Substrate processing system and substrate processing method

Abstract

The invention provides a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method. The substrate processing system includes: a batch processing unit that processes a batch including a plurality of substrates; a single-chip processing unit that processes the batch of substrates block by block; an interface unit for transferring the substrate from the batch processing unit to the single-chip processing unit; and a control unit. The interface unit includes: a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate; a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; and a first image capturing unit that captures an image of the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, the single-substrate processing unit has a transport device that receives the substrate from the substrate holding unit, and the control unit determines whether the surface state of the upper surface of the substrate is normal based on the image captured by the first image capturing unit. When the surface state is abnormal, the processing liquid is not supplied from the processing liquid supply part to the upper surface of the substrate, and the substrate is conveyed from the substrate holding part to the single-substrate processing part by the conveying device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method. Background Art

[0002] There is known a substrate processing system including a batch processing section, a single-wafer processing section, and an interface section (for example, refer to patent documents 1 to 3). The batch processing section is used to process a batch (lot) including a plurality of substrates at once. The single-wafer processing section is used to process the substrates in the batch one by one. The interface section is used to transfer substrates from the batch processing section to the single-wafer processing section.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-129235

[0006] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-121707

[0007] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-121571 Summary of the invention

[0008] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0009] The present invention provides a technology capable of suppressing a decrease in the operating rate of a substrate processing system.

[0010] Means for solving technical problems

[0011] A substrate processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a batch processing unit for processing a batch including a plurality of substrates at a time; a single-wafer processing unit for processing the substrates of the batch one by one; an interface unit capable of transferring the substrates from the batch processing unit to the single-wafer processing unit; and a control unit, wherein the interface unit comprises: a substrate holding unit for holding the substrate; a processing liquid supply unit for supplying processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; and a first photographing unit for photographing the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, wherein the single-wafer processing unit has a conveying device for receiving the substrate from the substrate holding unit, wherein the control unit is capable of determining whether the surface state of the upper surface of the substrate is normal based on the image photographed by the first photographing unit, and performing control so that: when the surface state is abnormal, the processing liquid is not supplied from the processing liquid supply unit to the upper surface of the substrate, and the substrate is conveyed from the substrate holding unit to the single-wafer processing unit by the conveying device.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the operating rate of a substrate processing system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a schematic plan view showing a substrate processing system according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing a second delivery station in the embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing a substrate processing method according to an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the second transfer station.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view (1) showing an example of the operation of the second transfer station.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view (2) showing an example of the operation of the second transfer station.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view (3) showing an example of the operation of the second transfer station.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view (4) showing an example of the operation of the second transfer station.

[0022] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing an example of a first upper surface image of a substrate having a normal surface state.

[0023] Fig.10 This is a diagram showing an example of a first upper surface image of a substrate having an abnormal surface state.

[0024] Description of Reference Numerals

[0025] 1 substrate processing system, 4 batch processing unit, 5 second interface unit, 6 single wafer processing unit, 9 control device, 61 fourth conveying device, 70 substrate holding unit, 75 first imaging unit, 80 pure water supply unit, W substrate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all the drawings, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0027] [Substrate processing system]

[0028] Reference Figure 1 , a substrate processing system 1 according to an embodiment is described. Figure 1 1 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the substrate processing system 1 includes a feeding and unloading part 2, a first interface part 3, a batch processing part 4, a second interface part 5, a single-wafer processing part 6 and a control device 9.

[0030] The carrying-in and carrying-out section 2 serves as both a carrying-in section and a carrying-out section. Therefore, the substrate processing system 1 can be miniaturized. The carrying-in and carrying-out section 2 includes a load port 21 , a stocker 22 , a loader 23 , and a cassette transport device 24 .

[0031] The loading port 21 is arranged on the negative side of the loading and unloading section 2 in the X-axis direction. A plurality of loading ports 21 (for example, 4) are arranged along the Y-axis direction. The number of loading ports 21 is not particularly limited. A cassette C can be placed on the loading port 21. The cassette C can accommodate a plurality of substrates W (for example, 25) and can be loaded and unloaded relative to the loading port 21. Inside the cassette C, the substrate W is held horizontally and held in the vertical direction at a second pitch P2 (P2=N×P1) that is N times the first pitch P1. N is a natural number greater than 2, and is 2 in the present embodiment, but may also be greater than 3.

[0032] The accumulator 22 is configured with multiple (for example, 4) in the X-axis direction center of the feeding and discharging part 2 along the Y-axis direction. The accumulator 22 is configured with multiple (for example, 2) adjacent to the first interface part 3 along the Y-axis direction on the X-axis direction positive side of the feeding and discharging part 2. The accumulator 22 can be configured in multiple layers in the vertical direction. The accumulator 22 is used for temporarily keeping the box C containing the substrate W before the cleaning process and the box C in which the substrate W is taken out and the interior becomes empty. The number of the accumulator 22 is not particularly limited.

[0033] The loading device 23 is adjacent to the first interface unit 3 and is arranged on the positive side of the feeding and discharging unit 2 in the X-axis direction. The cassette C can be placed on the loading device 23. The loading device 23 is provided with a cover opening and closing mechanism (not shown) for opening and closing the cover of the cassette C. A plurality of loading devices 23 may be provided. The loading devices 23 may be arranged in multiple layers in the vertical direction.

[0034] The box conveying device 24 is used to convey the box C between the loading port 21, the stocker 22, and the loading device 23. The box conveying device 24 is, for example, a multi-joint conveying robot.

[0035] The first interface 3 is disposed on the positive side of the feeding and unloading section 2 in the X-axis direction. The first interface 3 can transport substrates W between the feeding and unloading section 2, the batch processing section 4 and the single-wafer processing section 6. The first interface 3 includes a substrate transfer device 31, a batch forming section 32 and a first transfer station 33.

[0036] The substrate transfer device 31 is used to transport the substrate W between the box C placed on the loading device 23, the batch forming unit 32 and the first transfer station 33. The substrate transfer device 31 is composed of a multi-axis (e.g., 6-axis) arm robot, and has a substrate holding arm 31a at its front end. The substrate holding arm 31a has a plurality of holding claws (not shown) that can hold a plurality of (e.g., 25) substrates W. The substrate holding arm 31a can take any position and posture in a three-dimensional space while holding the substrate W with the holding claws.

[0037] The batch forming section 32 is disposed on the positive side in the X-axis direction of the first interface section 3. The batch forming section 32 is used to form a batch L by holding a plurality of substrates W at a first pitch P1.

[0038] The first transfer station 33 is adjacent to the single wafer processing unit 6 and is disposed on the positive side of the first interface unit 3 in the Y-axis direction. The first transfer station 33 receives the substrate W from the fourth conveying device 61 and temporarily stores the substrate W until it is transferred to the feeding and unloading unit 2.

[0039] The batch processing unit 4 is arranged on the positive side of the first interface unit 3 in the X-axis direction. The feeding and discharging unit 2, the first interface unit 3 and the batch processing unit 4 are arranged in sequence from the negative side of the X-axis direction to the positive side of the X-axis direction. The batch processing unit 4 can process a batch L including a plurality of (for example, 50 or 100) substrates W at a first pitch P1 at a time. One batch L, for example, is composed of substrates W in M ​​boxes C. M is a natural number greater than 2. M can be a natural number the same as N or a natural number different from N. The batch processing unit 4 has a liquid medicine tank 41, a rinse liquid tank 42, a first conveying device 43, a processing tool 44 and a driving device 45.

[0040] The chemical tank 41 and the rinse tank 42 are arranged along the X-axis direction. For example, the chemical tank 41 and the rinse tank 42 are arranged in sequence from the positive side of the X-axis direction to the negative side of the X-axis direction. The chemical tank 41 and the rinse tank 42 are also collectively referred to as a processing tank. The number of chemical tanks 41 and rinse tanks 42 is not limited to Figure 1 For example, the drug tank 41 and the rinse tank 42 are Figure 1 There is 1 group in the example, but there can be multiple groups.

[0041] The chemical solution tank 41 can store chemical solutions for immersing the batch L. The chemical solution is, for example, a phosphoric acid aqueous solution (H 3 PO 4). Aqueous phosphoric acid solution can selectively etch and remove silicon oxide film and silicon nitride film in silicon nitride film. The chemical solution is not limited to aqueous phosphoric acid solution. The chemical solution may also be DHF (dilute hydrofluoric acid), BHF (a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride), dilute sulfuric acid, SPM (a mixture of sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide and water), SC1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and water), SC2 (a mixture of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide and water), TMAH (a mixture of tetramethylammonium hydroxide and water), plating solution, etc. The chemical solution may be used for stripping treatment or plating treatment. The number of chemical solutions is not particularly limited and may be multiple.

[0042] The rinse liquid tank 42 can store a first rinse liquid for immersing the batch L. The first rinse liquid is pure water for removing the chemical solution from the substrate W, for example, DIW (deionized water).

[0043] The first conveying device 43 has a guide rail 43a and a first conveying arm 43b. The guide rail 43a is arranged at a position closer to the negative side of the Y-axis direction than the processing tank. The guide rail 43a extends from the first interface part 3 to the batch processing part 4 along the horizontal direction (X-axis direction). The first conveying arm 43b can move in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) along the guide rail 43a. The first conveying arm 43b can move in the vertical direction and can also rotate around the vertical axis. The first conveying arm 43b can convey the batch L between the first interface part 3 and the batch processing part 4.

[0044] The handling tool 44 is for receiving and holding the batch L from the first transfer arm 43 b. The handling tool 44 can hold the plurality of substrates W at a first pitch P1 in the Y-axis direction and can hold the plurality of substrates W vertically.

[0045] The driving device 45 can move the treatment tool 44 in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. The treatment tool 44 can immerse the batch L in the drug solution stored in the drug solution tank 41, then immerse the batch L in the first rinse solution stored in the rinse solution tank 42, and then transfer the batch L to the first conveying device 43.

[0046] The number of the treatment tool 44 and the driving device 45 units is one in this embodiment, but may be more than one. In the latter case, one unit is used to immerse the batch L in the drug solution stored in the drug solution tank 41, and the other unit is used to immerse the batch L in the first rinse solution stored in the rinse solution tank 42. In this case, the driving device 45 only needs to move the treatment tool 44 in the Z-axis direction, and does not need to move the treatment tool 44 in the X-axis direction.

[0047] The second interface 5 is disposed on the positive side in the Y-axis direction of the batch processing unit 4. The second interface 5 can transport the substrate W between the batch processing unit 4 and the single wafer processing unit 6. The second interface 5 includes a dipping tank 51, a second transport device 52, a third transport device 53, and a second transfer station 54.

[0048] The immersion tank 51 is arranged outside the moving range of the first conveying arm 43b. For example, the immersion tank 51 is arranged at a position offset to the positive side in the Y-axis direction relative to the processing tank. The immersion tank 51 can store a second rinse liquid for immersing the batch L. The second rinse liquid is, for example, DIW (deionized water). The substrate W is held in the second rinse liquid until it is lifted from the second rinse liquid by the third conveying device 53. Because the substrate W is present at a position lower than the liquid level of the second rinse liquid, the surface tension of the second rinse liquid will not act on the substrate W, and the collapse of the concave-convex pattern of the substrate W can be prevented.

[0049] The second transport device 52 includes a Y-axis driving device 52 a , a Z-axis driving device 52 b , and a second transport arm 52 c .

[0050] The Y-axis drive device 52a is arranged on the positive side of the X-axis direction of the second interface part 5. The Y-axis drive device 52a extends from the second interface part 5 to the batch processing part 4 along the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction). The Y-axis drive device 52a can move the Z-axis drive device 52b and the second conveying arm 52c in the Y-axis direction. The Y-axis drive device 52a may include a ball screw.

[0051] The Z-axis driving device 52b is movably mounted on the Y-axis driving device 52a. The Z-axis driving device 52b can move the second conveying arm 52c in the Z-axis direction. The Z-axis driving device 52b may include a ball screw.

[0052] The second conveying arm 52c is movably mounted on the Z-axis drive 52b. The second conveying arm 52c is used to receive and hold batch L from the first conveying arm 43b. The second conveying arm 52c can hold multiple substrates W in the Y-axis direction with the first spacing P1, and each of the multiple substrates W is held in the vertical direction. The second conveying arm 52c can move in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by the Y-axis drive 52a and the Z-axis drive 52b. The second conveying arm 52c is configured to move between a plurality of positions including a handover position, an immersion position and a standby position.

[0053] The handover position is a position where the batch L is handed over between the first transport arm 43 b and the second transport arm 52 c. The handover position is a position on the negative side in the Y-axis direction and on the positive side in the Z-axis direction.

[0054] The immersion position is a position where the batch L is immersed in the immersion tank 51. The immersion position is a position on the positive side in the Y-axis direction and on the negative side in the Z-axis direction relative to the handover position.

[0055] The standby position is the position where the second conveying arm 52c stands by when the handover of batch L and the dipping of batch L in the dipping tank 51 are not performed. The standby position is directly below the handover position (negative side in the Z-axis direction), and is a position that does not hinder the movement of the first conveying arm 43b. In this case, the second conveying arm 52c can be moved to the handover position only by moving upward (positive side in the Z-axis direction), so the productivity is improved. The standby position can also be the same position as the dipping position. In this case, it is possible to prevent particles that may be generated by the movement of the first conveying device 43 from adhering to the second conveying arm 52c. The standby position can also be a position directly above the dipping position (positive side in the Z-axis direction). By setting the standby position to a position different from the handover position in this way, it is possible to prevent the first conveying arm 43b from contacting the second conveying arm 52c.

[0056] The second transport device 52 moves the second transport arm 52c to the immersion position or the standby position while the first transport device 43 is operating. This can prevent the first transport arm 43b and the second transport arm 52c from contacting each other.

[0057] The third conveying device 53 is composed of a multi-axis (for example, 6-axis) arm robot, and has a third conveying arm 53a at its front end. The third conveying arm 53a has a holding claw (not shown) that can hold one substrate W. The third conveying arm 53a can take any position and posture in a three-dimensional space while holding the substrate W using the holding claw. The third conveying device 53 can convey the substrate W between the second conveying arm 52c and the second transfer station 54 located at the immersion position. At this time, because the immersion tank 51 is arranged outside the moving range of the first conveying arm 43b, the first conveying arm 43b and the third conveying arm 53a will not interfere with each other. Thus, one of the first conveying device 43 and the third conveying device 53 can be independently operated regardless of the operating state of the other. Therefore, the first conveying device 43 and the third conveying device 53 can be operated at any time, so the time required for the transportation of the substrate W can be shortened. As a result, the productivity of the substrate processing system 1 is improved.

[0058] The second handover station 54 is adjacent to the single-chip processing unit 6 and is configured on the negative side of the X-axis direction of the second interface unit 5. The second handover station 54 is used to receive the substrate W from the third conveying device 53 and temporarily keep the substrate W until it is handed over to the single-chip processing unit 6. The substrate W taken out from the immersion tank 51 is placed on the second handover station 54. The substrate W placed on the second handover station 54 is preferably in a state where the surface is wetted by the second rinse liquid, for example. In this case, the surface tension of the second rinse liquid will not act on the substrate W, and the collapse of the concave-convex pattern of the substrate W can be suppressed. The number of the second handover station 54 can be 1 or more. The details of the second handover station 54 will be described later.

[0059] The single-wafer processing unit 6 is arranged on the negative side of the second interface unit 5 in the X-axis direction, and on the positive side of the Y-axis direction of the feeding and unloading unit 2, the first interface unit 3, and the batch processing unit 4. The single-wafer processing unit 6 can process the substrates W one by one. The single-wafer processing unit 6 has a fourth conveying device 61, a liquid processing device 62, and a drying device 63.

[0060] The fourth conveying device 61 has a guide rail 61a, a fourth conveying arm 61b and a second photographing unit 61c. The guide rail 61a is arranged on the negative side of the Y-axis direction of the single-chip processing unit 6. The guide rail 61a extends in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) in the single-chip processing unit 6. The fourth conveying arm 61b can move in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) and the vertical direction along the guide rail 61a, and rotate around the vertical axis. The fourth conveying arm 61b can convey the substrate W between the second handover station 54, the liquid processing device 62, the drying device 63 and the first handover station 33. The number of the fourth conveying arm 61b can be one or more. In the latter case, the fourth conveying device 61 can convey multiple (for example, 5) substrates W at a time. The second photographing unit 61c is installed on the fourth conveying arm 61b. The second photographing unit 61c can photograph the upper surface of the substrate W conveyed by the fourth conveying arm 61b, and obtain a second upper surface image as an image of the upper surface of the substrate W. The second imaging unit 61c may include a camera, and an image may be generated by the camera. Alternatively, the second imaging unit 61c may include a laser light source and a camera, and an image may be generated by a light cutting method. The second imaging unit 61c may be installed on a side wall, a top, etc. of the single-wafer processing unit 6, as long as it can capture the upper surface of the substrate W transported by the fourth transport arm 61b. Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , the number of the second imaging unit 61 c is one, but the number of the second imaging unit 61 c may be two or more.

[0061] The liquid treatment device 62 is arranged on the positive side of the X-axis direction and the positive side of the Y-axis direction of the monolithic processing unit 6. The liquid treatment device 62 is a monolithic type, and can process the substrate W piece by piece using the treatment liquid. The liquid treatment device 62 is arranged in multiple layers (for example, 3 layers) in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). Thus, multiple substrates W can be processed using the treatment liquid at the same time. The treatment liquid can be of multiple types, for example, pure water such as DIW and a dry liquid with a lower surface tension than pure water. The dry liquid can be, for example, an alcohol such as IPA (isopropyl alcohol).

[0062] The drying device 63 is arranged adjacent to the liquid treatment device 62 on the negative side in the X-axis direction. In this case, the end face on the positive side in the Y-axis direction of the single-chip processing unit 6 can be arranged to be coplanar or approximately coplanar with the end face on the positive side in the Y-axis direction of the second interface unit 5. Therefore, almost no dead space is generated, so the footprint of the substrate processing system 1 can be reduced. When the drying device 63 is arranged adjacent to the liquid treatment device 62 on the positive side in the Y-axis direction, the end face on the positive side in the Y-axis direction of the single-chip processing unit 6 is more prominent than the end face on the positive side in the Y-axis direction of the second interface unit 5, and a dead space may be generated. The drying device 63 is a single-chip type, and can dry the substrate W piece by piece using a supercritical fluid. The drying device 63 is arranged in multiple layers (for example, 3 layers) in the vertical direction. Thus, multiple substrates W can be dried at the same time.

[0063] It is also possible that the liquid processing device 62 and the drying device 63 are not both single-wafer type, and the liquid processing device 62 may be single-wafer type and the drying device 63 may be batch type. The drying device 63 may dry a plurality of substrates W at once using a supercritical fluid. The number of substrates W processed at once in the drying device 63 may be greater than the number of substrates W processed at once in the liquid processing device 62, but may also be less than the number. Devices other than the liquid processing device 62 and the drying device 63 may also be arranged in the single-wafer processing unit 6.

[0064] The control device 9 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 91 and a recording medium 92 such as a memory. The recording medium 92 is an example of a storage unit. The recording medium 92 stores a program for controlling various processes performed in the substrate processing system 1. The control device 9 controls the operation of the substrate processing system 1 by causing the CPU 91 to execute the program stored in the recording medium 92. The control device 9 has an input interface 93 and an output interface 94. The control device 9 receives a signal from the outside through the input interface 93, and sends a signal to the outside through the output interface 94.

[0065] The above-mentioned program is stored in a computer-readable recording medium, for example, and is installed from the recording medium to the recording medium 92 of the control device 9. Examples of computer-readable recording media include a hard disk (HD), a floppy disk (FD), a compact disk (CD), a magneto-optical disk (MO), a memory card, etc. The program may also be downloaded from a server via the Internet and installed to the recording medium 92 of the control device 9. The control device 9 is an example of a control unit and may function as a part of a substrate standby unit.

[0066] In the substrate processing system 1 , the substrate W is transported from the loading and unloading section 2 in the order of the first interface section 3 , the batch processing section 4 , the second interface section 5 , and the single-wafer processing section 6 , and is returned to the loading and unloading section 2 .

[0067] [Details of the structure of the second transfer station]

[0068] Reference Figure 2 , the details of the structure of the second transfer station 54 are described. Figure 2 It is a figure which shows the 2nd delivery station 54 in embodiment. Figure 2 (a) is a top view, Figure 2 (b) is a cross-sectional view. Figure 2 (b) is equivalent to following Figure 2 Cross-sectional view along line IIb-IIb in (a).

[0069] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the second transfer station 54 includes a substrate holding unit 70, a first imaging unit 75, and a pure water supply unit 80. Figure 2 In (a), the pure water supply unit 80 is omitted.

[0070] The substrate holding portion 70 has a liquid receiving portion 71 and a plurality of pins 72. The liquid receiving portion 71 has a base plate 71a and a wall portion 71b. The base plate 71a has a disk-like shape. The wall portion 71b is arranged on the base plate 71a in an annular shape. A plurality of pins 72 are arranged on the base plate 71a. In the present embodiment, the number of the pins 72 is 3, but it can also be 4 or more. The surface including the upper end of each pin 72 is horizontal. The upper end of each pin 72 is located at a position above the upper end of the wall portion 71b. The plurality of pins 72 support the substrate W from below above the base plate 71a.

[0071] The first imaging unit 75 is disposed above the substrate holding unit 70. The first imaging unit 75 can capture the upper surface of the substrate W supported by the pins 72, and obtain a first upper surface image as an image of the upper surface of the substrate W. The first imaging unit 75 may include a camera, and an image is generated by the camera. Alternatively, the first imaging unit 75 may include a laser light source and a camera, and an image is generated by a light cutting method. Figure 2In the example, the number of the first imaging unit 75 is one, but the number of the first imaging unit 75 may be two or more.

[0072] The pure water supply unit 80 includes a nozzle 81, a pure water supply line 82, and a return line 83. The pure water supply line 82 is connected to the nozzle 81. The nozzle 81 is used to release the pure water supplied through the pure water supply line 82. A branch point 85 is provided in the pure water supply line 82, and the return line 83 is connected to the branch point 85. Even during a period when pure water is not released from the nozzle 81, pure water flows through the portion of the pure water supply line 82 that is upstream of the branch point 85 and the return line 83. The pure water supply unit 80 configured in this way supplies pure water to the upper surface of the substrate W. The pure water supply unit 80 is an example of a processing liquid supply unit.

[0073] [Operation of the substrate processing system]

[0074] Reference Figure 3 , the operation of the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment, that is, the substrate processing method will be described. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing a substrate processing method according to an embodiment. Figure 3 The processing shown is carried out under the control of the control device 9 .

[0075] First, the box C is fed into the feeding and unloading section 2 with a plurality of substrates W stored therein, and is placed on the loading port 21. The substrates W are held horizontally inside the box C and are held at a second pitch P2 (P2 = N × P1) in the vertical direction. N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2, and is 2 in the present embodiment, but may be 3 or greater.

[0076] Next, the cartridge transport device 24 transports the cartridge C from the loading port 21 to the loading device 23. The cartridge C transported to the loading device 23 has its cover opened by the cover opening and closing mechanism.

[0077] Next, the substrate transfer device 31 receives the substrate W stored in the box C ( Figure 3 S1 in the figure) and transport it to the batch forming section 32.

[0078] Next, the batch forming unit 32 holds the plurality of substrates W at a first pitch P1 (P1=P2 / N) to form a batch L ( Figure 3 1 batch L is composed of, for example, M substrates W in boxes C. The pitch of the substrates W is narrowed from the second pitch P2 to the first pitch P1, so the number of substrates W that can be processed at once can be increased.

[0079] Next, the first transport device 43 receives the batch L from the batch forming unit 32 and transports it to the processing tool 44 .

[0080] Next, the treatment tool 44 descends from the top of the chemical solution tank 41, immerses the batch L in the chemical solution, and performs chemical solution treatment ( Figure 3 Then, the processing tool 44 rises to lift the batch L from the liquid medicine, and then moves to the upper side of the rinse liquid tank 42 in the horizontal direction (negative side in the X-axis direction).

[0081] Next, the treatment tool 44 descends from the top of the rinse liquid tank 42, immerses the batch L in the first rinse liquid, and performs the rinse liquid treatment ( Figure 3 Then, the processing device 44 rises to lift the batch L from the first rinse liquid. Then, the first conveying device 43 receives the batch L from the processing device 44 and transfers it to the second conveying device 52.

[0082] Next, the second transport arm 52c of the second transport device 52 moves in the horizontal direction (positive side in the Y-axis direction) and descends from above the immersion tank 51 to immerse the batch L in the second rinse liquid ( Figure 3 The plurality of substrates W of batch L are held in the second rinse liquid until they are lifted from the second rinse liquid by the third conveying device 53. Since the substrates W are located below the liquid surface of the second rinse liquid, the surface tension of the second rinse liquid does not act on the substrates W, thereby preventing the concave-convex pattern of the substrates W from collapsing.

[0083] Next, the third conveying device 53 conveys the substrates W of the batch L held by the second conveying arm 52c in the second rinse liquid to the second transfer station 54. The third conveying device 53, for example, conveys the substrates W piece by piece to the second transfer station 54. In the second transfer station 54, in order to prevent the upper surface of the substrate W from drying and the concave-convex pattern from collapsing, pure water is released onto the upper surface of the substrate W to form a second liquid film LF2 as a liquid film of pure water.

[0084] Next, the fourth transport device 61 receives the substrate W from the second transfer station 54 and transports it to the liquid processing device 62 .

[0085] Next, the liquid processing device 62 processes the substrates W piece by piece using liquid ( Figure 3 The liquid may be a plurality of liquids, for example, pure water such as DIW and a drying liquid having a lower surface tension than pure water. The drying liquid may be, for example, an alcohol such as IPA. The liquid processing device 62 sequentially supplies pure water and drying liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W to form a liquid film of the drying liquid.

[0086] Next, the fourth transport device 61 receives the substrate W from the liquid processing device 62 and holds the substrate W horizontally with the liquid film of the drying liquid facing upward. The fourth transport device 61 transports the substrate W from the liquid processing device 62 to the drying device 63 .

[0087] Next, the drying device 63 uses the supercritical fluid to dry the substrates W piece by piece. Figure 3 S5 in the figure). The drying liquid can be replaced by a supercritical fluid, and the collapse of the concave-convex pattern of the substrate W caused by the surface tension of the drying liquid can be suppressed. The supercritical fluid requires a pressure-resistant container, so in order to miniaturize the pressure-resistant container, batch processing is not performed, but single-chip processing is performed.

[0088] In addition, the drying device 63 is a single-chip type in this embodiment, but as mentioned above, it can also be a batch type. The batch type drying device 63 can use a supercritical fluid to dry multiple substrates W formed with a liquid film at once. The single-chip drying device 63 has one conveying arm for holding the substrate W, while the batch type drying device 63 has multiple conveying arms.

[0089] In the present embodiment, the drying device 63 dries the substrate W by supercritical drying, but the drying method is not particularly limited. The drying method can be any method as long as it can suppress the collapse of the concave-convex pattern of the substrate W, for example, it can also be spin drying, scanning drying or water-repellent drying. In spin drying, the liquid processing device 62 rotates the substrate W, and uses centrifugal force to throw the drying liquid off the substrate W, thereby removing the drying liquid from the upper surface of the substrate W. In scanning drying, the supply position of the drying liquid is moved from the center of the substrate W to the periphery of the substrate W, while the substrate W is rotated, and the liquid film is thrown off from the substrate W by centrifugal force. In scanning drying, the supply position of a drying gas such as nitrogen can also be moved from the center of the substrate W to the periphery of the substrate W in a manner following the supply position of the drying liquid.

[0090] Next, the fourth transport device 61 receives the substrate W from the drying device 63 and transports it to the first transfer station 33 .

[0091] Next, the substrate transfer device 31 receives the substrate W from the first transfer station 33 and stores it in the box C ( Figure 3 The box C is delivered from the delivery unit 2 with a plurality of substrates W stored therein.

[0092] When a substrate W is transported from a batch processing unit 4 to a single-wafer processing unit 6 in the substrate processing system 1, pure water is released on the upper surface of the substrate W at the second transfer station 54 to form a second liquid film LF2. At this time, in the case where the upper surface of the substrate W fed to the second transfer station 54 is liquid-repellent, when pure water is released on the upper surface of the substrate W, there is a case where the pure water is repelled from the upper surface of the substrate W and falls from the substrate W during the transportation of the substrate W. In this case, maintenance of the substrate processing system 1 is required. Therefore, the operation rate of the substrate processing system 1 is reduced.

[0093] For example, when a monitoring substrate having a silicon nitride film formed on its surface is etched using an aqueous phosphoric acid solution to evaluate the etching characteristics of the silicon nitride film, there is a case where a part of batch L includes a bare silicon substrate as a dummy substrate. In this case, the upper surface of a part of the substrates in batch L may become lyophobic. This is because the upper surface of the monitoring substrate etched using the aqueous phosphoric acid solution becomes lyophilic, but the upper surface of the bare silicon substrate etched using the aqueous phosphoric acid solution becomes lyophobic. For example, in the case of reusing dummy substrates used in different steps, the upper surface of a part of the substrates in batch L may become lyophobic. For example, in the case of an unusual event occurring when processing a product substrate, the upper surface of the substrate may become lyophobic.

[0094] Next, a technique for suppressing the drop of pure water from the substrate W and thus suppressing a decrease in the operating rate of the substrate processing system 1 when the substrate W having a liquid-repellent upper surface is transported from the batch processing unit 4 to the single-wafer processing unit 6 will be described.

[0095] [Action of the second handover station]

[0096] Reference Figures 4 to 10 , an example of the operation of the second transfer station 54 is described. Figure 4 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the second transfer station 54 . Figure 4 The processing shown is carried out under the control of the control device 9 . Figures 5 to 8 It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the operation of the second transfer station 54 .

[0097] In step S101, when the substrate W is transported to the second transfer station 54 by the third transport device 53, Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the substrate W is placed on the three pins 72. At this time, on the upper surface of the substrate W, a first liquid film LF1 as a liquid film of the second rinse liquid is formed.

[0098] In step S102, Figure 6 As shown, the first imaging unit 75 images the upper surface of the substrate W supported by the three pins 72 , and acquires a first upper surface image that is an image of the upper surface of the substrate W. The first imaging unit 75 sends the acquired first upper surface image to the control device 9 .

[0099] In step S103, the control device 9 determines whether the surface state of the substrate W is normal based on the first upper surface image. For example, the control device 9 calculates the ratio of the area covered by the first liquid film LF1 on the upper surface of the substrate W in the first upper surface image to the overall area of ​​the upper surface of the substrate W (hereinafter referred to as the "first area ratio"), and determines whether the surface state of the substrate W is normal based on whether the calculated first area ratio is above the threshold. When the first area ratio is above the threshold, the control device 9 determines that the upper surface of the substrate W has lyophilicity and the surface state of the substrate W is normal. When the first area ratio is less than the threshold, the control device 9 determines that the upper surface of the substrate W has lyophobicity and the surface state of the substrate W is abnormal. The threshold is, for example, 100%. The threshold may also be a value less than 100%, for example, 90%. The control device 9 may also store the first area ratio in association with information for identifying the substrate W (for example, substrate ID). In this case, it is easy to determine the cause when a defective product is generated.

[0100] In the present embodiment, first, the control device 9 performs a binarization process on the first upper surface image, calculates the ratio of the number of black pixels to the number of pixels of the whole including black and white (hereinafter referred to as the "black ratio"), and judges whether the surface state of the substrate W is normal based on whether the calculated black ratio is above the threshold. When the black ratio is above the threshold, the control device 9 judges that the upper surface of the substrate W is lyophilic and the surface state of the substrate W is normal. When the black ratio is less than the threshold, the control device 9 judges that the upper surface of the substrate W is lyophobic and the surface state of the substrate W is abnormal. The threshold is, for example, 100%. The threshold may also be a value less than 100%, for example, 90%. The control device 9 may also store the black ratio in association with information for identifying the substrate W (for example, substrate ID). In this case, it is easy to determine the cause when a defective product is produced.

[0101] Fig. 9 1 is a diagram showing an example of a first upper surface image of a substrate W having a normal surface state. Fig.10 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a first upper surface image of a substrate W having an abnormal surface state. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 In each of the figures, the left figure shows the first upper surface image before the binarization process, and the right figure shows the first upper surface image after the binarization process. Fig. 9 In the example of , the first liquid film LF1 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate W, and the black ratio of the first upper surface image after the binary processing is 100%. In this case, the control device 9 determines that the upper surface of the substrate W is lyophilic and the surface state of the substrate W is normal. Fig.10In the example of , the first liquid film LF1 is formed on a part of the surface of the substrate W, and the black ratio of the first upper surface image after the binary processing is 1%. In this case, the control device 9 determines that the upper surface of the substrate W is liquid-repellent and the surface state of the substrate W is abnormal.

[0102] If it is determined in step S103 that the surface state of the substrate W is normal ("Yes" in step S103), the control device 9 advances the process to step S104. If it is determined in step S103 that the surface state of the substrate W is not normal (abnormal) ("No" in step S103), the control device 9 advances the process to step S121.

[0103] In step S104, Figure 7 As shown, the nozzle 81 releases pure water toward the upper surface of the substrate W. As a result, a second liquid film LF2 as a liquid film of pure water is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W. After the second liquid film LF2 is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W, the nozzle 81 stops releasing pure water toward the substrate W.

[0104] In step S105, control device 9 determines whether liquid processing apparatus 62 can receive substrate W. For example, when there is no substrate W in liquid processing apparatus 62, control device 9 determines that liquid processing apparatus 62 can receive substrate W. For example, when there is substrate W in liquid processing apparatus 62, control device 9 determines that liquid processing apparatus 62 cannot receive substrate W.

[0105] If it is determined in step S105 that liquid processing apparatus 62 can receive substrate W (“Yes” in step S105), control device 9 causes the process to proceed to step S106. If it is determined in step S105 that liquid processing apparatus 62 cannot receive substrate W (“No” in step S105), control device 9 causes substrate W to wait at second transfer station 54 until liquid processing apparatus 62 can receive substrate W.

[0106] In step S106, the control device 9 determines whether a predetermined waiting time has passed since the substrate W was conveyed to the second transfer station 54. The predetermined waiting time is preset according to the processing scheme, for example. The predetermined waiting time may be 0 seconds. That is, step S106 may be omitted.

[0107] If it is determined in step S106 that the predetermined standby time has passed (“Yes” in step S106), the control device 9 causes the process to proceed to step S107. If it is determined in step S106 that the predetermined standby time has not passed (“No” in step S106), the control device 9 causes the substrate W to stand by at the second transfer station 54 until the predetermined standby time has passed.

[0108] When it is determined in step S103 that the state of the substrate W is abnormal ("No" in step S103), the control device 9 causes the process to proceed to step S121. That is, when the state of the substrate W is abnormal, the second liquid film LF2 is not formed on the upper surface of the substrate W. In this case, it is possible to suppress the droplets from falling from the upper surface of the substrate W when the fourth conveying device 61 conveys the substrate W from the substrate holding portion 70 to the liquid processing device 62, thereby reducing the maintenance frequency. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the operating rate of the substrate processing system.

[0109] In step S121, control device 9 determines whether liquid processing apparatus 62 can receive substrate W. For example, when there is no substrate W in liquid processing apparatus 62, control device 9 determines that liquid processing apparatus 62 can receive substrate W. For example, when there is substrate W in liquid processing apparatus 62, control device 9 determines that liquid processing apparatus 62 cannot receive substrate W.

[0110] In the case where it is determined in step S121 that the liquid processing device 62 can receive the substrate W ("Yes" in step S121), the control device 9 causes the process to proceed to step S107. That is, in the case where the liquid processing device 62 can receive the substrate W, the control device 9 changes the conveyance schedule so that the fourth conveying device 61 immediately conveys the substrate W from the substrate holding portion 70 to the liquid processing device 62 without waiting for the prescribed standby time to pass. In this case, it is easy to suppress the collapse of the concave-convex pattern of the substrate W. The conveyance schedule is formed by arranging the conveyance destinations and conveyance orders of each substrate W in a time series.

[0111] When it is determined in step S121 that liquid processing apparatus 62 cannot receive substrate W (“No” in step S121 ), control apparatus 9 makes substrate W stand by at second transfer station 54 until liquid processing apparatus 62 can receive substrate W.

[0112] In step S107, Figure 8 As shown, the fourth transport device 61 delivers the substrate W supported by the three pins 72 from the second transfer stage 54 and transports it to the liquid processing device 62. When the fourth transport device 61 transports the substrate W, the second imaging unit 61c photographs the upper surface of the substrate W transported by the fourth transport arm 61b, and acquires a second upper surface image that is an image of the upper surface of the substrate W. The second imaging unit 61c sends the acquired second upper surface image to the control device 9.

[0113] In step S108, the control device 9 determines whether the surface state of the substrate W is normal based on the second upper surface image. For example, the control device 9 calculates the ratio of the area covered by the second liquid film LF2 on the upper surface of the substrate W in the second upper surface image to the overall area of ​​the upper surface of the substrate W (hereinafter referred to as the "second area ratio"), and determines whether the surface state of the substrate W is normal based on whether the calculated second area ratio is above the threshold. When the second area ratio is above the threshold, the control device 9 determines that the upper surface of the substrate W has lyophilicity and the surface state of the substrate W is normal. When the second area ratio is less than the threshold, the control device 9 determines that the upper surface of the substrate W has lyophobicity and the surface state of the substrate W is abnormal. The threshold is, for example, 100%. The threshold may also be a value less than 100%, for example, 90%. The control device 9 may also store the second area ratio in association with information for identifying the substrate W (for example, substrate ID). In this case, it is easy to determine the cause when a defective product is produced.

[0114] In step S108, the control device 9 may calculate a value obtained by subtracting the second area ratio from the first area ratio, and output an alarm when the calculated value is greater than a predetermined value. This is because, when the value obtained by subtracting the second area ratio from the first area ratio is greater than a predetermined value, droplets may fall from the substrate W during the process of conveying the substrate W by the fourth conveying device 61. In step S108, when the second imaging unit 61c detects that droplets fall from the substrate W during the process of conveying the substrate W by the fourth conveying arm 61b, an alarm may be output. The alarm includes, for example, an indication that droplets may fall from the substrate W during the conveyance of the substrate W.

[0115] In step S108, the control device 9 has been described as determining the surface state of the substrate W based on the second upper surface image, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The control device 9 may determine the surface state of the substrate W based on the first upper surface image as in step S103. In this case, in step S107, the second imaging unit 61c may not image the upper surface of the substrate W transported by the fourth transport arm 61b, and the fourth transport device 61 may not include the second imaging unit 61c.

[0116] If it is determined in step S108 that the surface state of the substrate W is normal ("Yes" in step S108), the control device 9 advances the process to step S109. If it is determined in step S108 that the surface state of the substrate W is abnormal ("No" in step S108), the control device 9 advances the process to step S110.

[0117] In step S109, liquid processing apparatus 62 performs liquid processing on substrate W in a normal process, and ends the process. The normal process is an example of a first process process.

[0118] In step S110, the liquid treatment device 62 performs liquid treatment on the substrate W with a relief scheme and ends the treatment. The relief scheme is an example of a second treatment scheme. The relief scheme is a treatment scheme different from the usual scheme. The relief scheme is, for example, a treatment scheme obtained by adding a step of supplying SC1 to the substrate W before the initial step in the usual scheme. In the case where the upper surface of the substrate W is liquid-repellent, it is difficult to form a liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate W. Therefore, there is a situation where the concave-convex pattern of the substrate W collapses and adjacent patterns contact each other. By supplying SC1 to the substrate W before the initial step in the usual scheme, the contact between adjacent patterns can be separated. Therefore, the occurrence of product defects can be suppressed. It can also be a step of supplying hydrofluoric acid (HF), DSP (a mixture of pure water, sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen peroxide) to the substrate W before the step of supplying SC1 to the substrate W. In this case, it is easy to separate the contact between adjacent patterns.

[0119] As described above, according to the embodiment, the control device 9 determines whether the surface state of the upper surface of the substrate W is normal based on the first upper surface image captured by the first imaging unit 75. When it is determined that the surface state of the upper surface of the substrate W is abnormal, pure water is not supplied from the pure water supply unit 80 to the upper surface of the substrate W, and the substrate W is transported from the substrate holding unit 70 to the liquid processing device 62 by the fourth transport device 61. In this case, it is possible to suppress the droplets from falling from the upper surface of the substrate W when the fourth transport device 61 transports the substrate W from the substrate holding unit 70 to the liquid processing device 62, thereby reducing the maintenance frequency. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the operation rate of the substrate processing system.

[0120] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative rather than restrictive. The embodiments described above may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various ways without departing from the appended claims and the gist thereof.

Claims

1. A substrate processing system, characterized in that: include: A batch processing unit, which is used to process batches including multiple substrates together; A single wafer processing unit, which is used to process the batch of substrates one by one; an interface part capable of transferring the substrate from the batch processing part to the single-wafer processing part; and Control Department, The interface portion comprises: A substrate holding portion, which is used to hold the substrate; a processing liquid supplying portion for supplying a processing liquid to an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion; and a first imaging unit configured to image an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; The single-wafer processing section has a conveying device for receiving the substrate from the substrate holding section. The control unit can determine whether the surface state of the upper surface of the substrate is normal based on the image captured by the first imaging unit, and perform control so that: When the surface state is abnormal, the processing liquid is not supplied from the processing liquid supply unit to the upper surface of the substrate, and the substrate is transported from the substrate holding unit to the single-wafer processing unit by the transport device.

2. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit can control so that: when the surface state is normal, after the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply unit to the upper surface of the substrate, the substrate is transported from the substrate holding unit to the single-wafer processing unit by the transport device.

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit can perform control so that, when the surface state is normal, the substrate is made to stand by in the substrate holding unit until a standby time elapses from a time when the substrate is held by the substrate holding unit.

4. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit can perform control so that, when the surface state is abnormal and the single-wafer processing unit can receive the substrate, the substrate is immediately transported from the substrate holding unit to the single-wafer processing unit using the transport device.

5. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit is capable of performing control so that: When the surface state is normal, the substrate is processed in the single-wafer processing unit based on a first processing scheme, When the surface state is abnormal, the substrate is processed in the single-wafer processing section based on a second processing scheme different from the first processing scheme.

6. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein: The second processing scheme is a processing scheme obtained by adding a step of supplying SC1 to the substrate before the initial step in the first processing scheme.

7. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: Whether the surface state is normal is determined based on the ratio of the area of ​​the upper surface of the substrate covered by the processing liquid to the entire area of ​​the upper surface of the substrate.

8. The substrate processing system according to claim 7, wherein: A storage unit is included for storing the ratio in association with information for identifying the substrate.

9. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The single-wafer processing unit includes a second imaging unit capable of imaging the upper surface of the substrate during the process of the substrate being transported by the transport device. The control unit can determine whether a droplet falls from the substrate while the substrate is being transported by the transport device based on the image captured by the first imaging unit and the image captured by the second imaging unit.

10. The substrate processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The treatment liquid is pure water.

11. A substrate processing method, which is a substrate processing method using a substrate processing system, characterized in that: The substrate processing system comprises: A batch processing unit, which is used to process batches including multiple substrates together; A single wafer processing unit, which is used to process the batch of substrates one by one; an interface section capable of transferring the substrate from the batch processing section to the single-wafer processing section; and Control Department, The interface portion comprises: A substrate holding portion, which is used to hold the substrate; a processing liquid supplying portion for supplying a processing liquid to an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion; and a first imaging unit configured to image an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; The single-wafer processing section has a conveying device for receiving the substrate from the substrate holding section. The substrate processing method includes the step of determining whether the surface state of the upper surface of the substrate is normal based on the image captured by the first imaging unit, When the surface state is abnormal, the processing liquid is not supplied from the processing liquid supply unit to the upper surface of the substrate, and the substrate is transported from the substrate holding unit to the single-wafer processing unit by the transport device.

12. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: When the surface state is normal, after the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supplying portion to the upper surface of the substrate, the substrate is transported from the substrate holding portion to the single-wafer processing portion by the transport device.

13. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein: When the surface state is normal, the substrate is placed on standby in the substrate holding portion until a standby time elapses from a time when the substrate is held by the substrate holding portion.

14. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein: When the surface state is abnormal and the single-wafer processing section can receive the substrate, the substrate is immediately transported from the substrate holding section to the single-wafer processing section by the transport device.

15. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: When the surface state is normal, the substrate is processed in the single-wafer processing unit based on a first processing scheme, When the surface state is abnormal, the substrate is processed in the single-wafer processing section based on a second processing scheme different from the first processing scheme.

16. The substrate processing method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The second processing scheme is a processing scheme obtained by adding a step of supplying SC1 to the substrate before the initial step in the first processing scheme.

17. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: Whether the surface state is normal is determined based on the ratio of the area of ​​the upper surface of the substrate covered by the processing liquid to the entire area of ​​the upper surface of the substrate.

18. The substrate processing method according to claim 17, characterized in that: The substrate processing system includes a storage unit that stores the ratio in association with information for identifying the substrate.

19. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein: The single-wafer processing unit includes a second imaging unit capable of imaging the upper surface of the substrate during the process of the substrate being transported by the transport device. In the substrate processing method, whether or not a droplet falls from the substrate while the substrate is being transported by the transport device is determined based on the image captured by the first imaging unit and the image captured by the second imaging unit.

20. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, characterized in that: The treatment liquid is pure water.

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