Information acquisition system and information acquisition method

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information acquisition system and an information acquisition method. A case where a member located in the vicinity of a substrate handled by a substrate processing apparatus is configured at an inappropriate position to cause a processing failure is prevented. An information acquisition system for acquiring information related to a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate held by a substrate holding portion is constituted to include: a base body that is held by the substrate holding portion in place of the substrate; and a plurality of position sensors that are provided to the base body in such a manner that the detection directions thereof become different directions from each other in order to detect the position of a common detection object located outside the base body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to information acquisition systems and methods. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor device manufacturing process, semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers) are transported to a substrate processing apparatus in a stored state to undergo processing. Examples of such processing include liquid processing such as forming a coating film by supplying a coating solution and developing a wafer. During this liquid processing, the processing solution is supplied to the wafer housed in a cup from a nozzle. Patent Document 1 describes a developing apparatus including a cup having an annular protrusion opposite to the lower surface of the wafer.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-13932 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] The purpose of this disclosure is to prevent components located near the substrate being processed by the substrate processing apparatus from being improperly positioned, which could lead to processing defects.

[0008] Solution for solving the problem

[0009] The information acquisition system disclosed herein is used to acquire information related to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held in a substrate holding portion, wherein...

[0010] The information acquisition system includes:

[0011] A base body, which is held by the substrate holding portion in place of the substrate; and

[0012] Multiple position sensors are disposed on the base body in such a way that their detection directions are different from each other, in order to detect the position of a common detection object located on the outside of the base body.

[0013] The effects of the invention

[0014] This disclosure can prevent components located near the substrate being processed by the substrate processing apparatus from being improperly positioned, resulting in processing defects. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a top view of the substrate processing apparatus of the information acquisition system constituting an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 2This is a longitudinal sectional front view of the resist film forming assembly included in the substrate processing apparatus.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a top view of the resist film forming assembly.

[0018] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram showing the inspection wafer and computing device that constitute the information acquisition system.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a longitudinal sectional side view of the wafer used for inspection.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a longitudinal sectional side view of the wafer used for inspection.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a top view of the wafer used for inspection.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional view of the wafer used for inspection.

[0023] Figure 9 This is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the first beam-shaped body located on the inspection wafer.

[0024] Figure 10 This is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the second beam-shaped body located on the inspection wafer.

[0025] Figure 11 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the steps of obtaining information about the component from the inspection wafer.

[0026] Figure 12 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the steps of obtaining information about the component from the inspection wafer.

[0027] Figure 13 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the steps of obtaining information about the component from the inspection wafer.

[0028] Figure 14 This is a graph representing an example of data obtained from the wafer used for the inspection.

[0029] Figure 15 This is a graph representing an example of data obtained from the wafer used for the inspection.

[0030] Figure 16 This is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the lifting pin of the resist film forming assembly used to acquire the information.

[0031] Figure 17 This is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the lifting pin of the resist film forming assembly used to acquire the information.

[0032] Figure 18This is an illustration showing the image data acquired from the inspection wafer.

[0033] Figure 19 This is an illustration showing the image data acquired from the inspection wafer.

[0034] Figure 20 It is a graph representing the data obtained from the wafer used for inspection.

[0035] Figure 21 This is an explanatory diagram showing image data acquired by a camera provided on the resist film forming assembly.

[0036] Figure 22 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a cup provided in the resist film forming assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0037] exist Figure 1 An information acquisition system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The information acquisition system 1 includes a substrate processing apparatus 2, an inspection wafer 6, and a computing unit 9. The information acquisition system 1 is described in summary. The substrate processing apparatus 2 is provided with a resist forming assembly 3, which performs resist forming and EBR (Edge Bead Removal) on a circular substrate, i.e., a wafer W. EBR is a process that specifically removes the portion of the film (in this embodiment, resist film) formed on the entire surface of the wafer W by solvent ejected from a nozzle, covering the periphery of the wafer W.

[0038] The inspection wafer 6, replacing wafer W, is transported to the resist forming assembly 3 via the transport mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus 2. Various sensors and cameras are used to detect and photograph various components located near the periphery of wafer W (i.e., the periphery of inspection wafer 6). The acquired detection signals and image data are wirelessly transmitted to the computing unit 9 for various calculations, signal processing, and display, enabling operators to check the appropriateness of the position of the approaching components. Specifically, the approaching components refer to the constituent components of the cup 4 surrounding wafer W and the nozzles used for EBR.

[0039] The substrate processing apparatus 2 will now be described in detail. The substrate processing apparatus 2 includes a carrier module D1 and a processing module D2. The carrier module D1 and the processing module D2 are arranged side-by-side and connected to each other. The wafer W, stored in a transport container, i.e., a carrier C, is transported to the carrier module D1 using a transport mechanism for the carrier C (not shown). The carrier module D1 includes a stage 21 for holding the carrier C. Furthermore, the carrier module D1 is provided with an opening / closing part 22 and a transport mechanism 23. The opening / closing part 22 is used to open and close a transport port formed on the side wall of the carrier module D1. The transport mechanism 23 transports the wafer W relative to the carrier C on the stage 21 via the aforementioned transport port.

[0040] Processing module D2 includes a wafer W transport path 24 extending in a left-right direction and a transport mechanism 25 disposed on the transport path 24. The wafer W is transported between the carrier C and various processing components disposed in processing module D2 using the transport mechanism 25 and the aforementioned transport mechanism 23. Multiple processing components are arranged left-right on both the front and rear sides of the transport path 24. The rear-side processing component is a heating component 26, which performs a heating process to remove solvent from the resist film. The front-side processing component is a resist film forming component 3. Furthermore, a transfer component TRS for temporarily placing the wafer W is provided on the transport path 24 near the carrier module D1. The wafer W is transferred between the carrier module D1 and processing module D2 using this transfer component TRS.

[0041] Next, refer to Figure 2 Longitudinal section front view and Figure 3 The top view of the resist forming assembly 3 is used for illustration. The resist forming assembly 3 includes a substrate holding portion, namely a rotary chuck 31, which holds the center of the back side of the wafer W horizontally. The rotary chuck 31 is connected to a rotation mechanism 33 via a shaft 32 extending in the vertical direction, which rotates the wafer W held in the rotary chuck 31 about the vertical axis. In addition, a circular baffle 34 surrounding the shaft 32 is provided, and three lifting pins 35 extending in the vertical direction through the baffle 34 are provided (in Figure 2 (Only two are shown in the image). The lifting pin 35 is raised and lowered using a lifting mechanism 36 including a pulse motor, and the wafer W is transferred between the rotary chuck 31 and the transport mechanism 25 described above. The lifting pin 35 serves as a support for both the wafer W and the inspection wafer 6.

[0042] A circular cup 4 is provided from the lower side to the side of the periphery of the wafer W held in the rotating chuck 31, surrounding the wafer W. The cup 4 includes a cup body 41, a lower guide portion 42, a middle guide portion 43, and an upper guide portion 44. The cup body 41 is formed as an annular recess along the circumference of the wafer W to receive processing liquids (resist and solvent) falling or splashing from the wafer W. The portions constituting the cup body 41 are shown as an outer cylindrical portion 41A, a bottom body 41B, and an inner cylindrical portion 41C. The outer cylindrical portion 41A and the inner cylindrical portion 41C are upright cylindrical members that form the sidewalls of the aforementioned annular recess. The bottom body 41B is a horizontal annular plate connecting the lower end of the outer cylindrical portion 41A and the lower end of the inner cylindrical portion 41C, forming the bottom of the annular recess. The bottom body 41B is provided with an exhaust pipe 45A for venting the cup 4, and an opening for draining the processing liquid from the aforementioned recess 45B.

[0043] Next, the lower guide portion 42 will be described. This lower guide portion 42 is formed as an annular member that extends from the periphery of the previously described baffle 34, through the inner cylindrical portion 41C, and outwards to the outer cylindrical portion 41A. It is located below the wafer W held in the rotating chuck 31. Furthermore, the upper surface of the lower guide portion 42 is formed as inclined surfaces 42A and 42B, with inclined surface 42A located closer to the center of the cup 4 than inclined surface 42B. Inclined surface 42A rises towards the outside of the cup 4, and inclined surface 42B descends towards the outside of the cup 4, thus forming a mountain-shaped longitudinal section of the lower guide portion 42. Inclined surface 42B guides the processing liquid that falls or splashes from the wafer W down to the bottom body 41B.

[0044] The top of the mountain-shaped structure formed by the inclined surfaces 42A and 42B protrudes upward to form an annular protrusion 46. This annular protrusion 46 runs along the circumference of the wafer W placed on the rotating chuck 31 and is close to the periphery of the wafer W. The annular protrusion 46 prevents the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the wafer W from spreading to the back side of the wafer W and adhering to the center of the wafer W, or prevents the mist of the processing liquid from adhering to the center of the back side of the wafer W. The height of the lower guide portion 42 can be adjusted relative to the baffle 34 and the cup body 41; therefore, the height of the annular protrusion 46 can be adjusted relative to the lower surface of the wafer W. Figure 2 In the diagram, the distance between the annular protrusion 46 and the lower surface of the wafer W (as the cup separation distance) is denoted as H0.

[0045] The intermediate guide portion 43 constituting the cup 4 is an annular member arranged to surround the wafer W when viewed from above. It includes a vertical wall 43A mounted on the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 41A and an inclined portion 43B extending obliquely upward from the upper end of the vertical wall 43A toward the center of the cup 4. Furthermore, a through hole 43C for liquid discharge is longitudinally penetrating the inclined portion 43B. Additionally, the upper guide portion 44 constituting the cup 4 is also an annular member arranged to surround the wafer W when viewed from above. The upper guide portion 44 includes a vertical wall 44A mounted on the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 41A, a horizontal portion 44B extending horizontally from the upper end of the vertical wall toward the center of the cup 4, and a cylindrical opening wall 44C extending vertically upward from the front end of the horizontal portion 44B. The vertical wall 44A is located above the vertical wall 43A of the intermediate guide portion 43, and the horizontal portion 44B is located above the inclined portion 43B of the intermediate guide portion 43.

[0046] The aforementioned upper guide portion 44 and middle guide portion 43 are mounted on the outer cylindrical portion 41A at multiple positions in the circumferential direction, thereby allowing for changes in height and tilt. Furthermore, a camera 49 is provided to photograph the cup 4 described above from an obliquely upward angle. Using the camera 49, which serves as a first photographing unit, image data of the upper side of the cup 4 (i.e., the upper guide portion 44) viewed from above can be acquired.

[0047] Next, the resist supply mechanism 5A and the EBR processing mechanism 5B provided in the resist film forming assembly 3 will be described. The resist supply mechanism 5A includes: a resist supply nozzle 51A, a resist supply section 52A, an arm 53A, a moving mechanism 54A, and a standby section 55A. The resist supply nozzle 51A sprays resist supplied under pressure from the resist supply section 52A vertically downwards. The arm 53A supports the resist supply nozzle 51A and is configured to move freely up and down and horizontally using the moving mechanism 54A. A standby section 55A with an upward opening is provided on the outside of the cup 4, and the moving mechanism 54A moves the resist supply nozzle 51A between the opening of the standby section 55A and the cup 4. The resist supply nozzle 51A, which has moved into the cup 4, sprays resist onto the center of the rotating wafer W, forming a resist film on the entire surface of the wafer W by spin coating.

[0048] The EBR processing unit 5B includes: a solvent supply nozzle 51B, a solvent supply section 52B, an arm 53B, a moving mechanism 54B, and a standby section 55B. The solvent supply nozzle 51B is a nozzle used for EBR, which ejects pressurized solvent supplied from the solvent supply section 52B from the center side of the wafer W towards the periphery in a downward-sloping manner. That is, the solvent is ejected in a direction inclined relative to the vertical direction. The arm 53B supports the solvent supply nozzle 51B and is configured to move freely up and down and horizontally using the moving mechanism 54B. A standby section 55B with an upward opening is provided on the outer side of the cup 4. The moving mechanism 54B moves the solvent supply nozzle 51B between the opening of the standby section 55B and a processing position above the wafer W within the cup 4. Furthermore, Figure 3 The solvent supply nozzle 51B, shown by solid line, is in the state of being moved to the processing position. The EBR described above is performed by spraying solvent from the solvent supply nozzle 51B at this processing position onto the rotating wafer W.

[0049] For example, solvent supply nozzle 51B is mounted on arm 53B in a manner that allows for free height adjustment. Therefore, Figure 2 The distance (as nozzle separation distance) H1 between the solvent supply nozzle 51B and the surface of the wafer W at the processing position shown can be freely adjusted. By changing this nozzle separation distance H1, the landing position of the solvent ejected from the solvent supply nozzle 51B on the wafer W can be changed. Furthermore, although only... Figure 3 As shown, an illumination section 48 is provided near the cup 4, which can illuminate the cup 4. When the camera 82 takes a picture of the solvent supply nozzle 51B, the illumination section 48 is used to illuminate the solvent supply nozzle 51B.

[0050] The substrate processing apparatus 2 includes a control unit 20 composed of a computer (see reference). Figure 1The device is equipped with a program stored on storage media such as optical discs, hard disks, memory cards, and DVDs. The program contains instructions (steps) that output control signals to various parts of the substrate processing apparatus 2. Furthermore, these control signals are used to transport the wafer W via the transport mechanisms 23 and 25, and to process the wafer W by each processing component.

[0051] Furthermore, the etching film forming assembly 3 will be further explained. The height from the lower surface of the wafer W held in the rotary chuck 31 to the upper end of the inclined portion 43B of the intermediate guide portion 43 is defined as the intermediate guide portion height H2, and the height from the lower surface of the wafer W on the rotary chuck 31 to the upper end of the aperture wall 44C of the upper guide portion 44 is defined as the upper guide portion height H3 (see reference). Figure 2 Therefore, the height of the guide portion (the height of the middle guide portion H2 and the height of the upper guide portion H3) is the height from the upper surface of the rotating chuck 31 (the mounting surface of the wafer W) to the edge of each opening formed by the middle guide portion 43 and the upper guide portion 44.

[0052] Due to errors during the assembly or adjustment of the cup 4, there are cases where the heights of the upper guide portion 44 and the middle guide portion 43 are abnormally mounted on the cup body 41. This height abnormality also includes cases where the height of only a portion in the circumferential direction is abnormal due to tilted mounting on the cup body 41. In such a height abnormality state, the desired venting performance may not be obtained, leading to poor processing of the wafer W, or the mist of the processing liquid may scatter outside the cup 4. Furthermore, in the case of an abnormal height of the upper guide portion 44, interference with the nozzles passing through the cup 4 is also possible.

[0053] As an example of the inspection performed on the aforementioned inspection wafer 6, the case of obtaining the height H2 of the intermediate guide portion and the height H3 of the upper guide portion is illustrated. These guide portion heights H2 and H3 are obtained by a proximity sensor 57 mounted on the inspection wafer 6, which detects the upper end (hereinafter referred to as the upper end of the intermediate guide portion 43) of the inclined portion 43B constituting the intermediate guide portion 43 and the upper end (hereinafter referred to as the upper end of the upper guide portion 44) of the opening wall 44C constituting the upper guide portion 44. Furthermore, when obtaining the guide portion heights H2 and H3, a contact sensor 58 mounted on the inspection wafer 6 is also used to determine the position of the lower surface of the wafer W on the rotating chuck 31. This contact sensor 58 is, for example, an accelerometer-gyroscope sensor.

[0054] Three proximity sensors 57 are provided along the circumference of the inspection wafer 6. Each proximity sensor 57 detects three different points in the circumferential direction at the upper end of the middle guide portion 43 and the upper end of the upper guide portion 44, respectively, and obtains three guide portion heights H2 and H3, which will be described in detail later. Thus, the middle guide portion 43 and the upper guide portion 44 surrounding the wafer W each become a common detection object for the position sensors, i.e., the three proximity sensors 57. Furthermore, the guide portions 43 and 44 (middle guide portion 43 and upper guide portion 44) are located on the outside when viewed from above, relative to the wafer W which moves up and down on the rotary chuck 31 using the lifting pin 35. Therefore, as described later, they are also located on the outside when viewed from above, relative to the base 61 of the inspection wafer 6 which moves up and down on the rotary chuck 31 using the lifting pin 35.

[0055] The reason for using multiple (three in this example) proximity sensors 57 to detect multiple points of the object being detected surrounding the wafer W, as described above, is that, as already stated, there are cases where the intermediate guide portion 43 and / or the upper guide portion 44 are installed at an angle, or where the upper surface of the rotating chuck 31 is tilted relative to the horizontal plane, resulting in different level values ​​at various points on its upper surface. In other words, there are cases where the rotating chuck 31 is tilted relative to the components constituting the cup 4. Therefore, the guide portion heights H2 and H3 differ at various points in the circumferential direction of the cup 4, resulting in some parts being normal while others are abnormal. Therefore, as already stated, by detecting multiple points and obtaining the guide portion heights H2 and H3 based on each detection point, abnormalities in the heights of the intermediate guide portion 43 and the upper guide portion 44 can be accurately detected. Based on the obtained three intermediate guide portion heights H2 and three upper guide portion heights H3, the operator adjusts the circumferential heights of the upper guide portion 44 and / or the intermediate guide portion 43 as needed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of processing defects caused by abnormal height of the upper guide portion 44 and the middle guide portion 43.

[0056] Furthermore, the inspection wafer 6 has the function of taking pictures using the mounted cameras 81 and 82 to acquire image data for detecting the separation distances H0 and H1 (cup separation distance H0 and nozzle separation distance H1). When the wafer W is processed with an inappropriate cup separation distance H0, the annular protrusion 46 may come into contact with the wafer W and damage the back side of the wafer W, or the annular protrusion 46 may be too far away from the wafer W and fail to perform its function. In addition, when the wafer W is processed with an inappropriate nozzle separation distance H1, the solvent supply nozzle 51B may come into contact with the wafer W and damage the wafer W, or abnormalities in the width of the resist removal area may occur due to abnormal landing positions. Based on the acquired separation distances H0 and H1, the operator adjusts the height of the lower guide portion 42 with the annular protrusion 46 and / or the height of the solvent supply nozzle 51B as needed. In this way, the aforementioned abnormalities can be prevented.

[0057] Furthermore, the inspection wafer 6 is equipped with a contact-type interference detection unit to detect whether the interference detection unit interferes with the annular protrusion 46, which is the first interference detection target component, and the solvent supply nozzle 51B, which is the second interference detection target component. That is, it is configured so that the detection of this interference can also be used to obtain information on whether the cup separation distance H0 and the nozzle separation distance H1 are smaller than an appropriate range.

[0058] The following is for reference Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 Longitudinal sectional side view, Figure 7 The top view illustrates the structure of wafer 6 used for inspection. Figures 4-6 The longitudinal sectional sides at different locations are shown. Additionally, in... Figure 7 in, omit Figures 4-6 The structural elements shown are a portion of the components. The inspection wafer 6 includes a circular base 61 and a substrate 62. The base 61 is a substrate of the same size as the wafer W, and its lower surface is also flat, just like the lower surface of the wafer W. Therefore, the base 61, like the wafer W, can be transported by the transport mechanisms 23 and 25 and held by the rotary chuck 31. That is, the inspection wafer 6 is the component that is held by the rotary chuck 31 instead of the wafer W. Figures 5-7 The inspection wafer 6 is shown in the state in which it is held by such adsorption.

[0059] A substrate 62 is laminated on the upper side of the base body 61. The substrate 62 includes a main body portion 63 disposed on the central portion of the base body 61. Furthermore, in... Figure 7 and the following Figure 8For ease of illustration, the main body 63 is shown as circular, but it is not limited to a circle and can be any shape. Various circuit components and devices are provided on the main body 63, collectively referred to as component group 64 in the drawings. Components and devices constituting component group 64 include a CPU, communication devices for wirelessly transmitting and receiving various data (including signals), etc. Data acquired by each sensor and camera can be wirelessly transmitted to the computing device 9 using this communication device. Furthermore, a trigger signal used to acquire this data can be transmitted to each camera and each sensor via this communication device. Additionally, as described later, cameras 81, 82, proximity sensor 57, etc., are mounted on a substrate other than substrate 62, but data can be transmitted to the computing device 9 and trigger signals can be received via leads 60 connecting the substrates.

[0060] A contact sensor 58 is provided on the main body 63. Furthermore, a battery 65 for supplying power to the component assembly 64, each sensor, each camera, and the illumination unit 85 (described later) is provided at the center of the base body 61. The battery 65 and the component assembly 64 are located at the center of the base body 61.

[0061] Also refer to the schematic perspective view showing the base body 61 Figure 8 The following description is provided. Three proximity sensors 57 are provided at the periphery of the base 61. For ease of explanation, these three proximity sensors 57 are sometimes distinguished as 57A, 57B, and 57C. The proximity sensors 57 are, for example, reflective optical sensors that irradiate infrared laser light radially outward from the base 61 and output a detection signal based on the reflected light from the object being detected. Therefore, the detection directions of the three proximity sensors 57 are different and are radially outward from the base 61. The three proximity sensors 57 are equidistant from the center of the base 61 and are equidistant along the circumference of the base 61. Furthermore, reference numeral 50 in the drawings refers to a substrate erected on the base 61 to support the proximity sensors 57, and is circumferentially separated from each other corresponding to the arrangement of the proximity sensors 57.

[0062] In Figure 8An imaginary line along the diameter of the base body 61 is indicated by reference numeral 6A. As already described, the proximity sensors 57 are arranged circumferentially, such that the proximity sensors 57 are respectively located in one region of the base body 61 bisected by the imaginary line 6A and the other region. This arrangement of the proximity sensors 57 is for anomaly detection to suppress the effects of the tilt of the rotary chuck 31 relative to the intermediate guide portion 43 and the upper guide portion 44. More specifically, for example, considering that the upper surface of the rotary chuck 31 is tilted relative to the horizontal plane, the inspection wafer 6 is mounted such that one region of the base body 61 is lower and the other region is higher. However, even in this case, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of height anomalies involving the intermediate guide portion 43 and the upper guide portion 44 by referring to the guide portion heights H2 and H3 obtained from the proximity sensors 57 in one region and the other region, respectively. Therefore, it is possible to suppress judgment errors caused by the aforementioned tilt and improve the detection accuracy of the anomaly.

[0063] In addition, Figure 4 In the image, a dashed arrow indicates the laser light emanating from proximity sensor 57. Furthermore, in... Figure 4 In this context, the height between the position of the object that can be detected by laser and the lower surface of the base 61 is denoted as the calibration height H4. This calibration height H4 is obtained in advance using a fixture or the like for calculating the guide heights H2 and H3.

[0064] Furthermore, the substrate 62 on the base body 61 will be further described. The main body 63 constituting the substrate 62 is fixed to the base body 61. A portion of the periphery of the main body 63 extends toward the periphery of the main body 63, forming an elongated beam-like body 66 along the radial direction of the base body 61. At the periphery of the base body 61, at a position overlapping the front end side of the beam-like body 66, a through hole 67 extending through the base body 61 in the thickness direction is formed. The through hole 67 forms a connection path connecting one side (upper side) and the other side (lower side) of the base body 61 in the longitudinal direction.

[0065] exist Figure 8 The area around the through hole 67 is magnified in front of the arrow. A protrusion 68 protrudes downwards and enters the through hole 67 on the lower surface of the front end side of the beam-like body 66. The front end (lower end) of the protrusion 68 is located below the lower surface of the main body 63, protruding from the lower surface of the main body 63 by, for example, about 1 mm (see reference). Figure 5Furthermore, the protrusion 68 is located slightly further away from the base end than the front end of the beam 66, and the front end of the beam 66 is located closer to the periphery of the base body 61 than the through hole 67. Through this arrangement of the protrusion 68 and the through hole 67, the portion of the beam 66 closer to the base end than the through hole 67 and the portion closer to the front end than the through hole 67 are respectively supported by contact with the base body 61. In other words, the beam 66 is supported on the upper surface region of the base body 61, including the outer edge of the through hole 67.

[0066] The first beam, namely the aforementioned beam 66, is formed as a cantilever, constituting a first interferometric detection unit for acquiring information about the height of the annular protrusion 46. More specifically, the lower surface of the beam 66 is not fixed to the base body 61, and it is flexible in the longitudinal direction (thickness direction of the base body 61). As described above, since the main body 63 connecting the beam 66 is fixed to the base body 61, the base end of the beam 66 is fixed to the base body 61. Therefore, the structure is such that one end of the beam 66 is fixed to the central portion of the base body 61, while the other end, extending towards the periphery of the base body 61, is movable relative to the base body 61. In other words, the beam 66 is partially fixed to the base body 61. Furthermore, a strain gauge (strain sensor) 69 is provided on the upper side of the base end (one end) of the beam 66. The strain gauge 69 forming the first signal acquisition unit, together with the components included in the aforementioned component group 64, constitutes a Wheatstone bridge circuit, and the voltage signal output from this circuit is wirelessly transmitted to the computing device 9 as a detection signal.

[0067] When the base body 61 is attracted by the rotating chuck 31, the protrusion 68 of the beam-shaped body 66 is positioned above the annular protrusion 46. As described above, both the lower surface of the wafer W and the lower surface of the base body 61 are flat surfaces, and therefore, they are at the same height when placed on the rotating chuck 31. Thus, in the case where the cup separation distance H0 is below the aforementioned reference value and the wafer W and the annular protrusion 46 interfere, as... Figure 9 As shown, interference also occurs between the protrusion 68 and the annular protrusion 46 on the inspection wafer 6. Thus, due to the interference at protrusion 68, the front end of the beam 66 deforms by being pushed upwards. Corresponding to the deformation of the beam 66, the strain gauge 69 also deforms, and the signal output from the aforementioned Wheatstone bridge circuit fluctuates according to the change in resistance of the strain gauge 69 caused by this deformation. Therefore, by monitoring this signal, the presence or absence of interference between the annular protrusion 46 and the protrusion 68 can be detected, and thus, it can be determined whether interference occurs between the wafer W and the annular protrusion 46.

[0068] Furthermore, the beam 66 is supported by contact with the base 61 to prevent plastic deformation of the beam 66's front end due to vertical vibration caused by the collision of the annular protrusion 46. Additionally, when only a portion of the annular protrusion 46 is higher and abuts against the beam 66 laterally, supporting the base end of the beam 66 on the base 61 prevents the base end from downward displacement, thus converting the downward force into an upward force on the front end of the beam 66. In other words, it also improves detection accuracy by increasing the amount of upward deformation on the front end of the beam 66.

[0069] Furthermore, a notch is provided at a position on the periphery of the upper surface of the base body 61, at a location different in the circumferential direction from the position where the beam 66 is provided. The base end of a second beam, namely beam 71, is fixedly provided on the base body 61 closer to the center than this notch. The front end of beam 71 is elongated in a manner extending radially along the notch on the base body 61. Therefore, the front end of beam 71 is in a state of floating above the base body 61. That is, a gap is formed between beam 71 and the base body 61 by the aforementioned notch, which is indicated by reference numeral 72.

[0070] Like beam 66, beam 71 is also cantilevered, forming a second interference detection unit for acquiring information about the height of the solvent supply nozzle 51B at the processing location. As described above, the front end of beam 71 is vertically movable due to its placement on gap 72. A strain gauge 73 is provided on the upper side of the base end of beam 71. The second signal acquisition unit, i.e., strain gauge 73, together with strain gauge 69 and the components included in component group 64, forms a Wheatstone bridge circuit, and the voltage signal from this circuit is wirelessly transmitted to the computing device 9 as a detection signal.

[0071] If the rotating chuck 31 is rotated while the wafer 6 is being inspected and held in place, then when the nozzle separation distance H1 is below the reference value, if... Figure 10 As shown, there is interference between the beam 71 and the lower end of the solvent supply nozzle 51B. Due to this interference, the front end of the beam 71 is pressed downward through the gap 72, deforming it by narrowing the gap 72. Corresponding to the deformation of the beam 71, the strain gauge 73 also deforms, causing a change in the signal output from the Wheatstone bridge circuit including the strain gauge 73. Therefore, by monitoring this signal, the presence or absence of interference between the solvent supply nozzle 51B and the beam 71 can be detected, and it can be determined whether the processing position of the solvent supply nozzle 51B is appropriate.

[0072] A base plate 80, 80A, 80B, respectively, housing cameras 82, 81A, and 81B, is provided on the periphery of the base body 61. Beams 66 and 71, proximity sensors 57A, 57B, and 57C, and cameras 82, 81A, and 81B are positioned circumferentially separated from each other on the base body 61. The fields of view of cameras 82, 81A, and 81B face the periphery of the base body 61. Camera 82, serving as a second imaging unit, is configured to capture images of the solvent supply nozzle 51B from the central side of the base body 61. By arranging the proximity sensors 57 as described above, camera 82 is positioned between one of the three proximity sensors 57 and another proximity sensor on the circumferential direction of the base body 61. Similarly, beams 66 and 71 are positioned between one proximity sensor and another proximity sensor on the circumferential direction of the base body 61.

[0073] Cameras 81A and 81B are components used for taking pictures via the annular protrusion 46. A reflector 83A is positioned on the optical axis of camera 81A, and a through-hole 84A is formed in the base body 61. When the inspection wafer 6 is held in the rotating chuck 31, the through-hole 84A is located on the annular protrusion 46, and a portion of the upper surface of the annular protrusion 46 in the circumferential direction is mapped onto the reflector 83A via the through-hole 84A. Camera 81A can capture images of the upper surface of the portion of the annular protrusion 46 mapped onto the reflector 83A. Furthermore, two illumination units 85A are embedded in the base body 61. Each illumination unit 85A is arranged such that the through-hole 84A is sandwiched in the circumferential direction of the base body 61, illuminating light downwards. When taking pictures using camera 81A, light is illuminating the subject downwards from each illumination unit 85A.

[0074] Similar to the mirror 83A, through-hole 84A, and illumination unit 85A corresponding to camera 81A, a mirror, through-hole, and illumination unit corresponding to camera 81B are provided, respectively designated by reference numerals 83B, 84B, and 85B. The group including substrate 80B, camera 81B, mirror 83B, through-hole 84B, and illumination unit 85B is positioned closer to the center of base body 61 than the group including substrate 80A, camera 81A, mirror 83A, through-hole 84A, and illumination unit 85A. Therefore, the area captured by camera 81B is closer to the center of base body 61 than the area captured by camera 81A. Consequently, the structure is such that multiple cameras are positioned at different radial positions on base body 61 (i.e., at different distances from the center of base body 61), and are arranged to capture images at these different radial positions. For each resist forming assembly 3, the diameter of the annular protrusion 46 is different. To obtain the cup separation distance H0, image data is acquired from cameras 81A and 81B at positions corresponding to the diameter of the annular protrusion 46.

[0075] A circular cover 86, with its sidewalls running along the circumference of the base 61, is provided on the base body 61, covering the main body 63 of the substrate 62, the battery 65, cameras 81 (81A, 81B), camera 82, reflectors 83A, 83B, and proximity sensor 57. Openings are provided on the sidewalls of the cover 86, in the field of view of the camera 82 and along the optical axis of the proximity sensor 57, so as not to obstruct the camera 82 from capturing images of the solvent supply nozzle 51B or the proximity sensor 57 from detecting objects. Furthermore, notches are cut into the lower ends of the sidewalls of the cover 86 in a manner that does not hinder the deformation of the beams 66, 71, and the front ends of the beams 66, 71 protrude outwards from the cover 86 through these notches, located at the periphery of the base body 61. Moreover, to prevent interference with the solvent supply nozzle 51B, the side end of the cover 86 is positioned closer to the center of the base body 61 than the solvent supply nozzle 51B at the processing position.

[0076] exist Figures 4-6 In the example shown, the central portion of the cover 86 is formed to be higher than the periphery of the cover 86 and has an upward-facing protrusion 87. Matching this structure of the cover 86, as described above, the battery 65 and component assembly 64 can be positioned at the center of the base body 61, allowing the center of gravity of the base body 61 to be located at the center. Therefore, when the base body 61 is placed on the rotating chuck 31, sagging of the base body 61 due to its own weight can be prevented. Thus, changes in the height of the proximity sensor 57, beams 66 and 71, and cameras 81 and 82 due to sagging can be prevented, thus preventing any impact on the measurement results. Therefore, the cover 86 with the protrusion 87 helps improve the accuracy of anomaly detection. However, it is also possible to configure the cover 86 to have a relatively large thickness and a flat upper surface.

[0077] Furthermore, when operators are handling processes such as mounting the inspection wafer 6 on the carrier C or performing maintenance on the inspection wafer 6, the inspection wafer 6 may pass through a relatively narrow area. In this case, since the upper surface of the cover 86 is positioned higher than the beams 66 and 71, even if the inspection wafer 6 collides with the wall defining the narrow area, it is the cover 86 that collides, thus preventing the beams 66 and 71 from colliding with the wall. Therefore, plastic deformation or breakage of the beams 66 and 71 is suppressed. Thus, the cover 86 can effectively protect the beams 66 and 71.

[0078] Next, refer to Figure 4The arithmetic unit 9 will be described below. The arithmetic unit 9 is a computer and includes a bus 91. Furthermore, the bus 91 is connected to a program storage unit 92, a wireless transmission and reception unit 93, a memory 94, a display unit 95, and an operation unit 96. The program storage unit 92 contains a program 90 stored on a storage medium such as an optical disc, hard disk, memory card, or DVD.

[0079] The wireless transmitter / receiver unit 93 wirelessly transmits a trigger signal to the inspection wafer 6 for acquiring data, and wirelessly receives detection signals from the circuits including the strain gauges 69 and 73, image data acquired by the cameras 81 and 82, and detection signals from the proximity sensor 57 and the contact sensor 58. Data acquired from each sensor and camera is stored in the memory 94. Furthermore, various data prepared in advance for acquiring separation distances H0 and H1, guide heights H2 and H3, etc., described later, are also stored in the memory 94.

[0080] The operation unit 96 includes a mouse, keyboard, etc., and the user of the information acquisition system 1 can use the operation unit 96 to instruct the execution of processes that can be performed by the program 90. Furthermore, the computing device 9 is connected to the control unit 20 of the substrate processing device 2. After holding, for example, an inspection wafer 6 on the rotating chuck 31, the control unit 20 sends signals from the computing device 9 indicating that various data can be acquired. In addition, information regarding the command position of the motor constituting the lifting mechanism 36 described later is also sent.

[0081] Next, the method for obtaining the heights H2 and H3 of the guide section will be briefly described. Assuming the base 61 of the inspection wafer 6 is placed on the rotating chuck 31, the lifting pin 35 is raised from its standby position. Then, based on the detection signal from the contact sensor 58, the command position of the motor of the lifting mechanism 36 when the lifting pin 35 abuts against the base 61 (as the first command position) is determined. Figure 11 Step R1).

[0082] Next, while the proximity sensors 57 are irradiating infrared laser light, the lifting pin 35 is further raised. This raising of the lifting pin 35 is only performed by a preset amount, such that: Figure 12 As shown, the infrared laser irradiates the upper end of the central guide portion 43, and then... Figure 13 As shown, the infrared laser irradiates the upper end of the upper guide portion 44 and reaches a position above the upper end of the upper guide portion 44 (step R2).

[0083] Based on the detection signals obtained from each proximity sensor 57, the motor's command position (as the second command position) when the laser is located at the upper end of the middle guide 43, and the motor's command position (as the third command position) when the laser is located at the upper end of the upper guide 44 (step R3) are determined respectively. Furthermore, the motor rotates by a certain angle according to each input pulse, and this rotation angle corresponds to the amount of rise of the lifting pin 35. The motor's command position refers to information corresponding to the number of pulses input to the motor and the height of the lifting pin 35. Therefore, for example, the determination of the first command position in step R1 above corresponds to the detection of the contact height between the lifting pin 35 and the base body 61, and the determination of the second and third command positions corresponds to the detection of the height of the upper ends of each guide 43, 44. Furthermore, when the encoder is connected to the motor, since the encoder outputs pulses corresponding to the height of the lifting pin 35, the output from the encoder can be used as the motor's command position.

[0084] Then, the rise of the lifting pin 35 under each pulse input to the motor is known, and this rise is set to X mm / pulse. The height H2 of the middle guide and the height H3 of the upper guide are calculated using Equations 1 and 2 below (step R4). Furthermore, the second command position and the third command position are determined based on the detection signals of the proximity sensors 57A, 57B, and 57C respectively, and Equations 1 and 2 are executed, thereby calculating the guide heights H2 and H3 for the proximity sensors 57A, 57B, and 57C as described above. The calculated guide heights H2 and H3 are displayed on the display unit 95 (step R5). In this example, the unit for each height of H2, H3, and H4 is mm. Furthermore, the above steps R1 to R5 are executed by the program 90 of the arithmetic unit 9. Thus, the rise amount X mm / pulse used in the calculation of the guide heights H2 and H3 and the calibration height H4 are obtained in advance and stored in, for example, the memory 94 of the arithmetic unit 9.

[0085] The height of the intermediate guide section H2 = (2nd command position - 1st command position) × X + calibration height H4 ... Equation 1

[0086] Upper guide height H3 = (3rd command position - 1st command position) × X + calibration height H4 ... Equation 2

[0087] The steps R1 to R3 for determining the first to third command positions described above will be explained in more detail. After the lifting pin 35 is continuously raised from the standby position by a predetermined amount, it switches to a phased rise corresponding to the resolution of the lifting action (the minimum amount that can be raised or lowered). That is, the lifting pin 35 is operated by repeatedly rising and temporarily stopping the rise within the smallest possible range. As an example, if the lifting pin 35 can rise or fall by more than 0.05 mm, it is raised by 0.05 mm and then stopped. Specifically, if no contact is detected when the lifting pin 35 has risen by 0.05 mm, but contact is detected on the next rise of 0.05 mm, the number of pulses input to the motor at the time of contact detection is taken as the first command position, and step R1 is completed. By raising the lifting pin 35 in phases by a small distance each time, the height at which the lifting pin 35 contacts the base body 61, as detected by the contact sensor 58, can be determined with high accuracy.

[0088] Then, as described above, after contact is detected, the lifting pin 35 is repeatedly raised and temporarily stopped, corresponding to the resolution of the lifting action. Step R2 is performed by irradiating infrared light from the proximity sensor 57 during the temporary stop and acquiring (sampling) the detection signal. The temporary stop time is set to acquire the detection signal multiple times. For example, the acquisition period is set to 10ms, the stop time is set to 1 second, and 100 signal acquisitions are performed during each stop. Then, as described above, the lifting pin 35 is raised to a set height higher than the upper guide 44, where the infrared light from the proximity sensor 57 is irradiated. The acquisition of the detection signal during the rise and stop, corresponding to the resolution, is repeated until this height is reached. Thus, by using the lifting pin 35, the inspection wafer 6 is raised (in this case, raised), and infrared light is irradiated to different heights, thereby detecting the height of the guides 43 and 44.

[0089] Then, when determining the second and third command positions in step R3, the average value of the data obtained at each height at which the lifting pin 35 stops is calculated. Figure 14 This is a graph showing the change in the average value of this data as the top of the lifting pin 35 rises to near the upper end of the upper guide portion 44. Due to the rise of the lifting pin 35, the infrared light emitted by the proximity sensor 57 switches from a state blocked by the upper guide portion 44 to a state unblocked, thereby reducing the amount of reflected light towards the proximity sensor 57, resulting in a significant change in the aforementioned average value. The command position corresponding to the height of the lifting pin 35 that causes this change (P1 in the graph) is defined as the third command position. The second command position can also be determined based on the change in the average value in the same way as the third command position.

[0090] In addition, for data obtained when the upward trend stops, it is not limited to calculating the average value; it is also possible to calculate an indicator of deviation, such as σ. Figure 15 This is a graph showing the change of σ as the top of the lifting pin 35 rises to near the upper end of the upper guide portion 44. When switching between a shielded and unshielded state, i.e., if light is shone onto the upper end of the upper guide portion 44 from the proximity sensor 57, the light will undergo diffuse reflection, causing a relatively large deviation in the amount of light received. Therefore, the command position corresponding to the height of the lifting pin 35 where σ reaches its maximum value (P2 in the graph) is determined as the third command position. The second command position can also be determined similarly based on the change in σ. Alternatively, the deviation index can be set as σ, but it is not limited to this; it can also be set as the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the signal level (i.e., the range), and the height at which this range becomes the peak value can be determined as the second and third command positions, respectively.

[0091] As described above, by using the detection results from the proximity sensor 57 obtained by progressively raising the lifting pin 35 in small increments, and by using multiple detection results obtained when the raising stops, the second and third command positions can be detected with high accuracy. Furthermore, in the example described above, the second and third command positions are determined by irradiating infrared light from the proximity sensor 57 within a specified interval during the raising of the inspection wafer 6, but this is not a limitation. For example, after the inspection wafer 6 is raised to a specified height using the lifting pin 35, infrared light can be irradiated from each proximity sensor 57 during a specified interval during the lowering of the inspection wafer 6 toward the rotary chuck 31 to determine the second and third command positions.

[0092] However, when the resolution of the lifting action is relatively low, the method described below is preferable to the method described above that utilizes the detection results during the phased rise of the lifting pin 35 for determining the first command position in step R1. Assuming the resolution is, for example, 0.05 mm, using... Figure 16 This diagram serves as an illustration. Figure 16 The arrows in the figure indicate the range and direction of movement of the top of the lifting pin 35. Arrows positioned further to the right in the time series indicate later points in the movement. For the range of movement of the lifting pin 35 during its ascent, dashed arrows indicate the range where no contact was detected, while solid arrows indicate the range where contact was detected. Furthermore, the base 61 in the figure represents the height of the base 61 when supported by the rotating chuck 31.

[0093] First, similar to the previously described example with higher resolution, after the lifting pin 35 is continuously raised from the standby position by a predetermined amount, it switches to a phased rise corresponding to the resolution of the lifting action, for example, 0.2mm each time. While continuing this phased rise, assume that in a certain rise interval (denoted by arrow V1), the state where no contact is detected during the rise continues, and in the next rise interval (denoted by arrow V2), the state where contact is detected switches. Then, the lifting pin is lowered by a second size, for example, 0.25mm (denoted by arrow V3), which is larger than the first size (0.2mm) during the rise. The top of the lifting pin 35 moves to a position lower than arrow V2, thus temporarily releasing the contact between the lifting pin 35 and the base body 61.

[0094] Next, the lifting pin 35 is raised again by 0.2mm (indicated by arrow V4). If the state of no contact being detected switches to the state of contact being detected during this raising process, the lifting pin 35 is lowered again by 0.25mm (arrow V5), and then raised by 0.2mm (arrow V6). If the state of no contact being detected switches to the state of contact being detected during this raising process, the lifting pin 35 is further lowered by 0.25mm (arrow V7), and then raised by 0.2mm (arrow V8). When the lifting pin 35 is raised as shown by arrow V8, the state of no contact being detected switches to the state of contact being detected.

[0095] In this case, assuming that in the next repetition of lowering the lifting pin 35 by 0.25mm and raising it by 0.2mm, the top of the lifting pin 35 will be at the height of the front end of arrow V1. That is, it will be at a height below the lower end of the height region (a height region) of arrow V2 where contact was first detected, and there will be no switch from a state of no contact to a state of contact detection. Therefore, the height of the lifting pin 35 after rising as shown by arrow V8 is regarded as the height for switching between contact and non-contact with the base body 61, and the command position of the motor at this height is determined as the first command position.

[0096] Thus, after the lifting pin 35 (indicated by arrow V2) rises, during the repeated lowering of the lifting pin 35 by a second magnitude and the rising of the lifting pin 35 by a first magnitude, a situation arises where no contact is detected during the rising of the lifting pin 35, remaining unchanged. In this case, the motor's command position at the height of the lifting pin 35 after such a rise is treated as the first command position, and the subsequent repetition of the lifting pin's lowering and rising is not performed. A specific example would be as follows... Figure 17As shown, no contact was detected when the lifting pin 35 (arrow V4) was raised. In this case, the commanded position of the motor after being raised as shown by arrow V4 is determined as the first commanded position, and step R1 ends without proceeding further. Figure 16 The lifting and lowering action indicated by the number following the middle arrow V5 proceeds to step R2.

[0097] Through the above-described Figure 16 , Figure 17 Determining the first command position as shown is more accurate than assuming the position after the lifting pin 35 has risen as indicated by arrow V2. Therefore, even if the resolution of the lifting action of the lifting pin 35 is small, i.e., the minimum lifting amount is a relatively large value, the guide heights H2 and H3 can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0098] Next, the methods for obtaining the cup separation distance H0 using image data acquired from cameras 81A and 81B, and the methods for obtaining the nozzle separation distance H1 using image data acquired from camera 82 will be described respectively. Figure 18 The image data is captured by camera 81A or 81B at a portion of the circumferential direction of the upper surface of the annular protrusion 46. The dashed box represents the pixels of the image. The number of pixels of the width L3 of the annular protrusion 46 is detected based on the image data thus acquired (step S1). The cup separation distance H0 is calculated based on the pre-acquired correspondence between the number of pixels of the width L3 and the cup separation distance H0 (step S2). As this correspondence, an equation can be prepared in advance that uses the cup separation distance H0 and the number of pixels of the width L3 as variables and expresses the relationship that L3 decreases as H0 increases. Then, the cup separation distance H0 calculated based on this correspondence is displayed on the display unit 95 of the arithmetic device 9 (step S3).

[0099] The method for obtaining the nozzle separation distance H1 is explained. Figure 19The image data is an image of the side of the solvent supply nozzle 51B captured by camera 82. In this image data, the number of pixels corresponding to the width L4 of the solvent supply nozzle 51B is detected (step T1). Next, in the image data, the number of pixels of height H20 between the lower end of the solvent supply nozzle 51B determined in step T1 and the reference height H10 (a pixel with a pre-set height in the image data) is detected (step T2). This H20 is set as the nozzle reference height. Then, a calculation is performed on the number of pixels corresponding to the pre-obtained width L4 of the solvent supply nozzle 51B / the width L4 obtained in step T1, and this calculated value is taken as the distance of 1 pixel (step T3). Then, the number of pixels of the nozzle reference height H20 obtained in step T2 is multiplied by the distance of 1 pixel obtained in step T3. That is, the number of pixels in the image data, i.e., the nozzle reference height H20, is converted into the actual height (distance) (step T4).

[0100] The height difference (denoted as H30) between the surface of wafer W when it is held in the rotary chuck 31 and the reference height H10 in the image captured by camera 82 when wafer 6 for inspection is held in the rotary chuck 31 is pre-observed. Based on the actual nozzle reference height H20 and the height difference H30 obtained in step T4 above, the nozzle separation distance H1 is calculated (step T5). Specifically, as Figure 19 As shown, the nozzle separation distance H1 is calculated in such a way that when the nozzle 51B in the image is mapped to a position higher than the reference height H20, it is set as H20+H30, and when the nozzle 51B in the image is mapped to a position lower than the reference height H20, it is set as H30-H20. The calculated nozzle separation distance H1 is displayed on the display unit 95 of the calculation device 9 (step T6). In addition, the pre-acquired height difference H30 is used in this way because the field of view of the camera 82 is limited due to its placement on the base body 61.

[0101] The above steps S1 to S3 and T1 to T6 are performed by the program 90 of the arithmetic device 9. The correspondence between the number of pixels of the width L3 and the cup separation distance H0, the height difference H30, and the actual width L4 of the solvent supply nozzle 51B used to perform the above steps are pre-stored in the memory 94 of the arithmetic device 9.

[0102] This example illustrates the operation steps of the information acquisition system 1 described above. In this example, no exploitation is performed. Figure 18 , Figure 19The cameras 81 and 82 described herein detect the cup separation distance H0 and the nozzle separation distance H1. First, the carrier C storing the inspection wafer 6 is transported to the stage 21 of the substrate processing apparatus 2. The inspection wafer 6 is transported in the order of transport mechanism 23 → transfer assembly TRS → transport mechanism 25 → resist film forming assembly 3, and is placed on the rotary chuck 31 by means of lifting pin 35 and is attracted and held.

[0103] For example, when the operator issues a specified instruction from the computing device 9, the execution... Figures 11-13 In steps R1 to R3 as shown above, the height H2 of the intermediate guide portion and the height H3 of the upper guide portion are obtained from each proximity sensor 57A to 57C, stored in the memory 94 of the arithmetic unit 9, and displayed on the display unit 95. Then, when the lifting pin 35 is lowered to allow the inspection wafer 6 to be re-attached to the rotary chuck 31, the solvent supply nozzle 51B is moved from the standby unit 55B to the processing position. The inspection wafer 6 is rotated once using the rotary chuck 31. During this rotation, detection signals from each circuit including strain gauges 69 and 73 are sent to the arithmetic unit 9, stored in the memory 94, and their waveforms are displayed on the display unit 95. After the inspection wafer 6 has rotated once, the solvent supply nozzle 51B returns to the standby unit 55B. Then, the inspection wafer 6 is transferred to the transport mechanism 25 via the lifting pin 35, and returns to the carrier C sequentially via the transfer assembly TRS and the transport mechanism 23.

[0104] For the obtained values ​​of the height H2 of the three intermediate guide sections and the height H3 of the three upper guide sections, the operator determines whether they are all within the allowable range. Furthermore, the operator determines whether the waveforms of the detection signals obtained from strain gauges 69 and 73 are normal. Specifically, this waveform determination is made, for example, by comparing it with reference data, which is data obtained beforehand by rotating the rotary chuck 31 of the inspection wafer 6 one revolution under the condition that the solvent supply nozzle 51B and the annular protrusion 46 do not interfere with the beams 66 and 71.

[0105] If either the height H2 or H3 of the guide section exceeds the permissible range, the operator shall correct the installation of the intermediate guide section 43 and / or the upper guide section 44. Furthermore, if the waveform of the detection signal from the strain gauge 69 and / or strain gauge 73 is abnormal, the height of the lower guide section 42 with the annular protrusion 46 and / or the solvent supply nozzle 51B shall be adjusted.

[0106] Next, the carrier C containing the wafer W is transported to the stage 21 of the substrate processing apparatus 2. The wafer W is transported in the following order: transport mechanism 23 → transfer assembly TRS → transport mechanism 25 → resist film forming assembly 3 → transport mechanism 25 → heating assembly 26 → transport mechanism 25 → transfer assembly TRS, and then returned to the carrier C by the transport mechanism 23. During this transport, at the resist film forming assembly 3, resist is sprayed from the resist supply nozzle 51A onto the center of the surface of the wafer W, which is rotating by the rotary chuck 31, and a resist film is formed on the entire surface of the wafer W by spin coating. Afterward, the solvent supply nozzle 51B moves from the standby section 55B to the processing position and supplies solvent to the periphery of the rotating wafer W to remove the resist film from the periphery.

[0107] Next, focusing on the differences from the previously described operating steps, the acquisition of the separation distances H0 and H1 of cameras 81 and 82 for detecting interference from beams 66 and 71 on the inspection wafer 6 will be explained. For example, as described above, after the lifting pin 35 raises the inspection wafer 6 and the guide heights H2 and H3 are acquired, the lifting pin 35 is lowered, and the inspection wafer 6 is once again adsorbed onto the rotary chuck 31. Then, after the solvent supply nozzle 51B is moved to the processing position, the rotary chuck 31 rotates intermittently at, for example, predetermined angular intervals, and when rotation stops, the cameras 81A or 81B, 82 capture images to acquire image data. The acquired image data is then wirelessly transmitted sequentially to the computing device 9.

[0108] Steps S1 to S3 described above are performed on each image data acquired by cameras 81 (81A, 81B) to calculate the cup separation distance H0 and display the image. Alternatively, it is possible to predetermine which of cameras 81A or 81B will be used to take the picture, or images can be acquired by both cameras, and the cup separation distance H0 can be calculated by selecting the image with the annular protrusion 46 mapped by program 90. Furthermore, the image data acquired by camera 82 is selected from multiple image data, for example according to program 90 of the arithmetic unit 9. Figure 19 The data for the solvent supply nozzle 51B is mapped as shown. Then, steps T1 to T6 described above are performed on the selected image data to calculate the nozzle separation distance H1 and display it on the screen. The operator, seeing H0 and H1 displayed in this way, adjusts the height of the annular protrusion 46 and / or the nozzle 51B as needed.

[0109] The diagram illustrates a scenario where cameras 81 and 82 are used to acquire the separation distances H0 and H1, and beams 66 and 71 are used to detect interference; however, both methods can also be employed. Furthermore, it explains how operators can determine anomalies based on the acquired guide heights H2 and H3, separation distances H0 and H1, and signal waveforms from strain gauges 69 and 73 on beams 66 and 71. However, the process can also be performed by program 90 by comparing the values ​​and signal waveforms stored in memory 94 as reference data. In this case, if program 90 determines an anomaly, a predetermined indication can be displayed on display 95 as an alarm, or a predetermined sound can be output from the speaker constituting the arithmetic unit 9.

[0110] As described above, by using the inspection wafer 6, the guide heights H2 and H3 of three different locations on the circumference of the cup 4 can be obtained. As previously stated, by obtaining the heights of multiple locations in this way, the effects of tilting between the upper guide 44 and the middle guide 43 and the rotary chuck 31 can be suppressed, and abnormalities in the heights of the upper guide 44 and the middle guide 43 can be detected with high accuracy. Therefore, since abnormalities in the processing of the wafer W can be prevented, a decrease in the yield of semiconductor products manufactured from the wafer W can be prevented.

[0111] Furthermore, assume that the center of the inspection wafer 6 is maintained off-center relative to the center of the rotating chuck 31. Due to this off-center maintenance, the distance between one of the proximity sensors 57 and the opening edge of the intermediate guide 43 and the upper guide 44 becomes greater, reducing detection accuracy or even rendering it undetectable. However, by providing multiple proximity sensors 57, it also has the advantage of being able to perform detection using other proximity sensors 57. Additionally, if using... Figure 9 As explained, proximity sensors 57 are respectively disposed in the regions on one side and the other side separated by the imaginary line 6A. This configuration is effective in suppressing the effects of tilt between the guide portions 43, 44 and the rotary chuck 31, but it is also effective in suppressing the effects of eccentricity between the rotary chuck 31 and the inspection wafer 6. This is because even if the proximity sensors 57 in one region are moved away from the opening edges of the guide portions 43, 44 due to eccentricity, resulting in reduced detection accuracy, the proximity sensors 57 in the other region are close to the opening edges of the guide portions 43, 44, thus enabling reliable detection. Furthermore, the number of proximity sensors 57 is not limited to the example described; it can be two or more.

[0112] Furthermore, the inspection wafer 6, proximity sensor 57, cameras 81 and 82, and beams 66 and 71 are arranged circumferentially staggered on a common base 61. With this arrangement, in addition to acquiring the guide heights H2 and H3, interference detection with the nozzle and annular protrusion 46, as well as the separation distances H0 and H1, can be performed using these components. Therefore, by feeding the inspection wafer 6 to the resist forming assembly 3 once, the above information can be acquired, thus reducing the inspection time, which is advantageous.

[0113] Furthermore, the following description illustrates an example where the acquisition of the guide heights H2 and H3 differs from the example described in steps R1 to R5. In this acquisition example, unlike the previously described example where the lifting pin 35 is raised in stages, the lifting pin 35 is raised continuously at a relatively low speed. Hereinafter, refer to... Figure 20 The explanation focuses on the differences between this situation and the situation of a phased rise. Figure 20 This is a timing diagram showing the changes in the rising speed of the lifting pin 35, the detection signal from the contact sensor 58, and the detection signal from one of the three proximity sensors 57. Furthermore, this timing diagram also shows the signal waveforms obtained by processing the detection signals from the contact sensor 58 and the proximity sensor 57 using a prescribed algorithm. This signal processing is performed, for example, by the arithmetic unit 9 that receives the detection signals. Additionally, the sampling rate of the data from the contact sensor 58 and the proximity sensor 57 is 10 ms.

[0114] First, the inspection wafer 6 is held on the rotating chuck 31, pre-set to be illuminated by the proximity sensor 57. Then, the lifting pin 35 is raised from the standby position, and after rising a predetermined amount, the speed is reduced, for example, moving at 0.2 mm / s. The lifting pin 35 is brought into contact with the inspection wafer 6 to lift the inspection wafer 6, and after the inspection wafer 6 rises a predetermined amount, the slow rise of 0.2 mm / s is released. The height at which this slow rise is released is designed to be at a height above the infrared illumination position of the proximity sensor 57, above the upper guide portion 44. Thus, during the raising of the lifting pin 35, detection signals are acquired from the contact sensor 58 and the proximity sensor 57, respectively.

[0115] The peak value of the detection signal waveform of the contact sensor 58 after data processing is completed is detected. In the graph, the moment when this peak value is detected is denoted as t1. Furthermore, the peak value of the detection signal waveform of the proximity sensor 57 after data processing is also detected. The earlier peak value corresponds to the upper end of the intermediate guide portion 43, and the later peak value corresponds to the upper end of the upper guide portion 44. In the graph, the moments when the peak value corresponding to the upper end of the intermediate guide portion 43 and the peak value corresponding to the upper end of the upper guide portion 44 appear are denoted as t2 and t3, respectively. Using the sampling rate of each sensor and the rising speed of the lifting pin 35, the distance the lifting pin 35 rises from the acquisition of a detection signal at a certain time point to the next acquisition of a detection signal is 0.002 mm.

[0116] Therefore, the guide heights H2 and H3 can be calculated using Equations 3 and 4 below. In Equations 3 and 4, the units for H2 to H4 are mm. Since it is not necessary to determine the motor's command position as performed in steps R1 to R5 when obtaining the guide heights H2 and H3, obtaining the motor's command position is not essential.

[0117] The height of the intermediate guide section H2 = (the number of data points in time t1 to t2 - 1) × 0.002 + calibration height H4 ... Equation 3

[0118] The height of the upper guide section H3 = (the number of data points from time t1 to t3 - 1) × 0.002 + calibration height H4 ... Equation 4

[0119] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown, the resist film forming assembly 3 is equipped with a camera 49 for photographing the upper guide portion 44. Figure 21 The image data 100 acquired by camera 49 is shown. This image data 100 is the image data of the upper end of cup 4, namely the upper guide portion 44. For example, this image data 100 is acquired at any time and compared with pre-acquired reference image data 101. The reference image data 101 is the image data acquired by taking pictures from camera 49 with each part of the upper guide portion 44 at a normal height. Then, the offset A1 of the height of the upper guide portion 44 between image data 100 and reference image data 101 is acquired. This offset A1 is compared with a reference value, and if it exceeds the reference value, it is inferred that there is an anomaly.

[0120] Among them, if such Figures 11-13If the height H3 of the upper guide portion obtained from the three proximity sensors 57 is normal, as shown, then the height of the upper guide portion 44 is considered to be normal. In other words, the height of the upper guide portion 44 is considered abnormal only when both the height H3 and the offset A1 are abnormal. For example, image data 100 is sent to the processing unit 9, and reference image data 101 is stored in the memory 94. The program 90 of the processing unit 9, which is the information acquisition unit, performs this abnormality determination. This abnormality determination is equivalent to acquiring information about the position of the cup 4.

[0121] Furthermore, this judgment is one example; it could also be that if only one of the offset A1 and the height H3 of the upper guide portion is abnormal, then the height of the upper guide portion 44 is considered abnormal. As described above, by using both the image data 100 acquired by the camera 49 and the upper guide portion height H3 obtained from each proximity sensor 57—that is, data with different viewing angles or fields of view for the same object—as a method for detecting anomalies, more accurate anomaly detection can be achieved.

[0122] Furthermore, in the previously described example, the contact sensor 58 used to detect the contact between the lifting pin and the base 61 was described as an accelerometer-gyroscope sensor, but any device capable of detecting the contact is acceptable, and is not limited to an accelerometer-gyroscope sensor. For example, it could be a sensor that only has the function of an accelerometer or a gyroscope sensor, or it could be a vibration sensor. Thus, for the contact sensor 58, a device capable of detecting differences in the movement and posture of the inspection wafer 6 before or after the aforementioned contact is used.

[0123] Figure 22 A modified example of the cup 4 is shown. The central guide portion 43 is supported at different positions in the circumferential direction by three pillars 102 (only two are shown in the figures). The three pillars 102 are equally spaced in the circumferential direction of the cup 4, and their lower ends pass through the bottom of the cup 4 and are connected to the lifting mechanism 103, so that they can be raised and lowered independently of each other. By raising and lowering each of the pillars 102, the height and tilt of the upper guide portion 44 of the cup body 41 can be freely adjusted by the lifting mechanism 103.

[0124] For example, when the inspection wafer 6 is fed into the device, it is pre-oriented in a predetermined direction so that the detection positions of the proximity sensors 57A-57C on the upper guide portion 44 are respectively supported by the support column 102. Then, if the height H2 of the intermediate guide portion detected by each proximity sensor 57A-57C is an abnormal value, the support column 102 at the position detected by the abnormal proximity sensor 57 is raised or lowered by an amount corresponding to the deviation between the abnormal value and the allowable value. Thus, the height H2 of the intermediate guide portion falls within the allowable range, and the abnormality is eliminated. The upper guide portion 44 can also be configured with the same structure as the intermediate guide portion 43 in this example to eliminate the height abnormality.

[0125] In the described information acquisition system 1, a control unit 20 and a processing unit 9 are provided, but the control unit 20 may also function as the processing unit 9. Furthermore, in the described example, data is wirelessly transmitted to the processing unit 9, but alternatively, a removable memory may be mounted on the base 61 of the inspection wafer 6, and the data may be stored in that memory. In this case, the operator only needs to remove the memory from the inspection wafer 6 after data acquisition is complete and it has returned to the carrier C, and transfer the data to the processing unit 9. Therefore, it is also possible not to wirelessly transmit image data to the inspection wafer 6. Alternatively, a structure may be used where the inspection wafer 6 and the processing unit 9 are connected by a wire, and various types of data are transmitted to the processing unit 9.

[0126] Furthermore, the inspection wafer 6 is configured such that each proximity sensor 57 is positioned on the base 61 at a height corresponding to the lower end of the nozzle 51B at the processing position. Then, the inspection wafer 6 is rotated one revolution together with the rotary chuck 31 to determine whether each proximity sensor 57 has detected the solvent supply nozzle 51B. As described above, since the rotary chuck 31 may tilt, even if one of the multiple proximity sensors 57 fails to detect the nozzle 51B, the height of the nozzle 51B is considered normal as long as the other sensors detect it. On the other hand, if none of the multiple proximity sensors 57 detect the nozzle 51B, the height of the nozzle 51B is considered abnormal. Thus, the multiple proximity sensors 57 are not limited to detecting abnormal heights of the cup 4. Furthermore, the proximity sensors 57 are not limited to detecting objects by irradiating infrared light; devices that output, for example, ultrasonic waves can also be used to detect objects.

[0127] Furthermore, while the camera 82 is configured to photograph the solvent supply nozzle 51B, it could also be configured to photograph the resist supply nozzle 51A, thereby obtaining the distance between the resist supply nozzle 51A and the surface of the wafer W. Additionally, the liquid processing assembly provided in the substrate processing apparatus 2 is not limited to the resist film forming assembly 3. It could be an assembly that supplies a coating film forming liquid (other than a resist film) such as an anti-reflective film or an insulating film to the surface of the wafer W from the nozzle to form a film, or it could be an assembly that supplies a cleaning solution, a developing solution, or an adhesive for bonding multiple wafers W together from the nozzle to the surface of the wafer W. Thus, information regarding the height between the nozzle supplying the processing liquid (other than a resist film) and the surface of the wafer W can also be obtained using the method of the described embodiment.

[0128] Furthermore, the processing liquid supplied from the nozzle to the periphery of the wafer W is not limited to a solvent; for example, it could be a coating liquid for forming a coating film. Information about the height between the nozzle and the surface of the wafer W can be obtained using the methods described above. Additionally, the inspection wafer 6 is not limited to being transported from the carrier C to the substrate processing apparatus 2 from the outside. For example, a storage component for the inspection wafer 6 could be provided within the substrate processing apparatus 2, and transported between this component and the resist forming component 3.

[0129] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. Various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations of the above embodiments may be made without departing from the claims and their spirit.

Claims

1. An information acquisition system for acquiring information related to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held in a substrate holding portion, characterized in that, The information acquisition system includes: A base body, which is held by the substrate holding portion in place of the substrate; and Multiple position sensors are disposed on the base body in a manner that their detection directions are different from each other, in order to detect the position of a common detection object located on the outside of the base body. The base is raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism, allowing position sensors to detect its position at different heights. The supporting portion of the support base body is raised and lowered below the base body held by the lifting mechanism. A contact sensor is provided on the base body. The contact sensor is used to detect the position of the object to be detected by detecting the contact between the base body and the support portion, thereby detecting the contact height between the support portion and the base body held in the substrate holding portion.

2. The information acquisition system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base is circular. The plurality of position sensors are respectively configured in a first region and a second region divided by an imaginary line along the diameter of the base body. The detection direction of each of the multiple position sensors is radially outward of the base body.

3. The information acquisition system according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the support portion is raised within a height region of the first size, the contact is detected by the contact sensor. The contact height is obtained by repeatedly lowering the support portion to a second size greater than the first size, and then raising the support portion to the first size, until no contact is detected during the raising process, or until the height of the support portion after the next raising to the first size is below the lower end of the height region.

4. The information acquisition system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The object to be detected is a cup surrounding the substrate. The information acquisition system is provided with an information acquisition unit, which acquires information about the position of the cup based on image data acquired by the first imaging unit capturing the cup and the acquisition results of the multiple position sensors.

5. The information acquisition system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The base is circular. On the base body, a second imaging unit is provided in the circumferential direction of the base body between one of the plurality of position sensors and the other position sensors, which is located above the peripheral portion of the substrate and supplies processing liquid to the peripheral portion.

6. The information acquisition system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The base is circular. An interference detection unit is disposed in the circumferential direction of the base body at a position offset relative to the position sensor. The interference detection unit is partially fixed to the base body and is used to detect interference by utilizing the deformation of the component to be interfered with.

7. The information acquisition system according to claim 6, characterized in that, A cover is provided on the base body to cover the position sensor. The interference detection unit is located on the outer side of the cover at the periphery of the base. On the base body, the upper surface of the cover is higher than the interference detection part.

8. An information acquisition system for acquiring information related to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held in a substrate holding portion, characterized in that, The information acquisition system includes: A base body, which is held by the substrate holding portion in place of the substrate; and Multiple position sensors are disposed on the base body in a manner that their detection directions are different from each other, in order to detect the position of a common detection object located on the outside of the base body. The object to be detected is a cup surrounding the substrate. The information acquisition system is provided with an information acquisition unit, which acquires information about the position of the cup based on image data acquired by the first imaging unit capturing the cup and the acquisition results of the multiple position sensors.

9. An information acquisition system for acquiring information related to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held in a substrate holding portion, characterized in that, The information acquisition system includes: A base body, which is held by the substrate holding portion in place of the substrate; and Multiple position sensors are disposed on the base body in a manner that their detection directions are different from each other, in order to detect the position of a common detection object located on the outside of the base body. The base is circular. On the base body, a second imaging unit is provided in the circumferential direction of the base body between one of the plurality of position sensors and the other position sensors, which is located above the peripheral portion of the substrate and supplies processing liquid to the peripheral portion.

10. An information acquisition system for acquiring information related to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held in a substrate holding portion, characterized in that, The information acquisition system includes: A base body, which is held by the substrate holding portion in place of the substrate; and Multiple position sensors are disposed on the base body in a manner that their detection directions are different from each other, in order to detect the position of a common detection object located on the outside of the base body. The base is circular. An interference detection unit is disposed in the circumferential direction of the base body at a position offset relative to the position sensor. The interference detection unit is partially fixed to the base body and is used to detect interference by utilizing the deformation of the component to be interfered with.

11. An information acquisition method for acquiring information related to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held in a substrate holding portion, characterized in that, The information acquisition method includes the following steps: The substrate is held by the substrate holding portion instead of the base body; and Multiple position sensors, arranged in opposite directions, are used to detect the position of an object located outside the base and shared by all the position sensors. The information acquisition method also includes the following steps: using a lifting mechanism to raise and lower the base body. Thus, position detection is performed by various position sensors at different heights. The support portion is raised below the base body held by the substrate holding portion using the lifting mechanism; the support portion is used to support the base body. Using a contact sensor provided on the base body, the contact height between the support portion and the base body held in the substrate holding portion is detected, and the position of the object to be detected is obtained based on the contact height.

12. The information acquisition method according to claim 11, characterized in that, When the support portion is raised within a height region of the first size, the contact is detected by the contact sensor. The contact height is obtained by repeatedly lowering the support portion to a second size greater than the first size, and then raising the support portion to the first size, until no contact is detected during the raising process, or until the height of the support portion after the next raising to the first size is below the lower end of the height region.

13. An information acquisition method for acquiring information related to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held in a substrate holding portion, characterized in that, The information acquisition method includes the following steps: The substrate is held by the substrate holding portion instead of the base body; and Multiple position sensors, arranged in opposite directions, are used to detect the position of an object located outside the base and shared by all the position sensors. The object to be detected is the cup surrounding the substrate. The information acquisition method also includes the following steps: acquiring information about the position of the cup based on the image data acquired by the first imaging unit capturing the cup and the acquisition results of the multiple position sensors.

14. An information acquisition method for acquiring information related to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held in a substrate holding portion, characterized in that, The information acquisition method includes the following steps: The substrate is held by the substrate holding portion instead of the base body; and Multiple position sensors, arranged in opposite directions, are used to detect the position of an object located outside the base and shared by all the position sensors. The base body is circular. The information acquisition method further includes the following steps: using a second imaging unit to take a picture of a nozzle located above the periphery of the substrate and supplying processing liquid to the periphery from the central part of the base body, wherein the second imaging unit is disposed in the circumferential direction of the base body between one of the plurality of position sensors and other position sensors.

15. An information acquisition method for acquiring information related to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held in a substrate holding portion, characterized in that, The information acquisition method includes the following steps: The substrate is held by the substrate holding portion instead of the base body; and Multiple position sensors, arranged in opposite directions, are used to detect the position of an object located outside the base and shared by all the position sensors. The base body is circular. The information acquisition method further includes the following steps: the interference is detected by the interference detection unit using the deformation when interfering with the component to be interfered with, the interference detection unit is set in the circumferential direction of the base body at a position offset from the position sensor, and the interference detection unit is partially fixed to the base body.

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