment by the controller Ctr, if the diffusion rate calculated in step S7 is not within the adjustment-free range Ra in the tolerance range R obtained in step S2 (see "NO" in step S10 in FIG. 6), the diffusion rate of the substrate W is There may be room to improve processing conditions. Therefore, the controller Ctr changes the processing conditions for the subsequent substrate W (see step S11 in FIG. 6). Examples of the processing conditions that are changed here include the rotational speed of the subsequent substrate W, the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged onto the subsequent substrate W, and the like. At this time, similarly to step S9, the controller Ctr displays the imaged data of the substrate W being processed that was imaged by the imaging unit 40 or the processing of the substrate W, together with the judgment result that the diffusion rate is not within the adjustment unnecessary range Ra. The conditions may be stored in the storage unit M2. Further, the controller Ctr may issue a warning indicating that the diffusion rate is not within the adjustment-free range Ra from a notification unit (not shown), as described above. After step S11, processing of the substrate W is completed. Thereafter, a subsequent substrate W is processed under the changed processing conditions using a liquid processing unit U that is different from the liquid processing unit U for which it was determined that the diffusion rate is not within the adjustment unnecessary range Ra. You can. Alternatively, the subsequent processing of the substrate W may be performed under the changed processing conditions using the liquid processing unit U for which it has been determined that the diffusion rate is not within the adjustment unnecessary range Ra.

As a result of the judgment by the controller Ctr, if the diffusion rate calculated in step S7 is within the adjustment-free range Ra in the tolerance range R obtained in step S2 (see "YES" in step S10 of FIG. 6), the diffusion rate of the substrate W is It is presumed that the processing was carried out appropriately. Therefore, after step S9, the processing of the substrate W is completed. Thereafter, a subsequent substrate W may be processed using the same liquid processing unit U under the same processing conditions.

[Effect]
According to the above example, it is possible to grasp how quickly the processing liquid is spreading over the surface of the substrate W. Here, the diffusion rate can change depending on the surface condition of the substrate W, the condition of the liquid processing unit U, and the like. If the diffusion rate is extremely slow, it can be determined, for example, that the entire surface of the substrate W may not be covered with the processing liquid. On the other hand, if the diffusion rate is extremely fast, it can be determined that, for example, there is a possibility of a problem with the liquid processing unit U or a problem with the surface condition of the substrate W. Therefore, by determining whether or not the processing of the substrate W is appropriate based on the diffusion rate, the state of the surface of the substrate W covered by the processing liquid can be detected, and the quality of the surface state of the substrate W and the state of the liquid processing unit U can be evaluated. It becomes possible to do so. Furthermore, compared to the case where the surface state of the substrate W is acquired using a camera, by using the optical sensor 50, the enlargement of the liquid processing unit U is suppressed, and the amount of data to be handled is small, making calculation processing simpler. be converted into Therefore, it is possible to detect the state of coating of the surface of the substrate W with the processing liquid and to evaluate the quality of the surface state of the substrate W and the state of the liquid processing unit U at low cost.

According to the above example, the permissible range R is obtained based on the data regarding the type of substrate W read from the storage unit 7a of the carrier 7 and the correspondence information stored in the storage unit M2, and the diffusion rate is calculated. It is determined whether or not is within the permissible range R. In this case, the permissible range R of the diffusion rate of the processing liquid is appropriately set for each type of substrate W. Therefore, it becomes possible to detect the covering state of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W with the processing liquid and to evaluate the quality of the surface state of the substrate W and the state of the liquid processing unit U with higher accuracy.

According to the above example, the allowable range R includes the adjustment-free range Ra and the adjustment range Rb, and it is determined whether the calculated diffusion rate is within the adjustment-free range Ra. In this case, even if it is determined that the processing result of the substrate W is good, if the diffusion rate is within the adjustment range Rb, the rotation speed of the substrate W or the flow rate of the processing liquid is changed. That is, the processing conditions for the substrate W are adjusted so that the processing results for the subsequent substrates W are improved. Therefore, it becomes possible to process the substrate W more appropriately.

According to the above example, when it is determined that the coating state of the surface of the substrate W is inappropriate, the image data taken by the imaging unit 40 during processing of the substrate W or the processing conditions of the substrate W are It is stored in the storage unit M2 together with the judgment result that it is inappropriate. In this case, it becomes possible for the operator to easily check the processing status of the substrate W when the judgment result that it is inappropriate is obtained.

[Modified example]
The disclosure herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. Various omissions, substitutions, changes, etc. may be made to the above examples without departing from the scope and gist of the claims.

(1) In the liquid processing unit U, the processing of the substrate W may be performed in a light-shielded space. For example, the casing that constitutes the liquid processing unit U may be made of a light-shielding material. In this case, since the optical sensor 50 is used, the diffusion rate can be calculated even when the substrate W is processed using a processing liquid whose properties can be changed by light. Therefore, compared to the case where a camera is used, it is possible to detect the coating state of the surface of the substrate W with the processing liquid for more types of processing liquids, and to check whether the surface condition of the substrate W or the condition of the liquid processing unit U is good or bad. It becomes possible to evaluate.

(2) In the above example, when the rinsing liquid L2 is being supplied to the substrate W, the diffusion rate of the rinsing liquid L2 is calculated by the optical sensor 50, and the suitability of processing the substrate W is determined. However, in the case of supplying the chemical liquid L1 to the substrate W, the diffusion rate of the chemical liquid L1 may be similarly calculated to determine whether or not the processing of the substrate W is appropriate.

(3) In the above example, the diffusion rate was calculated using three optical sensors 51 to 53, but the diffusion rate may be calculated using at least two optical sensors 50.

(4) Even when the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W while the

nozzles

24 and 34 perform a scan-out operation from the center of the substrate W toward the periphery, the diffusion speed of the processing liquid is calculated by the optical sensor 50. be able to. Specifically, when the

nozzles

24 and 34 perform a scan-out operation, the substrate W dries from the center due to evaporation of the processing liquid, so the reflection intensity changes greatly before and after drying. Therefore, the evaporation rate of the processing liquid is determined based on the change. The faster the diffusion rate of the treatment liquid, the faster the evaporation rate of the treatment liquid, and the slower the diffusion rate of the treatment liquid, the slower the evaporation rate of the treatment liquid.As a result, by determining the evaporation rate of the treatment liquid, This results in a diffusion rate of .

(5) By the way, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the processing liquid supplied to the substrate W may not spread evenly in the radial direction of the substrate W. In this case, by using at least four optical sensors 50, it is possible to detect uneven spread of the processing liquid. Specifically, a plurality of irradiation points lined up in the first direction (three irradiation points P1 to P3 in the example of FIG. 15) and a plurality of irradiation points lined up in the second direction (the irradiation points P1 to P3 in the example of FIG. 15) 3 points P4 to P6). The first direction extends along the radial direction of the substrate W. The second direction extends along the radial direction of the substrate W and in a direction different from the first direction. Then, the diffusion rate of the processing liquid when passing through the plurality of irradiation points arranged in the first direction and the diffusion rate of the processing liquid when passing through the plurality of irradiation points arranged in the second direction are calculated respectively. , calculate the difference in these diffusion rates. If the difference is larger than a predetermined threshold value, it can be determined that the treatment liquid is spread unevenly.

(6) The controller Ctr may arrange the calculated diffusion rates in chronological order and store them in the storage unit M2 as a so-called log. The controller Ctr may predict when the diffusion rate is expected to fall outside the allowable range R in the future, based on log information that is accumulated over time. For example, if the multiple diffusion rates that make up the log gradually increase over time, by calculating their approximation lines, it is possible to predict when the future diffusion rate will exceed the allowable range R. You can.

(7) By the way, in the case of a hydrophobic substrate W, depending on the processing conditions, there may be cases where the surface of the substrate W cannot be covered with the processing liquid. This point will be explained with reference to FIGS. 16 to 18, which show the results of processing the substrates W under various processing conditions using a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W.

16(a) to (c) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1000 rpm. 3 is a graph showing changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3. FIGS. 16(d) to (f) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1500 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1000 rpm. 3 is a graph showing changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3. 16(g) to (i) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1000 rpm. 3 is a graph showing changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3.

17(a) to (c) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 500 rpm. 3 is a graph showing changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3. FIGS. 17(d) to (f) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1500 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 500 rpm. 3 is a graph showing changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3. 17(g) to (i) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 500 rpm. 3 is a graph showing changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3.

18(a) to (c) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 2000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 200 rpm. 3 is a graph showing changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3. 18(d) to (f) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1500 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 200 rpm. 3 is a graph showing changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3. 18(g) to (i) show the irradiation locations on a hydrophobic substrate W and a hydrophilic substrate W when the discharge flow rate of the rinse liquid L2 is 1000 ml/min and the rotation speed of the substrate W is 200 rpm. 3 is a graph showing changes in reflection intensity at each position of P1 to P3.

Under the processing conditions shown in FIG. 16, the reflection intensity shows the same change in both the hydrophobic substrate W and the hydrophilic substrate W. On the other hand, under the processing conditions in FIGS. 17 and 18, the rotation speed of the substrate W was slower than in the processing conditions in FIG. ), (i) and FIGS. 18(c), (e), (f), (h), (i)). That is, by acquiring changes in reflection intensity using the optical sensor 50, it can be determined whether the surface of the substrate W is coated with the processing liquid. In other words, the controller Ctr may be configured to determine the state of coating of the surface of the substrate W with the processing liquid based on the reflection intensity received from the optical sensor 50. In this case, it becomes possible to automatically determine whether the surface of the substrate W is coated with the processing liquid without relying on visual inspection by an operator.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 16, when the flow rate of the processing liquid or the rotation speed of the substrate W is large, the surface of the substrate W tends to be appropriately covered with the processing liquid. However, generally, the processing conditions for the substrate W are predetermined depending on the type of the substrate W, and for all the substrates W, the flow rate of the processing liquid is set high or the rotation speed of the substrate W is set high. It may not be possible to do so. In particular, when the flow rate of the processing liquid or the rotational speed of the substrate W is high, the processing liquid may be scattered around or the airflow near the surface of the substrate W may be disturbed, causing particles or the like to form on the surface of the substrate W. There are also concerns that this may occur. Therefore, by automatically detecting the coating state of the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate W after the fact, it becomes possible to process the substrate W under preset processing conditions as much as possible.

[Other examples]
Example 1. An example of a substrate processing apparatus includes a rotating holding section configured to hold and rotate a substrate, a supply section configured to supply a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate, and a substrate held by the rotating holding section. a first optical sensor configured to irradiate light toward a first irradiation point set to overlap with the surface of the substrate and receive the reflected light; and a surface of the substrate held by the rotation holder. A second irradiation point configured to irradiate light toward a second irradiation point that overlaps with the first irradiation point and is located radially outward of the substrate, and to receive the reflected light. It includes an optical sensor and a control section. The control unit performs a first process of controlling the rotation holding unit to rotate the substrate, a second process of controlling the supply unit and supplying the processing liquid to the surface of the rotating substrate, and a first process of controlling the rotation holding unit to rotate the substrate. a third process of detecting the arrival of the treatment liquid at the first irradiation point based on a change in the intensity of the reflected light acquired by the first optical sensor at the irradiation point; a fourth process of detecting arrival of the processing liquid at the second irradiation location based on a change in the intensity of the reflected light acquired by the optical sensor; and a time point at which the processing liquid reaches the first irradiation location; A fifth process of calculating the diffusion rate of the treatment liquid on the surface of the substrate based on the time difference between the arrival time of the treatment liquid to the second irradiation location, and based on the diffusion rate calculated in the fifth process, The device is configured to execute a sixth process for determining suitability of processing the substrate. In this case, it is possible to grasp how quickly the processing liquid is spreading over the surface of the substrate. Here, the diffusion rate can change depending on the surface condition of the substrate, the condition of the substrate processing apparatus, and the like. If the diffusion rate is extremely slow, it can be determined that, for example, the entire surface of the substrate may not be covered with the processing liquid. On the other hand, if the diffusion rate is extremely fast, it can be determined that, for example, there is a possibility that there is a problem with the substrate processing apparatus or there is a possibility that there is a problem with the surface condition of the substrate. Therefore, by determining the suitability of substrate processing based on the diffusion rate, it is possible to evaluate the quality of the surface condition of the substrate and the condition of the substrate processing equipment while detecting the state of coating of the surface of the substrate with the processing liquid. becomes. Furthermore, compared to the case where the surface state of the substrate is obtained using a camera, by using an optical sensor, the size of the apparatus is suppressed, and the amount of data to be handled is small, and calculation processing is simplified. Therefore, it is possible to detect the state of coating of the surface of the substrate with the processing liquid and to evaluate the quality of the surface state of the substrate and the state of the substrate processing apparatus at low cost.

Example 2. The device of Example 1 associates data regarding the type of substrate with the permissible range of the diffusion rate of the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate when the processing liquid is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate of the type. The control unit further includes a storage unit configured to store the correspondence information obtained by the acquisition unit, and an acquisition unit configured to acquire the type of the board, and the control unit stores the type of board acquired by the acquisition unit and the storage unit. The device is configured to further execute a seventh process of acquiring an allowable range for the board based on the correspondence information stored in the part, and the sixth process is based on the diffusion calculated in the fifth process. The step may include determining whether the speed is within the allowable range obtained in the seventh process. In this case, the permissible range of the diffusion rate of the processing liquid is appropriately set for each type of substrate. Therefore, it becomes possible to detect the state of coating of the surface of the substrate with the processing liquid and to evaluate the quality of the surface state of the substrate and the state of the substrate processing apparatus with higher accuracy.

Example 3. In the device of Example 2, the allowable range includes an adjustment-free range and an adjustment range, and the upper limit of the adjustment range is set larger than the upper limit of the adjustment-free range, and the lower limit of the adjustment range is set smaller than the lower limit of the adjustment-free range. In the sixth process, when it is determined that the diffusion rate calculated in the fifth process is within the adjustment range, the control unit controls at least one of the rotation holding unit and the supply unit to prevent the subsequent The apparatus may be configured to further execute an eighth process of changing at least one of the rotational speed of the substrate and the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged to the subsequent substrate. In this case, even if it is determined that the processing result of the substrate is good, if the diffusion rate is within the adjustment range, the rotation speed of the substrate or the flow rate of the processing liquid is changed. That is, the processing conditions of the substrate are adjusted so that the processing results of subsequent substrates are better. Therefore, it becomes possible to process the substrate more appropriately.

Example 4. The apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 3 further includes an imaging section configured to take an image of how the processing liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate, and the control section is configured to take an image of the surface of the substrate in the sixth process. If it is determined that the coating state is inappropriate, a storage unit stores the imaging data of the substrate during processing captured by the imaging unit or the processing conditions of the substrate together with the determination result that the coating state is inappropriate. It may be configured to further execute the process of step 9. In this case, it becomes possible for the operator to easily check the status of the substrate processing at the time when the judgment result that the processing was inappropriate was obtained.

Example 5. In any of the devices of Examples 1 to 4, the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are both laser sensors, and the second processing to the fourth processing may be performed in a light-shielded space. good. In this case, since a laser sensor is used, the diffusion rate can be calculated even when a substrate is processed using a processing liquid whose properties can be changed by light. Therefore, compared to the case of using a camera, it is possible to evaluate the quality of the surface condition of the substrate and the condition of the substrate processing equipment while detecting the state of coating of the surface of the substrate with the processing liquid for more types of processing liquids. becomes possible.

Example 6. An example of a substrate processing method includes a first step in which a rotation holding section holds and rotates the substrate, and a supply section supplies a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate, and a first step in which a first optical sensor controls the substrate while it is being rotated. a second step of irradiating light toward the irradiation location and detecting arrival of the processing liquid to the first irradiation location based on a change in the intensity of the reflected light acquired by the first optical sensor; A second optical sensor irradiates light toward a second irradiation location on the rotating substrate, and a processing liquid is applied to the second irradiation location based on a change in the intensity of reflected light acquired by the second optical sensor. a third step of detecting the arrival of the treatment liquid to the first irradiation point, the second irradiation point being located radially outward of the substrate than the first irradiation point; a fourth step of calculating the diffusion rate of the treatment liquid on the surface of the substrate based on the time difference between the arrival time of the treatment liquid and the arrival time of the treatment liquid to the second irradiation location; and the diffusion rate calculated in the fourth step. and a fifth step of determining suitability of processing the substrate based on the speed. In this case, the same effects as the device of Example 1 can be obtained.

Example 7. The method of Example 6 includes a sixth step of acquiring the type of substrate, and a seventh step of acquiring the allowable range for the substrate based on the type of substrate acquired in the sixth step and the correspondence information. The correspondence information further includes data regarding the type of substrate and an allowable range of the diffusion rate of the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate when the processing liquid is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate of the type. The fifth step may include determining whether the diffusion rate calculated in the fourth step is within the tolerance range obtained in the seventh step. . In this case, the same effects as the device of Example 2 can be obtained.

Example 8. In the method of Example 7, the allowable range includes an adjustment-free range and an adjustment range, and the upper limit of the adjustment range is set larger than the upper limit of the adjustment-free range, and the lower limit of the adjustment range is set smaller than the lower limit of the adjustment-free range. In the fifth step, if it is determined that the diffusion rate calculated in the fourth step is within the adjustment range, the rotation speed of the subsequent substrate and the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged to the subsequent substrate are adjusted. It may further include an eighth step of changing at least one of them. In this case, the same effects as the device of Example 3 can be obtained.

Example 9. In any of the methods of Examples 6 to 8, if it is determined that the coating state of the surface of the substrate is inappropriate in the fifth step, the imaging data of the substrate during processing captured by the imaging unit or the substrate The processing condition may further include a ninth step of storing the processing condition in the storage unit together with the determination result that the processing condition is inappropriate. In this case, the same effects as the device of Example 4 can be obtained.

Example 10. In any of the methods of Examples 6 to 9, the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor may both be laser sensors, and the first to third steps may be performed in a light-blocked space. . In this case, the same effects as the device of Example 5 can be obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Substrate processing system (substrate processing apparatus), 4... Placement part (acquisition part), 7... Carrier, 7a... Storage part, 10... Rotation holding part, 20, 30... Supply part, 40... Imaging part, 50... Optical sensor, Ctr...Controller (control unit), M2...Storage unit, P1-P3...Irradiation location, R...Tolerance range, Ra...Adjustment unnecessary range, Rb...Adjustment range, U...Liquid processing unit (substrate processing apparatus), W...substrate, Wa...top surface (front surface), Wb...bottom surface (front surface).

Claims

a rotation holding part configured to hold and rotate the substrate;
a supply unit configured to supply a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate;
a first optical sensor configured to irradiate light toward a first irradiation location set to overlap with a surface of the substrate held by the rotation holding unit and receive the reflected light;
irradiating light toward a second irradiation location set to overlap the surface of the substrate held by the rotation holding unit and located radially outward of the substrate from the first irradiation location; a second optical sensor configured to receive the reflected light;
It is equipped with a control section,
The control unit includes:
a first process of controlling the rotation holding unit to rotate the substrate;
a second process of controlling the supply unit to supply a treatment liquid to the surface of the rotating substrate;
a third process of detecting arrival of the processing liquid at the first irradiation location based on a change in the intensity of reflected light acquired by the first optical sensor at the first irradiation location;
a fourth process of detecting arrival of the processing liquid at the second irradiation location based on a change in the intensity of reflected light acquired by the second optical sensor at the second irradiation location;
a fifth step of calculating the diffusion rate of the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate based on the time difference between the time point at which the processing liquid reaches the first irradiation point and the time point at which the processing liquid reaches the second irradiation point; processing and
A substrate processing apparatus configured to execute a sixth process of determining whether or not the substrate is to be processed based on the diffusion rate calculated in the fifth process.
Correspondence information in which data regarding the type of the substrate is associated with an allowable range of the diffusion rate of the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate when the processing liquid is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate of the type. a storage unit configured to store;
further comprising an acquisition unit configured to acquire the type of the substrate,
The control unit includes:
Based on the type of the board acquired by the acquisition unit and the correspondence information stored in the storage unit, the seventh process is further configured to acquire an allowable range for the board. Ori,
The sixth process includes determining whether the diffusion rate calculated in the fifth process is within the allowable range obtained in the seventh process. Device.
The permissible range includes a no-adjustment range and an adjustment range,
The upper limit of the adjustment range is set larger than the upper limit of the adjustment-free range, and the lower limit of the adjustment range is set smaller than the lower limit of the adjustment-free range,
In the sixth process, the control unit controls at least one of the rotation holding unit and the supply unit when it is determined that the diffusion rate calculated in the fifth process is within the adjustment range. The apparatus according to claim 2, further configured to perform an eighth process of changing at least one of the rotational speed of the subsequent substrate and the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged to the subsequent substrate.
further comprising an imaging unit configured to take an image of how the processing liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate,
When the control unit determines that the coating state of the surface of the substrate is inappropriate in the sixth process, the control unit controls the image data taken by the imaging unit during processing of the substrate or the processing conditions of the substrate. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the apparatus is configured to further execute a ninth process of storing the determination result of inappropriateness in the storage unit.
Both the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are laser sensors,
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second process to the fourth process are performed in a light-shielded space.
a first step in which a rotation holding unit holds and rotates the substrate, and a supply unit supplies a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate;
A first optical sensor irradiates light toward a first irradiation location of the rotating substrate, and the first irradiation location is determined based on a change in the intensity of reflected light acquired by the first optical sensor. a second step of detecting arrival of the processing liquid to;
A second optical sensor irradiates light toward a second irradiation location of the rotating substrate, and the second irradiation location is determined based on a change in the intensity of reflected light acquired by the second optical sensor. a third step of detecting arrival of the processing liquid to the substrate, the second irradiation location being located radially outward of the substrate from the first irradiation location;
a fourth step of calculating the diffusion rate of the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate based on the time difference between the time point at which the processing liquid reaches the first irradiation point and the time point at which the processing liquid reaches the second irradiation point; The process of
a fifth step of determining suitability of processing the substrate based on the diffusion rate calculated in the fourth step.
a sixth step of acquiring the type of the substrate;
further comprising a seventh step of acquiring an allowable range for the substrate based on the type of the substrate and correspondence information acquired in the sixth step,
The correspondence information associates data regarding the type of the substrate with an allowable range of the diffusion rate of the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate when the processing liquid is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate of the type. The information is
The fifth step includes determining whether the diffusion rate calculated in the fourth step is within the tolerance range obtained in the seventh step. Method.
The permissible range includes a no-adjustment range and an adjustment range,
The upper limit of the adjustment range is set larger than the upper limit of the adjustment-free range, and the lower limit of the adjustment range is set smaller than the lower limit of the adjustment-free range,
In the fifth step, if it is determined that the diffusion rate calculated in the fourth step is within the adjustment range, the rotation speed of the subsequent substrate and the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged to the subsequent substrate. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising an eighth step of changing at least one of the.
If it is determined in the fifth step that the coating state of the surface of the substrate is inappropriate, the imaging data of the substrate during processing captured by the imaging unit or the processing conditions of the substrate are determined to be inappropriate. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, further comprising a ninth step of storing the determination result in the storage unit.
Both the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are laser sensors,
The method according to claim 6, wherein the first step to the third step are performed in a light-shielded space.