Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

According to the substrate processing apparatus and the substrate processing method, a processing liquid is supplied to the upper surface of a rotating substrate (W), and a peripheral edge part of the substrate (W) is photographed by a camera (84). Therefore, the processing state of the peripheral part of the substrate (W) can be shot. The camera (84) is disposed outside the chamber (30). Therefore, the generation of particles caused by the camera (84) in the processing space (31) in the chamber (30) can be suppressed. In addition, by using the first mirror (81), the peripheral edge portion of the substrate (W) can be imaged from directly above. As a result, it is possible to perform wide-range focusing imaging on the upper surface of the substrate (W).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that process a substrate with a processing liquid. BACKGROUND

[0002] In a manufacturing process of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, processing is performed in which a processing liquid is supplied to an upper surface of a substrate while the substrate is rotated in a horizontal posture in a chamber. A conventional substrate processing apparatus that performs such processing is described, for example, in Patent Literature 1.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-140340 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] In such a substrate processing apparatus, the processing liquid that is sprayed to the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate spreads to the peripheral portion of the substrate by the rotation of the substrate. At this time, the liquid film formed on the upper surface of the substrate gradually thins as it spreads from the central portion of the substrate to the peripheral portion. Therefore, at the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate, a phenomenon called "coverage break" in which the upper surface of the substrate is exposed due to the interruption of the liquid film sometimes occurs. When the coverage break occurs, the processing based on the processing liquid on the upper surface of the substrate becomes non-uniform.

[0008] In order to monitor whether the coverage break occurs or not, for example, it is considered to photograph the peripheral portion of the substrate with a camera while supplying the processing liquid to the substrate. However, when the camera is arranged inside the chamber, the substrate can be contaminated by particles generated from the camera. In addition, when the substrate is photographed from an oblique upper side, there is a problem that the range in which the upper surface of the substrate can be focused narrows.

[0009] The present application was made in view of such circumstances, and aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can suppress the generation of particles in a chamber, can photograph the state of processing of the peripheral portion of a substrate, and can perform photographing in which the upper surface of the substrate is focused over a wide range.

[0010] MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0011] To solve the above problems, a first application of the present application is a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate with a processing liquid, comprising: a chamber having a partition wall that divides a processing space for processing the substrate and a window portion provided to a portion of the partition wall; a holding portion that holds the substrate in a horizontal posture in the chamber; a rotating mechanism that rotates the holding portion about a rotation axis extending in a vertical direction; a processing liquid supply portion that forms a liquid film on an upper surface of the substrate held by the holding portion by supplying the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate; a first mirror that is located above a peripheral portion of the substrate held by the holding portion inside the chamber; a camera that is located outside the chamber and photographs the peripheral portion of the substrate via the window portion and the first mirror; and a control portion that controls the rotating mechanism, the processing liquid supply portion, and the camera, the control portion causing the rotating mechanism and the processing liquid supply portion to operate and performing photographing based on the camera.

[0012] A second application of the present application further comprises, based on the substrate processing apparatus of the first application: an illumination portion that is located outside the chamber and irradiates light to the peripheral portion of the substrate via the window portion and the first mirror.

[0013] A third application of the present application further comprises, based on the substrate processing apparatus of the second application: a half mirror that is located outside the chamber, the illumination portion is arranged on one of two light paths branched by the half mirror, and the camera is arranged on the other of the two light paths branched by the half mirror.

[0014] A fourth application of the present application, based on the substrate processing apparatus of any one of the first to third applications, the substrate is a silicon wafer, and the first mirror is also a silicon wafer.

[0015] A fifth application of the present application, based on the substrate processing apparatus of the fourth application, further comprises: a second mirror that is located outside the chamber, the reflecting surface is silver or aluminum, and the camera photographs the peripheral portion of the substrate via the second mirror, the window portion, and the first mirror.

[0016] A sixth application of the present application, based on the substrate processing apparatus of any one of the first to fifth applications, the camera is an event camera.

[0017] A seventh application of the present application, based on the substrate processing apparatus of any one of the first to sixth applications, further comprises: a fan filter unit provided to an upper portion of the chamber.

[0018] The eighth application of the present application further includes a cup that surrounds the substrate held by the holding section inside the chamber, on the basis of the substrate processing apparatus of any one of the first to seventh applications.

[0019] The ninth application of the present application checks the occurrence of a coating interruption on the upper surface of the substrate, on the basis of the substrate processing apparatus of any one of the first to eighth applications, and the control section checks the occurrence of a coating interruption on the upper surface of the substrate, on the basis of the photographing data obtained from the camera.

[0020] The tenth application of the present application is a substrate processing method that processes a substrate with a processing liquid, and performs the following processing: (a) rotates the substrate held in a horizontal posture with a rotation axis extending in a vertical direction as a center in a chamber having a partition wall that divides a processing space for processing the substrate, and supplies a processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate, thereby forming a liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate; and (b) photographs a peripheral portion of the substrate while performing the processing (a), and in the processing (b), a camera located outside the chamber photographs the peripheral portion of the substrate via a window portion provided in the partition wall and a first mirror located above the peripheral portion of the substrate inside the chamber.

[0021] Effects of the Invention

[0022] According to the first to tenth applications of the present application, a processing liquid is supplied to the upper surface of a rotating substrate, and a camera photographs a peripheral portion of the substrate. Thus, the state of processing of the peripheral portion of the substrate can be photographed. The camera is disposed outside the chamber. Therefore, the generation of particles caused by the camera in the processing space inside the chamber can be suppressed. Further, by using the first mirror, the peripheral portion of the substrate can be photographed from directly above. Thus, photographing that focuses on a wide range on the upper surface of the substrate can be performed.

[0023] In particular, according to the second application of the present application, light can be irradiated from directly above on the peripheral portion of the substrate. Thus, the peripheral portion of the substrate can be photographed more clearly. Further, the illumination section is disposed outside the chamber. Therefore, in the processing space inside the chamber, the generation of particles caused by the illumination section can be suppressed.

[0024] In particular, according to the third application of the present application, the optical axis of the camera can be made to coincide with the optical axis of the illumination section.

[0025] In particular, according to the fourth application of the present application, the generation of particles caused by the first mirror can be suppressed.

[0026] In particular, according to the fifth application of the present application, the first mirror arranged in the chamber uses a silicon wafer which is difficult to generate particles, and on the other hand, the second mirror arranged outside the chamber uses a mirror of silver or aluminum which has a high reflectance. Thus, it is possible to suppress contamination of the substrate, and it is possible to clearly capture the peripheral portion of the substrate.

[0027] In particular, according to the sixth application of the present application, by using an event camera, it is possible to capture a high-speed movement of the peripheral portion of the substrate, and it is possible to suppress the amount of information of captured data.

[0028] In particular, according to the seventh application of the present application, it is possible to form a descending flow of clean air in the processing space in the chamber. However, if a fan filter unit is provided at the upper portion of the chamber, it is difficult to provide a camera at the upper portion of the chamber. However, according to the present application, the camera is arranged at the side of the chamber, and it is possible to capture the substrate from above via the first mirror.

[0029] In particular, according to the eighth application of the present application, it is possible to recover the processing liquid scattered from the substrate by receiving it with a cup. However, if a cup is arranged around the substrate, it is difficult to capture the peripheral portion of the substrate from an obliquely upper direction. However, according to the present application, by using the first mirror, it is possible to capture the peripheral portion of the substrate from directly above.

[0030] In particular, according to the ninth application of the present application, it is possible to check a condition of a cover break which is easily generated at the peripheral portion of the substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0032] Figure 2 is a plan view of a processing unit.

[0033] Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the processing unit.

[0034] Figure 4 is a view schematically showing a liquid supply portion connected to a nozzle head.

[0035] Figure 5 is a control block diagram of the processing unit.

[0036] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a substrate.

[0037] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of a cover break monitoring process.

[0038] Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a processing unit of a first modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Embodiments of the present application will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] <1. Overall configuration of substrate processing apparatus>

[0041] Figure 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present application. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that supplies a processing liquid to a surface of a substrate W (silicon wafer) in a circular plate shape to process the surface of the substrate W in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor wafer. As shown in Figure 1 , the substrate processing apparatus 1 has an indexer block 10 and a processing block 20. The indexer block 10 and the processing block 20 are arranged adjacently on a horizontal floor.

[0042] Hereinafter, a direction in which the indexer block 10 and the processing block 20 are arranged will be referred to as a "front-rear direction". In addition, a horizontal direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction will be referred to as a "left-right direction".

[0043] The indexer block 10 is a site for carrying in a substrate W before processing from the outside, and carrying out the substrate W after processing to the outside. As shown in Figure 1 , the indexer block 10 has a plurality of (for example, four) carrier placement portions 11 and a first conveyance portion 12. The plurality of carrier placement portions 11 are arranged in the left-right direction. A carrier C that accommodates a plurality of substrates W can be provided in each carrier placement portion 11. The carrier C uses, for example, a FOUP (front opening unified pod).

[0044] The first conveyance portion 12 is located between the plurality of carrier placement portions 11 and the processing block 20. The first conveyance portion 12 has a first conveyance path 121 extending in the left-right direction, and a first conveyance robot 122 provided to the first conveyance path 121. The first conveyance robot 122 is movable in the left-right direction along the first conveyance path 121.

[0045] The first conveyance robot 122 has a hand that holds a substrate W, and an arm that moves the hand. The first conveyance robot 122 conveys a substrate W between the carrier C and a buffer 21 described later. That is, the first conveyance robot 122 takes out a substrate W before processing from the carrier C, and conveys it to the buffer 21. In addition, the first conveyance robot 122 takes out a substrate W after processing from the buffer 21, and conveys it to the carrier C.

[0046] The processing block 20 is a site for processing a plurality of substrates W supplied from the indexer block 10. As shown in Figure 1 , the processing block 20 has the buffer 21, a second conveyance portion 22, and a plurality of processing units 23. The buffer 21 is a unit that temporarily stores substrates W between the first conveyance portion 12 and the second conveyance portion 22. The buffer 21 can accommodate a plurality of substrates W at the same time.

[0047] The second conveyance section 22 has a second conveyance path 221 extending in the front-rear direction and a second conveyance robot 222 provided to the second conveyance path 221. The second conveyance robot 222 is movable in the front-rear direction along the second conveyance path 221. The second conveyance robot 222 conveys the substrate W between the buffer 21 and the plurality of processing units 23. That is, the second conveyance robot 222 takes out the substrate W before processing from the buffer 21 and conveys it to the processing unit 23. In addition, the second conveyance robot 222 takes out the substrate W after processing from the processing unit 23 and conveys it to the buffer 21.

[0048] Further, the processing block 20 can have two or more second conveyance sections 22. For example, the second conveyance paths 221 can be provided in multiple layers in the up-down direction, and the second conveyance robots 222 can be provided to each of the second conveyance paths 221.

[0049] The processing unit 23 is a so-called single-wafer type processing section that processes the substrate W one by one. The plurality of processing units 23 are arranged on both sides of the second conveyance path 221. In the example shown in FIG. 1, two processing units 23 are arranged on the left side of the second conveyance path 221, and two processing units 23 are arranged on the right side of the second conveyance path 221. However, the plurality of processing units 23 can be provided in multiple layers in the height direction. The plurality of substrates W are simultaneously processed in each of the processing units 23. Figure 1

[0050] <2. Structure of Processing Unit>

[0051] Next, the detailed structure of the processing unit 23 will be described. Hereinafter, one of the plurality of processing units 23 provided to the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described, but the other processing units 23 also have the same structure.

[0052] Figure 2 is a plan view of the processing unit 23. Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the processing unit 23. The processing unit 23 is a unit that performs processing based on a processing liquid on a substrate W that is a silicon wafer. As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the processing unit 23 has a chamber 30, a holding section 40, a rotation mechanism 50, a processing liquid supply section 60, a cup 70, a photographing section 80, and a control section 90.

[0053] ​The chamber 30 is a housing that forms a single enclosed space, namely, a processing space 31, for processing substrates W. The chamber 30 has a partition wall 32 that separates the processing space 31 from the outside. The partition wall 32 includes sidewalls 321 surrounding the sides of the processing space 31, a top plate 322 covering the upper portion of the processing space 31, and a bottom plate 323 covering the lower portion of the processing space 31. The holding unit 40, the rotating mechanism 50, the processing liquid supply unit 60, the cup 70, and a first reflector 81, described later, are housed within the chamber 30.

[0054] A loading / unloading port for loading and unloading substrates W into and out of the chamber 30, as well as a gate (not shown) for opening and closing the loading / unloading port, are provided in the portion of the sidewall 321 facing the second transport path 221. Furthermore, the chamber 30 has a window 33 in a portion of the sidewall 321. The window 33 is formed of a transparent resin such as polyvinyl chloride or glass. The boundary between the sidewall 321 and the window 33 is sealed without a gap.

[0055] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown, the chamber 30 includes a fan filter unit (FFU) 34. The fan filter unit 34 is mounted on the top plate 322. The fan filter unit 34 includes a dust collection filter, such as a HEPA filter, and a fan that generates airflow. When the fan filter unit 34 is activated, air within the clean room where the substrate processing apparatus 1 is installed is drawn into the fan filter unit 34, purified by the dust collection filter, and then supplied to the processing space 31 within the chamber 30. This creates a downward flow of clean air within the processing space 31 within the chamber 30.

[0056] An exhaust duct 35 is connected to a portion of the lower portion of the side wall 321. The air supplied from the fan filter unit 34 forms a downward flow inside the chamber 30 and is then exhausted to the outside of the chamber 30 through the exhaust duct 35.

[0057] The holding portion 40 is a mechanism for holding the substrate W in a horizontal position inside the chamber 30. That is, the holding portion 40 is a mechanism for holding the substrate W in a position with its normal line facing the vertical direction. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the holding portion 40 includes a disk-shaped spin base 41 and a plurality of chuck pins 42. The plurality of chuck pins 42 are arranged at equal angular intervals on the outer periphery of the upper surface of the spin base 41. The substrate W is held on the plurality of chuck pins 42 in a state where the processed surface on which the pattern is formed faces upward. Each chuck pin 42 contacts the lower surface and the outer peripheral end surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate W. Furthermore, each chuck pin 42 supports the substrate W at an upper position with a small gap therebetween from the upper surface of the spin base 41.

[0058] A chuck pin switching mechanism 43 for switching the positions of the plurality of chuck pins 42 is provided inside the rotary base 41. The chuck pin switching mechanism 43 switches the plurality of chuck pins 42 between a holding position and a release position. Here, the holding position refers to a position at which the substrate W is held. In addition, the release position refers to a position at which the holding of the substrate W is released.

[0059] The rotation mechanism 50 is a mechanism for rotating the holding portion 40. The rotation mechanism 50 is housed inside a motor cover 51 provided below the rotary base 41. As shown in FIG. 1, the rotation mechanism 50 has a rotation motor 52 and a support shaft 53. The support shaft 53 extends in the vertical direction, with its lower end portion connected to the rotation motor 52 and its upper end portion fixed to the center of the lower surface of the rotary base 41. When the rotation motor 52 is driven, the support shaft 53 rotates with the rotation axis 530 passing through the center of the shaft as the center. Also, the holding portion 40 and the substrate W held to the holding portion 40 rotate with the support shaft 53 as the center, with the rotation axis 530 as the center. Figure 3

[0060] The processing liquid supply portion 60 is a mechanism for supplying a processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W held to the holding portion 40. The processing liquid supply portion 60 has an ejection nozzle 61. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the ejection nozzle 61 has a nozzle arm 611, a nozzle head 612, and a nozzle motor 613. The nozzle head 612 is provided to the front end of the nozzle arm 611. The nozzle arm 611 is turned in the horizontal direction with the base end portion of the nozzle arm 611 as the center by the driving of the nozzle motor 613. Thus, the nozzle head 612 can be moved between a processing position (position of the double-dot chain line in FIG. 1) above the substrate W held to the holding portion 40 and a retreat position (position of the solid line in FIG. 1) outside the cup 70. Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 2 Figure 2

[0061] Figure 4 is a diagram schematically showing the liquid supply portion connected to the nozzle head 612. The nozzle head 612 is connected to a liquid supply source 614 that stores a processing liquid via a pipe 615. A pump 616 and a valve 617 are provided on the path of the pipe 615. In a state in which the nozzle head 612 is disposed at the processing position, when the valve 617 is opened and the pump 616 is operated, the processing liquid is supplied from the liquid supply source 614 to the nozzle head 612 through the pipe 615. Also, the processing liquid is ejected from the nozzle head 612 to the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0062] The processing unit 23 ejects the processing liquid from the nozzle head 612 to the center of the upper surface of the substrate W in a state in which the substrate W is rotated by the rotation mechanism 50. The processing liquid spreads from the center to the peripheral portion of the substrate W by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the substrate W. Thus, a liquid film of the processing liquid is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W. ​​​​​

[0063] The treatment liquid used may include, for example, DHF cleaning liquid (dilute hydrofluoric acid), SPM cleaning liquid (a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution), SC-1 cleaning liquid (a mixture of ammonia water, hydrogen peroxide solution, and pure water), SC-2 cleaning liquid (a mixture of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide solution, and pure water), or pure water (deionized water). However, the type of treatment liquid is not limited, and treatment liquids other than those listed above may also be used.

[0064] In addition, a plurality of discharge nozzles 61 may be provided in one processing unit 23. In addition, the processing unit 23 may further include a nozzle for supplying the processing liquid to the lower surface of the substrate W.

[0065] The cup 70 is a mechanism for collecting the used treatment liquid. Figure 3 As shown, the cup 70 includes an inner cup 71, a middle cup 72, and an outer cup 73. The inner cup 71 includes an annular first guide plate 710 surrounding the retaining portion 40. The middle cup 72 includes an annular second guide plate 720 located outside and above the first guide plate 710. The outer cup 73 includes an annular third guide plate 730 located outside and above the second guide plate 720.

[0066] The inner cup 71, the middle cup 72, and the outer cup 73 can be independently raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism (not shown). When the processing liquid supply unit 60 supplies processing liquid to the substrate W, at least one of the first guide plate 710, the second guide plate 720, and the third guide plate 730 surrounds the substrate W held by the holding unit 40.

[0067] The bottom of the inner cup 71 extends to below the middle cup 72 and the outer cup 73. In addition, a first drainage groove 711, a second drainage groove 712, and a third drainage groove 713 are provided on the upper surface of the bottom in order from the inner side.

[0068] After the processing liquid ejected from the nozzle head 612 of the processing liquid supply unit 60 forms a liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate W, it is scattered outward due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the substrate W. The processing liquid scattered from the substrate W is then captured by one of the first guide plate 710, the second guide plate 720, and the third guide plate 730. The processing liquid captured by the first guide plate 710 is discharged to the outside of the processing unit 23 through the first drain trough 711. The processing liquid captured by the second guide plate 720 is discharged to the outside of the processing unit 23 through the second drain trough 712. The processing liquid captured by the third guide plate 730 is discharged to the outside of the processing unit 23 through the third drain trough 713.

[0069] Thus, the processing unit 23 has multiple processing liquid discharge paths. Therefore, the processing liquid supplied to the substrate W can be recovered by type. Therefore, the recovered processing liquid can be discarded and recycled according to the properties of each processing liquid.

[0070] The photographing section 80 is a mechanism that photographs the peripheral portion of the substrate W in the treatment based on the treatment liquid. As shown in FIG. 1, the photographing section 80 has a first mirror 81, a half mirror 82, an illuminating section 83, and a camera 84. Figure 2 Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1, the photographing section 80 has a first mirror 81, a half mirror 82, an illuminating section 83, and a camera 84.

[0071] The first mirror 81 is located inside the chamber 30. The first mirror 81 is disposed above the vertical direction of the peripheral portion of the substrate W held by the holding section 40. In addition, the first mirror 81 is disposed at the same height as the window section 33. The first mirror 81 is disposed at an angle of substantially 45° with respect to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction so that light traveling from the peripheral portion of the substrate W to the vertical direction above is reflected toward the window section 33 in the horizontal direction.

[0072] The first mirror 81 is disposed in the treatment space 31 inside the chamber 30. Therefore, if a mirror using a metal such as silver, aluminum, iron, or copper for the reflecting surface is used as the first mirror 81, the substrate W can be contaminated by particles of the metal. Therefore, the first mirror 81 can use, for example, a silicon wafer. The silicon wafer has a mirror surface, and therefore can be used as a mirror. In addition, if the first mirror 81 uses a silicon wafer, generation of particles caused by the first mirror 81 can be suppressed.

[0073] The half mirror 82 is located outside the chamber 30. The half mirror 82 is disposed at a position close to the outside of the window section 33. The first mirror 81, the window section 33, and the half mirror 82 are arranged in a straight line in the horizontal direction. The half mirror 82 branches the optical path L0 connecting the first mirror 81 and the half mirror 82 into two optical paths L1 and L2.

[0074] The illuminating section 83 is located outside the chamber 30. The illuminating section 83 is disposed on one of the two optical paths L1 and L2 branched by the half mirror 82. The illuminating section 83 is a device that irradiates the peripheral portion of the substrate W with illumination light for photographing. The illuminating section 83 has a light source such as an LED. The light source of the illuminating section 83 emits light at the time of photographing based on the camera 84. By this, the illumination light is irradiated from the illuminating section 83 toward the half mirror 82. The illumination light is reflected by the half mirror 82, passes through the window section 33, and is incident into the inside of the chamber 30. In addition, in the inside of the chamber 30, the illumination light is reflected by the first mirror 81 and is irradiated to the peripheral portion of the substrate W held by the holding section 40.

[0075] ​The camera 84 is located outside the chamber 30. The camera 84 is disposed on the other one of the two light paths L1, L2 branched by the half mirror 82. The camera 84 has a CCD, a CMOS, or the like imaging element. When the operation of ejecting the treatment liquid from the nozzle head 612 toward the surface of the substrate W is performed, imaging based on the camera 84 is performed while the illumination light is irradiated from the illumination section 83. The illumination light reflected from the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate W is reflected at the first mirror 81, passes through the window section 33 and the half mirror 82, and is incident on the camera 84. Thus, the camera 84 can acquire an image of the peripheral portion of the substrate W as the imaging data D. The acquired imaging data D is output from the camera 84 to the control section 90.

[0076] The camera 84 uses, for example, an event camera. A general camera for dynamic image capturing (a camera according to frames) outputs imaging data in which frame images having information of luminance values of a plurality of pixels are arranged in time series. In contrast, the event camera outputs imaging data D (event data) composed of information of only pixels in which the luminance values change. Thus, the amount of information of the imaging data D output from the event camera is smaller than the amount of information of the imaging data output from the camera according to frames. Therefore, if the event camera is used, the acquisition and the transfer of the imaging data D can be performed at a higher speed than in the case where the camera according to frames is used. In addition, the event camera can acquire the imaging data D at a shorter time interval than the interval of the frame images in the camera according to frames. The event camera can acquire the imaging data D every several μsec, for example. Thus, if the event camera is used, the high-speed movement of the peripheral portion of the substrate W can be imaged.

[0077] As described above, the half mirror 82, the illumination section 83, and the camera 84 are disposed outside the chamber 30. That is, the half mirror 82, the illumination section 83, and the camera 84 are disposed outside the processing space 31 which is a single closed space in which the substrate W is disposed. In this way, the half mirror 82, the illumination section 83, and the camera 84 can be prevented from being corroded by the treatment liquid. In addition, particles generated from the half mirror 82, the illumination section 83, and the camera 84 can be prevented from adhering to the substrate W inside the processing space 31.

[0078] The half mirror 82, the illumination section 83, and the camera 84 can be disposed outside the processing block 20 or can be disposed in the second conveyance path 221. However, if the half mirror 82, the illumination section 83, and the camera 84 are disposed in the second conveyance path 221, the imaging section 80 can be entirely housed inside the outer wall of the processing block 20. Thus, the footprint of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be reduced.

[0079] The control section 90 is an information processing apparatus that controls the above-described each section of the processing unit 23. Figure 5 is a control block diagram of the processing unit 23. AsFigure 5 As conceptually shown in FIG, the control unit 90 is composed of a computer including a processor 91 such as a CPU, a memory 92 such as a RAM, and a storage unit 93 such as a hard disk drive.

[0080] The storage unit 93 stores a control program P1 and an inspection program P2. The control program P1 is a computer program for controlling the operation of each component of the processing unit 23 in order to process the substrate W in the processing unit 23. The inspection program P2 is a computer program for monitoring the processing status of the substrate W based on the image data D obtained from the camera 84.

[0081] like Figure 5 As shown, the control unit 90 is connected to the fan filter unit 34, chuck pin switching mechanism 43, rotary motor 52, nozzle motor 613, pump 616, valve 617, cup 70 lifting mechanism, lighting unit 83, and camera 84, respectively, via wired or wireless communication. Furthermore, the control unit 90 is also electrically connected to a display unit 94, such as a liquid crystal display. The control unit 90 controls the operation of each of the aforementioned components according to the control program P1 and inspection program P2 stored in the storage unit 93. This enables the processing of steps S1 to S6 and S31 to S35, described below.

[0082] <3. Operation of Substrate Processing Apparatus>

[0083] Next, processing of the substrate W in the processing unit 23 will be described. Figure 6 1 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a substrate W.

[0084] When processing a substrate W in the processing unit 23, the second transfer robot 222 first loads the substrate W to be processed into the chamber 30 (step S1). The substrate W loaded into the chamber 30 is held horizontally by the multiple chuck pins 42 of the holding unit 40. The rotation mechanism 50 then drives the rotation motor 52, thereby starting the rotation of the substrate W (step S2). Specifically, the support shaft 53, the rotation base 41, the multiple chuck pins 42, and the substrate W held by the chuck pins 42 rotate about the rotation axis 530.

[0085] Next, the processing liquid supply unit 60 supplies the processing liquid onto the substrate W (step S3). In step S3, the nozzle motor 613 drives the nozzle head 612 to a processing position facing the upper surface of the substrate W. The processing liquid is then ejected from the nozzle head 612 at the processing position toward the upper surface of the rotating substrate W. The processing liquid spreads from the center of the upper surface of the substrate W toward the periphery, forming a liquid film covering the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0086] Further, in step S3, the ejection nozzle 61 can be swung in the horizontal direction in the processing position while the processing liquid is being ejected from the ejection nozzle 61.

[0087] When the supply of the processing liquid for the prescribed time is completed, the processing liquid supply section 60 stops the ejection of the processing liquid from the nozzle head 612. Then, by the driving of the nozzle motor 613, the nozzle head 612 is moved from the processing position to the retreat position. Then, the rotation mechanism 50 increases the rotation speed of the rotation motor 52 to speed up the rotation of the substrate W. In this way, the processing liquid that formed the liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate W is flung to the outside of the substrate W. Thereby, the substrate W is dried (step S4).

[0088] When the drying process of the substrate W is completed, the rotation mechanism 50 stops the rotation motor 52 to stop the rotation of the substrate W (step S5). Then, the holding section 40 releases the holding of the substrate W by the plurality of chuck pins 42. Then, the second transfer robot 222 takes out the processed substrate W from the holding section 40 to carry out to the outside of the chamber 30 (step S6).

[0089] Each processing unit 23 respectively executes the above-described steps S1 to S6 for the plurality of substrates W that are sequentially carried.

[0090] <4. Monitoring of coverage interruption>

[0091] In the processing of step S3 described above, the processing liquid that is ejected from the nozzle head 612 to the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W spreads to the peripheral portion due to the rotation of the substrate W. At this time, the liquid film that is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W gradually thins as it spreads from the central portion of the substrate W to the peripheral portion. Therefore, during the processing of step S3, there is a case where the liquid film is interrupted at the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate W so that the upper surface of the substrate W is partially exposed. This phenomenon is called "coverage interruption". When the coverage interruption occurs, the processing based on the processing liquid becomes non-uniform on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0092] Therefore, the control section 90 has a function of monitoring the occurrence of the coverage interruption based on the captured data D from the camera 84 while the processing liquid is being supplied from the processing liquid supply section 60 to the upper surface of the substrate W. Hereinafter, this monitoring process is described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 8. Figure 7

[0093] In step S3, the control section 90 first determines whether or not the ejection of the processing liquid from the nozzle head 612 is started (step S31). In the case where the ejection of the processing liquid is not started (step S31: No), the waiting for the start of the ejection of the processing liquid from the nozzle head 612 is continued. Then, when the supply of the processing liquid is started (step S31: Yes), the control section 90 starts the capturing based on the camera 84 (step S32).

[0094] ​The camera 84 captures the peripheral portion of the substrate W held in the holding portion 40 via the half mirror 82, the window portion 33, and the first mirror 81. At this time, the field of view of the camera 84 can include, for example, a range of 30 mm in the radial direction from the outer end portion of the substrate W. The camera 84 outputs the captured data D obtained by the capturing to the control portion 90. The control portion 90 acquires the captured data D sequentially output from the camera 84 (Step S33).

[0095] The peripheral portion of the substrate W rotates at high speed. Therefore, in a case where a coating interruption occurs in the peripheral portion of the substrate W, the occurrence site thereof also moves at high speed. In addition, the time at which the coating interruption sometimes occurs is very short. The occurrence time of the coating interruption is, for example, a short time of several ms. However, if the event camera is used as the camera 84, the captured data D can be acquired at a shorter time interval. Therefore, the coating interruption occurring in the peripheral portion of the substrate W can be appropriately captured. In addition, the captured data D output from the event camera is constituted by information of only the pixels in which the luminance value changes. Therefore, the control portion 90 can process the captured data D at high speed while the processing of the substrate W is performed.

[0096] The control portion 90 checks the occurrence situation of the coating interruption on the basis of the captured data D acquired from the camera 84 (Step S34). Specifically, in a case where there is no portion in which the luminance value changes in the captured data D, or in a case where the portion in which the luminance value changes in the captured data D does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the control portion 90 determines that the coating interruption does not occur. In addition, in a case where there is the portion in which the luminance value changes in the captured data D and the portion satisfies the predetermined condition, the control portion 90 determines that the coating interruption occurs.

[0097] The control portion 90 continues the ejection of the processing liquid from the nozzle head 612 in a case where it is determined that the coating interruption does not occur (Step S34: No), and repeats the checking process of Steps S33 to S34.

[0098] On the other hand, the control portion 90 outputs an alarm in a case where it is determined that the coating interruption occurs (Step S34: Yes) (Step S35). The output of the alarm can be, for example, the display of a message to the display portion 94, or can be the buzzing of a buzzer, the lighting of a lamp, or the like. In addition, the control portion 90 can stop the processing of the substrate W in a case where it is determined that the coating interruption occurs.

[0099] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the control portion 90 causes the rotation mechanism 50 and the processing liquid supply portion 60 to operate, supplies the processing liquid to the upper surface of the rotating substrate W, and captures the peripheral portion of the substrate W by the camera 84. Thereby, it is possible to capture the occurrence situation of the coating interruption of the peripheral portion of the substrate W.

[0100] The camera 84 is disposed outside the chamber 30. Thus, generation of particles in the processing space 31 in the chamber 30 due to the camera 84 can be suppressed. In addition, by using the first mirror 81, the periphery of the substrate W can be imaged from directly above. Thus, compared to the case where the substrate W is imaged from an oblique direction, imaging of a wide range on the upper surface of the substrate W can be performed. In addition, by imaging the periphery of the substrate W from directly above, the distance from each of a plurality of positions in the periphery of the substrate W to the camera 84 can be made uniform. In addition, the illumination light emitted from the illumination unit 83 can also be emitted from directly above the substrate W via the first mirror 81. Thus, the periphery of the substrate W can be imaged more clearly.

[0101] In particular, in the case where the fan filter unit 34 is provided in the upper portion of the chamber 30 as in the processing unit 23 of the present embodiment, it is difficult to provide the camera 84 and the illumination unit 83 in the upper portion of the chamber 30. However, if the first mirror 81 is disposed inside the chamber 30, the camera 84 and the illumination unit 83 can be disposed to the side of the chamber 30, and the substrate W can be imaged from above while the illumination light is emitted to the upper surface of the substrate W via the first mirror 81.

[0102] In addition, in the case where the cup 70 is disposed around the substrate W as in the processing unit 23 of the present embodiment, it is difficult to image the periphery of the substrate W from an oblique direction. However, if the first mirror 81 is disposed inside the chamber 30, the camera 84 and the illumination unit 83 can be disposed to the side of the chamber 30, and the substrate W can be imaged from above while the illumination light is emitted to the upper surface of the substrate W via the first mirror 81.

[0103] Further, by increasing the amount of the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 60 to the upper surface of the substrate W, the coverage interruption can be eliminated. However, if a large amount of the processing liquid is used, the cost of the processing liquid increases, and the load on the environment based on the drainage becomes large. Thus, the amount of the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 60 is preferably the minimum amount that does not cause the coverage interruption. In this regard, the processing unit 23 of the present embodiment performs the supply of the processing liquid while monitoring the generation of the coverage interruption. The control unit 90 can also adjust the amount of the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 60 to the substrate W in accordance with the generation of the coverage interruption. Thus, an appropriate amount of the processing liquid can be supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0104] <5. Modified example>

[0105] The above describes one embodiment of the present application, but the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Hereinafter, various modified examples will be described focusing on the differences from the above-described embodiment.

[0106] <5-1. First modified example>

[0107] Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the processing unit 23 of a first modification example. In Figure 8 In the example, the photographing section 80 has a second mirror 85. The second mirror 85 is located outside the chamber 30. The second mirror 85 is arranged on the light path L2 on the camera 84 side in the 2 light paths L1, L2 branched by the half mirror 82. The camera 84 photographs the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W via the second mirror 85, the half mirror 82, the window section 33, and the first mirror 81.

[0108] Thus, if the second mirror 85 is used, the degree of freedom of arrangement of the camera 84 can be improved. In addition, the second mirror 85 is arranged outside the chamber 30, and thus a mirror having a high reflectance of silver or aluminum can be used for the reflecting surface. That is, the first mirror 81 arranged inside the chamber 30 uses a silicon wafer which is difficult to generate particles, and on the other hand, the second mirror 85 arranged outside the chamber 30 uses a mirror of silver or aluminum which has a high reflectance. Thus, contamination of the substrate W can be suppressed, and the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W can be clearly photographed.

[0109] <5-2. Other Modification Examples>

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, the photographing section 80 has the half mirror 82. If the half mirror 82 is used, the optical axis of the illumination section 83 can be made to coincide with the optical axis of the camera 84. However, the photographing section 80 can not necessarily have the half mirror 82. The illumination section 83 can also irradiate illumination light from a position slightly deviated from the light path L0 between the camera 84 and the first mirror 81.

[0111] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, a silicon wafer is used as the first mirror 81. However, the first mirror 81 is not necessarily limited to a silicon wafer. For example, the first mirror 81 can also be a general mirror molded with a transparent resin using silver or aluminum for the reflecting surface.

[0112] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the number of the first mirrors 81 arranged inside the chamber 30 is one. However, the number of the first mirrors 81 arranged inside the chamber 30 can also be two or more. Also, the camera 84 can photograph the peripheral edge portion of the upper surface of the substrate W via a plurality of first mirrors 81.

[0113] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an event camera is used as the camera 84. However, a high-speed camera according to a frame can also be used instead of the event camera.

[0114] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the control section 90 checks a coverage breakage that is likely to occur at the peripheral portion of the substrate W is described. However, the control section 90 can check matters other than the coverage breakage from the captured data D output from the camera 84.

[0115] In addition, each element appearing in the above-described embodiment and modified example can be arbitrarily combined within a range in which no contradiction occurs.

[0116] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0117] 1 substrate processing apparatus

[0118] 10 indexer block

[0119] 20 processing block

[0120] 23 processing unit

[0121] 30 chamber

[0122] 31 processing space

[0123] 32 partition

[0124] 33 window portion

[0125] 34 fan filter unit

[0126] 40 holding section

[0127] 41 rotary base

[0128] 42 chuck pin

[0129] 50 rotation mechanism

[0130] 60 processing liquid supply section

[0131] 61 ejection nozzle

[0132] 70 cup

[0133] 80 imaging section

[0134] 81 first mirror

[0135] 82 half mirror

[0136] 83 illumination section

[0137] 84 camera

[0138] 85 second mirror

[0139] 90 control section

[0140] D captured data

[0141] L0 light path

[0142] L1 light path

[0143] L2 light path

[0144] P1 control program

[0145] P2 inspection program

[0146] W substrate

Claims

1. A substrate processing device for processing a substrate using a processing liquid, characterized in that: The substrate processing device comprises: a chamber having a partition wall for partitioning a processing space for processing the substrate and a window portion provided at a portion of the partition wall; a holding portion for holding the substrate in a horizontal position within the chamber; a rotating mechanism that rotates the holding portion about a rotation axis extending in a vertical direction; a processing liquid supply portion for supplying processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate held by the holding portion to form a liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate; a first reflecting mirror positioned inside the chamber and above a peripheral edge of the substrate held by the holding portion; a camera located outside the chamber and configured to capture an image of a peripheral portion of the substrate via the window and the first reflector; as well as a control unit that controls the rotating mechanism, the processing liquid supply unit, and the camera, The control unit operates the rotation mechanism and the processing liquid supply unit and executes imaging by the camera.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus further includes a lighting unit located outside the chamber and configured to irradiate light toward a peripheral portion of the substrate via the window and the first reflecting mirror.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus further comprises: a half mirror located outside the chamber; The lighting unit is arranged on one of the two optical paths branched from the half mirror. The camera is arranged on the other of the two optical paths branched from the half mirror.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate is a silicon wafer, The first reflector is also a silicon wafer.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The substrate processing device further comprises: a second reflecting mirror, which is located outside the chamber and has a reflecting surface made of silver or aluminum. The camera captures an image of the peripheral portion of the substrate via the second reflecting mirror, the window, and the first reflecting mirror.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The camera is an event camera.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus further includes a fan filter unit disposed on an upper portion of the chamber.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus further includes a cup that surrounds the substrate held by the holding portion within the chamber.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The control unit checks the occurrence of a coating interruption on the upper surface of the substrate based on the imaging data obtained from the camera.

10. A substrate processing method, wherein a substrate is processed using a processing liquid, characterized in that: Perform the following processing: (a) in a chamber having a partition wall that partitions a processing space for processing the substrate, rotating the substrate held in a horizontal position about a rotation axis extending in a vertical direction, and supplying a processing liquid to an upper surface of the substrate, thereby forming a liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate; as well as (b) while performing the process (a), photographing the peripheral portion of the substrate; In the process (b), the camera located outside the chamber images the peripheral portion of the substrate via the window provided in the partition wall and the first reflection mirror located above the peripheral portion of the substrate inside the chamber.

Images