Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

The configuration of the equipment used to process the circuit board will be simplified. [Solution] The control unit (10) of the processing unit (1) controls the intake and exhaust mechanism (26) so that the direction in which gas flows in the vacuum line (28) is opposite to the direction during vacuuming when centering is being performed by the centering mechanism (8), and determines whether or not to continue centering based on whether or not the pressing force applied to the substrate (S) from the centering mechanism (8) falls within a predetermined range.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate while surrounding the outer periphery of the rotating substrate within a processing chamber with a splash prevention mechanism, A holding table provided within the processing chamber on which the substrate is placed, A centering unit that performs centering by aligning the rotation axis of a rotation mechanism that contacts the substrate from the side and moves the substrate to rotate the substrate with the center of the substrate, A vacuum line for vacuuming gas to cause the substrate to adhere to the holding table after the completion of the centering process, A vacuum line includes an intake and exhaust mechanism that adjusts the direction in which the gas flows, A centering drive unit that performs centering by the aforementioned centering unit, The system comprises the intake and exhaust mechanism and a control unit that controls the centering drive unit, The control unit controls the intake and exhaust mechanism so that the direction in which the gas flows in the vacuum line is opposite to the direction during vacuuming, in order to purge the gas from the substrate when the centering unit is performing the centering, The control unit determines whether or not the centering drive unit should continue the centering process based on whether or not the pressing force applied to the substrate from the centering unit falls within a predetermined range.

2. The centering unit includes a first centering unit that contacts the substrate from a first direction, and a second centering unit that contacts the substrate from a second direction opposite to the first direction. If the pressing force applied to the substrate by the first centering unit is called the first pressing force, and the pressing force applied to the substrate by the second centering unit is called the second pressing force, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether the centering drive unit should continue the centering by determining whether the first pressing force and the second pressing force each fall within the specified range.

3. When the control unit moves the centering unit toward the substrate by bringing it into contact with the substrate, it moves the centering unit at a first speed until it reaches a first proximity position. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the centering unit is moved at a second speed lower than the first speed to a second proximity position which is closer to the substrate than the first proximity position.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the intake and exhaust mechanism so that after the centering unit reaches the first proximity position, it starts purging the gas from the substrate.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an observation unit that, after the completion of the centering, performs eccentricity measurement of the substrate by observing the surface state of the substrate while the holding table is holding the substrate.

6. A substrate processing method comprising supplying a processing liquid to a substrate while surrounding the outer periphery of a rotating substrate within a processing chamber with a splash prevention mechanism, wherein the substrate is processed by supplying the processing liquid to the substrate, The substrate is placed on the holding table inside the processing chamber, By bringing a centering unit into contact with the substrate from the side and moving the substrate, centering is performed so that the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism that rotates the substrate coincides with the center of the substrate. After the centering is completed, gas is vacuumed from the vacuum line to adsorb the substrate onto the holding table. While the centering is being performed by the centering unit, the direction in which the gas flows in the vacuum line is reversed compared to the direction during vacuuming, and the gas is purged from the substrate. A substrate processing method that determines whether or not to continue the centering process based on whether or not the pressing force applied to the substrate by the centering unit falls within a predetermined range.

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