Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

This invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. One aspect of the substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing unit that performs a predetermined processing on a substrate; a conveying unit having a holding portion for holding the substrate, wherein the processing unit is fed in and out of the substrate by displacing the holding portion; and a substrate inspection unit located outside the processing unit, which acquires information indicating the surface condition of the substrate held by the holding portion. According to this invention, both improved reliability of the processing results and increased productivity can be achieved.

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 film thickness measuring apparatus for measuring the film thickness of a film formed on a substrate. This film thickness measuring apparatus includes: an imaging device for photographing the surface of the substrate; and a film thickness calculation unit for calculating the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate based on the pixel values ​​of the photographed image of the substrate, which is the object of film thickness measurement. In a substrate processing system (substrate processing apparatus) equipped with this film thickness measuring apparatus, the substrate is inspected by measuring the film thickness based on the photographed image.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-215193 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] This invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and method that help to balance improved reliability and productivity of processing results.

[0008] Technical means for solving problems

[0009] A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a processing unit that performs a predetermined processing on a substrate; a conveying unit having a holding portion for holding the substrate, wherein the processing unit is fed into and out of the processing unit by displacing the holding portion for holding the substrate; and a substrate inspection unit located outside the processing unit that acquires information indicating the surface condition of the substrate held by the holding portion.

[0010] Invention Effects

[0011] According to the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method can be provided that help to balance improved reliability and productivity of the processing results. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic three-dimensional diagram 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 floor plan that schematically represents an example of a processing module.

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

[0016] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a control device.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of a control device.

[0018] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of coating and developing a process.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the inspection and processing performed when data is sent to the processing unit.

[0020] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the inspection process when data is sent out from the processing unit.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a side view schematically illustrating an example of a conveying unit.

[0022] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the inspection and processing performed when data is sent to the processing unit.

[0023] Figure 12 (a) is a plan view schematically representing an example of a conveying unit. Figure 12 (b) is a side view schematically representing an example of a conveying unit.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0025] 2……Coating and developing apparatus, U1……Liquid processing unit, A3……Transfer device, 20……Holding arm, 30……First drive unit, 50……Second drive unit, 70, 70A……Substrate inspection unit, 72, 72A……Sensor, 80……Environmental inspection unit, 90……Multi-joint arm, 100……Control device, 102……Displacement control unit, 106, 108……Inspection control unit. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same elements or elements having the same function, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0027] [Substrate Processing System]

[0028] Figure 1The 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.

[0029] The substrate processing system 1 includes a coating and developing apparatus 2 and an exposure apparatus 3. The exposure apparatus 3 is used to expose the resist film (photosensitive coating) formed on the workpiece W (substrate). Specifically, the exposure apparatus 3 uses methods such as immersion exposure to irradiate the exposed portion of the resist film with energy lines. 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 agent (solution) to form a resist film, and after the exposure treatment, it performs a developing treatment on the resist film.

[0030] (Substrate processing device)

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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 A1 with a transfer arm. The carriers C hold, for example, multiple circular workpieces W. The conveyor A1 removes the workpiece W from the carriers C and delivers it to the processing block 5, which receives the workpiece W and returns it to the carriers C. The processing block 5 has processing modules 11, 12, 13, and 14.

[0033] Processing module 11 includes a liquid treatment unit U1, a heat treatment unit U2, and a conveying device A3 for transporting workpiece W to these units. Processing module 11 uses the liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2 to form a lower film on the surface of workpiece W. The liquid treatment unit U1 applies a processing liquid for lower film formation to workpiece W. The heat treatment unit U2 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the lower film. Processing module 11 may also include an inspection unit U3 (processing unit). The inspection unit U3 acquires the state of workpiece W to inspect it. For example, the inspection unit U3 uses a camera to photograph the front, back, or periphery of workpiece W before lower film formation and outputs the captured images to control device 100.

[0034] Processing module 12 includes a liquid treatment unit U1, a heat treatment unit U2, and a conveying device A3 for transporting workpiece W to these units. Processing module 12 uses the liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2 to form a resist film on the lower film. The liquid treatment unit U1 applies a processing liquid (resist) for resist film formation to the lower film. The heat treatment unit U2 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the resist film.

[0035] Processing module 13 includes a liquid treatment unit U1, a heat treatment unit U2, and a conveying device A3 for transporting the workpiece W to these units. Processing module 13 uses the liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2 to form an upper film on the resist film. The liquid treatment unit U1 applies a treatment 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.

[0036] Processing module 14 includes a liquid treatment unit U1, a heat treatment unit U2, and a conveying device A3 for transporting workpiece W to these units. Processing module 14 uses the liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2 to perform development treatment of the resist film after exposure treatment and heat treatment accompanying development treatment. The liquid treatment unit U1 applies a developing solution 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). Processing module 14 may also include an inspection unit U3. The inspection unit U3, for example, uses a camera to photograph the front, back, or periphery of the workpiece W after development treatment (after PB), and outputs the captured images to the control device 100.

[0037] 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 chambers arranged vertically. A conveying device A7, including a lifting arm, is provided near the shelf unit U10. The conveying device A7 causes the workpiece W to move up and down between the small chambers of the shelf unit U10.

[0038] 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 vertically. 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.

[0039] 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 conveyor A8 with a transfer arm, which is connected to exposure device 3. Conveyor A8 delivers workpiece W, which is positioned in shelf unit U11, to exposure device 3. Conveyor A8 receives workpiece W from exposure device 3 and returns it to shelf unit U11.

[0040] (Conveying device)

[0041] Below, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 An example of the conveying device A3 in the processing module 12 will be described in detail. The conveying device A3 (conveyor unit) conveys the workpiece W within the processing module 12 while holding it. The conveying device A3 conveys the workpiece W outside the plurality of processing units, thereby conveying the workpiece W between the plurality of processing units included in the processing module 12. The outside of the processing units is the area outside the internal space of the plurality of processing units in the processing module 12 (e.g., the space surrounded by the housing of the processing unit). Figure 3 In the illustrated processing module 12, multiple liquid processing units U1 are arranged side-by-side along a horizontal direction. In the following description, the direction in which the multiple liquid processing units U1 are arranged side-by-side will be designated "direction D1," and the direction perpendicular to direction D1 will be designated "direction D2." The conveying device A3 is configured to move the workpiece W at least along directions D1 and D2.

[0042] The conveying device A3 has a holding arm 20 (holding section). The holding arm 20 is configured to hold a workpiece W. The holding arm 20 holds the workpiece W with one main surface Wa facing upwards. The main surface Wa is the surface on which a resist coating film is formed in the liquid treatment unit U1. The holding arm 20 may also be configured to surround the periphery of the workpiece W and support the periphery of the main surface Wb (back side) opposite to the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. The conveying device A3 feeds and removes the workpiece W from the liquid treatment unit U1 by displacing the holding arm 20 holding the workpiece W. That is, the conveying device A3 feeds the workpiece W into a liquid treatment unit U1 by displacing the holding arm 20, and removes the workpiece W from the liquid treatment unit U1 by displacing the holding arm 20. The conveying device A3 may also feed and remove multiple workpieces W into and out of multiple liquid treatment units U1 respectively.

[0043] The conveying device A3 further includes, for example, a first drive unit 30 (first drive unit) and a second drive unit 50 (second drive unit). The first drive unit 30 is configured to move the holding arm 20 at least along direction D2 (first direction). The first drive unit 30 is, for example, as shown in... Figure 4 The diagram shows a drive unit 32, a rotary drive unit 46, and a base 48.

[0044] The drive unit 32 is an actuator configured to reciprocate the holding arm 20 in a horizontal direction using a power source such as an electric motor. The drive unit 32 moves the holding arm 20 at least along direction D2 (reciprocating movement). The drive unit 32 displaces the holding arm 20 in direction D2, and the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 moves along direction D2.

[0045] Drive unit 32, for example, Figure 4 As shown, the drive unit 32 includes a housing 34, a sliding member 36, pulleys 38a and 38b, a conveyor belt 42, and a motor 44. The housing 34 houses the components of the drive unit 32. An opening 34a is provided in the upper wall of the housing 34. The sliding member 36 is configured to be movable relative to the housing 34. The sliding member 36 is formed, for example, extending in a vertical direction. The lower end of the sliding member 36 is connected to the conveyor belt 42 within the housing 34. The upper end of the sliding member 36 protrudes outside the housing 34 through the opening 34a, and the root end of a retaining arm 20 is connected to the upper end of the sliding member 36. The pulleys 38a and 38b are respectively disposed at their respective ends within the housing 34 in direction D2. The pulleys 38a and 38b are respectively disposed within the housing 34 in a manner rotatable about a rotation axis along direction D1.

[0046] Conveyor belt 42 is mounted on pulleys 38a and 38b. Conveyor belt 42 is, for example, a synchronous conveyor belt. Motor 44 is the power source that generates torque. Motor 44 is, for example, a servo motor. When the torque (driving force) generated by motor 44 is transmitted to pulley 38a, conveyor belt 42 mounted on pulleys 38a and 38b moves along direction D2. As a result, sliding member 36 also moves in direction D2 (holding arm 20 is displaced in direction D2).

[0047] The rotary drive unit 46 is, for example, a rotary actuator configured to rotate the drive unit 32 about a vertical rotation axis using a power source such as an electric motor. The rotary drive unit 46 supports the drive unit 32. By rotating the drive unit 32 using the rotary drive unit 46, the direction of movement (angle relative to direction D2) of the holding arm 20 driven by the drive unit 32 changes. The base 48 is a component that supports the rotary drive unit 46 and the drive unit 32. The rotary drive unit 46 is disposed on the base 48, which is formed, for example, extending along direction D2. One end of the base 48 in direction D2 is connected to the second drive unit 50.

[0048] The first drive unit 30 (drive unit 32) described above moves the retaining arm 20 so that the relative position of the retaining arm 20 with respect to the housing 34 changes. For example, the drive unit 32 moves the retaining arm 20 between a position in direction D2 where the front end of the retaining arm 20 overlaps with the base 48, and a position outside the base 48 where the front end of the retaining arm 20 does not overlap with the base 48.

[0049] return Figure 3 The second drive unit 50 includes an actuator configured to reciprocate the first drive unit 30 in a horizontal direction using a power source such as an electric motor. The second drive unit 50 is, for example, as shown in the example... Figure 3 As shown, the first drive unit 30 is moved along direction D1 (the second direction). As a result, the holding arm 20 provided on the first drive unit 30 is displaced in direction D1, and the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 moves in direction D1.

[0050] The second drive unit 50 includes, for example, a housing 52, a sliding member 54, a guide rail 56, pulleys 58a and 58b, a conveyor belt 62, and a motor 64. The housing 52 houses the various components included in the second drive unit 50. An opening 52a is provided in the wall of the housing 52 opposite to the plurality of liquid handling units U1.

[0051] The sliding member 54 is a component configured to be movable relative to the housing 52 and to support the first drive unit 30 (base 48). The sliding member 54 is formed, for example, extending in the direction D2. The root end of the sliding member 54 is connected within the housing 52 to the guide rail 56 and the conveyor belt 62. The front end of the sliding member 54 protrudes outside the housing 52 through an opening 52a. One end of the base 48 of the first drive unit 30 is connected to the front end of the sliding member 54. The guide rail 56 is provided within the housing 52 in a straight line extending in the direction D1 (the width direction of the housing 52).

[0052] Pulleys 58a and 58b are respectively disposed at each end of housing 52 in direction D1. Pulleys 58a and 58b are respectively arranged within housing 52 in a manner rotatable about a rotation axis along direction D2. A conveyor belt 62 is mounted on pulleys 58a and 58b. The conveyor belt 62 is, for example, a synchronous conveyor belt. An electric motor 64 is the power source that generates torque. The electric motor 64 is, for example, a servo motor. The electric motor 64 is connected to pulley 58a. When the torque (driving force) generated by the electric motor 64 is transmitted to pulley 58a, the conveyor belt 62 mounted on pulleys 58a and 58b moves along direction D1. Consequently, sliding member 54 (first drive unit 30) also reciprocates along direction D1. Because sliding member 54 (first drive unit 30) moves along direction D1, the first drive unit 30 also moves along direction D1.

[0053] Here, the conveying operation of the conveying device A3, which is used to feed and unload workpieces W into and out of one of the multiple liquid processing units U1, will be described. When the workpiece W to be processed in the liquid processing unit U1 is received from the shelf unit U10, the conveying device A3 rotates the drive unit 32 in the direction D2 along the direction of the housing 34 (conveyor belt 42) of the drive unit 32 using the rotation drive unit 46. Then, the conveying device A3 moves the holding arm 20 to a position where the holding arm 20 (workpiece W) is opposite to the liquid processing unit U1 in the direction D2 (side by side in the direction D2) using the second drive unit 50. Hereinafter, the position of the holding arm 20 (workpiece W) when its front end is located overlapping the base 48 and is opposite the liquid processing unit U1, which is the conveying target, in the direction D2 will be referred to as the "relative position".

[0054] Then, the conveying device A3 uses the drive unit 32 of the first drive unit 30 to move the holding arm 20 along direction D2 to convey the workpiece W from the relative position into the liquid treatment unit U1. For example, the drive unit 32 moves the holding arm 20 along direction D2 from a position where the front end of the holding arm 20 overlaps with the base 48 to a position where the front end of the holding arm 20 does not overlap with the base 48. After the conveying device A3 delivers the workpiece W to the liquid treatment unit U1, it uses the drive unit 32 to move the holding arm 20, which is not holding the workpiece W, along direction D2 to the relative position.

[0055] The conveying device A3 uses a drive unit 32 to move the holding arm 20, which is not holding the workpiece W, from its relative position into the liquid treatment unit U1 to receive the processed workpiece W from the liquid treatment unit U1. After receiving the workpiece W from the liquid treatment unit U1, the conveying device A3 uses the drive unit 32 to move the holding arm 20 from the liquid treatment unit U1 to its relative position. For example, the drive unit 32 moves the holding arm 20 along direction D2 from a position where the front end of the holding arm 20 does not overlap with the base 48 to a position where the front end overlaps with the base 48. Then, the conveying device A3 transports the workpiece W from its relative position to the next process (e.g., heat treatment in the heat treatment unit U2) by rotating the drive unit 32 using a rotation drive unit 46, or by moving the first drive unit 30 in direction D2 using a second drive unit 50.

[0056] (Substrate Inspection Unit)

[0057] Processing module 12, such as Figure 3 The diagram also includes a substrate inspection unit 70. The substrate inspection unit 70 is used for inspecting the workpiece W during the intermediate stage of the coating and developing process, between the inspection performed by the inspection unit U3 of the processing module 11 and the inspection performed by the inspection unit U3 of the processing module 14. The substrate inspection unit 70, located outside the processing units such as the liquid processing unit U1, acquires information (hereinafter referred to as "surface information") indicating the surface state of the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20. The substrate inspection unit 70 may also acquire image information obtained by photographing the workpiece W as the surface information of the workpiece W.

[0058] The surface state, which is the object of inspection by the substrate inspection unit 70, can be the state of any region on the outer surface of the workpiece W. For example, the surface state can be the state of at least a portion of the main surface Wa of the workpiece W, the state of at least a portion of the main surface Wb of the workpiece W opposite to the main surface Wa, or the state of at least a portion of the side surface Wc connecting the main surfaces Wa and Wb of the workpiece W. The surface state can also be the state of at least a portion of the region including two or more of the main surfaces Wa, Wb, and side surface Wc of the workpiece W. As an example, the substrate inspection unit 70 acquires surface information representing the state of the entire region of the main surface Wa.

[0059] The substrate inspection unit 70 may also be provided in the conveying device A3. The substrate inspection unit 70 may be provided, for example, in the first drive unit 30 of the conveying device A3. The substrate inspection unit 70 may also have a sensor 72 (camera) capable of photographing the surface of the workpiece W. The sensor 72 may also be provided in the conveying device A3. As an example, the sensor 72 is fixed (connected) to the housing 34 of the drive unit 32 via a fixing member 74. By fixing the sensor 72 to the housing 34, the sensor 72 moves in the direction D1 along with the movement of the holding arm 20 by the second drive unit 50 of the conveying device A3. On the other hand, even if the holding arm 20 is moved using the first drive unit 30 (drive unit 32) of the conveying device A3, the sensor 72 does not move. That is, with the movement of the holding arm 20 by the drive unit 32, the relative position of the holding arm 20 (the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20) relative to the sensor 72 changes.

[0060] With the front end of the holding arm 20 positioned overlapping the base 48, the sensor 72 is positioned between the workpiece W (holding arm 20) and the liquid treatment unit U1. The sensor 72 can also be positioned higher than the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20. The sensor 72, for example, has a field of view capable of capturing images of an area located below it. Hereinafter, the area that the sensor 72 can capture is referred to as the "acquisition area AR." That is, the acquisition area AR is the area where surface information can be acquired by the substrate inspection unit 70.

[0061] The sensor 72 can also be an imaging element composed of pixels arranged in one dimension, a line sensor (line sensor type camera) that acquires information (image information) from a linear acquisition area AR. The acquisition area AR of the sensor 72 can extend along direction D1 (the imaging elements can be arranged side by side in direction D1). As an example, the size of the acquisition area AR in direction D1 is the same as that of the workpiece W, but it can also be larger than the workpiece W. In this case, when the holding arm 20 is moved in direction D2 by the first drive unit 30 (drive unit 32) of the conveying device A3, the sensor 72 is configured so that the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa of the workpiece W is acquired through the acquisition area AR. The substrate inspection unit 70 can also have a light source (multiple light sources arranged in a linear pattern) capable of illuminating the acquisition area AR.

[0062] (Environmental Inspection Unit)

[0063] The processing module 12 may also include an environment checking unit 80 that acquires information (hereinafter referred to as "environmental information") indicating the state within the processing unit, such as the liquid processing unit U1. The environment checking unit 80 may have, for example, a sensor 82 that acquires the aforementioned environmental information. The environmental information acquired by the sensor 82 includes information that affects the processing result of the workpiece W in the processing unit. For example, the environmental information detected by the sensor 82 may include infrared radiation (radiation energy of infrared radiation), temperature, humidity, air pressure, the angle (orientation) of components within the processing unit, vibration, or the temperature of the hot plate within the unit. The sensor 82 may also be a MEMS (Micro ElectroMechanical System) sensor that integrates mechanical components, sensor elements, and electronic circuits. The sensor 82 is positioned within the holding arm 20 such that it is also located within the processing unit when the holding arm 20 is positioned within it. As an example, the sensor 82 may be... Figure 3 As shown, it is positioned near the front end of the retaining arm 20.

[0064] (Control device)

[0065] Below, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 An example of the control device 100 will be described in detail below. The control device 100 controls the coating and developing apparatus 2. The control device 100 is configured to perform at least the following operations: controlling the conveying device A3 to displace the holding arm 20 while it holds the workpiece W, thereby feeding the workpiece W into and out of the liquid treatment unit U1; and controlling the substrate inspection unit 70 to acquire surface information of the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 outside the liquid treatment unit U1. The control device 100, as a functional configuration (hereinafter referred to as a "functional module"), includes, for example, a displacement control unit 102, inspection control units 106 and 108, and a processing control unit 112.

[0066] The displacement control unit 102 uses the conveying device A3 to displace the holding arm 20. For example, the displacement control unit 102 uses the conveying device A3 to displace the holding arm 20 so that the surface information acquisition area AR of the substrate inspection unit 70 passes through the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. Specifically, the displacement control unit 102 controls the second drive unit 50 so that the holding arm 20 moves to a relative position between the liquid treatment unit U1 and the holding arm 20 in the direction D2.

[0067] The displacement control unit 102 controls the first drive unit 30 (drive unit 32) to move the holding arm 20 from a relative position to the liquid treatment unit U1. Thus, after the workpiece W passes through the acquisition area AR, the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 is fed into the liquid treatment unit U1. The displacement control unit 102 controls the first drive unit 30 (drive unit 32) to move the holding arm 20 from the liquid treatment unit U1 to a relative position. Thus, after the workpiece W passes through the acquisition area AR, the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 is discharged from the liquid treatment unit U1.

[0068] exist Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the illustrated processing module 12, in either the case of feeding or discharging the liquid processing unit U1, when the workpiece W passes through the acquisition area AR, the holding arm 20 is displaced in a direction intersecting the acquisition area AR. The displacement control unit 102 may also displace the holding arm 20 to feed other workpieces W into other liquid processing units U1 after the feeding of workpiece W into the liquid processing unit U1 has ended and before the discharging of workpiece W from the liquid processing unit U1 begins.

[0069] The inspection control unit 106 (substrate inspection control unit) causes the substrate inspection unit 70 to acquire surface information of the workpiece W through the acquisition area AR. For example, when the workpiece W is fed into the liquid treatment unit U1, the inspection control unit 106 causes the sensor 72 to acquire surface information of the main surface Wa of the workpiece W through the acquisition area AR. When the workpiece W is discharged from the liquid treatment unit U1, the inspection control unit 106 causes the sensor 72 to acquire surface information of the main surface Wa of the workpiece W through the acquisition area AR. Thus, the inspection control unit 106 acquires surface information of the workpiece W before processing and surface information of the workpiece W after processing in the liquid treatment unit U1 from the sensor 72.

[0070] As an example, the inspection control unit 106 acquires surface information of the main surface Wa of the workpiece W by scanning the acquisition area AR with the sensor 72. Specifically, during the period when the main surface Wa of the workpiece W passes the acquisition area AR (without stopping the workpiece W), the inspection control unit 106 causes the sensor 72 to acquire multiple surface information representing the surface state of multiple areas in the main surface Wa. By integrating these multiple surface information, the surface information of the main surface Wa can be obtained.

[0071] The inspection control unit 108 (environmental inspection control unit) causes the environmental inspection unit 80 to acquire environmental information within the processing unit, such as the liquid processing unit U1. For example, when the holding arm 20 is located within one of the plurality of liquid processing units U1 (the first processing unit), the inspection control unit 108 causes the sensor 82 to acquire environmental information within that liquid processing unit U1. When the holding arm 20 is located within another liquid processing unit U1 (the second processing unit), the inspection control unit 108 causes the sensor 82 to acquire environmental information within that other liquid processing unit U1. The inspection control unit 108 also causes the sensor 82 to acquire environmental information within that liquid processing unit U1 at least once, both when a workpiece W is being fed into any liquid processing unit U1 and when the workpiece W is being discharged from that liquid processing unit U1.

[0072] The processing control unit 112 controls the processing unit, such as the liquid treatment unit U1, to perform a prescribed treatment on the workpiece W. For example, the processing control unit 112 controls the liquid treatment unit U1 so that a resist coating film is formed on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W after it is fed in. The processing control unit 112 controls the liquid treatment unit U1 based on at least one of the surface information of the workpiece W before processing obtained by the inspection control unit 106 and the environmental information within the liquid treatment unit U1 obtained by the inspection control unit 108. As an example, the processing control unit 112 may also set the processing conditions in the liquid treatment unit U1 (e.g., the rotational speed of the workpiece W during resist coating, etc.) based on the environmental information obtained by the inspection control unit 108.

[0073] The control device 100 comprises one or more control computers. For example, the control device 100 has... Figure 6 The circuit 120 shown has one or more processors 122, memory 124, storage 126, input / output ports 128, and timers 132. Memory 126 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 124 temporarily stores the program loaded from the storage medium of memory 126 and the calculation results of processor 122.

[0074] The processor 122 and memory 124 work together to execute the above program. The input / output port 128, according to instructions from the processor 122, performs electrical signal input / output between itself and the first drive unit 30, the second drive unit 50, the substrate inspection unit 70, the environmental inspection unit 80, and the liquid treatment unit U1, etc. The timer 132, 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.

[0075] [Substrate Processing Methods]

[0076] Below, refer to Figure 7 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 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a coating and developing process, showing the process of coating and developing a single workpiece W. First, the control device 100 controls the conveyor A1 to transport the workpiece W from the carrier C to the shelf unit U10, and controls the conveyor A7 to place the workpiece W in the chamber of the processing module 11.

[0077] Next, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to convey the workpiece W from the shelf unit U10 to the inspection unit U3 within the processing module 11. The control device 100 controls the inspection unit U3 to inspect the workpiece W in the coating and developing apparatus 2 before coating and developing treatment (step S01).

[0078] Next, the control device 100 controls the processing module 11 to form a lower film on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W (step S02). In step S02, for example, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to convey the workpiece W from the shelf unit U10 to the liquid treatment unit U1. Then, the control device 100 controls the liquid treatment unit U1 to form a coating film of the processing liquid for lower film formation on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. The control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to convey the workpiece W with the coating film to the heat treatment unit U2. Then, the control device 100 controls the heat treatment unit U2 to form a lower film on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. Afterwards, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to return the workpiece W with the lower film formed to the shelf unit U10, and controls the conveying device A7 to place the workpiece W in the chamber for the processing module 12.

[0079] Next, the control device 100 controls the processing module 12 to form a resist film on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W after the lower film has been formed (step S03). In step S03, for example, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to convey the workpiece W from the shelf unit U10 to any liquid treatment unit U1 within the processing module 12. Then, the control device 100 (processing control unit 112) controls the liquid treatment unit U1 to form a resist coating film on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. The control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to convey the workpiece W with the resist coating film to the heat treatment unit U2. Then, the control device 100 controls the heat treatment unit U2 to form a resist film on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. Afterward, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to return the workpiece W with the resist film formed to the shelf unit U10, and controls the conveying device A7 to place the workpiece W in the chamber of the processing module 13.

[0080] Next, the control device 100 controls the processing module 13 to form an upper film on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W after the resist film has been formed (step S04). In step S04, for example, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to convey the workpiece W to the liquid treatment unit U1. Then, the control device 100 controls the liquid treatment unit U1 to form a coating film of the processing liquid for upper film formation on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. The control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to convey the workpiece W with the coating film formed to the heat treatment unit U2. Then, the control device 100 controls the heat treatment unit U2 to form an upper film on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. After that, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to convey the workpiece W with the upper film formed to the shelf unit U11.

[0081] Next, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A8 to send the workpiece W from the shelf unit U11 to the exposure device 3. After that, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A8 to receive the workpiece W that has undergone exposure treatment from the exposure device 3 and place it in the chamber of the processing module 14 in the shelf unit U11.

[0082] Next, the control device 100 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 control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to convey 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 control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to convey 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.

[0083] Subsequently, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to transport 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. The control device 100 then controls the conveying device A3 to transport the developed and heat-treated workpiece W to the inspection unit U3.

[0084] Next, the control device 100 controls the inspection unit U3 to inspect the workpiece W after the development process, which includes a heat treatment accompanied by development (step S06). Then, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 to send the workpiece W back to the shelf unit U10, and controls the conveying devices A7 and A1 to send the workpiece W back into the carrier C. In this manner, the coating and development process for one workpiece W is completed.

[0085] In the coating and developing process illustrated above, the control device 100 inspects the workpiece W using the inspection unit U3 before the start of the process performed by the coating and developing apparatus 2 and after all the processes performed by the coating and developing apparatus 2. In addition to the inspection of the workpiece W performed by the inspection unit U3, the control device 100 may also perform the inspection of the workpiece W using the substrate inspection unit 70 during the processing of each step from S02 to S05. Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the inspection process performed when the workpiece W, before processing in the liquid treatment unit U1, is sent into the liquid treatment unit U1 in step S03. Hereinafter, an example is given where the sensor 72 is a line sensor, acquiring surface information representing the state of the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa of the workpiece W.

[0086] During the inspection process when the workpiece W is fed into the liquid treatment unit U1, with the holding arm 20, positioned in the direction D2 and overlapping the base 48 at its front end, holding the workpiece W, the control device 100 first executes step S21. In step S21, for example, the displacement control unit 102 controls the second drive unit 50 to move the holding arm 20 to a position relative to the liquid treatment unit U1, which is the target of the feed.

[0087] Next, the control device 100 executes step S22. In step S22, for example, the displacement control unit 102 causes the drive unit 32 to begin moving the holding arm 20 in the direction D2. As a result, the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 begins to move from its relative position toward the liquid treatment unit U1.

[0088] Next, the control device 100 executes step S23. In step S23, for example, the inspection control unit 106 stands still until the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 reaches the surface information acquisition area AR of the substrate inspection unit 70. As an example, the inspection control unit 106 may also determine whether at least one part of the workpiece W has reached the acquisition area AR based on the rotation amount of the motor 44 of the drive unit 32 or the elapsed time from the start of the movement of the holding arm 20 based on the drive unit 32. In step S23, if it is determined that the workpiece W has reached the acquisition area AR, the control device 100 executes step S24. In step S24, for example, the inspection control unit 106 causes the substrate inspection unit 70 to acquire surface information. As an example, the inspection control unit 106 causes the sensor 72 to capture the area on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W that overlaps with the acquisition area AR.

[0089] Next, the control device 100 executes step S25. In step S25, for example, the check control unit 106 stands still until the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 passes through the surface information acquisition area AR. As an example, the check control unit 106 may also determine whether the entire area of ​​the workpiece W (main surface Wa) has passed through the acquisition area AR (whether it has moved to a position that does not overlap with the acquisition area AR) based on the amount of rotation of the motor 44 of the drive unit 32 or the elapsed time from the start of the movement of the holding arm 20 by the drive unit 32.

[0090] In step S25, if it is determined that workpiece W has not passed the acquisition area AR (at least a portion of the main surface Wa overlaps with the acquisition area AR), the inspection control unit 106 executes step S24 again. By repeatedly performing the above steps S24 and S25, the substrate inspection unit 70 continues to acquire surface information of workpiece W while workpiece W passes the acquisition area AR. Specifically, while the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa of workpiece W passes the acquisition area AR, the inspection control unit 106 acquires surface information (image information) of the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa of workpiece W by having the sensor 72 sequentially photograph multiple areas in the main surface Wa of workpiece W.

[0091] In step S25, if it is determined that the workpiece W has passed the acquisition area AR, the control device 100 executes step S26. In step S26, for example, the displacement control unit 102 stands still until the holding arm 20 reaches the liquid treatment unit U1. As an example, the displacement control unit 102 may also determine whether the holding arm 20 (workpiece W) has reached the liquid treatment unit U1 based on the rotation amount of the motor 44 of the drive unit 32 or the elapsed time from the start of the movement of the holding arm 20 by the drive unit 32. In step S26, if it is determined that the holding arm 20 has reached the liquid treatment unit U1, the control device 100 executes step S27. In step S27, for example, the displacement control unit 102 stops the drive unit 32 from moving the holding arm 20 in the direction D2. Thus, the movement of the workpiece W from its relative position to the liquid treatment unit U1 ends.

[0092] Next, the control device 100 executes steps S28, S29, and S30. In step S28, for example, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 and the liquid treatment unit U1 to transfer the workpiece W from the holding arm 20 to the liquid treatment unit U1. In step S29, for example, with the holding arm 20 positioned in the liquid treatment unit U1, the inspection control unit 106 causes the environmental inspection unit 80 (sensor 82) to acquire environmental information within the liquid treatment unit U1. In step S30, the displacement control unit 102 controls the drive unit 32 to move the holding arm 20, which is not holding the workpiece W, from the liquid treatment unit U1 to a relative position. Through these methods, the inspection process when a workpiece W is fed into a liquid treatment unit U1 is completed.

[0093] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of an inspection process performed when the processed workpiece W is discharged from the liquid treatment unit U1 during step S03 of the resist film formation process. In the inspection process upon discharge from the liquid treatment unit U1, if the holding arm 20, positioned in direction D2 at a position overlapping the base 48 at its front end, is not holding the workpiece W, the control device 100 first executes steps S41, S42, and S43. In step S41, for example, the displacement control unit 102 controls the second drive unit 50 to move the holding arm 20 to a relative position. In step S42, for example, the displacement control unit 102 controls the drive unit 32 to move the holding arm 20 from the relative position to the liquid treatment unit U1. In step S43, for example, the control device 100 controls the conveying device A3 and the liquid treatment unit U1 to cause the holding arm 20 to collect the processed workpiece W from the liquid treatment unit U1.

[0094] Next, the control device 100 executes step S44. In step S44, for example, the displacement control unit 102 causes the drive unit 32 to begin moving the holding arm 20 in the direction D2 after it has retrieved the workpiece W. As a result, the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 begins to move from the liquid treatment unit U1 to a relative position.

[0095] Next, the control device 100 executes step S45. In step S45, for example, the inspection control unit 106 remains on standby, similar to step S23 described above, until the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 reaches the surface information acquisition area AR of the substrate inspection unit 70. In step S45, if it is determined that the workpiece W has reached the acquisition area AR, the control device 100 executes step S46. In step S46, similar to step S24 described above, the inspection control unit 106 causes the substrate inspection unit 70 to acquire the surface information of the area on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W that overlaps with the acquisition area AR.

[0096] Next, the control device 100 executes step S47. In step S47, for example, the inspection control unit 106 remains in standby mode, similar to step S25, until the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 passes through the acquisition area AR. In step S47, if it is determined that the workpiece W has not passed through the acquisition area AR, the control device 100 executes step S46 again. By repeatedly performing the above steps S46 and S47, similar to steps S24 and S25, during the period when the workpiece W passes through the acquisition area AR, the substrate inspection unit 70 continues to acquire the surface information of the workpiece W, and as a result, the inspection control unit 106 acquires the surface information of the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa.

[0097] In step S47, if it is determined that the workpiece W has passed the acquisition area AR, the control device 100 executes step S48. In step S48, for example, the displacement control unit 102 stands still until the holding arm 20 reaches the relative position. As an example, the displacement control unit 102 may also determine whether the holding arm 20 (workpiece W) has reached the relative position based on the rotation amount of the motor 44 of the drive unit 32 or the elapsed time from the start of the movement of the holding arm 20 by the drive unit 32. In step S48, if it is determined that the holding arm 20 has reached the relative position, the control device 100 executes step S49. In step S49, for example, the displacement control unit 102 causes the drive unit 32 to stop the movement of the holding arm 20 in the direction D2. Thus, the movement of the workpiece W from the liquid treatment unit U1 to the relative position ends. In the above manner, the inspection process when the workpiece W is sent out from the liquid treatment unit U1 ends.

[0098] From the time workpiece W is fed into the liquid treatment unit U1 until it is discharged from the liquid treatment unit U1, the processing control unit 112 of the control device 100 controls the liquid treatment unit U1 to form a resist coating film on the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. During the liquid treatment process in the liquid treatment unit U1, the control device 100 can also control the conveying device A3 to feed other workpieces W into other liquid treatment units U1. At this time, the control device 100 can also perform operations related to... Figure 8 The same process is used for the example inspection process. In the same process as step S29, the inspection control unit 108 can also enable the environmental inspection unit 80 (sensor 82) to acquire environmental information of the other liquid processing unit U1 while the holding arm 20 is configured in the other liquid processing unit U1.

[0099] The above-described coating, development, and inspection processes are just one example and can be modified appropriately. For example, some of the above steps (processes) can be omitted, or each step can be performed using a different process. Furthermore, any two or more of the above steps can be combined, or some steps can be modified or deleted. Alternatively, other steps can be performed in addition to the steps described above. For example, in the example above, the imaging state of sensor 72 is switched after the arrival and passage of the acquisition area AR are determined. However, the inspection control unit 106 can switch the imaging state of sensor 72 simultaneously with the start and end of movement in direction D2 (e.g., with the execution of steps S22 and S27). For example, the inspection control unit 106 can also keep sensor 72 imaging the workpiece W from the execution of step S22 until the end of step S27.

[0100] [Variation Example 1]

[0101] 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 present invention. In addition to including the substrate inspection unit 70 with a line sensor, the processing module 12 may also include a substrate inspection unit with a surface sensor. For example, as... Figure 10 As shown, the processing module 12 can also replace the substrate inspection unit 70 and include a substrate inspection unit 70A. The substrate inspection unit 70A replaces the sensor 72 and has a sensor 72A.

[0102] Sensor 72A is a surface sensor (surface sensor type camera) capable of capturing images of a two-dimensional area using an imaging element composed of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array. The acquisition area AR (field of view) of sensor 72A can be the same size as or larger than the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa of workpiece W. In this case, sensor 72A can acquire surface information (image information) of the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa of workpiece W within the acquisition area AR. The acquisition area AR (field of view) of sensor 72A can also be a two-dimensional area extending along direction D1.

[0103] The substrate inspection unit 70A can also be provided in the same way as the substrate inspection unit 70 in the transport device A3. For example, the substrate inspection unit 70A (sensor 72A) is provided in the first drive unit 30. As an example, the sensor 72A can also be fixed to the housing 34 of the drive unit 32 via a fixing member (not shown). In this case, the position of the sensor 72A (the position of the acquisition area AR of the sensor 72A) changes with the movement of the holding arm 20 based on the second drive unit 50, and the relative position of the holding arm 20 (workpiece W) with respect to the sensor 72A changes with the movement of the holding arm 20 based on the drive unit 32. Alternatively, the sensor 72A can be configured such that the acquisition area AR of the sensor 72A (the imaging range of the sensor 72A) includes the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa, with the front end of the holding arm 20 positioned overlapping with the base 48.

[0104] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating another example of an inspection process performed when a workpiece W, before processing, is fed into the liquid treatment unit U1. Here, an example is shown where the sensor 72A has a field of view capable of capturing the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. In this inspection process, for example, with the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 positioned at its front end overlapping the base 48, the control device 100 performs step S61 in the same manner as step S21.

[0105] Next, the control device 100 executes steps S62 and S63. In step S62, for example, the inspection control unit 106 causes the substrate inspection unit 70A to acquire surface information of the workpiece W. As an example, the inspection control unit 106 causes the sensor 72A to acquire surface information (image information) of the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. In step S63, for example, the inspection control unit 106 controls the drive unit 32 to move the holding arm 20 from its relative position into the liquid treatment unit U1 along the direction D2.

[0106] Next, the control device 100 executes steps S64 to S66 in the same manner as steps S28 to S30. The inspection process when the workpiece W is fed into the liquid treatment unit U1 in the above manner is completed. In the inspection process illustrated above, with the front end of the holding arm 20 positioned overlapping with the base 48, the acquisition area AR (field of view) of the sensor 72A encompasses the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa, therefore... Figure 8 The illustrated inspection process differs; no sensor-based imaging is performed during movement in direction D2. Figure 11 In the illustrated inspection process, at the moment when the movement of the holding arm 20 in the direction D1 and the movement in the direction D2 are switched (the moment between step S61 and step S63), the surface information of the main surface Wa is acquired.

[0107] Alternatively, the acquisition area AR of sensor 72A can also be located between the relative position and the liquid treatment unit U1. In this case, the control device 100 can also use the drive unit 32 to temporarily stop the holding arm 20 midway through its movement in the direction D2, and then have sensor 72A acquire the surface information of the main surface Wa. The control device 100 can also perform the inspection process in the same way as when the workpiece W is sent out of the liquid treatment unit U1. Alternatively, during the inspection process when sending out, the control device 100 can use the drive unit 32 to move the holding arm 20 from the liquid treatment unit U1 to the relative position, and have sensor 72A acquire the surface information of the entire area of ​​the main surface Wa while the workpiece W is stopped at the relative position. Alternatively, the inspection control unit 106 can use the second drive unit 50 to move the holding arm 20 along the direction D1, or during or before the movement in the direction D2 based on the second drive unit 50, and then have sensor 72A acquire the surface information of the workpiece W.

[0108] [Variation Example 2]

[0109] The coating and developing apparatus 2 can also replace the conveying device A3 that moves the workpiece W along directions D1 and D2, and use a multi-joint arm liquid treatment unit U1 and other processing units to feed the workpiece W in and out. Figure 12 (a) and Figure 12 The multi-joint arm 90 (transfer unit) shown in (b) includes a base 92, a rotating part 94, a first arm 96, a second arm 97, and a retainer 98 (holding part).

[0110] A base 92 is provided on the bottom surface of the coating and developing apparatus 2. A rotating part 94 is provided on the base 92 and is rotatable about a vertical axis Ax1. One end of the first arm 96 is connected to the base 92 via the rotating part 94. The first arm 96 rotates about the axis Ax1 by rotating the rotating part 94. A rotation drive part 96a is provided at the other end of the first arm 96, and one end of the second arm 97 is connected to the rotation drive part 96a. The rotation drive part 96a causes the second arm 97 to rotate about a vertical axis Ax2.

[0111] A rotation drive unit 97a is provided at the other end of the second arm 97, and the lower surface of the retainer 98 is connected to the rotation drive unit 97a. The rotation drive unit 97a causes the retainer 98 to rotate about the vertical axis Ax3. The retainer 98 holds the workpiece W on its upper surface, for example, by adsorption. In addition, the multi-joint arm 90 may have more than one other arm, and any arm may be configured to rotate about an axis intersecting the vertical direction.

[0112] Alternatively, when the workpiece W of the processing unit is fed in and out using the articulated arm 90, the substrate inspection unit 70 (sensor 72) is not mounted on the articulated arm 90 but is fixed in a predetermined position. In this case, even if the holding member 98 (workpiece W) is moved arbitrarily using the articulated arm 90, the position of the substrate inspection unit 70 does not change. The control device 100 can also control the articulated arm 90 (rotation unit 94 and rotation drive units 96a, 97a) so that the workpiece W held by the holding member 98 passes through the acquisition area AR of the sensor 72 fixed in a predetermined position. For example, the operation of the articulated arm 90 can be predetermined so that the workpiece W (the area in the workpiece W where surface information is acquired) passes through the acquisition area AR. When the sensor 72 is a line sensor, the control device 100 (displacement control unit 102) can control the articulated arm 90 so that the holding member 98 is displaced in a direction intersecting the acquisition area AR of the line sensor when the workpiece W passes through the acquisition area AR. When feeding and feeding workpiece W using the multi-joint arm 90, a substrate inspection unit 70A (sensor 72A) fixed at a specified position can be used instead of the substrate inspection unit 70 (sensor 72).

[0113] [Other variations]

[0114] The conveying device A3 illustrated above has one holding arm 20, but the conveying device A3 may also have other holding arms 20 and other first drive units 30 that move the other holding arms 20 in direction D2. The first drive units 30 and the other first drive units 30 may also be arranged side by side in the vertical direction. In this case, the substrate inspection units 70, 70A may also have other sensors 72, 72A that acquire surface information of the workpiece W held by the other holding arms 20. The other sensors 72, 72A may also be provided in the other first drive units 30. Alternatively, the substrate inspection unit 70 may include one sensor 72, 72A to acquire surface information of the workpiece W held by the holding arms 20 and the other holding arms 20. The control device 100 may also control the first drive unit 30 to feed the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 into the liquid treatment unit U1, and may also control the other first drive units 30 to feed the workpiece W out of the liquid treatment unit U1 using the other holding arms 20.

[0115] The substrate inspection units 70 and 70A illustrated above each have one sensor 72 and 72A relative to one holding arm 20. However, the substrate inspection units 70 and 70A may also have other sensors 72 and 72A capable of acquiring surface information of the main surface Wb on the side opposite to the main surface Wa. Other sensors 72 and 72A may also be provided in the first drive unit 30.

[0116] In the coating and developing apparatus 2 illustrated above, the substrate inspection unit 70 performs inspection processing when the workpiece W is fed into or out of the liquid treatment unit U1. However, the inspection control unit 106 may also perform inspection processing using the substrate inspection unit 70 when the workpiece W is fed into or out of the heat treatment unit U2, shelf units U10, U11, or other processing units. Any module of processing modules 11, 13, and 14 may also include the substrate inspection unit 70 and the environmental inspection unit 80, similar to processing module 12.

[0117] Alternatively, the inspection control unit 106 may not cause the substrate inspection unit 70 to perform the inspection process of the workpiece W before processing when it is being fed into the processing unit, but may cause the substrate inspection unit 70 to perform the inspection process of the workpiece W after processing when it is being fed into the processing unit.

[0118] The substrate processing system 1 is not limited to the example described above. It can be configured arbitrarily as long as it includes a processing unit that performs a prescribed processing on the substrate, a conveying unit that feeds the workpiece W into and out of the processing unit, and a substrate inspection unit that acquires information indicating the surface condition of the workpiece W held by the holding part of the conveying unit.

[0119] [Effects of the Implementation Method]

[0120] As described above, one aspect of the coating and developing apparatus 2 of the present invention includes: a liquid treatment unit U1 for performing a predetermined treatment on a workpiece W; a conveying device A3 having a holding arm 20 for holding the workpiece W, wherein the workpiece W is fed into and out of the liquid treatment unit U1 by displacing the holding arm 20 holding the workpiece W; and a substrate inspection unit 70 located outside the liquid treatment unit U1, which acquires information indicating the surface condition of the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20.

[0121] One aspect of the substrate processing method of the present invention includes: a step of feeding and feeding the workpiece W into a liquid processing unit U1 to perform a predetermined treatment on the workpiece W by displacing the holding arm 20, which holds the workpiece W while the workpiece W is held by the holding arm 20; and a step of acquiring information outside the liquid processing unit U1 indicating the surface state of the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20.

[0122] When workpiece W is inspected according to each process performed in the coating and developing apparatus 2, the reliability of the processing results in the coating and developing apparatus 2 is improved. However, in order to inspect according to each process, workpiece W is transported to the inspection unit before and after each process, and when workpiece W is inspected in the inspection unit, the productivity of the coating and developing apparatus 2 decreases. In this regard, in the coating and developing apparatus 2 and the substrate processing method of the present invention, the surface information of the workpiece W held by the holding arm 20 is obtained, so the inspection processing of workpiece W can be performed by taking advantage of the opportunity of transporting workpiece W outside the processing unit. That is, in order to perform processing in the liquid processing unit U1, the transport of workpiece W outside the liquid processing unit U1 is required, and the coating and developing apparatus 2 and the above-described substrate processing method effectively utilize this transport opportunity. Therefore, the coating and developing apparatus 2 and the above-described substrate processing method help to balance the improvement of processing results reliability and productivity.

[0123] The substrate inspection unit 70 can also be installed in the conveying device A3. In this case, the surface information acquisition area AR of the workpiece W of the substrate inspection unit 70 moves along with the movement of the conveying device A3. Therefore, the workpiece W can be inspected at a position close to the liquid treatment unit U1.

[0124] The conveying device A3 may also include a first drive unit 30 that moves the holding arm 20 along direction D1 and a second drive unit 50 that moves the first drive unit 30 along direction D2. The substrate inspection unit 70 may also be provided in the first drive unit 30. In this case, the acquisition area AR moves along with the movement of the second drive unit 50, thus enabling the inspection of the workpiece W to be performed more reliably closer to the liquid treatment unit U1.

[0125] The coating and developing apparatus 2 may further include: a displacement control unit 102 that uses a conveying device A3 to displace the holding arm 20 so that the main surface Wa of the workpiece W passes through the acquisition area AR where surface information is acquired by the substrate inspection unit 70; and an inspection control unit 106 that, when the workpiece W is fed into and out of the liquid treatment unit U1, causes the substrate inspection unit 70 to acquire surface information indicating the surface condition of the workpiece W. In this case, the surface condition can be inspected before and after processing in the liquid treatment unit U1, thus further improving reliability. For processing in the liquid treatment unit U1, a conveying mechanism is needed for feeding into the liquid treatment unit U1 and a conveying mechanism is needed for feeding out of the liquid treatment unit U1. With this configuration, inspection processing is performed using these two conveying actions, thus further contributing to both improved reliability and productivity of the processing results.

[0126] The coating and developing apparatus 2 may further include: a displacement control unit 102 that displaces the holding arm 20 using a conveying device A3 so that the main surface Wa of the workpiece W passes through the acquisition area AR for which surface information is acquired by the substrate inspection unit 70; and an inspection control unit 106 that, during the passage of the main surface Wa of the workpiece W through the acquisition area AR, causes the substrate inspection unit 70 to acquire multiple pieces of information representing the surface state of multiple regions of the main surface Wa of the workpiece W. In this case, surface information of a region larger than the acquisition area AR of the substrate inspection unit 70 can be acquired, simplifying the substrate inspection unit 70. Furthermore, the workpiece W moves relative to the substrate inspection unit 70 as the liquid treatment unit U1 is fed in and out, so it is not necessary to move the workpiece W simply to acquire surface information of multiple regions using the substrate inspection unit 70. That is, the substrate inspection unit 70 can be simplified without complicating other devices of the substrate inspection unit 70.

[0127] The substrate inspection unit 70 may also have a line sensor that acquires surface information from a linear acquisition area AR. The displacement control unit 102 may also displace the holding arm 20 along a direction intersecting the acquisition area AR from which the surface information is acquired by the line sensor. Since the line sensor has one-dimensionally arranged imaging elements, the substrate inspection unit 70 can be simplified compared to a surface sensor with two-dimensionally arranged imaging elements. Alternatively, image quality can be improved compared to a surface sensor, thus enabling the acquisition of surface information with more detailed information.

[0128] The substrate inspection unit 70 may also have a surface sensor that acquires surface information from an acquisition area AR that extends in a planar manner. In this case, the time for acquiring surface information can be shortened compared to a line sensor.

[0129] The coating and developing apparatus 2 may also include an environmental monitoring unit 80, which is disposed on the holding arm 20 to acquire environmental information within the liquid treatment unit U1. In this case, the number of sensors used to acquire environmental information within the liquid treatment unit U1 can be reduced, thus simplifying the liquid treatment unit U1.

[0130] The coating and developing apparatus 2 may further include: an additional liquid treatment unit U1 that performs a prescribed treatment on the workpiece W; and an inspection control unit 108 that enables the environmental inspection unit 80 to acquire environmental information. The conveying device A3 may also feed other workpieces W into and out of the additional liquid treatment unit U1. The inspection control unit 108 may also enable the environmental inspection unit 80 to acquire environmental information within the liquid treatment unit U1 when the holding arm 20 is located within the liquid treatment unit U1, and vice versa. In this case, the same sensor 82 can be used to acquire environmental information from both the liquid treatment unit U1 and other liquid treatment units U1. Therefore, compared to measurements performed using sensors individually provided in each of the liquid treatment units U1 and other liquid treatment units U1, inter-device errors in sensor measurements can be reduced.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus characterized by comprising: include: A processing unit that performs specified processing on the substrate; A conveying unit has a holding portion for holding the substrate, and the processing unit feeds the substrate in and out by displacing the holding portion holding the substrate; and An inspection unit that performs inspections on the substrate. The conveying unit further comprises: a first driving unit that moves the holding portion along a first direction when the processing unit is feeding or feeding the substrate; and a second driving unit that moves the first driving unit along a second direction when the holding portion is moved to a position opposite to the processing unit. A substrate inspection unit, located outside the processing unit, performs a different inspection of the substrate than the inspection unit, and acquires information indicating the surface condition of the substrate held by the holding portion. The substrate inspection unit is disposed on the first driving unit so as to move together with the holding part as the second driving unit drives it.

2. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate processing apparatus performs multiple processes on the substrate, including the specified processes. The plurality of processes include: a process for forming a resist film on the substrate; and a process for performing a development process on the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus also includes a control device. The control device inspects the substrate using the inspection unit before executing the plurality of processes, and inspects the substrate using the substrate inspection unit during the execution of the plurality of processes.

3. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate processing apparatus performs multiple processes on the substrate, including the specified processes. The plurality of processes include: a process for forming a resist film on the substrate; and a process for performing a development process on the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus also includes a control device. The control device performs an inspection of the substrate using the inspection unit after executing the plurality of processes, and performs an inspection of the substrate using the substrate inspection unit while the plurality of processes are being executed.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein Also includes: The displacement control unit uses the first drive unit of the conveying unit to displace the holding unit so that the surface of the substrate passes through the acquisition area where the information is acquired by the substrate inspection unit. and The substrate inspection control unit enables the substrate inspection unit to acquire information representing the surface state of the substrate when the processing unit feeds the substrate in and out of the substrate.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein Also includes: The displacement control unit uses the first drive unit of the conveying unit to displace the holding unit so that the surface of the substrate passes through the acquisition area where the information is acquired by the substrate inspection unit. and The substrate inspection control unit causes the substrate inspection unit to acquire multiple pieces of information representing the surface state of multiple regions on the surface of the substrate during the period when the substrate passes through the acquisition area.

6. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The substrate inspection unit has a line sensor that acquires the information from a linear region. The displacement control unit causes the holding unit to move along a direction that intersects with the acquisition area where the information is acquired by the line sensor.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The substrate inspection unit has a surface sensor that acquires the information from a planar extended region.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: It also includes an environmental inspection unit, which is disposed in the holding part, to acquire environmental information within the processing unit.

9. The substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a second processing unit that performs the second specified processing on the substrate and an environmental inspection control unit that enables the environmental inspection unit to acquire the environmental information. The conveying unit also feeds the substrate into and out of the second processing unit. The environmental inspection control unit causes the environmental inspection unit to acquire the environmental information within the processing unit when the holding unit is located within the processing unit, and causes the environmental inspection unit to acquire the environmental information within the second processing unit when the holding unit is located within the second processing unit.

10. A substrate processing method using the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by, include: The processing unit performs the step of feeding and feeding the substrate by displacing the holding part with the holding part while the substrate is held in the holding part; The step of inspecting the substrate using the inspection unit; The step of acquiring the information using the substrate inspection unit is performed outside the processing unit, unlike the substrate inspection performed by the inspection unit.

Images