Substrate Processing Apparatus, Substrate Processing System, and Substrate Processing Method

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing system, and a substrate processing method. The substrate processing apparatus is miniaturized for detecting foreign matter in a supply path through which a fluid supplied to a substrate flows. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a supply path through which a fluid supplied to a substrate flows; and a foreign matter detection unit. A part of the supply path constitutes a flow path forming unit. The foreign matter detection unit forms light directed at the flow path forming unit by a light projecting unit. As a result, the light is emitted from the flow path forming unit. The foreign matter detection unit can detect foreign matter in the fluid based on a signal obtained by a light receiving unit receiving the light emitted from the flow path forming unit. Among them, the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit in the foreign matter detection unit are provided in non-opposite regions among the upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear regions with respect to the flow path forming unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing system, and a substrate processing method. Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, processing is performed by supplying various processing liquids to a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer), which is a circular substrate. Research has been conducted to detect foreign matter in the processing liquid and thereby suppress the occurrence of defects in the wafer. In Patent Document 1, there is described a liquid processing apparatus including a pipe for supplying a resist to a wafer and a sensor unit as a liquid particle counter interposed in the pipe.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-251328 Summary of the Invention

[0004] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of miniaturizing a substrate processing apparatus for optically detecting foreign matter in a supply path through which a fluid supplied to a substrate flows.

[0006] Solutions for Solving the Problems

[0007] The substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes:

[0008] a supply path through which a fluid supplied to a substrate flows; and

[0009] a foreign matter detection unit, a part of the supply path constitutes a flow path forming unit, the foreign matter detection unit forms light directed toward the flow path forming unit by a light projecting unit, and as a result, light is emitted from the flow path forming unit, and the foreign matter detection unit can detect foreign matter in the fluid based on a signal obtained by a light receiving unit receiving the light emitted from the flow path forming unit, wherein

[0010] the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit in the foreign matter detection unit are provided in non-opposing regions among the upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear regions with respect to the flow path forming unit.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to miniaturize a substrate processing apparatus for optically detecting foreign matter in a supply path through which a fluid supplied to a substrate flows. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a resist coating apparatus as an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 2is a top view of the resist coating assembly.

[0015] Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the foreign object detection unit assembled to the resist coating assembly.

[0016] Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional rear view of the foreign object detection unit.

[0017] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the foreign object detection unit.

[0018] Figure 6 is a schematic side view of the foreign object detection unit.

[0019] Figure 7 is a schematic front view of the foreign object detection unit.

[0020] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the foreign object detection unit.

[0021] Figure 9 is a timing chart showing the operation of the resist coating apparatus.

[0022] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship of each part of the foreign object detection unit.

[0023] Figure 11 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a modified example of the foreign object detection unit.

[0024] Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a modified example of the flow path forming portion provided in the foreign object detection unit.

[0025] Figure 13 is a rear view of the flow path forming portion of the modified example.

[0026] Figure 14 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing another modified example of the flow path forming portion provided in the foreign object detection unit.

[0027] Figure 15 is a rear view of still another modified example of the flow path forming portion provided in the foreign object detection unit.

[0028] Figure 16 is a top view showing a modified example of the foreign object detection unit.

[0029] Figure 17 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a modified example of the foreign object detection unit.

[0030] Figure 18 is a top view of the coating and developing apparatus for assembling the resist coating apparatus.

[0031] Figure 19 is a schematic side view of the coating and developing apparatus.

[0032] Figure 20 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the foreign matter detection unit in the coating and developing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Refer to Figure 1 the schematic diagram of to describe a resist coating apparatus 1 of an embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure. The resist coating apparatus 1 supplies a resist as a processing liquid to a wafer W as a substrate to form a resist film. The resist coating apparatus 1 includes, for example, twelve nozzles 11 (11A to 11L), and eleven of the nozzles 11A to 11K eject the resist to form a resist film on the wafer W. The nozzle 11L ejects a diluent to the wafer W. The diluent is supplied to the wafer W before the resist is supplied, and is a processing liquid for pre-wetting (Japanese: プリウエット) to improve the wettability of the wafer W with respect to the resist. The resist coating apparatus 1 includes a foreign matter detection unit 2 for optically detecting foreign matters in these resists and diluents.

[0034] At the downstream ends of the processing liquid supply pipes 12 (12A to 12L) for forming a supply path through which the processing liquid flows are connected to the nozzles 11A to 11L. The upstream ends of the processing liquid supply pipes 12A to 12K are respectively connected to the processing liquid supply units 13A to 13K via valves V1. The processing liquid supply units 13 (13A to 13K) include bottles that store the resist respectively and pumps that pressurize and transport the resist to the nozzles 11A to 11K respectively from the bottles. The types of the resist stored in the processing liquid supply units 13A to 13K are different from each other, and one kind of resist selected from eleven kinds of resists is supplied to the wafer W.

[0035] At the downstream end of the processing liquid supply pipe 12L is connected to the nozzle 11L, and the upstream end of the processing liquid supply pipe 12L is connected to the processing liquid supply unit 13L via the valve V1. The processing liquid supply unit 13L is configured in the same manner as the processing liquid supply units 13A to 13K except that the above-mentioned diluent is stored instead of the resist. A flow path forming portion 14 (14A to 14L) is interposed between the nozzles 11A to 11L and the valve V1 in the processing liquid supply pipes 12A to 12L. Therefore, the flow path forming portion 14 constitutes a part of the supply path through which the fluid supplied to the wafer W flows.

[0036] Figure 2 The top view of shows an example of a more detailed structure of the resist coating apparatus 1. In the figure, reference numeral 21 is a rotating chuck, which constitutes a substrate mounting portion that horizontally adsorbs and holds the central portion of the back surface of each wafer W. The rotating chuck 21 is connected to a rotating mechanism 22 ( Figure 2(not shown in the figure) is rotated while holding the wafer W in such a manner that the resist can be spin-coated on the wafer W. In the figure, reference numeral 23 denotes a cup that surrounds the side of the wafer W to suppress the scattering of the processing liquid. In this example, the group of the rotary chuck 21, the rotating mechanism 22, and the cup 23 are arranged in the lateral direction.

[0037] In the figure, reference numeral 24 denotes an arm that supports the nozzles 11A to 11L at its tip. Reference numeral 25 in the figure is a moving mechanism that connects the base end of the arm 24 and is fixed to a guide rail 26 that extends along the arrangement direction of the cups 23. By moving the moving mechanism 25, the nozzles 11A to 11L move to positions where the processing liquid can be ejected toward the center of the wafer W held by the rotary chuck 21. The guide rail 26 is provided inside each cup 23, and a square and horizontally long housing 31 is provided further inside the guide rail 26.

[0038] Refer to the Figure 3 which is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the inside of the housing 31, Figure 4 the Figure 5 which is a longitudinal sectional rear view, and the

[0039] which is a perspective view for continued explanation. When explaining, the longitudinal direction of the housing 31 is set as the left-right direction. The housing 31 includes a main body portion 32, an upper cover 33, and a horizontal cover 34. The upper cover 33 and the horizontal cover 34 are attached to the main body portion 32 using fixing members such as screws, etc., and are thus detachable with respect to the main body portion 32. As will be described in detail later, the above-described flow path forming portions 14 are provided in the housing 31 in a row along the left-right direction. The upper cover 33 constitutes a wall portion located above the row of the flow path forming portions 14, that is, in the longitudinal direction, and the horizontal cover 34 constitutes a wall portion located behind the row of the flow path forming portions 14.

[0040] In the following description of the inside of the housing 31, the left side and the right side respectively refer to the left side and the right side when viewed from the front toward the rear. Therefore, the members arranged on the right side are shown in the Figure 4It is arranged on the left side in the middle. In the front and right position within the housing 31, as described above, the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L are arranged in a straight line along the left and right. The flow path forming portions 14A to 14L are arranged with a slight gap from each other and are respectively fixed to the main body portion 32 of the housing 31. The flow path forming portions 14A to 14L are respectively configured in the same way, and as a representative, the Figure 3 shown flow path forming portion 14A will be described. The flow path forming portion 14A is formed in a square and hexahedral block shape and is made of quartz or sapphire so that the laser described later can pass through for optical detection of foreign substances.

[0041] A flow path 15 is formed within the flow path forming portion 14A. The flow path 15 is composed of a first flow path 16, a second flow path 17, and a third flow path 18 that are connected in sequence toward the downstream side and are respectively formed along the sides of the flow path forming portion 14A. The first flow path 16 extends horizontally with the downstream side facing backward, the second flow path 17 extends vertically with the downstream side facing upward, and the third flow path 18 extends horizontally with the downstream side facing forward. In addition, the upstream end of the first flow path 16 forms an inlet 16A for the processing liquid toward the flow path forming portion 14A, and the downstream end of the third flow path 18 forms an outlet 18A for the processing liquid from the flow path forming portion 14A. Therefore, it is configured such that the first flow path 16 and the second flow path 17 are orthogonal to each other, and the third flow path 18 connects the second flow path 17 and the outlet 18A. Moreover, since both the inlet 16A and the outlet 18A are opened on the front end face of the flow path forming portion 14A, they are provided on the same surface. In addition, if the first flow path 16, the second flow path 17, and the third flow path 18 included in the flow path forming portion 14A are respectively set as local flow paths, the multiple local flow paths cross each other.

[0042] The downstream end of a pipe 54 is connected to the inlet 16A of the above-mentioned first flow path 16, and the upstream end of a pipe 55 is connected to the outlet 18A of the third flow path 18. The processing liquid flows from the pipe 54 to the pipe 55 through the flow path 15 of the flow path forming portion 14A. These pipes 54 and 55 constitute Figure 1 the processing liquid supply pipe 12A described in, and have flexibility, which is different from the flow path forming portion 14A in terms of not allowing the laser to pass through. The upstream side of the pipe 54 and the downstream side of the pipe 55 penetrate the front wall of the housing 31 and are led out to the outside of the housing 31.

[0043] In addition, the flow paths 15 of the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L are sometimes represented as flow paths 15A to 15L. As described above, the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L are arranged in a row from left to right. Therefore, these flow paths 15A to 15L are also arranged in a row from left to right. In Figure 5The illustration thereof is omitted, but pipes 54 and 55 are also connected to the flow path forming portions 14B to 14L in the same manner as the flow path forming portion 14A. Each of the pipes 54 and 55 connected to the flow path forming portions 14B to 14L constitutes Figure 1 the processing liquid supply pipes 12B to 12L shown in

[0044] On the left side of the columns of the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L ( Figure 4 the right side in the illustration), a light guide portion 52 and a light source 51 as the second light projecting portion are provided in sequence. The light source 51 irradiates the light guide portion 52 with laser light for detecting foreign matter along the column direction of the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L. The light guide portion 52 includes, for example, a plurality of collimators. For the laser light irradiated from the light source 51, the cross section of its light beam is shaped by the light guide portion 52 and further irradiated to the right, and then irradiated to a reflection portion 44 described later. In addition, for example, the light guide portion 52 includes a shutter that constitutes a light projection switching mechanism, and the light projection switching mechanism opens and closes the optical path toward the reflection portion 44. When foreign matter is not detected, the laser light is blocked by the shutter, and light irradiation to the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L is not performed. In addition, when foreign matter is not detected, the output for generating laser light of the light source 51 can be reduced. By performing such output control to the minimum required level, while reducing the heat generation amount from the light source 51 to suppress the thermal influence on the surroundings, the performance degradation of the light source 51 is also suppressed, and long-term use can be achieved.

[0045] Next, the optical path forming portion 4 will be described. The optical path forming portion 4 includes a slide table 41, a guide rail 42, a moving mechanism 43, a reflection portion 44, a condenser lens 45, a support portion 46, a detection optical system 47, a light receiving portion 48, and a light absorption portion 56, and these components are configured as an integral unit. The rear end portion of the slide table 41 is located at a position behind the columns of the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L, and the front end portion of the slide table 41 is located below the columns of the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L. Moreover, the slide table 41 is engaged with the guide rail 42 provided below the slide table 41, and the guide rail 42 extends left and right. A moving mechanism 43 is provided behind the guide rail 42, and the slide table 41 is connected to the moving mechanism 43. By the moving mechanism 43, the slide table 41 moves along the length direction of the guide rail 42, that is, the left and right direction. At the front end portion on the slide table 41, a reflection portion 44 and a condenser lens 45 that constitute the first light projecting portion are provided, and the condenser lens 45 is located above the reflection portion 44. In addition, the illustration of the condenser lens 45 is omitted in Figure 5

[0046] A support portion 46 in the form of an upright plate extends upward from the rear end portion on the self-sliding table 41. In the support portion 46, an optical system 47 for detection and a light receiving portion 48 as a light receiving element are provided in sequence toward the rear. The optical system 47 for detection includes a lens, and as will be described later, the light incident on the optical system 47 for detection is condensed onto the light receiving portion 48. In addition, the upper end portion of the support portion 46 forms an arm 57 that protrudes forward, and a light absorption portion 56 as a light beam damper is provided at the tip of the arm 57. A wavelength filter (not shown) that allows only a specific wavelength to pass through is also provided inside the optical system 47 for detection. As a result, the SN ratio (signal-to-noise ratio) increases. That is, it is easy to generate a difference between the peak of the signal indicating the detection of foreign matter and the background signal, so that the detection of foreign matter with higher reliability can be performed.

[0047] By means of the moving mechanism 43, the sliding table 41, the reflecting portion 44, the condenser lens 45, the optical system 47 for detection, the light receiving portion 48, and the light absorption portion 56 move integrally along the arrangement direction (left-right direction) of the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L. When moving in this way, the optical system 47 for detection and the light receiving portion 48 are arranged at a height opposite to each flow path 16 of the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L. In addition, the light absorption portion 56 is arranged so as to face the reflecting portion 44 across the flow path forming portion 14 through which the irradiated light passes among the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L. Although not shown, the moving mechanism 43 may also be configured to adjust the light receiving distance from the flow path forming portion 14 to the light received by the light receiving portion 48 by changing the distance between the flow path forming portion 14 and the light receiving portion 48. More specifically, it may further include a mechanism that enables at least the optical system 47 for detection and the light receiving portion 48 to move relative to the flow path forming portion 14 in a direction different from the arrangement direction of the flow path forming portion 14. That is, the light receiving distance is set for each of the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L. When light is projected onto one flow path forming portion 14, the positions of the optical system 47 for detection and the light receiving portion 48 are adjusted so as to be the light receiving distance set for the flow path forming portion 14. As a result, even in the following cases, the light receiving distance can be adjusted in accordance with the focus of each flow path forming portion 14: Since the plurality of flow path forming portions 14 have shape and position deviations due to manufacturing and assembly, the foci of the light from each flow path forming portion 14 toward the light receiving portion 48 are not consistent in the arrangement direction. Thus, the detection of foreign matter with higher precision can be performed.

[0048] As described above, a foreign matter is detected in one of the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L that is selected. When detecting this foreign matter, the reflecting portion 44 and the condenser lens 45 are located vertically below the flow path forming portion that is the position corresponding to the selected flow path forming portion 14. Moreover, the detection optical system 47 and the light receiving portion 48 are located behind the flow path forming portion that is the position corresponding to the selected flow path forming portion 14. In addition, the light absorption portion 56 is located vertically above the flow path forming portion 14. In addition, Figure 3 , Figure 4 shows the arrangement of each part when the flow path forming portion 14A is the selected flow path forming portion 14.

[0049] Figure 3 The dotted arrow in Figure 6 、 Figure 7 also shows the optical path. The schematic diagrams of Figure 3 、 Figure 7 with the optical path also indicated by a dotted arrow are also referred to for explanation. The laser light irradiated from the light source 51 via the light guide portion 52 is reflected by the reflecting portion 44 and directed upward, i.e., longitudinally, and passes through the condenser lens 45. Then, this laser light is incident on the first flow path 16 of the flow path forming portion 14A perpendicular to the flow direction of the processing liquid in the first flow path 16, and a foreign matter detection region 40, which is a condensing point with relatively high energy, is formed within the first flow path 16. The optical axis of the laser light reflected by the reflecting portion 44 and passing through the first flow path 16 is inclined upward when viewed from the front-rear direction, and does not pass through the second flow path 17 and the third flow path 18 other than the first flow path 16, but passes through the flow path forming portion 14A. Then, the light that has passed through the flow path forming portion 14A in this way is irradiated onto the light absorption portion 56 and absorbed (refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 7 ). During the process in which the resist flows through the flow path forming portion 14A, the foreign matter detection region 40 is formed by forming the optical path in this way. Moreover, if a foreign matter P enters the foreign matter detection region 40 along with the flow of the resist, scattered light is generated.

[0050] Moreover, the light among the scattered light that is incident on the detection optical system 47 is irradiated onto the light receiving portion 48. That is, side scattered light from the first flow path 16 of the flow path forming portion 14 toward the second flow path 17 side (rear side) is irradiated onto the light receiving portion 48, and in Figure 6 , this side scattered light is indicated by a double dotted line. The intensity of the scattered light irradiated onto the light receiving portion 48 in this way corresponds to the size (particle diameter) of the foreign matter P, and the light receiving portion 48 performs photoelectric conversion and outputs an electrical signal with an intensity corresponding to the intensity of the received side scattered light. In addition, the case where the selected flow path forming portion 14 is the flow path forming portion 14A is shown, but in the case where other foreign matter detection portions are selected, the optical path is formed in the same way, and scattered light is irradiated onto the light receiving portion 48.

[0051] Return to the use ofFigures 3 to 5 Description inside the housing 31. A counting unit 53 is provided in front of the light guide unit 52 and the light source 51. The counting unit 53 includes, for example, a substrate equipped with a CPU or the like. For example, the counting unit 53 is connected to the light receiving unit 48 by a cable (not shown), receives the above-mentioned electrical signal from the light receiving unit 48, and detects foreign matter based on this electrical signal. As the detection of this foreign matter, for example, it includes counting and grading of foreign matter. The counting unit 53 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the detection result to the control unit 100 constituting the resist coating apparatus 1. In addition, the above-mentioned grading is to count foreign matter in each range of a specified size.

[0052] In addition, as Figure 8 shown, with respect to the above-mentioned light guide unit 52, light source 51, optical path forming unit 4, and counting unit 53, they are configured to be detachable by being mounted on the main body portion 32 of the housing 31 using fixing members such as bolts and nuts. Therefore, in a state where the upper cover 33 and / or the side cover 34 are removed from the main body portion 32, these light guide unit 52, light source 51, optical path forming unit 4, and counting unit 53 can be taken out to the outside of the housing 31. In the figure, reference numeral 35 is a pin provided at the bottom of the housing 31. This pin 35 is used to guide the position of the optical path forming unit 4 in the lateral direction when the optical path forming unit 4 is mounted in the housing 31. More specifically, the pin 35 restricts the position of the optical path forming unit 4 in the front-rear direction of the guide rail 42. Regarding the light guide unit 52, light source 51, optical path forming unit 4, and counting unit 53, members that respectively guide the mounting positions inside the housing 31 in the same manner as this pin 35 may also be provided on the housing 31. In addition, Figure 8 in Figure 5 is the same as

[0053] Next, an explanation will be given of the control unit 100 that constitutes Figure 1 , Figure 3 the resist coating apparatus 1 shown. The control unit 100 is constituted by a computer. For example, the above-mentioned counting unit 53 is connected to this control unit 100. The control unit 100 has a program storage unit (not shown). A program is stored in this program storage unit, which is compiled with commands (step groups) in a manner of forming a resist film on the wafer W and detecting foreign matter. According to this program, control signals are output from the control unit 100 to each part of the resist coating apparatus 1, thereby performing the various operations described later. This program is stored in the program storage unit, for example, in a state of being stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, memory card, or DVD.

[0054] Next, with reference to Figure 9The timing chart describes the processing of the wafer W and the detection of foreign matter performed in the resist coating apparatus 1 described above. In this timing chart, the time when the pressure of the pump of one of the processing liquid supply units 13A to 13L is adjusted and the time when the valve V1 of the processing liquid supply pipe 12A to 12L corresponding to one processing liquid supply unit 13 is opened and closed are shown. In addition, this timing chart also shows the time when the shutter of the light guide unit 52 is opened to irradiate the optical path forming unit 4 with laser light, the time when each part constituting the optical path forming unit 4 moves, and the time when the counting unit 53 receives the signal obtained by the light receiving unit 48 and detects foreign matter.

[0055] First, the wafer W is transported onto the rotary chuck 21 by a substrate output mechanism (not shown). While the wafer W is held on the rotary chuck 21, the nozzle 11L is transported above the wafer W, and the pump of the processing liquid supply unit 13L sucks the diluent, and adjustment is started so that a predetermined pressure is reached in the pump (time t1). For example, the movement of the nozzle 11L and the operation of the pump are parallel, and the slide table 41 of the optical path forming unit 4 moves. Moreover, the reflection unit 44 and the condenser lens 45 are located below the flow path forming unit 14L, the detection optical system 47 and the light receiving unit 48 are located behind the flow path forming unit 14L, and the light absorption unit 56 is located above the flow path forming unit 14L.

[0056] Next, the nozzle 11L stops above the wafer W (time t2). Next, the valve V1 of the processing liquid supply pipe 12L is opened, and the diluent is pressurized and transported from the pump toward the nozzle 11L. Simultaneously with the pressurized transportation of the diluent, laser light is irradiated from the light source 51 toward the reflection unit 44, and the laser light is reflected by the reflection unit 44 and directed upward as described in Figure 3 、 Figure 4 etc., and a foreign matter detection region 40 is formed in the flow path forming unit 14L (time t3). Then, when a foreign matter enters the foreign matter detection region 40 formed in the flow path forming unit 14L described above, scattered light is generated, and the scattered light is irradiated to the light receiving unit 48 via the detection optical system 47.

[0057] On the other hand, the pressurized diluent passes through the flow path 15 of the flow path forming unit 14L and is ejected from the nozzle 11L toward the center of the wafer W. Then, when a predetermined opening degree is reached, the increase in the opening degree of the valve V1 stops (time t4). After that, when the liquid flow in the flow path 15 is stabilized, the counting unit 53 starts to obtain a signal from the light receiving unit 48 and detects foreign matter. Next, the counting unit 53 stops obtaining a signal from the light receiving unit 48 (time t6), the light irradiation from the light source 51 is stopped and the valve V1 of the processing liquid supply pipe 12L is closed (time t7), and the ejection of the diluent onto the wafer W is stopped. The wafer W rotates, and the ejected diluent spreads toward the peripheral portion of the wafer W under the action of centrifugal force for pre-wetting.

[0058] Next, a resist stored in any one of the processing liquid supply units 13A to 13K is supplied to the wafer W. Here, it is set to supply the resist of the processing liquid supply unit 13A to the wafer W. When supplying the resist of the processing liquid supply unit 13A to the wafer W in this way, the nozzle 11A is positioned above the wafer W instead of the nozzle 11L, and the resist is supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 13A to the nozzle instead of supplying the diluent from the processing liquid supply unit 13L to the nozzle. In addition, the valve V1 of the processing liquid supply pipe 12A is opened and closed instead of the valve V1 of the processing liquid supply pipe 12L. Moreover, each part constituting the optical path forming unit 4 moves to a position corresponding to the flow path forming unit 14A instead of moving to a position corresponding to the flow path forming unit 14L, and an optical path is formed in the flow path forming unit 14A.

[0059] Except for such differences, the same as when supplying the diluent to the wafer W, each part operates according to Figure 9 the timing chart. Thus, the detection of foreign substances in the resist is performed in parallel with the supply of the resist to the wafer W. Then, the resist supplied to the wafer W is spin-coated on the surface of the wafer W by the rotation of the wafer W to form a resist film. After that, the wafer W is transported by the substrate output mechanism from the spin chuck 21.

[0060] According to this resist coating apparatus 1, the reflection part 44 as the light projecting part irradiates light to the flow path forming part 14 from one area (specifically, the lower area) among the front, rear, upper, lower, left, and right areas based on the flow path forming part 14. Moreover, a light receiving part 48 is provided in another area (specifically, the rear area) that does not face the reflection part 44 across the flow path forming part 14.

[0061] Assume that the reflection part 44 and the light receiving part 48 are set to face each other across the flow path forming part 14. In the case of such a facing configuration, it is considered that the reflection part 44 or the light receiving part 48 is located between the pipes 54 and 55 connected to the flow path forming part 14. However, if the parts are configured in this way, in order to avoid interference with the reflection part 44 or the light receiving part 48 located between the pipes 54 and 55, it is necessary to increase the length of the second flow path 17 in the longitudinal direction of the flow path forming part 14. As a result, the height of the flow path forming part 14 becomes larger. In addition, if the reflection part 44 and the light receiving part 48 are made to face each other, the reflection part 44, the flow path forming part 14, and the light receiving part 48 are arranged in a line, and thus, the length in the lateral direction as the arrangement direction becomes larger. That is, if the reflection part 44 and the light receiving part 48 face each other across the flow path forming part 14, the foreign substance detection unit 2 including these components and even the resist coating apparatus 1 may become large-sized.

[0062] However, as described above, since the reflecting portion 44 and the light receiving portion 48 are arranged not to face each other across the flow path forming portion 14, it is not necessary to increase the height of the flow path forming portion 14, nor is it necessary to provide a space due to the arrangement of the reflecting portion 44, the flow path forming portion 14, and the light receiving portion 48. Therefore, it is possible to miniaturize the resist coating apparatus 1. Regarding the patent document 1 described above, a particle counter for detecting foreign matter in the flow path of the resist connected to the nozzle is described. However, the positional relationship between the flow path and each part constituting the particle counter is not described. That is, the structure of the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure is not shown in the patent document 1.

[0063] In addition, in the resist coating apparatus 1, one or more other flow path forming portions 14 are arranged in a row in a direction different from the direction toward the side where the reflecting portion 44 is located and the direction toward the side where the light receiving portion 48 is located (specifically, the left - right direction) with respect to one flow path forming portion 14. Moreover, the reflecting portion 44 and the light receiving portion 48 are moved along the row with respect to the row of flow path forming portions 14 by the moving mechanism 43 and thus are shared. By forming a row of flow path forming portions 14 in such a direction, when a plurality of flow path forming portions 14 are provided, as described above, the reflecting portion 44 and the light receiving portion 48 do not face each other across each flow path forming portion 14. Therefore, even when a plurality of flow path forming portions 14 are provided, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter detection unit 2 from becoming large - sized. Moreover, since the reflecting portion 44 and the light receiving portion 48 are shared as described above, it is possible to reduce the number of components constituting the foreign matter detection unit 2 and prevent it from becoming large - sized. By thus preventing the foreign matter detection unit 2 from becoming large - sized, it is possible to prevent the resist coating apparatus 1 from becoming large - sized.

[0064] In addition, with respect to the inlet 16A and the outlet 18A of the flow path forming portion 14, they open in a direction (specifically, the front direction) different from the direction in which the reflection portion 44 is provided and the direction in which the light receiving portion 48 is provided with respect to the flow path forming portion 14 as a reference. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the pipes 54 and 55 connected to the inlet 16A and the outlet 18A, respectively, from being routed downward to the side where the reflection portion 44 is provided and rearward to the side where the light receiving portion 48 is provided with respect to the column of the flow path forming portion 14. Therefore, when maintaining these reflection portion 44 and the light receiving portion 48, it is not necessary to remove the pipes 54 and 55. Also, when maintaining the condenser lens 45 and the detection optical system 47 provided in the same direction as the reflection portion 44 and the light receiving portion 48 when viewed from the flow path forming portion 14, it is not necessary to remove the pipes 54 and 55. Thus, since it is not necessary to remove the pipes 54 and 55, there is an advantage that maintenance is easy. In addition, with respect to the pipes 54 and 55, they are not limited to being routed in such a manner that they extend forward from the inlet 16A and the outlet 18A of the open flow path forming portion 14 and penetrate the front wall of the housing 31. They can also be routed in such a manner that they extend forward within the housing 31, then bend downward, and penetrate the bottom wall of the housing 31.

[0065] Moreover, the above-mentioned inlet 16A and outlet 18A are provided on the same surface of the flow path forming portion 14, and the scattered light generated by the first flow path 16 constituting the inlet 16A is received by the light receiving portion 48 provided on the side of the second flow path 17 (specifically, the rear side) formed orthogonally to the first flow path 16. With such a configuration, the end portions of the pipes 54 and 55 connected to the inlet 16A and 18A and the light receiving portion 48 face each other across the flow path forming portion 14, and the height deviation between them is suppressed. Therefore, the height of the foreign matter detection unit 2 can be suppressed. Also, when viewed from the flow path forming portion 14, the pipes 54 and 55 are routed in a direction opposite to the direction in which the light receiving portion 48 is located. Therefore, when a plurality of flow path forming portions 14 are arranged in a column as described above, even if the respective flow path forming portions 14 are designed to be close to each other, it is possible to prevent the pipes 54 and 55 from becoming an obstacle. Thus, it is possible to more reliably pursue miniaturization of the resist coating apparatus 1.

[0066] Moreover, the reflection portion 44 reflects light in a manner perpendicular to the flow direction of the above-mentioned first flow path 14, and the optical axis of the reflected light is configured not to pass through the second flow path 17 and the third flow path 18. Thus, the generation of unnecessary scattered light is suppressed, the noise contained in the signal output from the light receiving portion 48 is reduced, and the detection accuracy of foreign matter can be improved.

[0067] In addition, as described above, the inlet 16A and the outlet 18A open on the same surface, i.e., in the same orientation, in the flow path forming portion 14, whereby the elongation directions of the pipes 54 and 55 are made to coincide with each other. By making the elongation directions coincide in this way, the pipes 54 and 55 can be arranged so as to penetrate the same wall portion (specifically, the front wall) in the housing 31. Regarding the wall portions of the housing 31 that the pipes 54 and 55 do not penetrate, it is easy to configure them as covers that can be detached from the main body portion 32 of the housing 31. The provision of easily detachable covers is for the purpose of facilitating the maintenance of each part inside the housing 31. Regarding the housing 31 with the cover removed, since the larger the area of the opening portion, the easier it is for the operator to insert their hand into the housing 31 for operation, maintenance is facilitated. That is, as described above, the method of providing the inlet 16A and the outlet 18A on the same surface of the flow path forming portion 14 has the advantage of increasing the number of detachable covers and increasing the area of the opening portion of the housing 31 when each cover is removed, thereby facilitating the maintenance of each part inside the housing 31.

[0068] Moreover, in the resist coating apparatus 1, laser light is irradiated along the columns of the flow path forming portion 14 from the light source 51, and this laser light is irradiated onto a selected one of the flow path forming portions 14 by the reflecting portion 44 that moves along the columns of the flow path forming portion 14. That is, a structure is adopted in which the light source 51 is fixedly provided at a position in the housing 31 that is far from the moving region of the reflecting portion 44. Since the light source 51 is fixed in this way, it is possible to prevent the space for routing the cable (not shown) for supplying power to the light source 51 from becoming large. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably suppress the enlargement of the foreign matter detection unit 2. In addition, since the light source 51 does not move inside the housing 31, it is easy to detach and reinstall this light source 51.

[0069] In addition, a light absorbing portion 56 is provided at a position facing the reflecting portion 44 with the flow path forming portion 14 interposed therebetween. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the laser light that has passed through the flow path forming portion 14 from irradiating the wall surface of the housing 31 and the reflected light thereof from entering the light receiving portion 48. Thus, it is possible to further reduce the noise in the output signal of the light receiving portion 48 and improve the detection accuracy of foreign matter. The light absorbing portion 56 can be provided in the housing 31 for each flow path forming portion 14, but as already described, by adopting a structure in which the light absorbing portion 56 moves along the columns of the flow path forming portion 14 and this light absorbing portion 56 is shared by each flow path forming portion 14, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and thus it is preferable. In addition, instead of providing the light absorbing portion 56, for example, the top surface of the housing 31 (the lower surface of the upper cover 33) can also be configured to be able to absorb laser light. Specifically, a structure can be adopted in which a coating for absorbing laser light is applied to this top surface. In addition, in this case, in order to prevent the temperature of the upper cover 33 that has absorbed light from rising, for example, heat dissipation fins protruding outward from the housing 31 can be provided on this upper cover 33 as a cooling member.

[0070] In the resist coating apparatus 1 that detects foreign matter in this manner, the purity of the processing liquid immediately before being ejected onto the wafer W is monitored. Therefore, it is possible to accurately identify whether an abnormality has occurred in the processed wafer W. According to the foreign matter detection result, a control signal can also be output from the control unit 100 to stop the processing of the wafer W by the control unit 100. In this case, it is possible to prevent abnormal processing of subsequent wafers W supplied to the apparatus 1. In addition, the resist coating apparatus 1 has the following structure: foreign matter in a plurality of processing liquid flow paths can be detected separately, and in the case where an abnormality has occurred in the wafer W, it is possible to determine which one of the flow paths is the source of the foreign matter. Therefore, it has the advantage of being able to quickly repair the apparatus with respect to the abnormality.

[0071] In addition, as the detection of foreign matter, based on the output signal from the light receiving unit 48, the first correspondence relationship indicating the correspondence between the output signal from the light receiving unit 48 and the particle size, and the second correspondence relationship indicating the correspondence between the output signal from the light receiving unit 48 and the total number of foreign matter flowing in the flow path, the particle size of the foreign matter and the total number of foreign matter can be obtained. Moreover, on the upstream side of one of the processing liquid supply pipes 12 in one processing liquid supply pipe, for example, it is configured to be connected to a test liquid supply source that supplies a test liquid containing test particles of a known size at a prescribed concentration. It can also be a device structure in which the detection described in Figure 9 is performed on the test liquid, and based on the detection result, the first correspondence relationship and the second correspondence relationship are re-acquired to correct each correspondence relationship.

[0072] In addition, the housing 31 can be placed horizontally or upside down. That is, the positions of the respective parts with respect to the flow path forming portion 14 are not limited to the above-mentioned positions. Specifically, it can be a configuration in which the light receiving unit 48 is located in the longitudinal direction and the reflecting unit 44 is located in the lateral direction with respect to the flow path forming portion 14, or the respective flow path forming portions 14 can be arranged along the longitudinal direction.

[0073] Moreover, the positional relationship among the flow path forming portion 14, the light projecting unit, and the light receiving unit 48 is not limited to the specific examples shown in the respective figures. Referring to the Figure 10 indicating three-dimensional coordinates, this positional relationship is supplemented. Figure 10The origin of the coordinate axes is set to the above-described foreign matter detection region 40 of the flow path 15 formed in the flow path forming section 14. Accordingly, the axial direction of the X-axis of the coordinates represents the left and right directions as observed from the foreign matter detection region 40, the axial direction of the Y-axis represents the front and rear directions as observed from the foreign matter detection region 40, and the axial direction of the Z-axis represents the upper and lower directions as observed from the foreign matter detection region 40. As described above, the light projecting section and the light receiving section 48 are provided in non-opposing regions among the upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear regions with respect to the flow path forming section 14. That is, when light is irradiated from the reflecting section 44, which is the light projecting section, toward the foreign matter detection region 40 to form the optical axis L, the light receiving section 48 is not provided in the extending direction of the optical axis L passing through the origin.

[0074] Since the light receiving section 48 is not provided in this way, as already described, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter detection unit 2 from becoming large due to a structure in which the light projecting section and the light receiving section are separated by the flow path forming section. In Figure 10 the example shown, the optical axis L (indicated by the dotted arrow) is formed by the reflecting section 44 along the Z-axis. Accordingly, it is only necessary not to provide the light receiving section 48 on this Z-axis. Similarly, for example, when the optical axis L is formed by the reflecting section 44 along the X-axis, the light receiving section 48 is not provided on this X-axis. In addition, in the Figure 10 description herein, the light projecting section has been described as the reflecting section 44, and the light projecting section referred to herein is a member that projects light in such a way as to determine the direction of the optical path finally directed toward the foreign matter detection region. Accordingly, for example, the light source 51 may be mounted on the slide table 41, and the laser may be directly irradiated from the light source 51 to the flow path forming section 14 without passing through the reflecting section 44 for light projection. In this case, the light projecting section is the light source 51.

[0075] In addition, as the irradiation position of the laser with respect to the flow path forming section 14, it is not limited to the example already described. However, if the flow direction of the processing liquid in the foreign matter detection region 40 formed by the irradiation of the laser is parallel to the irradiation direction, it is not possible to continuously irradiate the foreign matter flowing in the flow path with light for accurate detection. Therefore, the light is irradiated in such a way that these directions are not parallel but intersect each other. In addition, the intersections referred to herein include orthogonal intersections and oblique intersections. In addition, in the structural example already described, the processing liquid is supplied in the flow path forming section 14 from below upward, but the supply is not limited to being along such a direction.

[0076] In addition, with respect to the flow path 15 of the flow path forming section 14 described above, in order to introduce the processing liquid into the housing 31, which is the region for measurement, and discharge the processing liquid from the housing 31, it is configured to be bent as described above. It is only necessary to be able to introduce and discharge the processing liquid with respect to the inside of the housing 31 in this way. Therefore, the flow path 15 of the flow path forming section 14 is not limited to the structural example already described. Figure 11In the example shown, the third horizontal flow path 18 on the upper side is not provided, but the second flow path 17 opens at the upper end of the flow path forming portion 14, whereby the flow path 15 of the flow path forming portion 14 is formed in an L shape when viewed from the side. Further, the downstream side of the pipe 54 is bent, thereby penetrating the front wall of the housing 31. Regarding the pipe 54, it may also be configured to penetrate the upper part of the housing 31, but for the reasons already described, it is preferably configured to penetrate the front wall of the housing 31 together with the pipe 55.

[0077] Figure 12 , Figure 13 FIG. shows a structural example of another flow path forming portion 14. Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the flow path forming portion 14. Figure 13 is a rear view of the flow path forming portion 14. In this example, as in the example already described in FIG. Figure 3 , the flow path 15 of the flow path forming portion 14 is composed of a first flow path 16, a second flow path 17, and a third flow path 18. The lower end portion of the flow path 15 protrudes rearward, and a spherical lens portion 19 that bulges in a shape that forms a convex lens when viewed from the second flow path 17 is formed. Further, regarding the crossing portions 201 and 202 where some of the flow paths constituting the flow path 15 cross each other, they are configured to have a curvature. More specifically, in the example shown in FIG. Figure 13 , the left and right corners of the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the second flow path 17 when viewed from the front are rounded, whereby the upper end portion and the lower end portion are formed in a substantially semicircular shape, and the crossing portions 201 and 202 having a curvature as already described are formed. Setting the crossing portions 201 and 202 having a curvature is to prevent the flow of the processing liquid from stagnating at the bent portion of the flow path 15. If foreign matter stays in the foreign matter detection region 40 due to such stagnation, fine particles may be generated due to the stay, but by providing the crossing portions 201 and 202, it is possible to more reliably prevent such an adverse situation from occurring. Further, the lower end portion of the rear end surface of the flow path forming portion 14 protrudes rearward, and a convex lens portion 27 is formed. When viewed in the front-rear direction, the centers of the spherical lens portion 19 and the convex lens portion 27 coincide with each other. The convex lens portion 27 and the spherical lens portion 19 are provided to more reliably introduce the lateral scattered light irradiated from the foreign matter detection region 40 into the detection optical system 47, thereby improving the detection accuracy.

[0078] Figure 14 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the structure of yet another flow path forming portion 14. The flow path 15 of the flow path forming portion 14 is formed in a U shape when viewed from the side. Therefore, regarding the flow path 15, the curvature of the region 49 near the center in the longitudinal direction on the downstream side of the flow path 15 is larger than the curvature of the region near the inlet 16A (upstream side in the liquid flow direction). Further, the processing liquid supply pipe 12 can be bent in a U shape within the housing 31 and formed to be the same as this Figure 14The flow path of the same shape as the flow path 15 is wound inside the housing 31, and foreign matter is detected by irradiating light to the processing liquid supply pipe 12. Regarding the portion of the processing liquid supply pipe 12 inside the housing 31, in order to perform its detection, it is configured to have light transmissivity. In addition, when the shape of the inner wall of the flow path affects the trajectory of the irradiated light or when it is desired to reduce the noise of the detected signal, at least the inner wall portion through which the irradiated light passes can be made flat. In addition, the inner wall portion can be mirror-finished. At this time, the surface roughness of the portion subjected to mirror finishing is, for example, on the nanometer scale. This is not limited to Figure 14 the example of the flow path forming portion 14 shown, and the same applies to other examples.

[0079] Figure 15 is a rear view showing the structure of another flow path forming portion 14. The flow path 15 of the flow path forming portion 14 is composed of a first flow path 16, a second flow path 17, and a third flow path 18. Regarding the second flow path 17 among them, it is configured to be narrower on the downstream side than on the upstream side. More specifically, if the structural example shown in Figure 15 is described, the left and right widths of the second flow path 17 become narrower as it goes upward. As in Figure 14 , Figure 15 the example shown, the purpose of increasing or decreasing the curvature of the downstream side of the flow path 15 is to eliminate the stagnant portion and improve the replacement efficiency of the flowing liquid. In this way, foreign matter is prevented from staying in the flow path 15, and the risk of generation of retained fine particles can be reduced. In addition, in addition to this, when detecting foreign matter while flowing liquid, the influence caused by the remaining and mixing of the previously flowing portion can be reduced, and highly reliable detection can be performed. In addition, by providing the manner of the crossing portions 201 and 202 having curvature described with reference to Figure 13 , the same effect can also be obtained. Thus, it is more desirable to provide curvature at the crossing portion closer to the detection object portion irradiated with light, but even when curvature is provided at other crossing portions, the replacement efficiency can be improved.

[0080] In addition, regarding the foreign matter detection unit 2, a plurality of sets (measurement sets) of a light source 51, a light guide portion 52, and an optical path forming portion 4 can be provided with respect to the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L. In Figure 16In the example shown, a top view of the foreign matter detection unit 2 provided with two of the above-described measurement groups is shown. One measurement group of the light source 51, the light guide unit 52, and the optical path forming unit 4 detects foreign matter in the flow path forming units 14A to 14F, and the other measurement group of the light source 51, the light guide unit 52, and the optical path forming unit 4 detects foreign matter in the flow path forming units 14G to 14L. That is, one group forms an optical path with respect to the flow path forming unit selected from the flow path forming units 14A to 14F as described above, and the other group forms an optical path with respect to the flow path forming unit selected from the flow path forming units 14G to 14L as described above.

[0081] For example, as described later, there is a case where there is a structure in which a plurality of resist coating devices 1 share the foreign matter detection unit 2. In this case, between one flow path forming unit 14 and another flow path forming unit 14, the time difference of the resist flow is small or there is no time difference, and thus it is considered that the optical path forming unit 4 cannot move between the position corresponding to one flow path forming unit 14 and the position corresponding to another flow path forming unit 14. However, in such a case, by providing a plurality of measurement groups as shown in this Figure 16 way, it is possible to independently detect one flow path forming unit 14 and another flow path forming unit 14. Therefore, in this foreign matter detection unit 2, it is possible to irradiate light to two flow path forming units 14 at the same time and detect foreign matter. In addition, it is also possible to irradiate light continuously between the two flow path forming units 14, that is, start irradiating light to another flow path forming unit 14 while stopping irradiating light to one flow path forming unit 14, and detect foreign matter in each flow path forming unit 14. In addition, the above-described measurement group may be set to three or more.

[0082] In addition, the foreign matter detection unit 2 may be configured as shown in Figure 17 this. Regarding the foreign matter detection unit 2 shown in this Figure 17 , as a difference from the foreign matter detection unit 2 described in Figure 3 , it can be cited that a partition wall 63 is provided. The partition wall 63 extends rearward from the front wall of the housing 31 so as to pass below the pipes 54, 55, and the flow path forming units 14A to 15L, and then bends upward to pass through the rear side of the flow path forming units 14A to 15L and contacts the top wall of the housing 31. The housing 31 is divided into a first arrangement region 61 including the flow path forming unit 14 and a second arrangement region 62 including the optical path forming unit 4, the light source 51, the light guide unit 52, and the counting unit 53 by the partition wall 63. When viewed in the left-right direction, the column of the flow path forming unit 14 and the moving region of the optical path forming unit 4 do not overlap, so that such a partition wall 63 can be provided. In order to be able to irradiate light to each flow path forming unit 14 and detect foreign matter, the partition wall 63 is made of, for example, quartz or a metal plate provided with a hole for avoiding the optical path during detection or a partial quartz window in a light-transmissive manner.

[0083] The partition wall 63 constitutes a heat insulating member. Specifically, it is considered that the light source 51, the optical path forming portion 4, and the counting portion 53 located in the second configuration area 62 generate heat respectively due to the energy of the supplied current and laser. However, since the first configuration area 61 is divided relative to the second configuration area 62 by the partition wall 63, the heat generated from each part of the second configuration area 62 is not easily transferred to the first configuration area 61. Therefore, the temperature rise of the first configuration area 61 can be suppressed, and the heat-induced deterioration of the resist flowing in the flow path forming portions 14A to 14K located in the first configuration area 61 can be prevented with high reliability.

[0084] In addition, an N2 gas supply unit 64 for supplying N2 (nitrogen) gas as an inert gas to the first configuration area 61 and an exhaust unit 65 for exhausting gas from the first configuration area 61 are provided. As described above, since the light source 51, the optical path forming unit, and the counting unit 53 generate heat, it is considered to perform explosion-proof measures by setting the surrounding of the flow path forming unit 14 in the housing 31 as an N2 gas environment. By providing the partition wall 63 as described above, N2 gas can be supplied only to the first configuration area 61 in the housing 31, thereby performing explosion-proof measures. As a result, there is an advantage that the amount of N2 gas used can be suppressed compared to the case where N2 gas is supplied to the entire housing 31.

[0085] In addition, regarding the flow path forming part 14, it is not limited to setting a plurality of them, and only one may be set. In addition, it is not limited to accommodating all the above-mentioned components in the housing 31. For example, the counting part 53 may also be arranged on the outside of the housing 31. In addition, the housing 31 may also be constructed in a manner that only one of the upper cover 33 and the horizontal cover 34 is removed. In addition, the plurality of flow path forming parts 14 do not need to be independent one by one. In other words, each flow path forming part 14 does not need to be formed as a separate component, and a plurality of flow paths may be formed in one component and become one.

[0086] Further, it is also possible to make only any one of the light guide portion 52, light source 51, optical path forming portion 4, and counting portion 53 provided in the housing 31, which have been described, detachable with respect to the housing 31. Additionally, in the above example, it is assumed that the respective components constituting the optical path forming portion 4 are detachably attached to the housing 31 together, but the detachment and attachment are not limited to being carried out in this way. For example, it is possible to make the moving mechanism 43 and the sliding table 41 detachably attached to the housing 31 independently, or it is possible to make the support portion 46 having the light receiving portion 48 and the reflecting portion 44 detachably attached to the sliding table 41 independently. That is to say, it is possible to adopt a structure in which at least any one of the reflecting portion 44, light receiving portion 48, and moving mechanism 43, which serve as the light projecting portion, is detachably attached to the housing 31. Additionally, instead of using the reflecting member 44 as the light projecting portion, a fiber laser can also be used. Due to the flexibility of the optical fiber, this fiber laser can follow the movement of the optical path forming portion 4 performed by the moving mechanism 43, and by simply changing the length of the optical fiber, the laser generating portion (the light source 51 in the described example), which becomes a heat source, can be provided at a desired position separated from the light receiving portion 48 and the flow path forming portion 14. Thus, it is easy to reduce the thermal influence.

[0087] In addition, regarding the light receiving side, similar to the light projecting side, a reflecting plate operated by a moving mechanism is provided, and regarding the light receiving portion 48 that receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion 14 and reflected by this reflecting plate, it is also possible to adopt a structure in which it is fixedly placed at a position different from the moving path of this reflecting plate.

[0088] Next, with reference to Figure 18 the top view of Figure 19 and the longitudinal sectional side view of

[0089] a coating and developing apparatus 7, which is an example of a substrate processing system including the above-described resist coating apparatus 1, will be described. The coating and developing apparatus 7 performs the following operations: forming a resist film by coating a resist on the surface of the wafer W; forming a resist pattern by developing the exposed resist film. The coating and developing apparatus 7 is configured to linearly connect a carrier module B1, an inspection module B2, a multi-purpose module B3, a processing module B4, and an interface module B5 in the horizontal direction. These respective modules B1 to B5 each include a housing and are partitioned from each other. In the figure, the reference numeral B6 is an exposure apparatus, which is connected to the interface module B5.

[0090] The multi-purpose module B3 includes a number of transfer components TRS for transferring the wafer W between the respective unit modules E1 to E6 that make up the processing module B4 and the inspection module B2. These many transfer components TRS are stacked on top of each other to form a tower T1. In addition, a transport mechanism 70 that can move up and down is provided for transferring the wafer W with respect to each component that makes up the tower T1.

[0091] The processing module B4 is configured such that the unit modules E1 to E6 that perform liquid processing on the wafer W are stacked in order from below, and the transfer and processing of the wafer W are performed in parallel with each other in the unit modules E1 to E6. The unit modules E1 to E3 are configured identically to each other. In Figure 18 Figure 5 shows the unit module E1, and this unit module E1 will be described as a representative. In this unit module E1, there is a transfer area 76 that extends from the multi-purpose module B3 side toward the interface module B5 side. In this transfer area 76, there is a transfer mechanism F1 for transferring the wafer W with respect to each component that makes up the above-mentioned tower T1 and each component that makes up the processing module B4. When viewed in the length direction of the transfer area 76, a heating component 79 is provided on one side on the left and right, and the installation areas 77 and 78 of the resist coating device 1 are provided on the other side on the left and right. In addition, the left and right mentioned here do not necessarily coincide with the left and right used in the description of the foreign matter detection unit 2.

[0092] The installation areas 77 and 78 are arranged along the length direction of the transfer area 76. Moreover, in the installation areas 77 and 78, there are respectively provided the above-mentioned two cups 23, two rotary chucks 21, an arm 24 for supporting the nozzles 11A to 11L, a moving mechanism 25, and a housing 31 that constitutes the foreign matter detection unit 2. That is, in the unit module E1, there are multiple sets of a substrate placement part and nozzles. The above-mentioned cups 23 are arranged in a row along the length direction of the transfer area 76. In addition, when viewed from the row of the cups 23, the housing 31 is provided on the side opposite to the transfer area 76. In addition, regarding the processing liquid supply pipes 12A to 12L and the processing liquid supply parts 13A to 13L connected to the nozzles 11A to 11L, they are led around from the installation areas 77 and 78 to the multi-purpose module B3 and connected to the pumps that constitute the processing liquid supply part 13 provided in this multi-purpose module B3.

[0093] The unit modules E4 to E6 are configured identically to the unit modules E1 to E3, except that they are provided with a developing liquid component that supplies a developing liquid to the installation areas 77 and 78 for development. In addition, in Figure 19 Figure 13, the transfer mechanisms in the unit modules E2 to E6 that correspond to the transfer mechanism F1 in the unit module E1 are denoted as transfer mechanisms F2 to F6.

[0094] The interface module B5 has towers T2, T3, and T4 that extend vertically across the unit modules E1 to B6. Tower T2 includes transfer components TRS provided at heights corresponding to each of the unit modules E1 to E6, and the above-described transfer mechanisms F1 to F6 transfer the wafers W to the transfer components TRS at the corresponding heights. In addition, in the interface module B5, there are provided a vertically movable transfer mechanism 81 for transferring the wafer W between tower T2 and tower T3, a vertically movable transfer mechanism 82 for transferring the wafer W between tower T2 and tower T4, and a transfer mechanism 83 for transferring the wafer W between tower T2 and the exposure apparatus B6. The description of the components provided in towers T2 and T3 is omitted.

[0095] The transfer path of the wafer W in the coating / development apparatus 7 will be described. The transfer mechanism 73 transfers the wafer W from the carrier C to the transfer component TRS of the inspection module B2, and then this wafer W is transferred to the transfer component TRS0 of tower T1 of the multi-purpose module B3 by means of the transfer mechanism 75. From here on, the wafer W is distributed and transferred to the unit modules E1, E2, and E3 by the transfer mechanism 70.

[0096] The distributed wafers W are transferred to the cups 23 of the resist coating apparatuses 1 of the respective unit modules E1 to E3 by the transfer components TRS1 to TRS3 and are subjected to pre-wetting and resist coating processes. In parallel with these processes, the detection of foreign matter as described Figure 9 is performed. Next, after the wafer W is transferred to the heating component 79 and heated, the wafer W is transferred to the transfer components TRS11, TRS21, and TRS31 of tower T2, and is sent into the exposure apparatus B6 by means of towers T2 and T3 using the transfer mechanisms 81 and 83 to expose the resist film.

[0097] The exposed wafer W is transferred between towers T2 and T4 by the transfer mechanisms 83 and 82 and is respectively transferred to the transfer components TRS41, TRS51, and TRS61 of tower T1 corresponding to the unit modules E4 to E6. Then, the wafer W is transferred to the heating component 79 and subjected to post-exposure heating treatment (post-exposure bake). Next, the wafer W is transferred to the development component and a developer is supplied to the wafer W to form a resist pattern. Then, after the wafer W is transferred to the inspection component 74 of the inspection module B2 by means of the transfer components TRS4 to TRS6 of tower T1 and the transfer mechanism 75 and inspected, it returns to the carrier C by means of the transfer mechanism 73.

[0098] In the coating and developing apparatus 7 described above, the housing 31 is provided near the cup 23. More specifically, the foreign matter detection unit 2 is provided in the same unit module E as the unit module E provided with the cup 23. According to such a configuration, it is possible to relatively shorten the length of the flow path from the self-flow path forming portions 14A to 14L to the nozzles 11A to 11L. Considering the possibility of foreign matter generated from the processing liquid supply pipes 12A to 12L, by making the length of this flow path shorter, the difference in the amount of foreign matter between the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L and the nozzles 11A to 11L is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to monitor the purity of the processing liquid supplied to the wafer W with high precision.

[0099] However, each housing 31 is not limited to being provided near the cup 23 of the unit modules E1 to E3, and may also be provided in the inspection module B2 and the multi-purpose module B3 that are located relatively far from the cup 23. Figure 18 Reference numerals 85 and 86 in the figure indicate an example of the housing installation area in the inspection module B2 and the multi-purpose module B3. For example, a plurality of housings 31 can be installed in the housing installation area 85 or the housing installation area 86. That is, the foreign matter detection unit 2 can be provided in a module separated from the carrier module B1 and the processing module B4, and the processing liquid can be supplied from the flow path forming portion 14 of the foreign matter detection unit 2 configured in this way to the nozzles 11A to 11L of each unit module E1 to E3. In order to suppress the occupied space, the housings 31 provided in the housing installation areas 85 and 86 are stacked on top of each other, for example.

[0100] In addition, in the example described above, it is described that foreign matter is detected in all the processing liquid ejected from the nozzles 11A to 11L, but it is not limited to detecting foreign matter in all the processing liquid in this way, and it is also possible to detect only the processing liquid that requires a higher purity. Figure 20 A structural example is shown in which foreign matter is detected only in the flow path forming portion 14A connected to the nozzle 11A of each resist coating apparatus 1 provided in the installation areas 77 and 78 of the unit modules E1 to E3. Figure 20 The housing 31 shown is provided in the housing installation area 85 or the housing installation area 86 described above, for example. Moreover, in this housing 31, instead of accommodating the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L, the flow path forming portion 14A corresponding to the nozzle 11A provided in each of the installation areas 77 and 78 is accommodated. That is, in the Figure 20 example shown, a structure is formed in which six resist coating apparatuses 1 share one foreign matter detection unit 2. By adopting such a structure, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost and operation cost of the coating and developing apparatus 7. In addition, when sharing the foreign matter detection unit 2 among a plurality of resist coating apparatuses 1 in this way, processing may be performed simultaneously or continuously between the foreign matter detection units 2. Therefore, it is effective to adopt the structure of providing a plurality of measurement groups described in Figure 16 .

[0101] In addition, the processing liquid to be the object of foreign matter detection is not limited to resist and thinner. For example, it can be a developer, a cleaning liquid for cleaning the wafer W, a chemical solution for forming an anti-reflection film, a chemical solution for forming an insulating film, an adhesive for bonding the wafer W, etc. Therefore, as the substrate processing apparatus, it is not limited to the resist coating apparatus 1, and can also be a developing apparatus, a cleaning apparatus, etc.

[0102] In addition, regarding the above-described processing liquid supply pipes 12A to 12K, for example, a structure is provided in which a resist and a cleaning liquid are supplied in a switched manner from the upstream side, and a thinner is ejected from the nozzle 11 to a portion other than the wafer W. This thinner is the cleaning liquid for the processing liquid supply pipes 12A to 12K. Regarding this cleaning liquid, similar to the resist, foreign matter detection can also be performed during the flow through the processing liquid supply pipes 12A to 12K. In the case of performing foreign matter detection on the cleaning liquid in this way, it is possible to end the cleaning at an appropriate time based on the detection result, thereby preventing waste of the processing liquid used for cleaning. Regarding the cleaning of the processing liquid supply pipes 12A to 12K, it can also be automatically performed based on the detection result of foreign matter in the resist. Thus, the present disclosure can be applied to the case of detecting foreign matter in a liquid flowing through a flow path for supplying the processing liquid, and is not limited to detecting foreign matter contained in the processing liquid supplied to the wafer W.

[0103] In addition, for example, in a developing apparatus, in order to dry the wafer W after development, a gas nozzle for supplying an inert gas to the wafer W can also be provided. Moreover, foreign matter detection as described above can also be performed on the flow path connected to the upstream side of the gas nozzle. That is, as the fluid for performing foreign matter detection using the present technology, it is not limited to a liquid, and can also be a gas.

[0104] In addition, it should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The above-described embodiments can also be omitted, replaced, and changed in various ways without departing from the scope of the appended claims and their gist.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: A supply path through which a fluid supplied to a substrate flows; And A foreign matter detection unit that forms light from a light projecting unit toward a flow path forming unit that constitutes a part of the supply path. As a result, light is emitted from the flow path forming unit, and the foreign matter detection unit can detect foreign matter in the fluid based on a signal obtained by a light receiving unit receiving the light emitted from the flow path forming unit. It is characterized in that The light projecting unit and the light receiving unit in the foreign matter detection unit are provided in non-opposite regions among the upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear regions with respect to the flow path forming unit. The substrate processing apparatus further comprises: a column of flow path forming units, in which, with respect to one flow path forming unit, one or more other flow path forming units are arranged in a row in a first direction different from the direction toward the side where the light projecting unit is located and the direction toward the side where the light receiving unit is located. When the direction in which the flow path forming units are arranged in a row is set as the left-right direction and the horizontal direction perpendicular to this row is set as the front-rear direction, One of the light receiving unit and the light projecting unit is located below the plurality of flow path forming units arranged in a row, and the other is located on either the front side or the rear side with respect to the plurality of flow path forming units arranged in a row. The substrate processing apparatus is provided with a moving mechanism shared by the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit, and the moving mechanism moves the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit along the column of the flow path forming units. The flow path forming unit includes an inlet and an outlet of an internal flow path. The inlet and the outlet are set to have a direction different from the positions of the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit with respect to the flow path forming unit. The flow path forming unit has a first flow path including the inlet, a second flow path orthogonal to the first flow path, and a third flow path connecting the second flow path and the outlet, and the inlet and the outlet are provided on the same surface of the flow path forming unit. The light receiving unit measures lateral scattered light on the second flow path side in the scattered light emitted by irradiating the first flow path with light. The optical axis from the light projecting unit is incident on the first flow path perpendicular to the flow direction of the first flow path, and does not pass through a flow path other than the first flow path on which the optical axis is incident.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that The light receiving unit and the light projecting unit are shared by a plurality of the flow path forming units. The moving mechanism moves the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit to positions corresponding to a selected flow path forming unit among the plurality of flow path forming units.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that The moving mechanism is configured to be able to move in a second direction different from the first direction, so as to change the distance between the flow path forming unit toward which the light from the light projecting unit is directed and the light receiving unit.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that When the moving mechanism moves the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit in the first direction to a position corresponding to the selected flow path forming unit, the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit are moved in the second direction so as to be at a preset light receiving distance from the selected flow path forming unit until the light is received by the light receiving unit.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: when the light projecting unit is a first light projecting unit, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a second light projecting unit that projects light toward the first light projecting unit, the second light projecting unit is arranged such that the optical path of the light toward the first light projecting unit is along the direction in which a plurality of the flow path forming units are arranged in a column, the first light projecting unit includes a reflecting portion that reflects the light from the second light projecting unit and irradiates the flow path forming unit with the light.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the flow path forming unit has a shape of a square hexahedron, the inlet and the outlet are provided on the same surface of the flow path forming unit.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the flow path of the flow path forming unit has at least a plurality of partial flow paths that cross other flow paths, the crossing portions of the plurality of partial flow paths have curvature.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the flow path of the flow path forming unit has a portion where the downstream flow path is set narrower and / or the curvature is set larger relative to the upstream side in the liquid flow direction.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the light projecting unit projects light toward the flow path forming unit in the longitudinal direction, the light receiving unit is provided behind the flow path forming unit.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: the substrate processing apparatus further includes another measurement group having a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit different from the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit, using the light projecting unit and the other measurement group, light is simultaneously or continuously irradiated onto at least two of the plurality of flow path forming units to detect foreign matter.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: the substrate processing apparatus includes a housing that houses the column of the flow path forming units, the light projecting unit, the light receiving unit, and the moving mechanism.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: the housing includes: a main body portion including a wall portion on the front side of the column of the flow path forming units; and a lid that forms a wall portion behind or in the longitudinal direction of the column of the flow path forming units and is detachable from the main body portion.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: at least any one of the light projecting unit, the light receiving unit, and the moving mechanism is configured to be detachable from the housing.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the substrate processing apparatus further includes a light projection switching mechanism configured to prevent light from irradiating the flow path forming unit when measurement is not being performed.

15. A substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: A supply path through which a fluid supplied to the substrate flows; And A foreign matter detection unit that forms light from a light projecting unit toward a flow path forming unit that constitutes a part of the supply path. As a result, light is emitted from the flow path forming unit, and the foreign matter detection unit can detect foreign matter in the fluid based on a signal obtained by a light receiving unit receiving the light emitted from the flow path forming unit. It is characterized in that The light projecting unit and the light receiving unit in the foreign matter detection unit are provided in non-opposite regions among the upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear regions with respect to the flow path forming unit. The substrate processing apparatus further comprises: a column of flow path forming units, in which one or more other flow path forming units are arranged in a row in a first direction different from the direction toward the side where the light projecting unit is located and the direction toward the side where the light receiving unit is located with respect to one of the flow path forming units. When the direction in which the flow path forming units are arranged in a row is set as the left-right direction and the horizontal direction perpendicular to this row is set as the front-rear direction, One of the light receiving unit and the light projecting unit is located below the plurality of flow path forming units arranged in a row, and the other is located on either the front side or the rear side with respect to the plurality of flow path forming units arranged in a row. The substrate processing apparatus is provided with a moving mechanism shared by the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit, and the moving mechanism moves the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit along the column of the flow path forming units. The flow path forming unit has a first flow path extending in the front-rear direction, a second flow path orthogonal to the first flow path and extending in the up-down direction, and a third flow path extending in the front-rear direction so as to lead from the second flow path to a flow path outlet. The light receiving unit receives scattered light emitted by irradiating the first flow path with the light emitted from the light projecting unit, thereby detecting the foreign matter. The optical axis of the light emitted from the light projecting unit does not pass through the second flow path and the third flow path.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that When viewed from the front-rear direction, the optical axis is directed obliquely upward from below the flow path forming unit.

17. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that The fluid is a processing liquid supplied to the substrate to process the substrate, The substrate processing apparatus comprises: A substrate placement unit for placing the substrate; A nozzle provided at the downstream end of the supply path for supplying the processing liquid to the substrate placed on the substrate placement unit; and A processing liquid supply unit for supplying the processing liquid to the supply path so as to eject the processing liquid from the nozzle.

18. A substrate processing system, characterized in that The substrate processing system comprises: A carrier module for placing and storing a carrier for the substrate; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 17; A transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate between the carrier and the substrate processing apparatus; and A processing module that includes the nozzle and the substrate placement unit that constitute the substrate processing apparatus and is separated from the carrier module.

19. The substrate processing system according to claim 18, wherein: A plurality of the nozzles are provided relative to one of the substrate placement units; The foreign matter detection unit includes a column of the flow path forming portions and the moving mechanism; A plurality of the flow path forming portions arranged in a column are respectively connected to the plurality of nozzles; The column of the flow path forming portions, the light projecting portion, the light receiving portion, and the moving mechanism are provided in the processing module.

20. A substrate processing system, wherein: The substrate processing system includes: The substrate processing device according to claim 17; A carrier module for placing and accommodating a carrier for the substrate; and A processing module having a plurality of the substrate placement units and a plurality of the nozzles, The foreign matter detection unit has a column in which a plurality of the flow path forming portions are arranged and the moving mechanism, A plurality of the flow path forming portions arranged in a column are respectively connected to the plurality of nozzles and are provided in a module separated from the carrier module and the processing module.

21. A substrate processing method, which uses a substrate processing device including: A supply path through which a fluid supplied to the substrate flows; And A foreign matter detection unit that forms light directed at a flow path forming portion constituting a part of the supply path by a light projecting portion, and as a result, light is emitted from the flow path forming portion, and the foreign matter detection unit can detect foreign matter in the fluid based on a signal obtained by the light receiving portion receiving the light emitted from the flow path forming portion, wherein: The light projecting portion and the light receiving portion in the foreign matter detection unit are provided in regions that do not face each other among the regions above, below, left, right, front, and rear with respect to the flow path forming portion; The substrate processing method includes the following steps: Forming light directed at a flow path forming portion constituting a part of the supply path by the light projecting portion; Causing the light receiving portion to receive the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the formation of the light directed at the flow path forming portion; Detecting foreign matter in the fluid based on a signal obtained by the light receiving portion receiving the light; The substrate processing device further includes: a column of flow path forming portions, in which one or more other flow path forming portions are arranged in a column in a first direction different from the direction toward the side where the light projecting portion is located and the direction toward the side where the light receiving portion is located with respect to one of the flow path forming portions; When the direction in which the flow path forming portions are arranged in a column is set as the left - right direction and the horizontal direction perpendicular to this column is set as the front - rear direction, One of the light receiving portion and the light projecting portion is located below the plurality of flow path forming portions arranged in a column, and the other is located on either the front side or the rear side with respect to the plurality of flow path forming portions arranged in a column; The substrate processing method further includes the following step: moving the light projecting portion and the light receiving portion along the column of the flow path forming portions by a moving mechanism shared by the light projecting portion and the light receiving portion; The flow path forming portion includes an inlet and an outlet of the internal flow path; The inlet and the outlet are provided to have a direction different from the positions of the light projecting portion and the light receiving portion with respect to the flow path forming portion. The flow path forming portion has a first flow path including the inlet, a second flow path orthogonal to the first flow path, and a third flow path connecting the second flow path and the outlet, and the inlet and the outlet are provided on the same surface of the flow path forming portion. The light receiving portion measures the lateral scattered light on the second flow path side in the scattered light emitted by irradiating the first flow path with light. The optical axis from the light projecting portion is incident on the first flow path perpendicular to the flow direction of the first flow path, and does not pass through any flow path other than the first flow path where the optical axis is incident.

22. A substrate processing method, which uses a substrate processing apparatus including: A supply path through which a fluid supplied to a substrate flows; And A foreign matter detection unit that forms light directed at a flow path forming portion constituting a part of the supply path by means of a light projecting portion, and as a result, light is emitted from the flow path forming portion. The foreign matter detection unit can detect foreign matter in the fluid based on a signal obtained by the light receiving portion receiving the light emitted from the flow path forming portion. It is characterized in that The light projecting portion and the light receiving portion in the foreign matter detection unit are provided in areas that do not face each other in the upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear areas with respect to the flow path forming portion. This substrate processing method includes the following steps: Forming light directed at a flow path forming portion constituting a part of the supply path by means of the light projecting portion; Causing the light receiving portion to receive the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of forming light directed at the flow path forming portion; Detecting foreign matter in the fluid based on the signal obtained by the light receiving portion receiving light; This substrate processing apparatus further includes: a column of flow path forming portions, in which one or more other flow path forming portions are arranged in a row in a first direction different from the direction toward the side where the light projecting portion is located and the direction toward the side where the light receiving portion is located with respect to one of the flow path forming portions. When the direction in which the flow path forming portions are arranged in a row is set as the left - right direction and the horizontal direction perpendicular to this row is set as the front - rear direction, One of the light receiving portion and the light projecting portion is located below the plurality of flow path forming portions arranged in a row, and the other is located on either the front side or the rear side with respect to the plurality of flow path forming portions arranged in a row. This substrate processing method further includes the following step: moving the light projecting portion and the light receiving portion along the column of the flow path forming portions by means of a moving mechanism shared by the light projecting portion and the light receiving portion. The flow path forming portion has a first flow path extending in the front - rear direction, a second flow path orthogonal to the first flow path and extending in the up - down direction, and a third flow path extending in the front - rear direction from the second flow path toward the flow path outlet. The light receiving portion receives the scattered light emitted by irradiating the first flow path with the light emitted from the light projecting portion, thereby detecting the foreign matter. The optical axis of the light emitted from the light projecting portion does not pass through the second flow path and the third flow path.

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