Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of maintaining productivity and checking the state of a conveyance belt. The substrate processing apparatus includes a processing unit that performs a prescribed process on a substrate; a conveyance unit that has a holding portion that holds the substrate and a drive portion that includes a conveyance belt and displaces the holding portion in a first direction by moving the conveyance belt; a measurement unit that can acquire a vibration signal corresponding to vibration of the conveyance belt that occurs due to displacement of the holding portion; and a control unit. The control unit includes a process control portion that performs a process that includes a first process of sequentially performing a prescribed process on a plurality of substrates including the substrate with the processing unit and a second process of performing the loading and unloading of each of the plurality of substrates of the processing unit with the conveyance unit; a signal acquisition portion that acquires the vibration signal from the measurement unit; and a state determination portion that determines the state of the conveyance belt based on the vibration signal. The signal acquisition portion acquires the vibration signal when the process is performed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. Background Technology

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a method for measuring the tension of a strip plate, which includes: a first step of measuring the pressure change of air generated by the vibration of the strip plate; a second step of extracting the natural frequency of the strip plate; and a third step of determining the tension of the strip plate based on the extracted natural frequency.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-337846 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In substrate processing apparatuses that perform prescribed processing on substrates, there are cases where substrates are transported using a conveyor unit equipped with a conveyor belt. This invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of maintaining productivity and inspecting the condition of the conveyor belt.

[0008] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0009] One aspect of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes: a processing unit that performs a predetermined process on a substrate; a conveying unit having a holding portion for holding the substrate and a driving portion including a conveyor belt and displacing the holding portion in a first direction by moving the conveyor belt; a measuring unit disposed close to the conveyor belt and capable of acquiring a vibration signal corresponding to vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the displacement of the holding portion; and a control unit for controlling the processing unit, the conveying unit, and the measuring unit. The control unit includes: a processing control unit that performs a process processing, the process processing including a first process in which a predetermined process is sequentially performed on a plurality of substrates, including the substrate, by the processing unit, and a second process in which each of the plurality of substrates in the processing unit is fed in and out by the conveying unit; a signal acquisition unit that acquires the vibration signal from the measuring unit; and a state determination unit that determines the state of the conveyor belt based on the vibration signal. The signal acquisition unit acquires the vibration signal during the execution of the process processing.

[0010] Invention Effects

[0011] According to the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method are provided that can maintain productivity and check the condition of the conveyor belt. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1This is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a substrate processing system.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a coating and developing apparatus.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a schematic plan view illustrating an example of a conveyor unit.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a side view schematically illustrating an example of a conveying unit.

[0016] Figure 5 (a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the interior of the horizontal drive unit. Figure 5 (b) is a schematic diagram representing an example of a measuring unit.

[0017] Figure 6 (a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the interior of the lifting drive unit. Figure 6 (b) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the interior of the horizontal drive unit.

[0018] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a control device.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a control device.

[0020] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a substrate processing method.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing sequence for conveyor actions and conveyor belt inspections.

[0022] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a conveyor belt inspection method.

[0023] Figure 12 (a) is a graph representing an example of the vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt. Figure 12 (b) is a graph representing an example of the spectral analysis results of a vibration signal.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0025] 2……Coating and developing device, 30……Horizontal drive unit, 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d……Pulleys, 38……Conveyor belt, 50……Horizontal drive unit, 56a, 56b……Pulleys, 58……Conveyor belt, 62……Motor, 70……Lifting drive unit, 76a, 76b……Pulleys, 78……Conveyor belt, 82……Motor, 100……Control device, 130, 150, 170……Measuring unit, 202……Processing control unit, 212……Signal acquisition unit, 220……Status judgment unit, 222……Output unit, W……Workpiece, U1……Liquid treatment unit, U2……Heat treatment unit, A3……Conveying unit. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The following describes various illustrative implementation methods.

[0027] An exemplary embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing unit that performs a predetermined process on a substrate; a conveying unit having a holding portion for holding the substrate and a drive unit including a conveyor belt and displacing the holding portion in a first direction by moving the conveyor belt; a measuring unit disposed close to the conveyor belt and capable of acquiring a vibration signal corresponding to vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the displacement of the holding portion; and a control unit for controlling the processing unit, the conveying unit, and the measuring unit. The control unit includes: a processing control unit that performs a process processing, including a first process in which a predetermined process is sequentially performed on multiple substrates, including the substrate, by the processing unit, and a second process in which each of the multiple substrates in the processing unit is fed in and out by the conveyor unit; a signal acquisition unit that acquires the vibration signal from the measuring unit; and a state determination unit that determines the state of the conveyor belt based on the vibration signal. The signal acquisition unit acquires the vibration signal during the execution of the process processing.

[0028] In this substrate processing apparatus, a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt is acquired during the execution of the process, and the state of the conveyor belt is determined based on this vibration signal. In this apparatus, the process performed by the substrate processing apparatus does not need to be stopped to determine the state of the conveyor belt, thus maintaining productivity while simultaneously checking the condition of the conveyor belt.

[0029] Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus may also include an output unit that outputs a signal indicating that the conveyor belt is in an abnormal state based on the judgment result of the state judgment unit. In this case, when the conveyor belt is judged to be in an abnormal state, processing different from that performed when the conveyor belt is in a normal state can be executed.

[0030] Alternatively, the processing control unit may perform a shifting process in the second processing by driving the unit to move the holding unit along the first direction. Alternatively, the signal acquisition unit may acquire a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the shifting process after the shifting process is completed. By acquiring the vibration signal after the shifting process is completed, the influence of external interference contained in the vibration signal can be reduced.

[0031] Alternatively, the state determination unit can determine the state of the conveyor belt based on a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt after a predetermined time has elapsed since the end of the shifting process. In this case, the influence of external interference contained in the vibration signal can be further reduced.

[0032] Alternatively, the drive unit may also include two pulleys on which at least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted. Alternatively, the measuring unit may be positioned near the portion of the conveyor belt located between the two pulleys. Alternatively, the specified time may be set based on the distance between the measuring unit and the pulley closer to it. Because the time until the conveyor belt vibration subsides depends on the length of the conveyor belt between the fixed end and the proximity position of the measuring unit, in the above configuration, the state can be appropriately determined based on the vibration of the conveyor belt.

[0033] Alternatively, the drive unit may further include: a first pulley and a second pulley on which at least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted; and an electric motor for rotating the first pulley to move the conveyor belt. Alternatively, the measuring unit may be positioned near the first pulley. Alternatively, during the shifting process, the processing control unit may, via the drive unit, shift the holding unit in the direction from the second pulley to the first pulley. In this case, a compressive force is applied to a portion of the conveyor belt connected to the holding unit and the first pulley, coinciding with the stopping of the holding unit. Therefore, the vibration of this portion of the conveyor belt increases, making it easier to acquire vibration signals.

[0034] Alternatively, the drive unit may also include a slider that moves together with the holding unit. Alternatively, the slider may be connected to the conveyor belt in a manner that allows it to move between the first pulley and the second pulley. The first pulley, the measuring unit, the slider, and the second pulley are arranged sequentially along the movement path of the conveyor belt. In this case, the vibration accompanying the movement of the slider is amplified in the portion of the conveyor belt between the first pulley and the slider, thus making it easier to acquire vibration signals.

[0035] Alternatively, the processing control unit may repeatedly execute the shifting process in the second process. Alternatively, the signal acquisition unit may acquire a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the shifting in each shifting process. Alternatively, the stop position of the holding unit may be set to a different position for each shifting process. Alternatively, the state judgment unit may also determine the state of the conveyor belt based on the stop position set for each shifting process. In this case, even if the stop positions are different, the state of the conveyor belt can be accurately determined by incorporating the stop position of each shifting process.

[0036] Alternatively, the conveying unit may also include a second drive unit that shifts the holding part in the second direction. Alternatively, the processing control unit may perform in the second processing: a first shifting process that shifts the holding part in the first direction via the drive unit; and a second shifting process that shifts the holding part in the second direction via the second drive unit. Alternatively, the signal acquisition unit may acquire a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the shift in the first shifting process during a period that overlaps at least partially with the execution of the second shifting process. In this case, the operation performed by the conveying unit and the inspection of the conveyor belt at least partially overlap, thus suppressing the impact of the conveyor belt inspection on the processing, including the operation of the conveying unit.

[0037] Alternatively, the drive unit may further include: a first pulley and a second pulley on which at least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted and arranged in a first direction; an electric motor that moves the conveyor belt by rotating the first pulley; and a slider that moves together with the holding unit. Alternatively, the slider may be connected to the conveyor belt in a manner that allows it to move between the first and second pulleys. Alternatively, the first pulley, the measuring unit, the slider, and the second pulley may be arranged sequentially along the movement path of the conveyor belt. In this case, the vibration accompanying the movement of the slider is amplified in the portion of the conveyor belt between the first pulley and the slider, thus making it easier to acquire vibration signals.

[0038] Alternatively, the drive unit may further include: a first pulley and a second pulley on which at least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted and arranged in a first direction; and a slider that moves together with the holding unit. Alternatively, the slider may be connected to the conveyor belt in a manner that allows it to move between the first and second pulleys. Alternatively, the measuring unit, the first pulley, the slider, and the second pulley may be arranged sequentially along the movement path of the conveyor belt. In this case, external interference applied by the slider to the portion of the conveyor belt near the measuring unit is mitigated by the first pulley, thereby reducing the influence of external interference included in the vibration signal.

[0039] An exemplary embodiment of a substrate processing method includes: a step of performing a process processing step, the process processing including a first process of sequentially performing a predetermined process on a plurality of substrates by a processing unit, and a second process of feeding and feeding each of the plurality of substrates in the processing unit into and out of the processing unit by a conveyor unit including a conveyor belt; a step of acquiring a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the operation of the conveyor unit from a measuring unit disposed near the conveyor belt; and a step of determining the state of the conveyor belt based on the vibration signal, wherein the step of acquiring the vibration signal includes the step of acquiring the vibration signal during the execution of the process processing step. In this substrate processing method, similar to the substrate processing apparatus described above, productivity can be maintained and the state of the conveyor belt can be checked.

[0040] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements or elements having the same function, and repeated descriptions are omitted. A portion of the drawings shows a rectangular coordinate system defined by the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. In the following embodiment, the Z-axis corresponds to the vertical direction, and the X-axis and Y-axis correspond to the horizontal direction.

[0041] [Substrate Processing System]

[0042] Figure 1 The substrate processing system 1 shown is a system for forming a photosensitive coating on a workpiece W, exposing the photosensitive coating, and developing the photosensitive coating. The workpiece W, the object of processing, is, for example, a substrate, or a substrate that has been formed into a film or circuit through a prescribed process. The substrate included in the workpiece W, for example, is a silicon-containing wafer. The workpiece W (substrate) can be formed in a circular shape. The workpiece W, the object of processing, can be a glass substrate, a mask substrate, an FPD (Flat Panel Display), or an intermediate obtained by performing a prescribed process on these substrates. The photosensitive coating is, for example, a resist film.

[0043] The substrate processing system 1 includes a coating and developing apparatus 2 and an exposure apparatus 3. The coating and developing apparatus 2 is used to form a resist film (photosensitive coating) on ​​the workpiece W. The exposure apparatus 3 is used to expose the resist film formed on the workpiece W (substrate). Specifically, the exposure apparatus 3 irradiates the exposed portion of the resist film with energy lines using methods such as immersion exposure. Before the exposure treatment performed by the exposure apparatus 3, the coating and developing apparatus 2 coats the surface of the workpiece W with a resist (solution) to form a resist film, and after the exposure treatment, it performs a developing treatment on the resist film.

[0044] (Substrate processing device)

[0045] The structure of the coating and developing apparatus 2 will now be described as an example of a substrate processing apparatus. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the coating and developing apparatus 2 includes a carrier block 4, a processing block 5, an interface block 6, and a control device 100 (control unit).

[0046] The carrier block 4 handles the introduction of workpiece W into and removal of workpiece W from the coating and developing apparatus 2. For example, the carrier block 4 can support multiple carriers C for workpiece W and includes a built-in conveyor unit A1 with a transfer arm. The carriers C hold, for example, multiple circular workpieces W. The conveyor unit A1 removes workpiece W from the carriers C and delivers it to the processing block 5, and receives workpiece W from the processing block 5 and returns it to the carriers C. The processing block 5 has processing modules 11, 12, 13, and 14.

[0047] Processing module 11 includes a liquid treatment unit U1, a heat treatment unit U2, and a conveying unit A3 for transporting workpiece W to these units. Processing module 11 forms a lower film on the surface of workpiece W using the liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2. The liquid treatment unit U1 applies a processing liquid for lower film formation to the workpiece W. The heat treatment unit U2 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the lower film.

[0048] Processing module 12 includes a liquid treatment unit U1, a heat treatment unit U2, and a conveying unit A3 for transporting workpiece W to these units. Processing module 12 forms a resist film on the lower film using the liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2. The liquid treatment unit U1 applies a processing liquid (resist) for resist film formation onto the lower film. The heat treatment unit U2 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the resist film.

[0049] Processing module 13 includes a liquid treatment unit U1, a heat treatment unit U2, and a conveying unit A3 for transporting the workpiece W to these units. Processing module 13 forms an upper film on the resist film using the liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2. The liquid treatment unit U1 applies a processing solution for upper film formation to the resist film. The heat treatment unit U2 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the upper film.

[0050] Processing module 14 includes a liquid treatment unit U1, a heat treatment unit U2, and a transport unit A3 for conveying workpiece W to these units. Processing module 14 performs development treatment of the resist film after exposure treatment and heat treatment accompanying development treatment via the liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2. The liquid treatment unit U1 applies a developer to the surface of the exposed workpiece W and then rinses it with a rinsing solution, thereby performing the development treatment of the resist film. The heat treatment unit U2 performs various heat treatments accompanying the development treatment. Specific examples of heat treatment include pre-development heat treatment (PEB: Post Exposure Bake) and post-development heat treatment (PB: Post Bake).

[0051] A shelf unit U10 is provided on the side of the carrier block 4 within the processing block 5. The shelf unit U10 is divided into multiple small compartments arranged side by side in the vertical direction. A conveying unit A7, including a lifting arm, is provided near the shelf unit U10. The conveying unit A7 causes the workpiece W to move up and down between the compartments of the shelf unit U10.

[0052] A shelf unit U11 is provided on the interface block 6 side within processing block 5. The shelf unit U11 is divided into multiple small compartments arranged side by side in the vertical direction. Because the shelf units U10 and U11 keep the workpiece W in standby mode for the next processing of the workpiece W (acting as a buffer), these shelf units U10 and U11 are also equivalent to processing units that process the workpiece W.

[0053] Interface block 6 facilitates the transfer of workpiece W between itself and exposure device 3. For example, interface block 6 may include a built-in transport unit A8 with a transfer arm, which is connected to exposure device 3. Transport unit A8 delivers workpiece W, which is disposed in shelf unit U11, to exposure device 3. Transport unit A8 receives workpiece W from exposure device 3 and returns it to shelf unit U11.

[0054] (Conveying Unit)

[0055] Below, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 An example of a conveying unit A3 in processing module 12 will be described. Conveying unit A3 conveys workpiece W within processing module 12 while holding it in place. Conveying unit A3 conveys workpiece W between the multiple processing units included in processing module 12. Figure 3 In the illustrated processing module 12, two liquid processing units U1 and two heat processing units U2 are arranged side by side in a horizontal direction.

[0056] In this invention, the direction from the heat treatment unit U2 to the liquid treatment unit U1 is designated as the "positive Y-axis direction," and the direction from the liquid treatment unit U1 to the heat treatment unit U2 is designated as the "negative Y-axis direction." The direction from the conveying unit A3 to the liquid treatment unit U1 (or the heat treatment unit U2) is designated as the "positive X-axis direction," and the direction from the liquid treatment unit U1 (or heat treatment unit U2) to the conveying unit A3 is designated as the "negative X-axis direction." Furthermore, the vertically upward direction is designated as the "positive Z-axis direction," and the vertically downward direction is designated as the "negative Z-axis direction." Any direction including the positive and negative directions of each axis is abbreviated as the "X-axis direction," etc.

[0057] The conveying unit A3, for example, has a holding arm 20, a horizontal drive unit 30, 50 and a lifting drive unit 70.

[0058] The holding arm 20 (holding part) is configured to hold the workpiece W. The holding arm 20 holds the workpiece W with its front surface Wa facing upwards. The front surface Wa is the surface on which the resist coating film is formed in the liquid treatment unit U1. The holding arm 20 may also be formed to surround the periphery of the workpiece W and support the periphery of the back surface of the workpiece W opposite to the front surface Wa. The conveying unit A3 feeds the workpiece W into and out of the processing unit such as the liquid treatment unit U1 by shifting the holding arm 20 holding the workpiece W. That is, the conveying unit A3 feeds the workpiece W into a processing unit by shifting the holding arm 20 and sends the workpiece W out of the processing unit by shifting the holding arm 20. The conveying unit A3 may also feed and send out multiple workpieces W into and out of a single processing unit.

[0059] The horizontal drive unit 30 is configured to move the holding arm 20 in a horizontal direction. The horizontal drive unit 30 is, for example, an actuator configured to reciprocate the holding arm 20 in a horizontal direction using a power source such as an electric motor. The conveying unit A3 is as follows... Figure 4 As shown, it also includes a rotary drive unit 46 and a base 48 that support the horizontal drive unit 30. The rotary drive unit 46 is, for example, configured as a rotary actuator capable of rotating the horizontal drive unit 30 about a vertical rotation axis by a power source such as an electric motor. The horizontal drive unit 30 is rotated by the rotary drive unit 46, thereby changing the direction of movement of the holding arm 20 of the horizontal drive unit 30.

[0060] For example, Figure 4The horizontal drive unit 30 shown is configured via a rotary drive unit 46 to reciprocate the holding arm 20 in the X-axis direction. In this configuration, the horizontal drive unit 30 moves the holding arm 20 in the positive X-axis direction and in the negative X-axis direction. The workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 moves along the X-axis direction (either the positive or negative X-axis direction) via the horizontal drive unit 30. The horizontal drive unit 30 is formed to extend along the direction in which the holding arm 20 moves (e.g., the X-axis direction). Details of the drive mechanism of the horizontal drive unit 30 will be described later. The base 48 is a component that supports the rotary drive unit 46 and the horizontal drive unit 30. The rotary drive unit 46 is disposed on the base 48, which is formed, for example, to extend along the X-axis direction. One end of the base 48 in the negative X-axis direction (e.g., each side of one end) is connected to the lifting drive unit 70.

[0061] The lifting drive unit 70 is configured to move the holding arm 20 in the vertical direction (the Z-axis direction shown in the figure). The lifting drive unit 70 is, for example, an actuator configured to reciprocate the holding arm 20 along the Z-axis direction (first direction) via a power source such as an electric motor. The lifting drive unit 70, for example, supports a base 48, moving the base 48 in the positive Z-axis direction and in the negative Z-axis direction. The lifting drive unit 70 moves the base 48 in the Z-axis direction, thereby moving the holding arm 20 (workpiece W) also in the Z-axis direction. The lifting drive unit 70 is formed to extend along the Z-axis direction that moves the base 48 (holding arm 20). Details regarding the lifting drive unit 70 will be explained later.

[0062] return Figure 3 The horizontal drive unit 50 is configured to move the holding arm 20 in a horizontal direction (the Y-axis direction shown in the figure). The horizontal drive unit 50 is, for example, configured as an actuator capable of reciprocating the holding arm 20 along the Y-axis direction (first direction) via a power source such as an electric motor. The horizontal drive unit 50, for example, supports the lifting drive unit 70, causing the lifting drive unit 70 to move in the positive Y-axis direction and the lifting drive unit 70 in the negative Y-axis direction. The horizontal drive unit 50 moves the lifting drive unit 70 in the Y-axis direction, thereby causing the holding arm 20 (workpiece W) to also move in the Y-axis direction. The horizontal drive unit 50 is formed to extend along the Y-axis direction. Details regarding the drive mechanism of the horizontal drive unit 50 will be explained later.

[0063] (Details of the measuring unit and each drive unit)

[0064] Below, also refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6, a measurement unit used to check the status of the conveyor belts included in each driving unit will be described together with the detailed structure of each driving unit. The coating and developing device 2 further includes measurement units 130, 150, and 170.

[0065] The measurement unit 130 is used to check the status of the conveyor belt of the horizontal driving unit 30. The measurement unit 150 is used to check the status of the conveyor belt of the horizontal driving unit 50. The measurement unit 170 is used to check the status of the conveyor belt of the lifting driving unit 70. In the present invention, the inspection of the status of the conveyor belt means checking whether the conveyor belt can operate normally. As an example, due to the deterioration of the conveyor belt over time and the poor adjustment of the conveyor belt, etc., the conveyor belt (driving unit) sometimes cannot operate normally. To prevent such situations, each measurement unit is used to check the conveyor belt. Hereinafter, the driving unit and the measurement unit will be described for each axis.

[0066] <Y-axis direction>

[0067] In Figure 5 (a) shows the details of the horizontal driving unit 50 that shifts the holding arm 20 in the Y-axis direction. The horizontal driving unit 50 includes a conveyor belt arranged in such a way that at least a part thereof extends in the Y-axis direction, and the holding arm 20 is shifted in the Y-axis direction by moving this conveyor belt. The horizontal driving unit 50 has, for example, a housing 52, pulleys 56a, 56b, a conveyor belt 58, a motor 62, and a slider 54.

[0068] The housing 52 houses the respective elements included in the horizontal driving unit 50. The housing 52 is formed to extend in the Y-axis direction. An opening 52a is provided in the wall of the housing 52 facing the plurality of processing units (refer to Figure 4 ). A part of the slider 54 protrudes from the opening 52a to the outside of the housing 52.

[0069] As Figure 5 shown in (a), the pulley 56a (first pulley) and the pulley 56b (second pulley) are arranged along the Y-axis direction. The pulleys 56a, 56b are arranged, for example, at the respective ends inside the housing 52 in the Y-axis direction. The pulleys 56a, 56b are respectively provided in the housing 52 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis along the X-axis direction. The conveyor belt 58 is stretched between the pulleys 56a, 56b. The conveyor belt 58 is, for example, a synchronous conveyor belt. The motor 62 is a power source that generates rotational torque. The motor 62 is, for example, a servo motor. The motor 62 is connected to the pulley 56a to rotate the pulley 56a. When the torque (driving force) generated by the motor 62 is transmitted to the pulley 56a, the conveyor belt 58 stretched between the pulleys 56a, 56b moves in the Y-axis direction.

[0070] The slider 54 is, for example, as Figure 4The slider 54 is formed in an X-axis direction. The root end (the end furthest from the processing unit) of the slider 54 in the X-axis direction is connected to the conveyor belt 58 within the housing 52. The front end (the end closer to the processing unit) of the slider 54 in the X-axis direction protrudes outside the housing 52 through the opening 52a. For example, the lower end of the lifting drive unit 70 is connected to the front end of the slider 54. In this way, the slider 54 is connected to the holding arm 20 via other components and moves together with the holding arm 20. When the conveyor belt 58 moves along the Y-axis direction due to the torque generated by the motor 62, the slider 54 (lifting drive unit 70) connected to the conveyor belt 58 also reciprocates along the Y-axis direction, resulting in the holding arm 20 and the workpiece W also moving along the Y-axis direction.

[0071] In the horizontal drive unit 50 described above, the slider 54 is configured to move between pulleys 56a and 56b. When the slider 54 is positioned between pulleys 56a and 56b, the conveyor belt 58 includes: a first portion 58a extending along the Y-axis and connecting pulleys 56a and 56b; and a second portion 58b extending along the Y-axis and connecting pulleys 56a and 56b. The first portion 58a and the second portion 58b are arranged in a Z-axis direction and are substantially parallel to each other. Figure 5 In the example shown in (a), a slider 54 is connected in part 1 58a. Hereinafter, the connection between pulley 56a and slider 54 in part 1 58a will be referred to as “chord 64a”, and the connection between slider 54 and pulley 56b will be referred to as “chord 64b”.

[0072] The measuring unit 150 is configured to acquire a signal (hereinafter referred to as a "vibration signal") corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 58 of the horizontal drive unit 50. Specifically, the measuring unit 150 acquires a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 58, which is generated in conjunction with the movement (conveyor action) of the holding arm 20 based on the horizontal drive unit 50. The measuring unit 150 acquires, for example, the sound waves (air vibrations) generated by the vibration of the conveyor belt 58. The measuring unit 150 is disposed close to the conveyor belt 58 in the conveyor unit A3 (inside the housing 52). The measuring unit 150 may have two sensors (sensors 92 and 94) for measuring sound waves. Sensors 92 and 94 have the same function as each other.

[0073] like Figure 5As shown in (b), sensors 92 and 94 are configured with a distance between them and the conveyor belt 58. In one example, sensors 92 and 94 are arranged along the Z-axis. That is, in the Z-axis direction, sensors 92, the conveyor belt 58, and 94 are arranged sequentially. Sensors 92 and 94 are respectively positioned to acquire sound waves from the conveyor belt 58. The distance between sensors 92 and the conveyor belt 58 in the Z-axis direction is approximately equal to the distance between sensors 94 and the conveyor belt 58 in the Z-axis direction. Sensor 92 acquires sound wave SW1 propagating from the conveyor belt 58 in the positive Z-axis direction, and sensor 94 acquires sound wave SW2 propagating from the conveyor belt 58 in the negative Z-axis direction. In one example, sensors 92 and 94 are MEMS (Micro ElectroMechanical Systems) microphones. The measurement unit 150 (each of sensors 92 and 94) outputs electrical signals corresponding to sound waves SW1 and SW2 to the control device 100.

[0074] Measuring units 150 (sensors 92, 94) are positioned near pulley 56a, which is connected to motor 62. In one example, the measuring unit 150 is positioned at a distance less than one-third of the distance between pulley 56a and pulley 56b in the Y-axis direction. Measuring unit 150 is, for example, as shown below... Figure 5 As shown in (a), the slider 54 is positioned near the pulley 56a in the chord 64a of the first part 58a. In this case, the slider 54 is configured to move between a position that does not interfere with the measuring unit 150 and a position that does not interfere with the pulley 56b.

[0075] In the above structure, along the movement path of the conveyor belt 58 (the movement trajectory of the conveyor belt 58 accompanying the movement of the conveyor belt 58 based on the motor 62), pulleys 56a, measuring unit 150, slider 54, and pulleys 56b are arranged sequentially. Furthermore, the regions in the conveyor belt 58 corresponding to the first part 58a and the second part 58b (chords 64a and 64b) vary depending on the position of the slider 54 in the Y-axis direction. However, regardless of where the slider 54 is positioned within the movement range, the above-described arrangement relationship (along the movement path of the conveyor belt 58) of pulleys 56a, measuring unit 150, slider 54, and pulleys 56b remains true.

[0076] The horizontal drive unit 50 illustrated above is used, for example, when moving a workpiece W between processing units of the processing module 12. In one example, the horizontal drive unit 50 can be used when moving a workpiece W from a liquid treatment unit U1 located at a first position (counting from the positive Y-axis) to a heat treatment unit U2 located at a third position (see reference 1). Figure 3)。Specifically, while the root end portion of the transfer unit A3 is disposed at a position overlapping with the base 48, the holding arm 20 is moved from a position opposite to the liquid processing unit U1 in the X-axis direction (a position overlapping in the Y-axis direction), which is the starting point of movement, to a position opposite to the heat treatment unit U2 in the X-axis direction, which is the target point of movement, by the horizontal drive unit 50. At this time, Figure 5 the slider 54 shown in (a) of Figure 5 moves from the pulley 56b to the pulley 56a (measurement unit 150). When the holding arm 20 is moved in the positive Y-axis direction by the horizontal drive unit 50, the slider 54 moves from the pulley 56a (measurement unit 150) to the pulley 56b.

[0077] <Z-axis direction>

[0078] Figure 6 The details of the lifting drive unit 70 that shifts the holding arm 20 in the Z-axis direction are shown in (a) of . Figure 6 One of the pair of portions of the lifting drive unit 70 that are separated by the base 48 in the Y-axis direction is shown in (a) of Figure 6 (see also Figure 3 ). The lifting drive unit 70 includes a conveyor belt disposed in such a manner that at least a part thereof extends in the Z-axis direction, and the holding arm 20 is shifted in the Z-axis direction by moving this conveyor belt. The lifting drive unit 70 has, for example, a housing 72, pulleys 76a, 76b, a conveyor belt 78, a motor 82, and a slider 74.

[0079] The housing 72 houses each element included in the lifting drive unit 70. The housing 72 is formed in a manner that extends in the Z-axis direction. An opening 72a is provided in the wall of the housing 72 that faces the base 48. A part of the slider 74 protrudes from the opening 72a to the outside of the housing 72.

[0080] The pulley 76a (first pulley) and the pulley 76b (second pulley) are arranged in the Z-axis direction. The height position of the pulley 76a is lower than the height position of the pulley 76b. The pulleys 76a, 76b are disposed, for example, at each end in the Z-axis direction within the housing 72. The pulleys 76a, 76b are respectively provided rotatably around a rotation axis in the X-axis direction within the housing 72. The conveyor belt 78 is stretched between the pulleys 76a, 76b. The conveyor belt 78 is, for example, a synchronous conveyor belt. The motor 82 is a power source that generates rotational torque. The motor 82 is, for example, a servo motor. The motor 82 is connected to the pulley 76a and rotates the pulley 76a. When the torque (driving force) generated by the motor 82 is transmitted to the pulley 76a, the conveyor belt 78 stretched between the pulleys 76a, 76b moves in the Z-axis direction.

[0081] The slider 74 is, for example, as Figure 6As shown in (a), the slider 74 is formed in a manner extending in the Y-axis direction. The root end of the slider 74 in the Y-axis direction (the end farther from the base 48) is connected to the conveyor belt 78 within the housing 72. The front end of the slider 74 in the Y-axis direction (the end closer to the base 48) protrudes outside the housing 72 through the opening 72a. For example, the side of one end of the base 48 is connected to the front end of the slider 74. In this way, the slider 74 is connected to the holding arm 20 via other components and moves together with the holding arm 20. The conveyor belt 78 moves in the Z-axis direction by means of torque generated by the motor 82, thereby causing the slider 74 (base 48) connected to the conveyor belt 78 to reciprocate in the Z-axis direction. As the slider 74 (base 48) moves in the Z-axis direction, the holding arm 20 and the workpiece W also move in the Z-axis direction.

[0082] In the lifting drive unit 70 described above, the slider 74 is configured to move between pulleys 76a and 76b. When the slider 74 is positioned between pulleys 76a and 76b, the conveyor belt 78 includes: a first portion 78a extending along the Z-axis and connecting pulleys 76a and 76b; and a second portion 78b extending along the Z-axis and connecting pulleys 76a and 76b. The first portion 78a and the second portion 78b are arranged in a Y-axis direction and are substantially parallel to each other. Figure 5 In the example shown in (a), a slider 74 is connected in part 1 78a.

[0083] The measuring unit 170 is configured to acquire vibration signals corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 78 of the lifting drive unit 70. Specifically, the measuring unit 170 can acquire vibration signals corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 78, which is generated in conjunction with the movement (conveyor action) of the holding arm 20 based on the lifting drive unit 70. The measuring unit 170, for example, acquires sound waves generated by the vibration of the conveyor belt 78. The measuring unit 170 is disposed close to the conveyor belt 78 in the conveyor unit A3 (inside the housing 72). Like the measuring unit 150 described above, the measuring unit 170 may also have two sensors (sensors 92, 94) for measuring sound waves.

[0084] The sensors 92 and 94 of the measuring unit 170 are configured with a distance between them and the conveyor belt 78. In one example, the sensors 92 and 94 are arranged along the Y-axis. That is, the sensors 92, the conveyor belt 78, and the sensors 94 are arranged sequentially along the Y-axis. The measuring unit 170 (each of the sensors 92 and 94) outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the acoustic waves SW1 and SW2 from the conveyor belt 78 to the control device 100.

[0085] The measurement unit 170 (sensors 92, 94) may be configured near the pulley 76a that connects to the motor 82. The measurement unit 170 is, for example, configured near the pulley 76a in the second part 78b that is not connected to the slider 74 as shown in (a) of Figure 6 . In this case, since the slider 74 does not interfere with the measurement unit 170, it is configured to be able to move between a position that does not interfere with the pulley 76a and a position that does not interfere with the pulley 76b. The measurement unit 170 may be configured at a position where the distance between it and the pulley 76a is 1 / 3 or less of the distance in the Z-axis direction between the pulley 76a and the pulley 76b. The distance between the configured position (fixed position) of the measurement unit 170 and the pulley 56a may be of the same degree as the distance between the upper end of the slider 74 and the pulley 56a when the slider 74 is at the limit position closest to the pulley 76a within the movement range of the slider 74, or may be smaller than it.

[0086] In the above structure, the measurement unit 170, the pulley 76a, the slider 74, and the pulley 76b are arranged in sequence along the movement path of the conveyor belt 78. In addition, the regions of the conveyor belt 78 corresponding to the first part 78a and the second part 78b change according to the position of the slider 74 in the Z-axis direction. However, regardless of the position of the slider 74 within the movement range, the above-described arrangement relationship (the arrangement relationship along the movement path of the conveyor belt 78) of the measurement unit 170, the pulley 76a, the slider 74, and the pulley 76b holds.

[0087] The lifting drive unit 70 exemplified above is used, for example, when moving the holding arm 20 during the transfer of the workpiece W with the processing unit. In one example, when the conveying unit A3 is in a state where the root end portion of the holding arm 20 is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the base 48 (the state where the front end portion of the holding arm 20 is located within the processing unit), the lifting drive unit 70 moves the holding arm 20 from one height position to a lower height position. At this time, Figure 6 the slider 74 shown in (a) of

[0088] <X-axis direction>

[0089] In Figure 6 (b) shows the horizontal drive unit 30 that displaces the holding arm 20 in the X-axis direction. The horizontal drive unit 30 includes a conveyor belt at least partially arranged in the X-axis direction, and the holding arm 20 is displaced in the X-axis direction by moving this conveyor belt. The horizontal drive unit 30, for example, has a housing 32, pulleys 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, a conveyor belt 38, a motor 42, and a slider 34.

[0090] The housing 32 houses the various components included in the horizontal drive unit 30. The housing 32 is formed to extend along the X-axis direction. For example, an opening 32a is provided in the upper wall of the housing 32. A portion of the slider 34 protrudes from the opening 32a outside the housing 32.

[0091] Pulleys 36a (first pulley) and 36b (second pulley) are arranged along the X-axis. The distance between pulley 36a and the liquid treatment unit U1 (heat treatment unit U2) in the X-axis direction is smaller than the distance between pulley 36b and the liquid treatment unit U1. Pulleys 36a and 36b are, for example, disposed at each end of the housing 32 in the X-axis direction. Pulleys 36c and 36d are disposed between pulleys 36a and 36b in the X-axis direction and below pulleys 36a and 36b in the Z-axis direction. The height of pulley 36c is higher than the height of pulley 36d. In the X-axis direction, pulleys 36a, 36c, 36d, and 36b are arranged sequentially. Pulleys 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d are rotatably disposed within the housing 32 about a rotation axis in the Y-axis direction.

[0092] Conveyor belt 38 is mounted on pulleys 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d. Conveyor belt 38 is, for example, a synchronous conveyor belt. Motor 42 is the power source that generates rotational torque. Motor 42 is, for example, a servo motor. Motor 42 is connected to pulley 36d, causing pulley 36d to rotate. When the torque (driving force) generated by motor 42 is transmitted to pulley 36d, conveyor belt 38 mounted on pulleys 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d moves along the X-axis between pulleys 36a and 36b.

[0093] Slider 34, for example Figure 6 As shown in (b), the slider 34 is formed in a manner extending in the Z-axis direction. The root end (the lower end) of the slider 34 in the Z-axis direction is connected to the conveyor belt 38 within the housing 32. The front end (the upper end) of the slider 34 in the Z-axis direction protrudes outside the housing 32 through the opening 32a. For example, the root end of the retaining arm 20 (the portion of the retaining arm 20 that does not hold the workpiece W) is connected to the front end of the slider 34. In this way, the slider 34 is connected to the retaining arm 20 and moves together with the retaining arm 20. The conveyor belt 38 moves in the X-axis direction by the torque generated by the motor 42, thereby causing the slider 34 (retaining arm 20) connected to the conveyor belt 38 to also reciprocate in the X-axis direction. As the slider 34 (retaining arm 20) moves in the X-axis direction, the workpiece W held by the retaining arm 20 also moves in the X-axis direction.

[0094] In the horizontal drive unit 30 described above, the slider 34 is configured to move between pulleys 36a and 36b. When the slider 34 is positioned between pulleys 36a and 36b, the conveyor belt 38 includes: a first portion 38a extending along the X-axis and connecting pulleys 36a and 36b; and a second portion 38b connecting pulleys 36a and 36b. Viewed from the Y-axis direction, the second portion 38b is inclined relative to the first portion 38a. As shown in... Figure 6 In the example shown in (b), a slider 34 is connected in part 1 38a.

[0095] The measuring unit 130 is configured to acquire vibration signals corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 38 of the horizontal drive unit 30. Specifically, the measuring unit 130 acquires vibration signals corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 38, which is generated in conjunction with the movement (conveyor action) of the holding arm 20 based on the horizontal drive unit 30. The measuring unit 130 acquires, for example, sound waves generated by the vibration of the conveyor belt 38. The measuring unit 130 is disposed close to the conveyor belt 38 in the conveyor unit A3 (inside the housing 32). Like the measuring unit 150 described above, the measuring unit 130 may also have two sensors (sensors 92, 94) for measuring sound waves.

[0096] Sensors 92 and 94 of the measuring unit 130 are configured with a distance between them and the conveyor belt 38. In one example, sensors 92 and 94 are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the second portion 38b of the conveyor belt 38. That is, sensors 92, the conveyor belt 38, and sensors 94 are arranged sequentially in a direction orthogonal to the second portion 38b. The measuring unit 130 (each of sensors 92 and 94) outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the acoustic waves SW1 and SW2 from the conveyor belt 38 to the control device 100.

[0097] The measuring unit 130 (sensors 92, 94) can be configured between pulleys 36a and 36d. The measuring unit 130 is, for example, as shown in... Figure 6 As shown in (b), the slider 34 is positioned approximately at the center between pulley 36a and pulley 36d in the second part 38b, where the slider 34 is not connected (approximately at the center, near pulley 36a). In this case, the slider 34 does not interfere with the measuring unit 130, and is therefore configured to move between a position that does not interfere with pulley 36a and a position that does not interfere with pulley 36b.

[0098] In the above structure, the measuring unit 130, pulley 36a, slider 34, and pulleys 36b, 36c, and 36d are arranged sequentially along the movement path of the conveyor belt 38. Furthermore, the regions in the conveyor belt 38 corresponding to the first part 38a and the second part 38b vary depending on the position of the slider 34 in the X-axis direction. However, regardless of the position of the slider 34 within the movement range, the above-described arrangement relationship (along the movement path of the conveyor belt 38) of the measuring unit 130, pulley 36a, slider 34, and pulleys 36b, 36c, and 36d remains unchanged.

[0099] The horizontal drive unit 30 illustrated above is used, for example, when moving the holding arm 20 to feed or eject the workpiece W into or out of the processing unit. In one example, the conveying unit A3, in a state where it is opposite the processing unit at the feeding or ejection target in the X-axis direction, moves the holding arm 20 from a position where its root end overlaps with the base 48 to a position where its root end does not overlap with the base 48. At this time, Figure 6 In (b), the slider 34 moves from pulley 36b to pulley 36a. When the holding arm 20 moves in the negative X-axis direction via the horizontal drive unit 30, the slider 34 moves from pulley 36a to pulley 36b.

[0100] (Control device)

[0101] Below, refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 An example of the control device 100 will be described below. The control device 100 controls the coating and developing apparatus 2. The control device 100 controls at least the liquid processing unit U1, the heat treatment unit U2, the transport unit A3, and the measurement units 130, 150, and 170. The control device 100 has, for example, a processing control unit 202 and an inspection control unit 204 as a functional structure (hereinafter referred to as a "functional module"). The inspection control unit 204 has a signal acquisition unit 212, a data extraction unit 214, a frequency calculation unit 216, a storage unit 218, a status judgment unit 220, and an output unit 222. The processing performed by each functional module is equivalent to the processing performed by the control device 100.

[0102] The processing control unit 202 performs process processing on multiple workpieces W. Process processing refers to a series of processes (e.g., a series of processes from the formation of the lower film to the development process) performed sequentially on multiple workpieces W in the coating and developing apparatus 2 within a specified period. Process processing includes a first process where a processing unit such as a liquid treatment unit U1 (heat treatment unit U2) performs a prescribed treatment (e.g., liquid treatment or heat treatment) on the multiple workpieces W. Furthermore, process processing includes a second process where a processing unit such as the liquid treatment unit U1 uses a conveying unit A3 to feed and transport the multiple workpieces W in and out of the container.

[0103] The second process includes: a displacement process in which the holding arm 20 is moved along the X-axis direction by the horizontal drive unit 30; a displacement process in which the holding arm 20 is moved along the Y-axis direction by the horizontal drive unit 50; and a displacement process in which the holding arm 20 is moved along the Z-axis direction by the lifting drive unit 70. Each of these three displacement processes includes: a displacement process in which the holding arm 20 is moved in the positive direction of each axis; and a displacement process in which the holding arm 20 is moved in the negative direction of each axis.

[0104] The signal acquisition unit 212 acquires vibration signals corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt from the measurement units 130, 150, and 170, respectively. For example, the signal acquisition unit 212 calculates the difference between two electrical signals corresponding to sound waves SW1 and SW2 based on the sensors 92 and 94 of each measurement unit, thereby acquiring the vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt. The signal acquisition unit 212 acquires vibration signals during the execution of the process. For example, during the operation of the coating and developing apparatus 2, the signal acquisition unit 212 acquires vibration signals without stopping the series of processes performed by the coating and developing apparatus 2 (the operation of the apparatus). In one example, after the displacement process of each axis is completed, the signal acquisition unit 212 holds the arm 20 in a stopped state and acquires the vibration signal (the vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the displacement in the displacement process) from the conveyor belt of the drive unit corresponding to the displacement process.

[0105] The data extraction unit 214 extracts usage data (hereinafter referred to as "analysis data") for conveyor belt inspection from the vibration signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit 212. For example, the data extraction unit 214 extracts data from the vibration signal from the time elapsed after a first predetermined time following the completion of the shifting process (after the holding arm 20 stops) to the time elapsed after a second predetermined time following the completion of the first predetermined time. The first and second predetermined times are preset to allow the measurement of the intensity of the sound wave corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt after the shifting process. For example, the first predetermined time is set to the level of tens to hundreds of milliseconds, and the second predetermined time is set to the level of several milliseconds to tens of milliseconds.

[0106] The frequency calculation unit 216 calculates the frequency of the conveyor belt based on the analysis data extracted by the data extraction unit 214. For example, the frequency calculation unit 216 calculates the spectrum by performing a Fast Fourier Transform on the analysis data, and detects (calculates) the frequency with the largest amplitude from the spectrum as the frequency of the conveyor belt.

[0107] The storage unit 218 stores the frequency of the conveyor belt vibration calculated by the frequency calculation unit 216 for each axis. The storage unit 218 stores the frequency of the conveyor belt repeatedly calculated by the frequency calculation unit 216 for each axis during a specified period. The specified period is preset, for example, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month or several months, or it can be the period from the start of operation of the coating and developing apparatus 2 until it stops operating for maintenance or other reasons.

[0108] The status determination unit 220 determines the state of the conveyor belt for each axis based on the vibration signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit 212. For example, the status determination unit 220 determines whether the conveyor belt's state is abnormal based on calculations of the conveyor belt's frequency stored in the storage unit 218 for each axis. In this invention, abnormal conveyor belt state includes not only cases where the conveyor belt has already malfunctioned, but also cases where it is close to a malfunctioning state (i.e., cases where there is a high probability that it will not work if it continues to be used as is).

[0109] The output unit 222 outputs a signal (hereinafter referred to as an "abnormal signal") indicating that the conveyor belt on that axis is in an abnormal state, based on the judgment result of the state judgment unit 220 for each axis. For example, if the output unit 222 indicates that the conveyor belt is in an abnormal state based on the judgment result of the state judgment unit 220, it outputs an abnormal signal to a monitor used to notify operators, etc. Alternatively, if the output unit 222 indicates that the conveyor belt is in an abnormal state based on the judgment result of the state judgment unit 220, it outputs an abnormal signal to the processing control unit 202 in order to stop a series of processes (processing) performed by the coating and developing apparatus 2.

[0110] The control device 100 comprises one or more control computers. For example, the control device 100 has... Figure 8 The circuit 240 shown has one or more processors 242, memory 244, storage 246, input / output ports 248, and timers 252. Memory 246 may be a storage medium capable of being read by a computer, such as a hard disk. The storage medium stores a program for causing the control device 100 to execute the substrate processing method described later. The storage medium may be a removable medium such as non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk, or an optical disk. Memory 244 temporarily stores the program loaded from the storage medium of memory 246 and the calculation results of processor 242.

[0111] The processor 242 and memory 244 work together to execute the above program. The input / output port 248, according to instructions from the processor 242, inputs and outputs electrical signals between itself and the liquid processing unit U1, the transport unit A3, and the measurement units 130, 150, 170, etc. The timer 252, for example, counts standard pulses of a certain period to measure elapsed time. Furthermore, the hardware structure of the control device 100 can be constructed from dedicated logic circuits or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) integrating such logic circuits.

[0112] [Substrate Processing Methods]

[0113] Below, refer to Figure 9 As an example of a substrate processing method, the coating and developing process performed in the coating and developing apparatus 2 will be described. Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a coating and development process including exposure processing, showing the process of coating and developing a single workpiece W. First, the processing control unit 202 of the control device 100 controls the transport unit A1 to transport the workpiece W in the carrier C to the shelf unit U10, and controls the transport unit A7 to place the workpiece W in the chamber of the processing module 11.

[0114] Next, the processing control unit 202 controls the processing module 11 to form a lower film on the front surface Wa of the workpiece W (step S01). In step S01, for example, the processing control unit 202 controls the conveying unit A3 to convey the workpiece W from the shelf unit U10 to the liquid treatment unit U1. Then, the processing control unit 202 controls the liquid treatment unit U1 to form a coating film of the processing liquid for lower film formation on the front surface Wa of the workpiece W. The processing control unit 202 controls the conveying unit A3 to convey the workpiece W with the coating film to the heat treatment unit U2. Then, the processing control unit 202 controls the heat treatment unit U2 to form a lower film on the front surface Wa of the workpiece W. Afterwards, the processing control unit 202 controls the conveying unit A3 to return the workpiece W with the lower film formed to the shelf unit U10, and controls the conveying unit A7 to place the workpiece W in the chamber of the processing module 12.

[0115] Next, the processing control unit 202 controls the processing module 12 to form a resist film on the front surface Wa of the workpiece W after the lower layer film has been formed (step S02). In step S02, for example, the processing control unit 202 controls the conveying unit A3 to convey the workpiece W from the shelf unit U10 to any liquid treatment unit U1 within the processing module 12. Then, the processing control unit 202 controls the liquid treatment unit U1 to form a resist coating film on the front surface Wa of the workpiece W. The processing control unit 202 controls the conveying unit A3 to convey the workpiece W with the resist coating film to the heat treatment unit U2. Then, the processing control unit 202 controls the heat treatment unit U2 to form a resist film on the front surface Wa of the workpiece W. Afterwards, the processing control unit 202 controls the conveying unit A3 to return the workpiece W with the resist film formed to the shelf unit U10, and controls the conveying unit A7 to place the workpiece W in the chamber of the processing module 13.

[0116] Next, the processing control unit 202 controls the processing module 13 to form an upper film on the front surface Wa of the workpiece W after the resist film has been formed (step S03). In step S03, for example, the processing control unit 202 controls the conveying unit A3 to convey the workpiece W to the liquid treatment unit U1. Then, the processing control unit 202 controls the liquid treatment unit U1 to form a coating film of the processing liquid for upper film formation on the front surface Wa of the workpiece W. The processing control unit 202 controls the conveying unit A3 to convey the workpiece W with the coating film formed to the heat treatment unit U2. Then, the processing control unit 202 controls the heat treatment unit U2 to form an upper film on the front surface Wa of the workpiece W. After that, the processing control unit 202 controls the conveying unit A3 to convey the workpiece W with the upper film formed to the shelf unit U11.

[0117] Next, the processing control unit 202 controls the transport unit A8 to send the workpiece W from the shelf unit U11 to the exposure apparatus 3. Then, a control device different from the control device 100 controls the exposure apparatus 3 to perform exposure treatment on the workpiece W on which a resist film has been formed (step S04). Afterward, the processing control unit 202 controls the transport unit A8 to receive the workpiece W that has undergone exposure treatment from the exposure apparatus 3 and arrange it in the chamber for the processing module 14 in the shelf unit U11.

[0118] Next, the processing control unit 202 controls the processing module 14 to perform a developing process on the workpiece W after the exposure process (step S05). In step S05, for example, after the processing control unit 202 controls the transport unit A3 to transport the workpiece W to the heat treatment unit U2, it controls the heat treatment unit U2 to perform a pre-development heat treatment on the resist film of the workpiece W. Then, after the processing control unit 202 controls the transport unit A3 to transport the workpiece W, which has undergone the pre-development heat treatment, to the liquid treatment unit U1, it controls the liquid treatment unit U1 to perform a developing process on the resist film of the workpiece W.

[0119] Next, the processing control unit 202 controls the conveying unit A3 to convey the workpiece W, which has undergone developing treatment, to the heat treatment unit U2, and then controls the heat treatment unit U2 to perform post-development heat treatment on the resist film of the workpiece W. Then, the processing control unit 202 controls the conveying unit A3 to return the workpiece W to the shelf unit U10, and controls the conveying units A7 and A1 to return the workpiece W to the carrier C. Through this process, the coating and developing treatment of one workpiece W is completed.

[0120] In the substrate processing method illustrated above, the control device 100 (inspection control unit 204) detects the state of the conveyor belt of each drive unit in parallel with the respective transport actions (shifting processes) of multiple workpieces W in a series of process processes performed by the coating and developing apparatus 2. Each transport action of the workpiece W includes shifting processes of the holding arm 20 that does not hold the state of the workpiece W, and shifting processes of the holding arm 20 that holds the state of the workpiece W. After the control device 100 performs the shifting process of the holding arm 20 in the X-axis direction, it uses the measuring unit 130 to check the state of the conveyor belt 38 of the horizontal drive unit 30. After the control device 100 performs the shifting process of the holding arm 20 in the Y-axis direction, it uses the measuring unit 150 to check the state of the conveyor belt 58 of the horizontal drive unit 50. After the control device 100 performs the shifting process of the holding arm 20 in the Z-axis direction, it uses the measuring unit 170 to check the state of the conveyor belt 78 of the lifting drive unit 70.

[0121] Figure 10 The middle part represents Figure 9 This is an example of a timing diagram showing the conveying action (shifting process) of the holding arm 20 and the inspection of the conveyor belt that accompanies the conveying action in the resist film formation process of step S02. In a part of step S02, for example, the processing control unit 202 of the control device 100 sequentially executes a delivery action of sending the workpiece W out of the liquid treatment unit U1, a movement action of moving the workpiece W from the liquid treatment unit U1 to the heat treatment unit U2, and a feeding action of feeding the workpiece W into the heat treatment unit U2.

[0122] In the delivery operation of sending the workpiece W out of the liquid treatment unit U1, the "X-axis extension" operation is performed first. In this X-axis extension operation, when the workpiece W is not held by the holding arm 20, and the holding arm 20 is positioned opposite the liquid treatment unit U1 in the X-axis direction (overlapping in the Y-axis direction), the processing control unit 202 of the control device 100 performs a displacement process (first displacement process) by moving the holding arm 20 in the positive direction in the X-axis direction via the horizontal drive unit 30.

[0123] Then, a "Z-axis up" operation is performed. During this Z-axis up operation, the processing control unit 202 executes a displacement process (second displacement process) via the lifting drive unit 70 (second drive unit) to move the holding arm 20 in the positive direction of the Z-axis (second direction) to receive the workpiece W from the liquid processing unit U1. During a period that overlaps at least a portion with the execution period of the displacement process performed by the lifting drive unit 70, an "X-axis inspection" is performed. During this X-axis inspection, the inspection control unit 204 acquires a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 38 of the horizontal drive unit 30 caused by the displacement in the previous displacement process (X-axis extension operation) in the positive X-axis direction, and performs an inspection of the conveyor belt 38 based on the acquired vibration signal (e.g., frequency calculation and storage). Afterward, an "X-axis pull-back" operation is performed. During this X-axis pull-back operation, the processing control unit 202 implements a displacement process to move the holding arm 20 holding the workpiece W in the negative X-axis direction.

[0124] Next, during the movement of the workpiece W from the liquid treatment unit U1 to the heat treatment unit U2, a "Y-axis movement" is performed. During this Y-axis movement, the processing control unit 202 performs a displacement process (first displacement process) by means of the horizontal drive unit 50, which moves the holding arm 20 in the negative Y-axis direction.

[0125] Next, in the feeding operation of the workpiece W into the heat treatment unit U2, an "X-axis extension" operation is performed first. During this X-axis extension operation, the processing control unit 202 executes a displacement process (second displacement process) via the horizontal drive unit 30 (second drive unit) to shift the holding arm 20 holding the workpiece W in the positive direction in the X-axis direction (second direction). During a period that overlaps at least a portion of the execution period of the displacement process executed by the horizontal drive unit 30, a "Y-axis inspection" is performed. During this Y-axis inspection, the inspection control unit 204 acquires a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 58 of the horizontal drive unit 50 caused by the displacement in the previous displacement process (Y-axis operation) in the negative Y-axis direction, and inspects the conveyor belt 58 based on the acquired vibration signal.

[0126] Then, a "Z-axis down" operation is performed. During this Z-axis down operation, the processing control unit 202 executes a displacement process via the lifting drive unit 70 to shift the holding arm 20 in the negative direction of the Z-axis, so as to deliver the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 to the heat treatment unit U2 (second displacement process). During a period that overlaps with at least a portion of the execution of the displacement process executed by the lifting drive unit 70, an "X-axis inspection" is performed. During this X-axis inspection, the inspection control unit 204 acquires a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 38 of the horizontal drive unit 30 caused by the displacement in the previous displacement process in the positive X-axis direction (displacement process in the positive X-axis direction holding the workpiece W), and performs an inspection of the conveyor belt 38 based on the acquired vibration signal (e.g., frequency calculation and storage).

[0127] Next, an "X-axis pull-back" operation is performed. During this X-axis pull-back operation, the processing control unit 202 performs a displacement process (second displacement process) via the horizontal drive unit 30 to shift the holding arm 20, which is not holding the workpiece W, in the negative X-axis direction. During a period that overlaps at least a portion of the execution of the displacement process performed by the lifting drive unit 70, a "Z-axis check" is performed. During this Z-axis check, the check control unit 204 acquires a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 78 of the lifting drive unit 70 caused by the displacement in the previous displacement process (Z-axis descent operation) in the negative Z-axis direction, and performs a check on the conveyor belt 78 based on the acquired vibration signal (e.g., frequency calculation and storage). In this manner, the feeding operation of the workpiece W into the heat treatment unit U2 is completed.

[0128] Subsequently, the control device 100 repeatedly performs the same conveying action and check. In the above check, the check control unit 204 may repeatedly calculate and store the frequency of the conveyor belt 38 of the horizontal drive unit 30 during the negative X-axis conveying action, but not during the positive X-axis conveying action. Alternatively, the check control unit 204 may repeatedly calculate the frequency of the conveyor belt 38 during the positive X-axis conveying action, but not during the negative X-axis conveying action. Furthermore, unlike the above example, the check control unit 204 may calculate the frequency of the conveyor belt 38 during the positive X-axis (negative X-axis) conveying action in either the state where the holding arm 20 holds the workpiece W or the state where the workpiece W is not held, but not during the positive X-axis (negative X-axis) conveying action in the other state, but not during the positive X-axis (negative X-axis) conveying action. Regarding the inspection of conveying actions in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction, the inspection control unit 204 can also repeatedly calculate the frequency of the conveyor belt in the same action (or the same action and state) as in the X-axis direction.

[0129] Below, refer to Figure 11 and Figure 12 The inspection of the conveyor belt in the drive unit of one shaft is explained. Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process (inspection method) for inspecting conveyor belt 38 by repeatedly calculating the frequency during the conveying action (displacement processing) in the positive X-axis direction.

[0130] In this inspection method, firstly, the control device 100 stands still until the displacement process in the positive X-axis direction is completed (step S21). In step S21, for example, the inspection control unit 204 stands still until the movement of the holding arm 20 to a position where the root end of the holding arm 20 does not overlap with the base 48 stops. In one example, the inspection control unit 204 obtains information from the processing control unit 202 that the rotation of the horizontal drive unit 30 based on the motor 62 has stopped.

[0131] In step S21, when it is determined that the displacement process has ended (step S21: YES), the control device 100 acquires a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 38 caused by the displacement process in the positive X-axis direction (step S22). For example, the signal acquisition unit 212 acquires the vibration signal from the measurement unit 130 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the end of the displacement process in the positive X-axis direction. In executing step S22, the processing control unit 202 can perform displacement processing on axes other than the X-axis direction, or the processing unit can perform processing on the workpiece W.

[0132] Next, the control device 100 extracts analysis data for conveyor belt inspection from the vibration signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit 212 (step S23). For example... Figure 12 As shown in (a), for example, the data extraction unit 214 extracts data from the vibration signal during the period from the end time of the self-displacement process (the stopping time of the holding arm 20) to a second predetermined time t2, and uses this data as analysis data. The first predetermined time t1 and the second predetermined time t2 are preset based on the time that allows measurement of the sound waves generated by the vibration of the conveyor belt due to the displacement of the holding arm 20. The first predetermined time t1 is set to the time from the end time of the displacement process to the start of vibration assuming the stopping of the holding arm 20 (slider) in a portion of the conveyor belt near the inspection mechanism. The second predetermined time t2 is set to the duration of the vibration of the conveyor belt assuming the stopping of the holding arm 20 (slider).

[0133] Next, the control device 100 calculates the frequency of the vibration of the conveyor belt 38 caused by the shifting process in step S21 based on the analysis data extracted by the data extraction unit 214 (step S24). For example, the frequency calculation unit 216 calculates the frequency of the vibration by performing a fast Fourier transform on the analysis data. Figure 12 The spectrum shown in (b) is then used. The frequency calculation unit 216 then calculates the frequency of maximum amplitude from the calculated spectrum. Figure 12 In the example shown in (b), frequency f1) is used as the frequency of conveyor belt 38. Next, the control device 100 (storage unit 218) stores information representing the calculated frequency of conveyor belt 38 (step S25).

[0134] Next, the control device 100 determines whether a predetermined period has elapsed since a pre-determined reference time point (step S26). In step S26, for example, the control device 100 determines whether a predetermined period (e.g., 1 day) has elapsed since the start of operation of the coating and developing apparatus 2. If it is determined in step S26 that the predetermined period has not elapsed (step S26: No), the control device 100 repeatedly executes steps S21 to S26. As a result, during the period when the processing control unit 202 repeatedly executes the shift processing, the control device 100 (inspection control unit 204) acquires a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 38 caused by the shift in the shift processing for each shift processing. Then, the inspection control unit 204 calculates the frequency of the conveyor belt 38 for each shift processing and stores the calculated frequency. As a result, multiple measurement values ​​of the frequency of the conveyor belt 38 are stored in the storage unit 218.

[0135] Next, the control device 100 calculates the frequency (hereinafter referred to as the "judgment frequency") for determining the state of the conveyor belt 38 (step S27). In step S27, for example, the state determination unit 220 calculates statistical data related to multiple frequency measurements stored during a specified period as the judgment frequency. In one example, the state determination unit 220 calculates the average, median, lower limit, upper limit, or standard deviation of multiple measurements related to the frequency of the conveyor belt 38 as the judgment frequency.

[0136] Next, the control device 100 (state determination unit 220) determines whether the judgment frequency is lower than a predetermined threshold (step S28). The threshold is preset, for example, based on a value obtained by measuring the frequency of the conveyor belt when the tension of the conveyor belt is intentionally reduced. In step S28, if it is determined that the judgment frequency is lower than the aforementioned threshold (step S28: Yes), the control device 100 outputs an abnormal signal indicating that the state of the conveyor belt 38 is abnormal (step S29).

[0137] In step S29, for example, the output unit 222 outputs an abnormal signal indicating that the conveyor belt 38 has malfunctioned, or an abnormal signal indicating that the conveyor belt 38 is close to a malfunction. In one example, the output unit 222 outputs an abnormal signal to a monitor used to notify operators, etc. Alternatively, the output unit 222 outputs an abnormal signal to the processing control unit 202, and the processing control unit 202, upon receiving the abnormal signal, stops the process performed by the coating and developing apparatus 2. On the other hand, if it is determined that the judgment frequency is above the aforementioned threshold (step S28: No), the control device 100 does not execute step S29. In this manner, a series of processing steps related to the inspection of the conveyor belt 38 are completed.

[0138] The process described above describes the inspection of conveyor belt 38 involving the X-axis. The inspection of conveyor belt 58 involving the Y-axis and the inspection of conveyor belt 78 involving the Z-axis can be performed in the same way as the inspection of conveyor belt 38.

[0139] In step S23, the first predetermined time t1 for determining the data extraction range can be set to a different value for each axis. The first predetermined time t1 can be set based on the distance between the measuring unit and the pulley closer to the measuring unit among the two pulleys separated by the measuring unit. For example, the longer the distance between the measuring unit and the pulley, the longer the first predetermined time t1 is set to. In the example above, the distance between the pulley 36a of the horizontal drive unit 30 in the X-axis direction and the measuring unit 130 is larger than the distance between the pulley 56a of the horizontal drive unit 50 in the Y-axis direction and the measuring unit 150, and also larger than the distance between the pulley 76a of the lifting drive unit 70 in the Z-axis direction and the measuring unit 170. That is, the first predetermined time t1 involving the X-axis direction is longer than the first predetermined time t1 involving the Y-axis direction, and also longer than the first predetermined time t1 involving the Z-axis direction.

[0140] During the inspection of the conveyor belt 58 involving the Y-axis, steps S21 to S26 described above are repeated. In this case, the inspection control unit 204 may calculate the frequency of vibration of the conveyor belt 58 by processing each displacement of the holding arm 20 in the negative Y-axis direction caused by the processing control unit 202 during a specified period. Regarding the movement of the holding arm 20 in the Y-axis direction, the stopping position of the holding arm 20 (the stopping position of the slider 54) varies depending on the processing unit at the feed-in / feed-out target location. When the stopping position of the slider 54 is different, the length of a portion of the conveyor belt 58 on which the measuring unit 150 is set (the length from the slider 54 to the pulley 56a) is different, and the frequency changes regardless of whether the state of the conveyor belt 58 is abnormal.

[0141] Therefore, in step S24, the frequency calculation unit 216 may correct the frequency of the conveyor belt 58 based on the stop position of the holding arm 20 (slider 54) so ​​that the calculated frequency corresponds to the frequency at any set reference position among the stop positions. Alternatively, the frequency calculation unit 216 may use a formula that defines the relationship between the length, tension, and unit mass of a string and the natural frequency of the string to convert the frequency calculated based on the vibration signal into the frequency assuming that the slider 54 is stopped at the reference position. In this case, the storage unit 218 stores information representing the corrected frequency. Then, the state determination unit 220 determines the state of the conveyor belt 58 by comparing a statistical value related to the corrected frequency with a threshold. This threshold is determined based on the state of the conveyor belt 58 when the slider 54 is located at the reference position. As described above, the state determination unit 220 may also determine the state of the conveyor belt 58 based on the vibration signal obtained from the vibration of the conveyor belt 58, and also based on the stop position set for each shift process.

[0142] During the inspection of the conveyor belt 78 involving the Z-axis, the above steps S21 to S26 are also repeated. In this case, the inspection control unit 204 may calculate the frequency of vibration of the conveyor belt 78 by performing each shift process during a specified period, where the processing control unit 202 shifts the holding arm 20 in the negative direction (downward) of the Z-axis.

[0143] In the example above, the vibration signal is acquired from the end time of the shifting process, and a portion of the vibration signal data is extracted by the data extraction unit 214. However, the vibration signal can also be acquired by the signal acquisition unit 212 during the period used for frequency calculation. For example, the signal acquisition unit 212 may not start acquiring the vibration signal at the end time of the shifting process, but may start acquiring the vibration signal at a time point after a first predetermined time t1, and stop acquiring the vibration signal at a time point after a second predetermined time t2 has elapsed from the first predetermined time t1. In this case, the extraction of a portion of the data based on the data extraction unit 214 may not be performed. As described above, regardless of whether data is extracted, the state determination unit 220 determines the state of the conveyor belt based on the vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt after a first predetermined time t1 has elapsed since the end of the shifting process.

[0144] [Effects of the Implementation Method]

[0145] In the coating and developing apparatus 2 and the substrate processing method described above, a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt is acquired during the execution of the process, and the state of the conveyor belt is determined based on the vibration signal. In this apparatus and method, it is not necessary to stop the process performed by the coating and developing apparatus 2 in order to determine the state of the conveyor belt, thus maintaining productivity and detecting the state of the conveyor belt.

[0146] When the tension of the conveyor belt decreases due to deterioration over time, malfunctions such as conveyor belt breakage or tooth skipping may occur. The tension of the conveyor belt corresponds to its frequency; therefore, by periodically checking the conveyor belt frequency, malfunctions can be prevented. One method for checking the condition of the conveyor belt is to stop a series of processes in the coating and developing apparatus 2 and measure the conveyor belt frequency. However, when the coating and developing apparatus 2 is stopped, the productivity of workpiece W decreases. Therefore, in the aforementioned apparatus and method, the conveyor belt frequency is measured without stopping the operation of the coating and developing apparatus 2 (without stopping the process), thus allowing for the checking of the conveyor belt tension without reducing productivity.

[0147] The coating and developing apparatus 2 described above also includes an output unit 222, which outputs an abnormal signal indicating that the conveyor belt is not functioning properly, based on the judgment result of the state judgment unit 220. In this case, when the conveyor belt is judged to be in an abnormal state, different processing than when the conveyor belt is in a normal state can be performed.

[0148] In the coating and developing apparatus 2 described above, the processing control unit 202 performs a displacement process during the second processing of feeding and discharging each of the multiple workpieces W into and out of the processing unit, in which the holding arm 20 is moved along the first direction by the drive unit. The signal acquisition unit 212 acquires a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the displacement during the displacement process after the displacement process is completed. The vibration signal acquired during the displacement process contains a significant amount of information about vibrations caused by external interference. In this configuration, by acquiring the vibration signal from the end of the displacement process, the influence of external interference contained in the vibration signal can be reduced.

[0149] In the coating and developing apparatus 2 described above, the state determination unit 220 determines the state of the conveyor belt based on a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt after a predetermined time has elapsed since the end of the shifting process. Sometimes, the vibration signal acquired immediately after the shifting process ends contains residual vibration information caused by external interference. In the above configuration, the influence of external interference contained in the vibration signal can be further reduced.

[0150] In the coating and developing apparatus 2 described above, the drive unit also includes two pulleys on which at least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted. The measuring unit is positioned near the portion of the conveyor belt between the two pulleys. The predetermined time can be set based on the distance between the measuring unit and the pulley closer to it. The time until the vibration of the conveyor belt subsides depends on the length of the conveyor belt between the fixed end and the proximity position of the measuring unit. In this configuration, the predetermined time varies depending on the length of the conveyor belt between the fixed end and the measuring unit, thus allowing for appropriate determination of the state based on the vibration of the conveyor belt.

[0151] In the coating and developing apparatus 2 described above, the drive unit further includes: a first pulley and a second pulley on which at least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted; and an electric motor that rotates the first pulley to move the conveyor belt. A measuring unit is disposed near the first pulley. During the shifting process, the processing control unit moves the holding arm 20 in the direction from the second pulley to the first pulley via the drive unit. In this case, when the holding arm 20 stops during the shifting process, an inertial force is generated in the direction toward the first pulley, connecting the slider to the holding arm 20. Therefore, a compressive force is applied to a portion of the conveyor belt between the slider and the first pulley as the holding arm 20 (slider) stops. Consequently, the vibration of the portion of the conveyor belt, including the portion described above where the measuring unit is disposed, increases, making it easier to acquire vibration signals.

[0152] In the coating and developing apparatus 2 described above, the drive unit also includes a slider that moves together with the holding arm 20. The slider is connected to the conveyor belt in a manner that allows it to move between the first pulley and the second pulley. The first pulley, the measuring unit, the slider, and the second pulley are arranged sequentially along the movement path of the conveyor belt. When the slider moves from the second pulley to the first pulley, the impact that occurs when the slider stops during the shifting process increases in a portion of the conveyor belt between the first pulley and the slider, making it easier to obtain vibration signals.

[0153] In the coating and developing apparatus 2 described above, the processing control unit repeatedly performs a displacement process involving the Y-axis direction in the second process. The signal acquisition unit 212 acquires a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt 58 caused by the displacement in each displacement process. The stop position of the holding arm 20 is set to a different position for each displacement process. The state determination unit 220 also determines the state of the conveyor belt 58 based on the stop position set for each displacement process. In this case, even if the stop position of the holding arm 20 is different, the state of the conveyor belt 58 can be appropriately determined because the stop position of the holding arm 20 for each displacement process is included.

[0154] In the coating and developing apparatus 2 described above, the transport unit A3 further includes a second drive unit that shifts the holding arm 20 in a second direction. The processing control unit 202 performs a first shifting process (shifting the holding arm 20 in a first direction via the drive unit) and a second shifting process (shifting the holding arm 20 in a second direction via the second drive unit) in the second processing. The signal acquisition unit 212 acquires a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the shifting in the first shifting process, during a period that overlaps at least partially with the execution of the second shifting process. In this case, because the operation of the transport unit A3 and the inspection of the conveyor belt are performed at least partially overlapping, the impact on the process caused by the inspection of the conveyor belt can be suppressed.

[0155] In the coating and developing apparatus 2 described above, the drive unit further includes: a first pulley and a second pulley on which at least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted and arranged in a first direction; an electric motor that moves the conveyor belt by rotating the first pulley; and a slider that moves together with the holding arm 20. The slider is connected to the conveyor belt in a manner that allows it to move between the first pulley and the second pulley. The first pulley, the measuring unit, the slider, and the second pulley are arranged sequentially along the movement path of the conveyor belt. In this case, the vibration accompanying the movement of the slider in the portion of the conveyor belt between the first pulley and the slider becomes greater, thus making it easier to acquire vibration signals.

[0156] In the coating and developing apparatus 2 described above, the drive unit may also include: a first pulley and a second pulley on which at least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted and arranged in a first direction; and a slider that moves together with the holding arm 20. The slider is connected to the conveyor belt in a manner that allows it to move between the first pulley and the second pulley. The measuring unit, the first pulley, the slider, and the second pulley are arranged sequentially along the moving path of the conveyor belt. In this case, external interference applied by the slider to the portion of the conveyor belt near the measuring unit is mitigated by the first pulley, thereby reducing the influence of external interference contained in the vibration signal.

[0157] [Variation Example]

[0158] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above; however, various modifications can be made to the above embodiments within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. The conveying unit A3 may further include: other holding arms 20; and other horizontal drive units 30 that displace the other holding arms 20 at least in the X-axis direction. The horizontal drive units 30 and the other horizontal drive units 30 are arranged in a vertical direction. In this case, the coating and developing apparatus 2 may also include other measuring units 130 for inspecting the conveyor belt 38 of the other horizontal drive units 30.

[0159] The conveying unit A3 may not have any one of the three drive units: horizontal drive unit 30, horizontal drive unit 50, and lifting drive unit 70, or it may not have any two of the drive units. The drive mechanisms of the horizontal drive units 30, 50, and lifting drive unit 70 are not limited to the examples described above; the drive units only need to have a conveyor belt arranged extending in the direction of movement. In each drive unit, the conveyor belt may be supported by three or more pulleys.

[0160] Measurement units 130, 150, and 170 may not include any one of sensors 92 and 94. Furthermore, when sensors 92 and 94 are configured with the conveyor belt in between, the air vibrations caused by external interference are in phase with the sound waves SW1 acquired by sensor 92 and SW2 acquired by sensor 94, while the air vibrations caused by the conveyor belt are out of phase. Therefore, by using the difference between sound waves SW1 and SW2 as the vibration signal, a signal can be obtained where the air vibrations caused by the conveyor belt reinforce each other, while the air vibrations caused by external interference are reduced. Measurement units 130, 150, and 170 can be configured in any way as long as they can acquire a signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt.

[0161] The configuration positions of measuring units 130, 150, and 170 are not limited to the examples described above. As long as the measuring units can acquire vibration signals corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt without interfering with other components (such as sliders), they can be configured at any position along the conveyor belt's movement path. That is, the pulleys, sliders, and measuring units can be arranged in any order along the conveyor belt's movement path.

[0162] The conveyor belts of each drive unit can be inspected in the same manner as the conveyor unit A3 of the processing module 12, except for the conveyor unit A3 of the processing module 12. The coating and developing apparatus 2, as a processing unit that performs the prescribed processing on the workpiece W, may also have units that perform processing other than liquid treatment and heat treatment. For example, the coating and developing apparatus 2 may also have an inspection unit for inspecting the condition of the front side Wa, and the conveyor unit A3 can feed the workpiece W into and out of this inspection unit. The substrate processing system 1 only needs to have: at least one processing unit; a conveyor unit for feeding the workpiece W into and out of the processing unit; a measuring unit for inspecting the conveyor belts of the drive units included in the conveyor unit; and a control unit, and can be configured in any way.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that, include: A processing unit that performs specified processing on the substrate; A conveying unit having: a holding portion for holding the substrate; and a drive unit, which includes a conveyor belt and moves the holding unit in the first direction; The measuring unit, which is positioned close to the conveyor belt, is capable of acquiring a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the displacement of the holding part, the vibration signal being a vibration signal of air vibration caused by the vibration of the conveyor belt. as well as The control unit that controls the processing unit, the conveying unit, and the measuring unit. The control unit includes: A processing control unit that performs process processing, the process processing including: a first processing, which sequentially performs the prescribed processing on a plurality of substrates including the substrate through the processing unit; and a second processing, which feeds in and out of each of the plurality of substrates of the processing unit through the conveying unit; A signal acquisition unit that acquires the vibration signal from the measurement unit; and The state determination unit determines the state of the conveyor belt based on the vibration signal. The signal acquisition unit acquires the vibration signal during the execution of the process.

2. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an output unit, which outputs a signal indicating that the conveyor belt is in an abnormal state based on the judgment result of the state judgment unit.

3. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: In the second process, the processing control unit performs a shifting process in which the holding part is shifted along the first direction by the driving unit. After the shifting process is completed, the signal acquisition unit acquires the vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the shifting during the shifting process.

4. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The state determination unit determines the state of the conveyor belt based on the vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt after a predetermined time has elapsed since the end of the shifting process.

5. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The drive unit also includes two pulleys on which at least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted. The measuring unit is positioned near the portion of the conveyor belt between the two pulleys. The specified time is set based on the distance between the measuring unit and the pulley that is closer to the measuring unit among the two pulleys.

6. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The drive unit further includes: a first pulley and a second pulley on which at least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted; and an electric motor for rotating the first pulley to move the conveyor belt. The measuring unit is positioned near the first pulley. In the displacement process, the processing control unit causes the holding unit to shift in the direction from the second pulley to the first pulley via the driving unit.

7. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The driving unit also includes a slider that moves together with the holding unit. The slider is connected to the conveyor belt in a manner that allows it to move between the first pulley and the second pulley. The first pulley, the measuring unit, the slider, and the second pulley are arranged sequentially along the moving path of the conveyor belt.

8. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The processing control unit repeatedly executes the shifting process in the second process. The signal acquisition unit acquires the vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the displacement in each of the shift processes. The stopping position of the holding part is set to a different position for each of the shifting processes. The state determination unit also determines the state of the conveyor belt based on the stop position set for each of the shift processes.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The conveying unit also has a second driving unit that shifts the holding part in the second direction. The processing control unit performs the following in the second processing: a first shifting process in which the holding part is shifted in the first direction by the driving unit; and a second shifting process in which the holding part is shifted in the second direction by the second driving unit. The signal acquisition unit acquires the vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the displacement in the first shift process during a period that overlaps with at least a portion of the execution of the second shift process.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The drive unit also includes: At least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted thereon and a first pulley and a second pulley are arranged in the first direction; An electric motor that moves the conveyor belt by rotating the first pulley; and The slider moves together with the retaining part. The slider is connected to the conveyor belt in a manner that allows it to move between the first pulley and the second pulley. The first pulley, the measuring unit, the slider, and the second pulley are arranged sequentially along the moving path of the conveyor belt.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The drive unit also includes: At least a portion of the conveyor belt is mounted thereon and a first pulley and a second pulley are arranged in the first direction; and The slider moves together with the retaining part. The slider is connected to the conveyor belt in a manner that allows it to move between the first pulley and the second pulley. The measuring unit, the first pulley, the slider, and the second pulley are arranged sequentially along the moving path of the conveyor belt.

12. A substrate processing method, characterized in that, include: The process includes: a first process, which sequentially performs a prescribed process on a plurality of substrates through a processing unit; and a second process, which feeds each of the plurality of substrates of the processing unit into and out through a conveying unit including a conveyor belt. The step of acquiring a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the conveyor belt caused by the operation of the conveyor unit from a measuring unit disposed near the conveyor belt, wherein the vibration signal is a vibration signal of air vibration caused by the vibration of the conveyor belt; and The step of determining the state of the conveyor belt based on the vibration signal. The step of acquiring the vibration signal includes acquiring the vibration signal during the execution of the process.

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