Substrate conveying device and substrate conveying method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate conveying device and a substrate conveying method. During substrate conveying, abnormalities related to conveying the substrate and handling of the substrate at the conveying destination are prevented. The device comprises: a support portion for supporting the substrate; a moving mechanism for laterally moving the support portion to convey the substrate from a first receiving portion, on which the substrate is respectively received, to a second receiving portion; and an ultrasonic sensor provided on the support portion for detecting the substrate received on the first receiving portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate conveying device and a substrate conveying method. Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers) serving as substrates are stored in conveying containers and conveyed within the factory. In addition, in a substrate processing device serving as a conveying destination, a conveying mechanism is used to take out the substrate from the above-mentioned conveying container and process it. Patent document 1 describes a conveying mechanism (conveying arm) comprising: a substrate holding member; and a height sensor provided on the lower surface of the substrate holding member. Furthermore, the height sensor is used to detect the position of a support ring that surrounds a workbench that supports the substrate for processing and is arranged below the substrate holding member.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-212655 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] The present disclosure provides a technology capable of preventing the occurrence of abnormalities related to the transport of a substrate and the processing of the substrate at a transport destination when the substrate is transported.

[0008] Solutions for solving problems

[0009] The substrate conveying device disclosed herein comprises:

[0010] a supporting portion for supporting a substrate;

[0011] a moving mechanism that moves the supporting portion in a lateral direction to transport the substrates from the first mounting portion on which the substrates are respectively mounted to the second mounting portion; and

[0012] An ultrasonic sensor is provided on the support portion to detect the substrate placed on the first placement portion.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present disclosure, when a substrate is transported, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of abnormalities related to the transport of the substrate and the processing of the substrate at the transport destination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a top view of a substrate processing apparatus to which a substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied.

[0016] Figure 2 It is a longitudinal sectional side view of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a side view of the support portion of the transfer arm of one embodiment of the substrate transfer apparatus.

[0018] Figure 4 is a side view of the support portion.

[0019] Figure 5 It is a side view of the support portion and the transport container.

[0020] Figure 6 It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation process of the transport arm.

[0021] Figure 7 It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation process of the transport arm.

[0022] Figure 8 It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation process of the transport arm.

[0023] Figure 9 It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation process of the transport arm.

[0024] Figure 10 It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation process of the transport arm.

[0025] Figure 11 It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation process of the transport arm.

[0026] Figure 12 It is a bottom view of the wafer W showing a region irradiated with ultrasonic waves.

[0027] Figure 13 It is a bottom view of the wafer W showing a region irradiated with ultrasonic waves.

[0028] Figure 14 It is a side view of the support portion and the load lock module constituting the device.

[0029] Figure 15 is a side view of the support portion.

[0030] Figure 16 It is a bottom view showing the support portion and the abnormality determination member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] exist Figure 11 shows a substrate processing apparatus 1 including a substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a loading module 2, an alignment module 20, load lock modules 5A and 5B, a vacuum transfer module 6, and four processing modules 7. The substrate processing apparatus 1 processes a wafer W, which is a circular substrate.

[0032] The loading module 2 is a module called an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module), which has the function of taking out the wafer W from the transport container C called a FOUP (Front Open Unified Pod) that stores the wafer W and storing it in the substrate processing device 1. The loading module 2 of this embodiment is horizontally long, and the interior is an atmospheric atmosphere and a normal pressure atmosphere. In the following, the structure of the substrate processing device 1 is described by setting the longitudinal direction of the loading module 2 in the horizontal direction as the X direction and the direction orthogonal to the X direction as the Y direction. In addition, one side and the other side in the X direction are respectively recorded as the +X side and the -X side, and one side and the other side in the Y direction are respectively recorded as the +Y side and the -Y side.

[0033] An alignment module 20 is connected to the -X side of the loader module 2. The alignment module 20 includes a rotatable stage. It detects the position of a wafer W placed on the stage and rotating by irradiating the periphery with light. Based on the center position of the wafer W obtained from the detected periphery, the conveyor mechanism 3, described later, collects the wafer W. The conveyor mechanism 3 is one embodiment of a substrate conveyance device.

[0034] Load lock modules 5A and 5B are provided on the -Y side of the loader module 2, separated from each other in the X direction. The load lock modules 5A and 5B are configured to switch their internal spaces 50 between a normal pressure atmosphere, such as an N2 (nitrogen) gas atmosphere, and a vacuum atmosphere, to facilitate wafer W transfer between the loader module 2 and a vacuum transfer module 6, described later.

[0035] The load lock modules 5A and 5B have identical structures, each with a stage 51 located within its internal space 50. The stage 51 includes three lift pins 52 that can be freely inserted and retracted relative to its upper surface. These lift pins 52 facilitate transfer of wafers W between the transfer mechanisms 3 and 61 (described later) and the stage 51. A gate valve G1 is provided between the load lock modules 5A and 5B and the loader module 2.

[0036] A vacuum transfer module 6 having a vacuum atmosphere inside is provided on the -Y side of the load interlock modules 5A and 5B, and the vacuum transfer module 6 includes a transfer mechanism 61. Four processing modules 7 are arranged so as to surround the vacuum transfer module 6, and a gate valve G2 is provided between the processing module 7 and the vacuum transfer module 6. The processing module 7 is a device for processing the wafer W under a vacuum state, and is configured as a film forming module in this embodiment. The processing module 7 includes a stage for placing and heating the wafer W. Furthermore, the stage includes, for example, an electrostatic chuck, and the wafer W is adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck. In this way, a processing gas is supplied to the adsorbed wafer W, and a film is formed on the surface of the wafer W.

[0037] The wafers W received from the transport container C into the loading module 2 are transported and processed in the order of alignment module 20 → loading module 2 → load lock module 5A → vacuum transport module 6 → processing module 7. Then, the processed wafers W are transported in the order of processing module 7 → vacuum transport module 6 → load lock module 5B → loading module 2 → transport container C. The transport of wafers W between the load lock modules 5A, 5B, vacuum transport module 6 and processing module 7 is performed by the transport mechanism 61 of the vacuum transport module 6 described above. The transport of wafers W between the transport container C, alignment module 20, loading module 2 and load lock modules 5A, 5B is performed by the transport mechanism 3 described later provided in the loading module 2. In addition, when transporting along the above-mentioned path, the gate valves G1 and G2 are each opened only when necessary and are closed together during the pressure switching process in the load lock modules 5A and 5B.

[0038] Next, refer to Figure 2 The loader module 2 is described in detail with reference to a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of FIG. The loader module 2 includes a housing 21. The housing 21 includes a transfer area 29 for wafers W. As described above, this transfer area 29 is maintained at normal pressure and in an atmospheric atmosphere. A stage 22 is provided on the +Y side of the housing 21, projecting from this side in the +Y direction. For example, three stages 22 are provided, spaced apart from each other in the X direction. A stage 23 is provided on each stage 22, upon which a transfer container C is placed.

[0039] The following describes the conveying container C, and the directions in the description are the directions in the state of being placed on the stage 23. The conveying container C includes a container body 11 and a cover 13 that blocks the opening 12 provided on the side of the -Y side of the container body 11. A plurality of support portions 14 that support the edge of the back side (lower surface) of the wafer W on the -X side and the +X side in the container body 11 are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, in the container body 11, a plurality of wafers W, for example, 25 wafers W, are supported at intervals in the longitudinal direction and are arranged in a rack shape. Sometimes the area in the container body 11 that supports each wafer W is set as a slot, and the serial numbers are marked in order from the top and recorded as slot 1, slot 2, slot 3...

[0040] Three wafer W feed-in and feed-out ports 24 are provided on the side surface on the +Y side of the shell 21 of the loading module 2, separated from each other in the X direction, and a door 25 is provided for closing the feed-in and feed-out ports 24 from the inner side of the shell 21. The door 25 is connected to a door moving mechanism 26. The feed-in and feed-out ports 24 are opened in a manner overlapping with the opening 12 of the conveying container C placed on the stage 23. In addition, the door 25 can be retreated to a position below the feed-in and feed-out ports 24 in the shell 21 by using the door moving mechanism 26 while holding the cover 13 of the conveying container C. Therefore, the door 25 opens and closes the feed-in and feed-out ports 24 and opens and closes the opening 12 of the conveying container C. When the opening 12 and the feed-in and feed-out ports 24 are both open, the wafer W can be transported between the loading module 2 and the conveying container C.

[0041] A conveying mechanism 3 is provided within the housing 21. The conveying mechanism 3 includes a multi-jointed arm 32, an ultrasonic sensor 4, and a lifting mechanism 31 configured to be movable in the X direction. The multi-jointed arm 32 is movable upward and downward by the lifting mechanism 31. The multi-jointed arm 32 includes a horizontal first arm 33, a horizontal second arm 34, and a support portion 35. The base end of the first arm 33 is rotatably mounted on the lifting mechanism 31 about a vertical axis, while the base end of the second arm 34 is rotatably mounted on the top end of the first arm 33 about a vertical axis.

[0042] The lifting mechanism 31, the first arm 33, and the second arm 34 constitute a moving mechanism 30 that moves the support portion 35 to any position in the lateral and height directions. The support portion 35 moves laterally toward the bottom of the wafer W in order to receive the wafer W in the module or the transport container C and support it from below. In the following description, the moving direction of the support portion 35 is assumed to be forward. In addition, when describing the side view of the support portion 35, reference is made to FIG. Figure 3 .

[0043] The support portion 35 is a horizontal plate-shaped member, and the rear portion (base end portion) of the support portion 35 is rotatably provided on the top end portion of the second arm 34 around a vertical axis. Furthermore, the left and right sides of the front portion (top end portion) of the support portion 35 extend forward, respectively, to form a front protrusion 36. Thus, the support portion 35 is formed into a two-branched fork shape. A pad 41 is provided on the top end portion of the front protrusion 36, and the upper surface of the rear side of the pad 41 forms a loading surface 42 for the wafer W. On the pad 41, the front side of the loading surface 42 is raised to form a claw portion 43. Furthermore, a recess is provided on the lower surface of the front end portion of each front protrusion 36, and an ultrasonic sensor 4 is buried in the recess.

[0044] Each ultrasonic sensor 4 emits ultrasonic waves in a vertical direction toward the upper side of the claw 43 via a through hole (not shown) formed in the longitudinal direction of the claw 43. Figure 3In the figure, the ultrasonic wave is indicated by a dotted arrow. When the ultrasonic wave collides with a solid detection object located on the claw portion 43, generating a reflected wave, the ultrasonic sensor 4 receives the reflected wave and transmits data on the distance between the ultrasonic sensor 4 and the detection object to the control unit 100, described later. This allows the control unit 100 to obtain the distance. When viewed from the rear toward the front, the left and right ultrasonic sensors 4 are sometimes referred to as 4A and 4B, respectively. Reference numeral 4A designates the first ultrasonic sensor, and reference numeral 4B designates the second ultrasonic sensor. These ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B are positioned at the same height.

[0045] Furthermore, pads 44 are provided on the left and right sides of the rear side of the support portion 35, and the upper surfaces of the pads 44 serve as placement surfaces 45 for the wafer W. The peripheral edge of the wafer W is placed on the placement surfaces 42 and 45 of the pads 41 and 44, and the wafer W is horizontally supported on the support portion 35. The rear side surfaces of the claws 43 described above constitute opposing surfaces 46 that face the side surfaces of the wafer W supported in this manner.

[0046] Furthermore, two rollers 47 that can rotate around a vertical axis and a roller moving mechanism 48 that moves each roller 47 forward and backward are provided at the rear of the support portion 35. The rollers 47 are provided separately on the left and right sides and are configured to be rotatable around a vertical axis. The side surfaces of each roller 47 are opposite to the side surfaces of the wafer W placed on the placement surfaces 42 and 45. During the conveying process of the wafer W by the conveying mechanism 3, the rollers 47 press the side surfaces of the rear side of the wafer W forward, so that the side surfaces of the front side of the wafer W abut against the opposite surface 46. Thus, as in Figure 3 As shown by the dotted lines in the figure, the wafer W is gripped by the roller 47 as the pressing portion and the claw portion 43 as the opposing portion, and the position of the wafer W on the support portion 35 is fixed. This prevents the position of the wafer W on the support portion 35 from shifting during transport, and allows the wafer W to be transported to an appropriate position at the transport destination.

[0047] The aforementioned moving mechanism 30 (elevator 31, first arm 33, and second arm 34) and support portion 35 are sometimes referred to as the conveyor device body 39. As described above, the conveyor device body 39 is provided with an ultrasonic sensor 4. As will be described later, the conveyor device body 39 is the target of abnormality detection using the ultrasonic sensor 4. Therefore, when referred to simply as the conveyor device body 39, the ultrasonic sensor 4 is not included. Therefore, the conveyor device body 39 is the structural component of the conveyor mechanism 3 without the ultrasonic sensor 4. The reason for providing this ultrasonic sensor 4 will be explained. Wafers W stored in the conveyor container C and transported to the substrate processing apparatus 1 may sometimes warp. Depending on the state of this warping, abnormal processing may occur in the processing module 7. For example, a wafer W may warp in such a way that its center is positioned above its periphery, forming an inverted bowl shape. This warping is relatively large. In this case, when the wafer W is transported to the processing module 7, the center of the wafer W may not be attracted to the stage of the processing module 7. When the wafer W is not attracted to the stage, an abnormality may occur: the processing gas may flow from the surface of the wafer W to the back surface, causing unnecessary film formation on the back surface. Furthermore, the processing module 7 may sometimes be configured to generate plasma on the surface of the wafer W and perform processing. In this case, if the wafer W is not attracted to the stage, there is a possibility of discharge between the stage and the back surface of the wafer W, causing damage to the back surface of the wafer W.

[0048] Furthermore, it is considered that the wafer W may be warped or its warping may be increased due to the processing in the processing module 7. Therefore, even if the transport from the transport container C to the load lock module 5A can be performed normally, it is also considered that an abnormality may occur when the wafer W is transported from the load lock module 5B to the transport container C. Figure 4 An example of an abnormality caused by warping of the wafer W in the load lock module 5B will be described. Figure 4 The wafer W shown is warped, with its periphery positioned above its center, forming a bowl shape. This warping is relatively significant. In this case, after the support unit 35 receives the wafer W, the rollers 47 dig into the back of the wafer W as they move forward to secure it. This can cause the rollers 47 to bounce the wafer W from the support unit 35, causing it to fall to the floor of the load lock module 5B and break.

[0049] Examples of cases where wafer W in the transport container C warps into an inverted bowl shape and wafer W in the load lock module 5B warps into a bowl shape have been listed. However, even if the wafer W does not become this shape, if the warping is significant, it is possible that the support unit 35 cannot receive the wafer W or the wafer W may be transported to an inappropriate location at the transport destination. To prevent abnormalities in the transport and processing of wafer W as described above, an ultrasonic sensor 4 is provided on the support unit 35 of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The support unit 35 is used to scan the back side of the wafer W from the bottom side of the wafer W to inspect the warpage state (= height distribution) of the wafer W. As a result of the inspection, the transport of wafers W that are judged to be abnormal is stopped to prevent the above-mentioned poor transport of wafer W or inappropriate processing of wafer W.

[0050] In this way, the ultrasonic sensor 4 irradiates ultrasonic waves to the back side of the wafer W. The reason for irradiating ultrasonic waves to the back side in this way is to make the support part 35 rise and quickly collect the wafer W when there is no abnormality in the warping state of the wafer W. In detail, it is assumed that the ultrasonic sensor 4 is set on the support part 35 in a manner of irradiating ultrasonic waves downward, and is set to be a structure that scans the surface (upper surface) of the wafer W from the upper side of the wafer W to check the warping state. In this case, after scanning, the support part 35 is retreated from above the wafer W, and then it is raised after being positioned below the wafer W to collect the wafer W. Therefore, the movement amount of the support part 35 until collection is relatively large. As in Figure 3 As described above, by adopting a configuration in which ultrasonic waves are irradiated onto the back surface of the wafer W, an increase in the amount of movement required for taking in the wafer W is prevented, thereby suppressing a decrease in the productivity of the apparatus.

[0051] However, as a sensor for detecting the distance relative to the detection object, there is a known optical sensor that detects the distance by irradiating light to the detection object and receiving reflected light from the detection object. However, the back side of the wafer W is in various forms such as a mirror surface or a film-formed surface. Therefore, when using an optical sensor, the direction of the above-mentioned reflected light is easily affected by the state of the back side of the wafer W. Depending on the state of the back side, it is sometimes required to set the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part constituting the sensor at different positions, and the configuration setting may require effort and time. In addition, since the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part are separated to a large extent, the sensor may be enlarged, and it is also considered difficult to configure it on the support part 35. However, the detection of the ultrasonic sensor 4 is not easily affected by the state of the back side of the wafer W. Therefore, there is an advantage of preventing the ultrasonic sensor 4 from being enlarged and facilitating the configuration setting on the support part 35.

[0052] Furthermore, the abnormality in conveying the wafer W is not limited to the warping of the wafer W, but may also be caused by an abnormality in the conveying mechanism 3. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is configured such that the ultrasonic sensor 4 is used to detect the abnormality of the conveying mechanism 3 provided in the conveying area 29 of the loader module 2 (see FIG. Figure 1 ) to detect abnormalities in the conveying mechanism 3. Therefore, in addition to the wafer W, the determining member 81 also corresponds to the detection target of the ultrasonic sensor 4 in the substrate processing apparatus 1. The details of the determining member 81 will be described later along with the description of the abnormality detection of the conveying mechanism 3.

[0053] In addition, when the support part 35 receives the wafer W from the slots 1 to 25 of the conveying container C and the loading interlock modules 5A and 5B, it advances toward the wafer W to be received as described above, thereby moving to the set position (set as the receiving position) below the wafer W. Then, the support part 35 rises a specified amount from the receiving position, receives the wafer W by holding it up, and places the wafer W on the loading surfaces 42 and 45 as described above. The receiving position is supplemented by presetting the position in the X direction, the position in the Y direction, and the position in the height direction, and storing the information corresponding to the positions in these directions in the control part 100. The control part 100 operates the moving mechanism 30 according to the information, so that the support part 35 is located at the receiving position. In the substrate processing device 1, the ultrasonic sensor 4 is used to detect the wafer W, thereby updating the information. That is, it is configured to indicate the action of the conveying mechanism 3, that is, the so-called teaching.

[0054] exist Figure 1 The control unit 100 is shown. The control unit 100 is composed of a computer, and is composed of a conveying determination unit that determines whether to convey based on the distance obtained from each ultrasonic sensor 4, and an abnormality judgment unit that judges whether there is an abnormality in the conveying device body 39. The control unit 100 includes a program. In order to carry out the above-mentioned conveying, processing and various actions described later of the wafer W, the program is incorporated into a step group in a manner that can output control signals to various parts of the substrate processing device 1 to control the actions of the various parts. In addition, the various calculations, judgments and determinations described later are performed using the program. In addition, in order to perform the calculations, judgments and determinations, for example, the encoder output of the motor assembled in the conveying mechanism 3 is used, so that the control unit 100 is configured to be able to grasp the position of the support part 35. The above-mentioned program is stored in the control unit 100 in a state of being stored on a storage medium such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a DVD, a memory card, etc.

[0055] The control unit 100 also includes a memory 101. This memory 101 stores the aforementioned information on the collection position, and this information is updated as appropriate through teaching. Thus, the control unit 100 constitutes an updating unit that updates the information in this memory 101. Furthermore, data used to determine abnormalities in the conveying mechanism 3 using the determination member 81 is also stored in the memory 101. Furthermore, the control unit 100 includes an alarm output unit. This alarm output unit comprises a screen and a speaker. If the warping inspection results (described later) indicate an abnormality, or if the inspection results of the conveying mechanism 3 indicate an abnormality, the alarm output unit displays an alarm on the screen and outputs an audible sound.

[0056] [First Inspection Method for the Warpage State of Wafer W]

[0057] The substrate processing apparatus 1 can inspect the warpage state (= height distribution) of the wafer W in different forms. As one of the first inspection methods of this form, the case where the wafer W is transported from the slot 1 of the transport container C is cited as an example. Figure 5 Schematic side view and Figures 6 to 11 In addition, when the wafer W is transported from the transport container C as described above, the support portion 14 of the transport container C is the first loading portion, and the alignment module 20 and the load lock module 5A as the transport destination of the wafer W are equivalent to the second loading portion.

[0058] First, in the transport area 29 of the loader module 2, the front side of the support portion 35 of the transport mechanism 3 moves toward the transport container C to the height of the wafer W receiving position of the slot 1 ( Figure 6 ). Next, ultrasonic waves are irradiated from each ultrasonic sensor 4 to start acquiring distance data, and the support portion 35 is advanced, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the ultrasonic sensor 4 is placed into the container body 11 of the conveying container C. In accordance with the movement of the support portion 35, ultrasonic waves are irradiated toward the peripheral end of the rear side of the wafer W, and the irradiation position moves from the back side of the wafer W toward the front side. Therefore, the support portion 35 moves from the conveying area 29 outside the wafer W to a position below the wafer W that overlaps with the wafer W when viewed from above. Then, the irradiation position of the ultrasonic wave moves toward the peripheral end of the front side of the wafer W, and further, the irradiation position of the ultrasonic wave is separated from the wafer W due to the movement of the support portion 35. Then, as shown in Figure 7 As shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 , for example, when the support portion 35 is located at the retracted position, the support portion 35 is stopped from advancing, and the irradiation of ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic sensor 4 is stopped (step S1 ).

[0059] In step S1, the positions of four points P1 on the periphery of wafer W in the X and Y directions are detected based on the distance data acquired from each ultrasonic sensor 4 when viewed from above. Further describing this detection, as already described, in step S1 (step 1), ultrasonic sensors 4 (4A, 4B) are moved so that the ultrasonic irradiation position spans across wafer W. If the distance from ultrasonic sensor 4 to the detection object is relatively long, distance data cannot be acquired. Therefore, in step S1, distance data is not acquired for objects other than wafer W within container body 11, such as the inner wall of container body 11, but only for wafer W. Furthermore, as described above, control unit 100 can grasp the position of support unit 35, and therefore, the position of point P1 can be identified as described above based on the distance data acquired in step S1. Then, based on the acquired four points P1, the X and Y positions of point P2, the center of a circle passing through all four points P1, are calculated. That is, based on the position of point P1 , point P2 , which is the center position of wafer W, is estimated.

[0060] Next, the support portion 35 is moved so that the ultrasonic sensor 4A is separated from the point P2 by a predetermined amount toward the front and to the left by a predetermined amount in a plan view. Figure 8 The support portion 35 that has moved in this manner is shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. , and the ultrasonic sensor 4A is located at a position overlapping with the wafer W when viewed from above. Next, ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B. Then, the support portion 35 is moved backward, for example, while its direction is maintained forward, so that the ultrasonic sensor 4A moves counterclockwise along the circle R1 centered on the point P2 when viewed from above. Figure 8 In the middle, the solid line Figure 9 The support portion 35 in the process of moving in this manner is shown by two dotted lines. By utilizing the movement of the support portion 35, ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B to the peripheral portion and the central portion of the wafer W, respectively. When the ultrasonic sensor 4A moves to a position separated by a predetermined amount to the rear side and a predetermined amount to the left side relative to the point P2 in a plan view, the irradiation of ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B is stopped (step S2). Figure 9 The support portion 35 in a state moved to such a position is shown by a solid line in FIG.

[0061] Thereafter, the support portion 35 is moved so that the ultrasonic sensor 4B is spaced apart from the point P2 by a predetermined amount toward the rear and to the right in a predetermined amount in a plan view. Figure 10The support portion 35 that has moved in this manner is shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. , and the ultrasonic sensor 4B is located at a position overlapping with the wafer W when viewed from above. Next, ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B. Then, the support portion 35 is moved forward, for example, while maintaining its forward orientation, such that the ultrasonic sensor 4B moves counterclockwise along the circle R1 when viewed from above. Figure 10 In the middle, the solid line Figure 11 The support portion 35 in the process of moving in this manner is shown by two dotted lines. By utilizing the movement of the support portion 35, ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensors 4B and 4A to the peripheral portion and the center portion of the wafer W, respectively. When the ultrasonic sensor 4B moves to a position separated by a predetermined amount to the front side and a predetermined amount to the right side relative to the point P2 in a plan view, the irradiation of ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B is stopped (step S3). Figure 11 The support portion 35 in a state moved to such a position is shown by a solid line in FIG.

[0062] The circle R1 is centered at point P2 and is slightly smaller than the circle passing through the four points P1. It is set to an appropriate size so that even if the wafer W is not a perfect circle in a plan view due to warping, ultrasonic waves can be irradiated onto the periphery of the wafer W. The height of the support member 35 is constant during steps S1 to S3.

[0063] exist Figure 12 In the process, the area on the back side of the wafer W where the ultrasonic wave was irradiated in steps S1 to S3 and distance data was obtained is marked with dots. The height distribution (= warpage status) of the area marked with dots is obtained on the back side of the wafer W. Based on the warpage status thus obtained, an abnormality is determined (step S4).

[0064] The judgment of the abnormality can be carried out by setting any method or benchmark. For example, the heights of a plurality of points in the center portion preset within the surface of the wafer W and the heights of a plurality of points in the peripheral portion preset can be compared, and if the difference exceeds the allowable range, it is judged that there is an abnormality. In addition, as already mentioned, if the inverted bowl-shaped warping of the wafer W is large, a processing abnormality will occur in the processing module 7. Therefore, for example, the distance obtained at a preset position on the side of the center portion of the wafer W minus the distance obtained at a preset position on the side of the peripheral portion of the wafer W is judged to be abnormal if it exceeds the allowable range.

[0065] Alternatively, for a portion of the surface of the wafer W for which no distance data has been obtained, the distance may be inferred using a predetermined algorithm based on the distances of the surrounding portions for which measurement has been performed, thereby obtaining, for example, the overall height distribution within the surface of the wafer W and performing abnormality determination in step S4. Therefore, the distance used for abnormality determination is not limited to the distance of the region directly irradiated with ultrasonic waves. In addition, as described above, the left and right peripheries of the wafer W are supported by the support portion 14 of the container body 11. Even if a portion of the ultrasonic irradiation area overlaps with the support portion 14 supporting the wafer W, the support portion 14 can be identified based on the difference in distance from the wafer W to the ultrasonic sensor 4. Therefore, the distance data obtained from the support portion 14 is excluded for abnormality determination. Alternatively, the distance data obtained in step S1 may be used only for the detection of the above-mentioned points P1 and P2, and the determination in step S4 may be performed using only the distance data obtained in steps S2 and S3.

[0066] If the result of step S4 is normal, the support unit 35 is returned to the collection position from the position where the ultrasonic sensor 4 stopped irradiating the ultrasonic wave in step S3, and is raised from the collection position to collect the wafer W and transport it to the alignment module 20. If the result of step S4 is abnormal, it is determined that the wafer W in the slot 1 will not be transported, and the support unit 35 does not collect the wafer W and retreats from the container body 11, returning to the transport area 29 of the loader module 2.

[0067] In addition, in this inspection method, by utilizing the movement of the support portion 35 in step S2 described above, the ultrasonic sensor 4A disposed on the left side of the support portion 35 moves along the arc (first arc) on the left side of the circle R1 when viewed from above. Then, by utilizing the movement of the support portion 35 in step S3, the ultrasonic sensor 4B disposed on the right side of the support portion 35 moves along the arc (second arc) on the right side of the circle R1 when viewed from above. Therefore, the trajectory of the arc of the ultrasonic sensor 4A in step S2 and the trajectory of the arc of the ultrasonic sensor 4B in step S3 are different from each other. By using different ultrasonic sensors 4 to scan different parts of the peripheral portion of the wafer W in this way, distance data can be obtained over a wider range of the peripheral portion of the wafer W while the movement of the support portion 35 is restricted within the container body 11. Moreover, by using an ultrasonic sensor 4 different from the ultrasonic sensor 4 used for scanning the peripheral portion of the wafer W to scan a position closer to the center of the wafer W than the peripheral portion, a wider area can be quickly scanned. Therefore, in this method, while suppressing a decrease in the productivity of the device, the inspection can be performed using distance data from a wider area, thereby improving accuracy. Furthermore, although step S2 is described as being performed first, step S3 may be performed first. Of steps S2 and S3, the step performed first is step 2, and the step performed later is step 3.

[0068] [Second Inspection Method for the Warpage State of Wafer W]

[0069] Next, the second inspection method for the warpage of the wafer W will be described by taking the case where the wafer W is transported from the slot 1 of the transport container C as an example, similar to the first inspection method. This second inspection method only implements the operation of step S1 of the support unit 35 described as steps S1 to S3 in the first inspection method. Figures 5 to 7 As described in , the support portion 35 is placed in the container body 11, and the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B are used to obtain distance data for a straight line region from the front end to the rear end of the wafer W. Figure 13 The upper side, and Figure 12 Similarly, the area within the surface of the wafer W to which the ultrasonic wave is irradiated is indicated by marking with dots. Figure 13 The lower side of the diagram shows the relationship between the distances obtained from the two scanned linear regions and the positions where the distances were obtained (i.e., the height distribution of the wafer W). The diagram shown is obtained when the wafer W is warped into an inverted bowl shape.

[0070] Based on the distance obtained in the above-mentioned step S1, the presence or absence of abnormality is judged (step S5). In the case of no abnormality, the support part 35 located at the receiving position due to the execution of step S1 is raised to receive and transport the wafer W. For the judgment of the abnormality in the above-mentioned step S5, it is also possible to set an arbitrary method or benchmark in the same way as the judgment in step S4. For example, for the distance obtained at the predetermined position on the central part side minus the distance obtained at the predetermined position on the peripheral part side, it is judged to be abnormal when it exceeds the allowable range, so as to prevent the above-mentioned processing in the processing module 7 from being in an adverse condition. In the case that there is an abnormality in the judgment of step S5, as in the case that there is an abnormality in step S4 of the first inspection method, the wafer W of the slot 1 is not transported, and the support part 35 is retracted from the container body 11.

[0071] [Third Inspection Method for the Warpage State of Wafer W]

[0072] The description is given of performing either the first inspection method or the second inspection method, but a third inspection method in which these inspection methods are combined can be performed. First, steps S1 and S5 described as the second inspection method are performed on the wafer W in slot 1. If it is determined in step S5 that there is no abnormality, the wafer W is transported. On the other hand, even if it is determined in step S5 that there is an abnormality, the decision not to transport the wafer W is suspended, and steps S2 to S4 described in the first inspection method are performed. If it is determined in step S4 that there is no abnormality, the wafer W is transported, and if it is determined in step S4 that there is an abnormality, the wafer W is not transported.

[0073] Therefore, the third inspection method is briefly described, and the possibility of an abnormality in the warping state is determined as step S5 using the distance data obtained by the support part 35 performing the action for collecting the wafer W (the action of step S1). Then, based on the distance obtained in step S1, it is determined whether to perform steps S2 and S3. That is, steps S2 and S3 are performed only when there is a possibility of an abnormality, and distance data is obtained from a wider range within the surface of the wafer W. Based on the distance data, the presence or absence of an abnormality is determined (step S4), and it is determined whether to transport the wafer W. Therefore, in the third inspection method, the abnormality of the warping state can be determined with high precision, and the movement of the support part 35 used for performing the judgment can be suppressed to more reliably suppress the reduction in the productivity of the device.

[0074] In explaining the first to third inspection methods, the case of conveying the wafer W in the slot 1 of the conveying container C is described as a representative example. However, when conveying the wafer W in other slots and when conveying the wafer W in the load lock module 5B, the same operation of the support unit 35 as in the above-described example is performed. Figure 14As shown in FIG. 1 , when inspecting the wafer W in the load lock module 5B, the wafer W is supported by the lift pins 52 and lifted from the surface of the stage 51, and the support unit 35 of steps S1 to S3 is operated. Therefore, when the wafer W is transported from the load lock module 5B in this manner, the lift pins 52 serve as the first loading unit, and the support unit 14 of the transport container C, which is the destination of the transport, serves as the second loading unit. As for the judgment of steps S4 and S5, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As described in [1], a wafer W with a bowl-shaped, relatively large warp can be identified as abnormal. Therefore, for example, if the distance between a predetermined distance at the periphery of the wafer W and a predetermined distance at the center exceeds the allowable range, an abnormality is determined. Then, similar to the inspection of wafers W in the transport container C, the abnormal wafer W is not transported.

[0075] Alternatively, the first inspection method or the third inspection method is performed on the wafer W in the load interlock module 5B. Thus, in step S4, it is determined that the warpage of the wafer W is abnormal, and it is determined that the wafer W will not be transported. After a predetermined time has passed since the determination in step S4, the support unit 35 may be caused to receive the wafer W and transport the wafer W. Alternatively, after the determination in step S4 and the predetermined time has passed, the first inspection method or the third inspection method may be performed again, and whether the wafer W will be transported may be determined based on the determination in step S4.

[0076] The reason for such transportation after a set time or transportation corresponding to the result of re-inspection is that: due to the heat treatment in the processing module 7, the warping of the wafer W just after being sent to the load interlock module 5B becomes relatively large, but sometimes the warping is alleviated by heat dissipation. By carrying out such transportation after a set time or transportation corresponding to re-inspection, it is possible to prevent the operator from wasting time by recovering the wafer W of the load interlock module 5B that could have been transported by the transport mechanism 3, thereby improving the working efficiency of the device. For convenience, the case of the first inspection method or the third inspection method is used as an example for explanation, but the same transportation control can also be performed when the second inspection method is performed. That is to say, if the judgment result of step S5 is abnormal, the wafer W is transported or re-inspected after a set time.

[0077] [First Abnormality Inspection of the Conveyor Device Main Body 39]

[0078] Next, the abnormality inspection of the conveying device main body 39 will be described. This inspection includes the first abnormality inspection and the second abnormality inspection. Figure 15 The first abnormality check will be described. The support portion 35 constituting the conveying mechanism 3 is as shown in FIG. Figure 15 However, due to the influence of gravity, etc., sometimes Figure 15 As shown by the solid line in FIG, an abnormality of sagging of the tip occurs. As the first abnormality inspection, the abnormality of sagging is inspected.

[0079] As described above, for inspection, the judging member 81 of the loading module 2 is used. Figure 16 The determining member 81 will be described. The determining member 81 is, for example, a plate-shaped member. The lower surface of the determining member 81 forms a horizontal plane and has a linear groove 82 formed therein. The outer side of the groove 82 is formed as a flat portion 83 on the lower surface.

[0080] During the first abnormality check, the support unit 35 is positioned at a first inspection position below the determination member 81. This first inspection position is a pre-set position in the X, Y, and height directions, and is configured so that ultrasonic waves are irradiated from each ultrasonic sensor 4 of the support unit 35 positioned at the first inspection position toward the flat portion 83 of the determination member 81. When the support unit 35 is horizontal, the distance (reference distance) obtained by each ultrasonic sensor 4 at the first inspection position is stored in the memory 101 of the control unit 100.

[0081] The first abnormality inspection acquires the difference between the distance acquired by each ultrasonic sensor 4 and the reference distance by placing the support portion 35 at the first inspection position. Figure 15 As shown, if the support portion 35 droops significantly, the distance between the ultrasonic sensor 4 and the determination member 81 is larger. Therefore, if the difference in the acquired values exceeds the allowable value, it is considered that the aforementioned droop has occurred and an abnormality is determined.

[0082] [Second Abnormality Inspection of the Conveyor Device Main Body 39]

[0083] Next, the second abnormality inspection of the transport device main body 39 will be described. This second abnormality inspection checks whether the support unit 35 is properly positioned and moved to the set position by the moving mechanism 30 constituting the transport device main body 39. Therefore, this inspection is used to confirm whether the wafer W is properly transported to the set position of the transport destination.

[0084] In the second abnormality inspection, the support portion 35 is moved horizontally along the groove 82 from the second inspection position below the judgment member 81 to the third inspection position, and the distance is acquired using the ultrasonic sensor 4B during this advancement. The second inspection position and the third inspection position are similar to the first inspection position, which are positions that are pre-set in the X direction, Y direction, and height direction, respectively, and are set to irradiate ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic sensor 4B to the bottom of the groove 82. Therefore, during the above-mentioned forward movement of the support portion 35, the second inspection position and the third inspection position are set in a manner that only the distance relative to the bottom of the groove 82 is acquired, and not the distance relative to the flat portion 83. Figure 16 In FIG. 1 , the support portion 35 at the second inspection position is indicated by a solid line, and the support portion 35 at the third inspection position is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0085] An abnormality is determined based on the distance acquired during the movement of the support unit 35 from the second inspection position to the third inspection position. Specifically, for example, the distance is acquired periodically and stored in the memory 101. Furthermore, the newly acquired distance is compared with the previously acquired distance in the memory 101. If the newly acquired distance is smaller than the previously acquired distance, it is considered that the flat portion 83 has been detected, and the support unit 35 is not properly configured and moved, and an abnormality is determined. Furthermore, if the acquired distance changes during the movement of the support unit 35, it is considered that the flat portion 83 has been detected because the support unit 35 did not move in a straight line normally, and an abnormality is determined.

[0086] Furthermore, the first to third inspection positions of the support portion 35 described above can be arbitrarily set by providing the determination member 81 corresponding to these positions. Thus, the determination member 81 is configured to determine the positional relationship with respect to the support portion 35 at any position. Furthermore, once the positional relationship between the support portion 35 and the determination member 81 during inspection is determined, the ultrasonic sensor 4 can be used to measure the distance as described above, and abnormalities can be detected by comparing this distance with a previously acquired normal distance. Therefore, the determination member 81 is not limited to the shape described above and can be of any shape. For example, the determination member can be configured to include a protrusion instead of the groove 82, and the first and second abnormality checks of the conveyor body 39 can be performed by measuring the distance to the protrusion or confirming whether the protrusion is detected during straight-line travel. Furthermore, the determination member 81 is not limited to being located in the loading module 2; it can also be located in areas accessible to the support portion 35, such as the load-lock modules 5A and 5B. Furthermore, the determining member 81 is not limited to being provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1 at all times, and may be provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1 only when an inspection is performed.

[0087] [Teaching of Conveyor Mechanism 3]

[0088] Next, the teaching of the transport mechanism 3 using the ultrasonic sensor 4 will be described, using the example of updating the receiving position of the wafers W in the tank 1. The container body 11 of the transport container C, which stores the wafers W, is placed on the stage 23 of the loader module 2. In the transport area 29, the support portion 35 is positioned behind the receiving position of the tank 1. Furthermore, the wafers W stored in the container body 11 are prepared to be free of warpage.

[0089] Then, the support unit 35 is advanced while ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensors 4, and the advancement is continued until the four points P1 at the peripheral edge of the wafer W described in the inspection method for the warpage state of the wafer W are detected. Figure 7 As described in [ 15 ], the X- and Y-direction positions of point P2, the center of wafer W, are calculated based on the X- and Y-direction positions of each point P1. As described above, since control unit 100 can grasp the position of support unit 35, by detecting each point on wafer W in this manner, the positional relationship between support unit 35 and wafer W is grasped.

[0090] As described above, the X-direction and Y-direction correction of the collecting position is performed in such a manner that the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B are located at equal distances to the left and right relative to the calculated point P2 and are separated from the point P2 to the front side by a specified distance. In addition, when the distance between the wafer W and the wafer W obtained during the forward movement of the above-mentioned support unit 35 deviates from the set distance, the height direction correction of the collecting position is also performed in such a manner as to correct the deviation. The correction of the collecting position is performed by the control unit 100 updating the data in the memory 101. As a result, the next time the support unit 35 collects the wafer W in the slot 1, it moves to the updated collecting position. In addition, the above-mentioned actions of the support unit 35 and the updating of the data in the memory 101 are automatically performed by the control unit 100.

[0091] The collection positions of the other slots in the transport container C are updated using the same procedure. Furthermore, the collection position of the load lock module 5B can also be updated by performing the aforementioned steps while the wafer W is supported by the lift pins 52. As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 automatically performs teaching. This reduces effort and operation time compared to, for example, manually adjusting the position of the support 35 while adjusting the distance between the container body 11, the inner wall of the load lock module 5B, and the wafer W and the support 35.

[0092] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the ultrasonic sensor 4 provided on the support portion 35 supporting the wafer W in the conveying mechanism 3 is used to obtain the distance relative to the wafer W, thereby enabling detection of the warpage state of the wafer W. Furthermore, by detecting the warpage state, it is possible to prevent abnormalities in the conveyance of the wafer W and abnormalities in the processing of the wafer W. Furthermore, by using the ultrasonic sensor 4 to obtain the distance relative to the judgment member 81, it is possible to detect abnormalities in the conveying mechanism 3. By performing this inspection, it is also possible to prevent abnormalities in the conveyance of the wafer W. Furthermore, as already described, the burden on the operator during teaching using the ultrasonic sensor 4 can be reduced.

[0093] [Detection of damage and particles]

[0094] To supplement the inspections that can be performed in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the ultrasonic sensor 4 can be used to detect damage formed on the back side of the wafer W and / or particles attached to the back side of the wafer W. The support portion 35 is moved at a relatively low speed while being irradiated with ultrasonic waves to scan the back side of the wafer W. In this way, in the area where distance data is directly acquired, the distance acquired from the location where the damage or particles exist is significantly different from the distance acquired from the location nearby, so that these damage or particles can be detected. This detection of damage and particles is performed, for example, using the data acquired in steps S1 to S3 for inspecting the warping state, and can therefore be performed in parallel with the inspection of the warping state. In addition, the scanning of the support portion 35 can be performed in a manner different from the actions described in steps S1 to S3 to detect damage and particles. Furthermore, a threshold value can be pre-set for the number or size, and if the threshold value is exceeded, the control unit 100 determines that transportation will not be performed.

[0095] In addition, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the load lock modules are respectively provided as a load lock module 5A for the outward journey relative to the processing module 7 and a load lock module 5B for the return journey. However, it is also possible to provide only one of the load lock modules, so as to form a structure that serves as both the outward journey and the return journey relative to the processing module 7. In addition, the processing module 7 is not limited to a structure connected to the load lock module via the vacuum transfer module 6, but may also be a structure directly connected to the load lock module without the vacuum transfer module 6. In addition, the processing module 7 is not limited to a film forming module, and may be, for example, an etching module or a module that performs a heat treatment (annealing treatment) in an inert gas atmosphere.

[0096] [Correction of Wafer W Pickup Position]

[0097] In addition, the substrate processing apparatus may also be configured without the alignment module 20. In this case, it is preferred that the support unit 35 receives the wafer W based on the position of the wafer W obtained in step S1 as described in the method for inspecting the warpage state of the wafer W. Specifically, as described in Figure 7 As described in , when the support portion 35 enters the container body 11 , the ultrasonic sensor 4 detects the point P1 at the peripheral end of the wafer W, and further calculates the point P2 at the center of the wafer W.

[0098] Then, based on the position of point P2, the support part 35 is laterally offset from the receiving position. That is, the position of the support part 35 in the X and Y directions is adjusted so that point P2 and the support part 35 are at a predetermined relative position when viewed from above. Then, after the adjustment, the support part 35 is raised to receive the wafer W. In addition, the lateral adjustment (position determination) of the rising position of the support part 35 is performed by the control part 100 as a position determination unit. By using this position adjustment, the wafer W is supported at a predetermined position of the support part 35, so that the wafer W can be transported to the desired position of the load interlock module 5A with high accuracy. Regarding the correction of the receiving position described above, unlike the above-mentioned teaching in which the support part 35 is moved to a predetermined position to receive the wafer W after the data is updated and before the next data is updated, the support part 35 is aligned each time it is received. As described above, the position of the wafer W on the support part 35 is corrected by pressing the roller 47, but by performing this correction of the receiving position, the wafer W can be more reliably positioned at the desired position on the support part 35. The roller 47 may not be provided. In this case, it is more effective to correct the take-up position.

[0099] In addition, for the correction of the wafer W collection position, it is sufficient to detect the XY position of the point P1 at the peripheral end of the wafer W. In other words, the ultrasonic sensor 4 only needs to detect the presence or absence of the wafer W at the upper position, and it is not necessary to measure the distance from the ultrasonic sensor 4 to the wafer W. Figure 16 The second abnormality check for the conveyor main body 39 described above can also determine whether the conveyor main body 39 has an abnormality based on whether the ultrasonic sensor 4 detects or does not detect the determination member when the support unit 35 is positioned in a predetermined position. In other words, the abnormality check can be performed without measuring the distance to the determination member. Therefore, when only the wafer W collection position is corrected and the conveyor main body 39 is checked for abnormalities, it is not necessary to use the ultrasonic sensor 4 to obtain the distance to the object. The device configuration can also be configured to only detect the object without obtaining the distance.

[0100] In addition, the conveying mechanism 3 is not limited to being set in the above-mentioned loading module 2. Since ultrasonic waves are transmitted, it can be set in an environment where the ultrasonic sensor 4 can be used. Specifically, for example, it is not limited to the above-mentioned atmospheric atmosphere, and can be set in an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen. Therefore, the above-mentioned loading module 2 can also be the same inert gas atmosphere as that in the loading interlock modules 5A and 5B. Moreover, it is not limited to constructing the conveying mechanism as a multi-jointed arm. For example, it can also be a structure as follows: it has a base that can rotate freely around a vertical axis, can be raised and lowered freely, and can be moved freely in the horizontal direction, so that the support part 35 can move forward and backward on the base. Moreover, the conveying object is not limited to the wafer W as a circular substrate. For example, it can also be a square substrate. In addition, it can also be a structure that irradiates ultrasonic waves from the top to the bottom to detect the distance to the object, but it is preferable to set it as a structure that irradiates ultrasonic waves from the bottom to the top as described above.

[0101] The first loading portion, which serves as a conveying source for the wafer W, can partially load the back side of the wafer W, like the support portion 14 of the conveying container C and the lifting pin 52 of the loading interlock module 5B, so that the support portion 35 can scan the back side of the wafer W. In addition, the center portion of the wafer W is partially loaded on the loading table of the alignment module 20. Therefore, it is described that various inspections are performed on the wafer W in the conveying container C when the wafer W is conveyed to the processing module 7, but the inspections can also be performed on the wafer W in the alignment module 20. In other words, the alignment module 20 can be set as the first loading portion. However, it is preferred that the wafer W in the conveying container C is inspected to prevent abnormal transportation between the conveying container C and the alignment module 20. In addition, for the conveying container C, for the convenience of explanation, the slot numbers are marked from top to bottom, but the wafer W is not limited to being conveyed in this order, and the wafer W can also be sent out sequentially from the bottom.

[0102] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and non-restrictive, and the embodiments described above may be omitted, replaced, modified, and / or combined in various forms without departing from the scope of the appended claims and the gist thereof.

Claims

1. A substrate conveying device, wherein: The substrate conveying device comprises: a supporting portion for supporting a substrate; a moving mechanism that moves the supporting portion in a lateral direction to transport the substrates from the first mounting portion on which the substrates are respectively mounted to the second mounting portion; and an ultrasonic sensor provided on the support portion to detect the substrate placed on the first placement portion, The ultrasonic sensor radiates ultrasonic waves upwards. The ultrasonic sensor is provided on the support portion to detect a distance from the substrate placed on the first placement portion. wherein the support portion is moved by the moving mechanism so as to irradiate ultrasonic waves at different positions on the substrate placed on the first placement portion; The substrate conveying device includes a conveyance determining unit that determines whether to convey the substrate from the first placing unit based on the distance detected from each position where the ultrasonic wave is irradiated. The moving mechanism is operated to perform the following first step: in a state where ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensor, the supporting portion is moved from a conveying area outside the substrate to a position below the substrate so as to overlap the substrate when viewed from above; The transport determination unit determines whether to transport the substrate from the first placement unit based on the distance detected in the first step. Wherein, when the moving direction of the support portion in the first step is set to the front, the ultrasonic sensor includes a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor respectively provided on the left and right sides of the support portion. The conveyance determination unit acquires the position of the center of the substrate based on the peripheral end position of the substrate detected in the first step, One of the steps of moving the support portion by moving the first ultrasonic sensor along a first circular arc on the left side of a circle centered on the center of the substrate when viewed from above and acquiring the distance to the peripheral edge of the substrate using the first ultrasonic sensor, and the step of moving the support portion by moving the second ultrasonic sensor along a second circular arc on the right side of the circle when viewed from above and acquiring the distance to the peripheral edge of the substrate using the second ultrasonic sensor is performed as a second step, and the other is performed as a third step following the second step. The transport determination unit determines whether to transport the substrate from the first placement unit based on the distances acquired in the second step and the third step.

2. The substrate conveying device according to claim 1, wherein: In the second step, the second ultrasonic sensor is used to obtain a distance at a position closer to the center of the substrate than the position at which the first ultrasonic sensor obtains the distance. In the third step, the first ultrasonic sensor acquires a distance at a position closer to the center of the substrate than the position at which the second ultrasonic sensor acquires the distance.

3. The substrate conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The transport determination unit determines whether to perform the second step and the third step based on the distances of the substrate relative to the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor acquired in the first step.

4. The substrate conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The substrate determined by the transport determination unit not to be transported from the first loading unit is transported after a predetermined time has elapsed, or whether the substrate should be transported from the first loading unit is re-determined based on the distance detected by irradiating ultrasonic waves to different positions again.

5. The substrate conveying device according to claim 4, wherein: The second loading portion is composed of a transport container for storing the substrate. The first loading portion is composed of a load lock module. The load lock module is connected to a process module that processes the substrate in a vacuum atmosphere.

6. The substrate conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first loading portion is composed of a transport container for storing the substrate. The second loading part is composed of a load lock module. The load lock module is connected to a process module that processes the substrate in a vacuum atmosphere.

7. The substrate conveying device according to claim 6, wherein: The support portion is provided with: an opposing portion that is opposed to a side surface of the substrate supported by the supporting portion; as well as The pressing portion presses the substrate from the side toward the opposing portion to fix the position of the substrate relative to the supporting portion.

8. The substrate conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The moving mechanism includes a lifting mechanism for raising the support portion from a preset position below the substrate so that the support portion receives the substrate. The substrate conveying device is provided with: a memory for storing information related to the set position; and An updating unit updates the information in the memory based on the position of the peripheral end of the substrate and the height of the substrate detected by moving the support unit in a lateral direction below the substrate while ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensor.

9. The substrate conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The moving mechanism includes a lifting mechanism for raising the support portion from below the substrate so that the support portion receives the substrate. The substrate conveying device is provided with a position determining unit that determines the lateral position at which the support unit is raised to receive the substrate based on the position of the peripheral end of the substrate detected by moving the support unit laterally below the substrate while ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensor.

10. The substrate conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The ultrasonic sensor detects a determining member provided so as to determine a positional relationship with the support portion at an arbitrary position, and is used to determine an abnormality in the support portion or the moving mechanism.

11. The substrate conveying device according to claim 10, wherein: The ultrasonic sensor is provided on the support portion to detect the distance from the determination member. The substrate transfer device includes an abnormality determination unit configured to determine the presence or absence of an abnormality in the support unit or the moving mechanism based on the detected distance.

12. A substrate conveying method, wherein: The substrate conveying method includes the following steps: supporting the substrate using a support portion; The supporting portion is moved in a lateral direction by a moving mechanism to transport the substrate from the first placement portion on which the substrate is placed to the second placement portion; and detecting the substrate placed on the first placement portion using an ultrasonic sensor provided on the support portion, The ultrasonic sensor radiates ultrasonic waves upwards. The ultrasonic sensor is provided on the support portion to detect a distance from the substrate placed on the first placement portion. wherein the support portion is moved by the moving mechanism so as to irradiate ultrasonic waves at different positions on the substrate placed on the first placement portion; determining whether to convey the substrate from the first placing portion based on the distances detected from each position where the ultrasonic wave is irradiated by a conveyance determining portion; The moving mechanism is operated to perform the following first step: in a state where ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensor, the supporting portion is moved from a conveying area outside the substrate to a position below the substrate so as to overlap the substrate when viewed from above; The transport determination unit determines whether to transport the substrate from the first placement unit based on the distance detected in the first step. Wherein, when the moving direction of the support portion in the first step is set to the front, the ultrasonic sensor includes a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor respectively provided on the left and right sides of the support portion. The conveyance determination unit acquires the position of the center of the substrate based on the peripheral end position of the substrate detected in the first step, One of the steps of moving the support portion by moving the first ultrasonic sensor along a first circular arc on the left side of a circle centered on the center of the substrate when viewed from above and acquiring the distance to the peripheral edge of the substrate using the first ultrasonic sensor, and the step of moving the support portion by moving the second ultrasonic sensor along a second circular arc on the right side of the circle when viewed from above and acquiring the distance to the peripheral edge of the substrate using the second ultrasonic sensor is performed as a second step, and the other is performed as a third step following the second step. The transport determination unit determines whether to transport the substrate from the first placement unit based on the distances acquired in the second step and the third step.

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