Substrate processing system and substrate processing method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method capable of generating diagnostic data including information related to a processing state of a substrate. The substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a substrate processor for processing a substrate according to a set processing condition, a substrate inspector for monitoring a plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor, an analyzer capable of generating diagnostic data including information of a processing state of a substrate processed by the substrate processor from information monitored by the substrate inspector for a predetermined period of time, and a controller capable of receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer and transmitting the diagnostic data to an external, wherein the substrate inspector monitors a first area of a first substrate and a second area of a second substrate among the plurality of substrates, and at least part of the first area and the second area are different from each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method, and more specifically, to a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method capable of generating diagnostic data including information related to the processing status of the substrate. Background Technology

[0002] Semiconductors are manufactured by forming various types of patterned layers on a substrate such as a wafer, and in order to form such patterned layers, a process of stacking predetermined patterned layers on the substrate using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) is usually performed.

[0003] Furthermore, even after the process of stacking patterned layers, in order to pattern the stacked patterned layers into the desired shape, a process of etching the patterned layers using photoresist as a mask and a process of stripping the photoresist are performed.

[0004] On the other hand, as design rules continue to shrink, semiconductor manufacturing processes may increasingly approach the limits of their performance capabilities. Furthermore, under certain even smaller design rules, the processes leading to failures often exhibit systematicity. That is, the processes that trigger failures tend to introduce defects at frequently repeated predetermined design patterns. Detecting and eliminating these spatially systematic and electrically related defects is crucial because eliminating such defects has a highly significant and comprehensive impact on product yield.

[0005] Therefore, with the rapid development of semiconductor manufacturing technology, high integration, and increasing demand for semiconductors, there is an urgent need to master a technology for inspecting the processing status of substrates and thus proactively changing processing conditions to process the substrates.

[0006] [Related Technical Documents] (Patent Document 1) KR10-2017-0068419A Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] This disclosure provides a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method capable of monitoring a substrate to generate diagnostic data including information about the processing status of the substrate and utilizing the generated diagnostic data.

[0009] Technical solution

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a substrate processing system is provided. The substrate processing system includes a substrate processor configured to process one or more substrates according to set processing conditions, a substrate inspector configured to monitor a plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor, an analyzer configured to generate diagnostic data including information about the processing status of the plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor from information monitored by the substrate inspector within a predetermined time period, and a controller configured to receive the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer and send the diagnostic data to an external device. The substrate inspector is configured to monitor a first region of a first substrate and a second region of a second substrate among the plurality of substrates, and at least a portion of the first region and the second region are different from each other.

[0011] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a substrate processing system is provided. The substrate processing system includes a substrate processor configured to process one or more substrates according to set processing conditions, a substrate inspector configured to monitor a plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor, an analyzer configured to generate diagnostic data including information about the processing status of the plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor from information monitored by the substrate inspector within a predetermined time period, and a controller configured to receive the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer and send an alarm signal when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the plurality of substrates. The substrate inspector is configured to monitor a first region of a first substrate and a second region of a second substrate among the plurality of substrates, and at least a portion of the first region and the second region are different from each other.

[0012] Multiple substrates can be selected from multiple substrates processed under the same processing conditions.

[0013] The controller can reset the processing conditions set by the baseboard processor.

[0014] The controller may include a learner trained to reset the processing conditions set by the substrate processor.

[0015] The controller may also include a memory that pre-stores training data including information about the processing conditions to be reset based on the processing state of the substrate, and the learner can be trained using the training data stored in the memory.

[0016] The memory can store information about the results of processing the substrate under the re-set processing conditions in the substrate processor as training data.

[0017] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method is provided for processing multiple substrates according to set processing conditions using a substrate processing system. The substrate processing system includes a substrate processor, a substrate inspector, an analyzer, and a controller. The method includes: monitoring a first region of a first substrate processed by the substrate processor by the substrate inspector; monitoring a second region of a second substrate processed by the substrate processor by the substrate inspector, the second region being at least partially different from the first region; generating diagnostic data including information about the processing status of the multiple substrates processed by the substrate processor from the information monitored by the substrate inspector by the analyzer; and receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer by the controller and sending the diagnostic data to an external device.

[0018] According to another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a method is provided for processing multiple substrates according to set processing conditions using a substrate processing system. The substrate processing system includes a substrate processor, a substrate inspector, an analyzer, and a controller. The method includes: monitoring a first region of a first substrate processed by the substrate processor by the substrate inspector; monitoring a second region of a second substrate processed by the substrate processor by the substrate inspector, the second region being at least partially different from the first region; generating diagnostic data including information about the processing status of the multiple substrates processed by the substrate processor from the information monitored by the substrate inspector by the analyzer; and receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer by the controller and sending an alarm signal when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the multiple substrates.

[0019] In the step of generating diagnostic data, the diagnostic data can be generated by a substrate inspector monitoring information obtained from multiple substrates, including a first substrate and a second substrate, within a predetermined time period.

[0020] In the step of monitoring a first region of a first substrate, a portion of the first substrate may be monitored along a first direction passing through the central portion of the first substrate, and in the step of monitoring a second region of a second substrate, a portion of the second substrate may be monitored along a second direction passing through the central portion of the second substrate, which is different from the first direction.

[0021] In the step of sending an alarm signal, if at least one of the information obtained by monitoring the first substrate and the information obtained by monitoring the second substrate exceeds the error range, it can be determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate.

[0022] In the step of sending an alarm signal, if at least one of the information obtained by monitoring the first substrate and the information obtained by monitoring the second substrate, and the information that is assigned a sequence and assigned a set sequence, exceeds the error range, it can be determined that there is an abnormality in the processing state of the substrate.

[0023] The method may also include resetting the processing conditions set for the substrate processor.

[0024] The step of resetting the set processing conditions can be performed by a learner trained to reset the processing conditions set for the substrate processor.

[0025] The method may also include a step of training the learner with information about the results of processing the substrate under re-set processing conditions in the substrate processor.

[0026] Beneficial effects

[0027] According to embodiments of this disclosure, by monitoring at least a portion of multiple substrates at different locations, diagnostic data including information about the processing status of the substrates can be generated within a short time period, thereby shortening the time required for inspection.

[0028] In addition, the generated diagnostic data is sent externally for management, and an alarm signal is sent to the user when the processing status of the substrate is determined to be abnormal through the diagnostic data. This enables real-time feedback on the processing status of the substrate, minimizes defects during substrate processing, and improves the operating speed of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a schematic structure of a measuring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating a schematic structure of a measuring device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and Figure 4 This is a diagram schematically illustrating a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0030] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are provided only to make the disclosure complete and to fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. For the purpose of describing the present disclosure in detail, the drawings may be exaggerated, and similar reference numerals in the drawings denote similar elements.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Furthermore, Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a schematic structure of a measuring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an adaptive structure of a measuring device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Reference Figures 1 to 3 The substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a substrate processor 100 for processing one or more substrates according to set processing conditions, a substrate inspector 600 for monitoring a plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor 100, an analyzer 700 capable of generating diagnostic data including information about the processing status of the substrates processed by the substrate processor 100 from information monitored by the substrate inspector 600 within a predetermined period, and a controller 800 capable of receiving and managing the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer. The substrate inspector 600 monitors a first region of a first substrate and a second region of a second substrate among the plurality of substrates, and at least a portion of the first region and the second region are different from each other. Here, the controller 800 can receive the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer and send the diagnostic data to an external source, and can also receive the diagnostic data and send an alarm signal when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate.

[0033] The substrate processor 100 processes substrates. Here, the substrate processor 100 may include a processing chamber having a processing space for processing the substrate and a substrate support for supporting the substrate provided in the processing space. Furthermore, the substrate processor 100 may also include a gas injector for injecting processing gas towards the substrate support. In such a substrate processor 100, one or more substrates can be processed simultaneously. That is, one or more substrates can be processed in one chamber by placing one or more substrates on the substrate support. In this case, substrate processing processes such as deposition, etching, annealing, curing, cleaning, and oxide removal can be performed in the substrate processor 100.

[0034] The substrate processor 100 processes the substrate according to set processing conditions. Here, processing conditions may refer to the conditions used to process the substrate, such as a process recipe. The substrate processor 100 may be initially set to process the substrate under specific processing conditions, and the substrate processed under these processing conditions will be monitored by the substrate inspector 600, which will be described below.

[0035] Furthermore, the substrate processing system according to embodiments of this disclosure may also include a transport member 200 for transporting substrates, a load lock 300 capable of storing a plurality of substrates transported from the substrate processor 100, a front-end module (device front-end module (EFEM)) 400 connected to the load lock 300 to unload the substrates stored in the load lock 300, and a cassette 500 for loading the substrates transported from the front-end module 400. Here, the substrate processor 100, transport member 200, load lock 300, front-end module 400, and cassette 500 perform the actual process of processing substrates, and may be referred to as substrate processing equipment.

[0036] The transfer unit 200 can transfer substrates processed by the substrate processor 100 to the load lock 300, or transfer substrates stored in the load lock 300 to the substrate processor 100. The transfer unit 200 may include a transfer chamber and a robotic arm. The load lock 300 can store substrates transferred from the substrate processor 100 via the transfer unit 200. The load lock 300 may include multiple slots for storing multiple substrates sequentially transferred from the substrate processor 100. The front-end module 400 can be connected to the load lock 300 and can unload substrates stored in the load lock 300 to a carrier cassette 500. The carrier cassette 500 can store substrates unloaded by the front-end module 400 in lots. For example, a lot may contain approximately 25 substrates, and approximately 25 substrates can be loaded into one carrier cassette 500.

[0037] The substrate inspector 600 can monitor different regions of multiple substrates processed by the substrate processor 100. That is, when two or more substrates that have been processed separately are processed by performing multiple processing steps, the substrate inspector 600 can monitor a first region of a first substrate and a second region of a second substrate among the multiple substrates processed by performing one or more processing steps, and at least some regions of the first and second regions can be different from each other. For this purpose, the substrate inspector 600 may include a substrate holder 610 for mounting substrates and a detector 620 for monitoring the substrates mounted on the substrate holder 610.

[0038] The substrate S to be monitored is placed on the substrate holder 610. Here, the substrate S may include a virtual substrate (not the manufactured substrate for actual use) used only for monitoring, and a thin film may be deposited on the virtual substrate. Undoubtedly, this virtual substrate can be reused in subsequent monitoring steps after monitoring is performed. Furthermore, the substrate S may include a substrate S that has undergone etching processes, stripping processes, etc., and in this case, a substrate S on which a pattern has been formed by the aforementioned processes can be placed on the substrate holder 610.

[0039] Such a substrate holder 610 can be installed in various locations. For example, the substrate holder 610 can be installed in the substrate processor 100, and in this case, the substrate holder 610 can be a substrate support for supporting substrates provided in the processing space. Furthermore, the substrate holder 610 can be provided in a load lock 300 storing a plurality of substrates returned from the substrate processor 100 performing the predetermined processing described above, or in a front-end module 400 connected to the load lock 300 to unload the substrates stored in the load lock 300. Here, as... Figure 1As shown, when the substrate holder 610 is disposed in the load locking device 300, the substrate holder 610 may include at least one of the plurality of slots included in the load locking device 300. Furthermore, when the substrate holder 610 is disposed in the front-end module 400, the substrate holder 610 may be disposed in a portion of the space within the front-end module 400. Undoubtedly, the substrate holder 610 may be disposed separately from the substrate processing equipment including the substrate processor 100, the conveyor 200, the load locking device 300, the front-end module 400, and the carrier box 500. That is, the substrate holder 610 may be spaced apart from the substrate processing equipment so that a substrate transferred from the substrate processing equipment can be placed on it. Figure 1 In this embodiment, the substrate holder 610 is exemplarily shown as being mounted on the load lock 300, but the substrate holder 610 is not limited thereto, and undoubtedly the substrate holder 610 can be mounted in various locations for monitoring the substrate.

[0040] Detector 620 is mounted on substrate base 610 and monitors substrate S. For example, detector 620 can monitor the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence and distribution range of particles, etc. of substrate S. For this purpose, detector 620 can be composed of various units for measuring the distance from substrate S, the image of substrate S, the spectrum, and the resistance value. The units for measuring the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence and distribution range of particles, etc. of substrate S are well known, so their detailed description will be omitted.

[0041] The detector 620 can monitor different areas of multiple substrates processed by the substrate processor 100.

[0042] According to embodiments of this disclosure, it can be done as follows Figure 2 The diagram shows multiple detectors 620 for monitoring different regions of multiple substrates. For example, the detectors 620 according to embodiments of this disclosure may further include a support member 630 mounted on the upper side of the substrate holder 610, that is, the support member 630 is mounted at a distance spaced upward from the substrate holder 610. A first detector 622 for monitoring a first region of a first substrate and a second detector 624 for monitoring a second region of a second substrate may be mounted on the lower side of the support member 630.

[0043] Here, the first detector 622 can be fixedly mounted on the substrate holder 610 to monitor a first region of the first substrate disposed on the substrate holder 610, or it can be mounted on the substrate holder 610 and be relatively movable relative to the first substrate disposed on the substrate holder 610. The second detector 624 can also be fixedly mounted on the substrate holder 610 to monitor a second region of the second substrate disposed on the substrate holder 610, or it can be mounted on the substrate holder 610 and be relatively movable relative to the second substrate disposed on the substrate holder 610.

[0044] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, detector 620 can be as follows: Figure 3 The installation shown is relatively movable to monitor different areas of multiple substrates. For example, detector 620 according to another embodiment of this disclosure can be movably mounted on the underside of support 630. Here, detector 620 can undoubtedly be fixed in position on substrate holder 610, and substrate holder 610 can be movably mounted such that detector 620 can be mounted to move relative to substrate S.

[0045] Here, the movement path of detector 620 can be controlled to monitor at least partial areas of multiple substrates that have undergone predetermined processing at different positions. For example, detector 620 can move in different directions relative to the first and second substrates to monitor multiple substrates including the first and second substrates at different positions. Here, different directions can refer to, for example, different directions when each substrate is configured with the notch at the top. This can be achieved by controller 800 as described below, or alternatively by substrate inspector 600 which also includes a separate controller (not shown), and the controller controls the movement path of detector 620.

[0046] This substrate inspector 600 can monitor, for example, a portion of a first substrate along a first direction passing through the central portion of a first substrate, and can monitor a portion of a second substrate along a second direction different from the first direction passing through the central portion of a second substrate. Each substrate processed by the substrate processor 100 has a characteristic of symmetry about its central portion, so the substrate inspector 600 can monitor the first region of the first substrate and the second region of the second substrate by means of a first detector 622 and a second detector 624, or by means of a detector 620 that is mounted to be relatively movable.

[0047] Furthermore, the multiple substrates monitored by the substrate inspector 600 can be selected from substrates processed under the same processing conditions. Generally, in each processing step of the substrate processing equipment, a certain number of substrates are collected and processed in batches. In addition, in the case of a single-sheet process, the actual process is performed on a per-substrate basis, but the management of the substrates is performed in batches. Therefore, for example, the number of substrates in a batch can be approximately 25, and approximately 25 substrates can be loaded into a carrier cassette 500. In this way, when multiple substrates are selected from those included in a batch, it can be determined whether the entire substrate processing equipment is malfunctioning; for example, when multiple substrates are selected from those that have undergone predetermined processing in a specific substrate processor 100, it can be easily determined whether the substrate processor 100 is malfunctioning.

[0048] Here, the substrate inspector 600 can monitor different positions of multiple substrates multiple times according to a set cycle. That is, the substrate inspector 600 monitors different positions of multiple substrates and can repeatedly perform this monitoring according to a set cycle. Furthermore, the positions monitored by the substrate inspector 600 can be repeated in each cycle. In other words, the substrate inspector 600 can monitor different positions set for multiple substrates within each cycle. Moreover, the substrate inspector 600 sets the positions used for monitoring the substrates to be the same as or proportional to the number of substrates processed by the substrate processor 100, thus allowing repeated monitoring of different positions set for multiple substrates.

[0049] The analyzer 700 generates diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspector 600 within a predetermined time period, including information about the processing status of the substrate processed by the substrate processor 100. For example, the analyzer 700 can generate diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspector 600 within a set time period (e.g., substrate thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range). Furthermore, the analyzer 700 can generate diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspector 600 within a predetermined number of times (e.g., substrate thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range). Here, the diagnostic data may include information accumulated over such a predetermined time period regarding the substrate thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range, or may include updated information regarding the substrate thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range within the predetermined time period. Additionally, the diagnostic data may include various information that can be used to check the processing status of the substrate processed according to set processing conditions.

[0050] The controller 800 receives and manages the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700.

[0051] For example, controller 800 can receive diagnostic data generated by analyzer 700 and send the diagnostic data to external devices. That is, controller 800 can receive diagnostic data generated by analyzer 700 and send it to external systems other than the board processing system, user electronic devices that allow users to check the diagnostic data, servers, etc. In this way, controller 800 can effectively manage diagnostic data and improve data processing efficiency by receiving diagnostic data generated by analyzer 700 and sending it externally.

[0052] On the other hand, the controller 800 can receive diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700 and send an alarm signal when it determines that the processing status of the substrate is abnormal. That is, the controller 800 can receive diagnostic data generated by the analyzer and determine whether the processing status of the substrate is abnormal, and when it determines that the processing status of the substrate is abnormal, the controller 800 can send an alarm signal to notify the user.

[0053] For example, when both the information obtained by monitoring the first substrate or the diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and the information obtained by monitoring the second substrate or the diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom, are within a set error range, the controller 800 can determine that the processing state is normal (i.e., good). Furthermore, when at least one of the information obtained by monitoring the first substrate or the diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and the information obtained by monitoring the second substrate or the diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom, exceeds the error range, the controller 800 can determine that the processing state is abnormal (i.e., bad). As described above, the substrate inspector 600 according to embodiments of this disclosure monitors multiple substrates selected from substrates that have undergone the same predetermined processing, and the monitoring information obtained for the first substrate can be applied as is to the second substrate among the multiple substrates; conversely, the monitoring information obtained for the second substrate among the multiple substrates can be applied as is to the first substrate among the multiple substrates. Therefore, all substrates that have undergone the same predetermined processing can be considered to have the same processing state as a virtual single substrate. The controller 800 can determine whether there is an abnormality in the processing state of the virtual substrate for which monitoring information or diagnostic data for multiple substrates has been collected.

[0054] For example, when the substrate inspector 600 monitors a first region of the first substrate along a first direction passing through the central portion of the first substrate and a second region of the second substrate along a second direction different from the first direction passing through the central portion of the second substrate, the controller 800 can determine that the processing status is good if both the information obtained by monitoring the first substrate and the information obtained by monitoring the second substrate in the central portion where the first and second regions overlap are within the error range. Furthermore, the controller 800 can determine whether the monitoring information of the first substrate in the first region excluding the central portion is within the error range, and whether the monitoring information of the second substrate in the second region excluding the central portion is within the error range. If at least one piece of the monitoring information exceeds the error range, the processing status is determined to be bad.

[0055] On the other hand, the controller 800 assigns a sequence to information obtained by monitoring the first substrate or diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and information obtained by monitoring the second substrate or diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom. When at least one piece of information assigned to a set sequence exceeds the error range, it can be determined that the processing state of the substrate is abnormal. For example, when the information obtained by monitoring the first substrate includes first information and second information, and the information obtained by monitoring the second substrate includes third information and fourth information, a sequence can be assigned to the first to fourth information. When the first information is assigned a first sequence and the third information is assigned a second sequence, if the first information exceeds the error range, the processing state of the substrate can be determined to be defective regardless of the second to fourth information. Furthermore, when the first information is within the error range, and if the second information exceeds the error range, the processing state of the substrate can be determined to be defective regardless of the third to fourth information. Here, when the information set to the second sequence is set for determining the processing state of the substrate, if both the first and second information are within the error range, the processing state of the substrate can be determined to be good. In this way, the controller 800 can determine the processing status of the substrate based on the order of multiple pieces of information, so as to prevent unnecessary processing status determination for areas of the substrate with low defect frequency, thereby effectively shortening the time required for inspection.

[0056] When the processing status of the substrate is determined to be abnormal through the above-described process, the controller 800 can send an alarm signal. That is, the controller 800 can determine whether there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate being processed in the substrate processor 100 based on monitoring information or diagnostic data for multiple substrates. When the processing status is determined to be good, processing continues in the substrate processor 100. When the processing status is determined to be bad, a problem is determined in the substrate processing equipment, and an alarm signal can be sent to the user. In this case, the controller 800 can automatically pause the processing of the substrate processor 100 and can notify the user of the poor processing status via an alarm or other means after the processing is paused.

[0057] On the other hand, the controller 800 can also reset the processing conditions set by the substrate processor 100. For example, the controller 800 can determine whether the processing status of the substrate being processed in the substrate processor 100 is abnormal from monitoring information or diagnostic data for multiple substrates, and when the controller 800 determines that the processing status is bad, the user can check this determination and reset the processing conditions set by the substrate processor 100 through the controller 800.

[0058] Furthermore, the controller 800 may include a learner trained to reset the processing conditions set by the substrate processor 100. In this case, the learner can be trained using an artificial neural network, which is a machine learning model built by simulating the structure of human neurons in software and refers to a computer system used to implement artificial intelligence. The controller 800 according to embodiments of this disclosure includes a learner with such an artificial neural network, and when the processing state of the substrate is determined to be unsatisfactory, the controller 800 can present or suggest ideal processing conditions through artificial intelligence, or change the set processing conditions and automatically reset the conditions. For this purpose, the controller 800 may also include a memory that pre-stores learning information including substrate state information and processing condition information to be reset based on the substrate state information, and the learner can be trained using the learning information stored in the memory.

[0059] To enable the learner to present or suggest ideal processing conditions through artificial intelligence, or to automatically reset the settings by changing the pre-defined processing conditions, the learner first receives and trains itself with learning information (including substrate state information from memory and processing condition information to be reset based on the state information). That is, when an abnormality occurs in the substrate's processing state, the learner is trained, through the learning information including substrate state information indicating the state of the processed substrate and processing condition information to be reset based on the state information, to select processing conditions that can resolve or minimize the abnormality. When the learner calculates the ideal processing conditions through artificial intelligence, the user can receive the ideal processing conditions and change the pre-defined processing conditions, and the learner can independently reset the preset processing conditions in the substrate processor 100 to the ideal processing conditions.

[0060] For example, the learner can be trained using the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of a substrate processed by the substrate processing equipment according to a first processing condition. Furthermore, the learner can learn using the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of a substrate processed by the substrate processing equipment according to a second processing condition. Here, the first processing condition can be similar to the second processing condition, except that at least one operation differs from the second processing condition. In this case, the learner can generate a third processing condition that includes an indication of the difference between the first and second processing conditions, and can also indicate a third processing condition corresponding to the differences in the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate for a specific operation. When an abnormality exists in the processing state of the substrate, the learner can be trained to select processing conditions that can resolve or minimize the abnormality in the processing state by learning information acquired or generated in this way.

[0061] Furthermore, when the processing conditions are reset and the substrate is processed according to the reset processing conditions, the information regarding the results of processing the substrate under the reset processing conditions can be stored again as learning information. In other words, the memory can store the information regarding the results of processing the substrate under the reset processing conditions in the substrate processor 100 as learning information. In this case, the learner can relearn the result information processed according to the reset processing conditions and select optimized processing conditions that can resolve or minimize processing state anomalies.

[0062] Such a controller 800 may include a control server, etc., and can be connected to the aforementioned substrate processing equipment via a network. Furthermore, the aforementioned analyzer 700 can also be connected to the substrate processing equipment via a network. As shown, when the substrate inspector 600 is installed in the substrate processing equipment (e.g., load lock 300), the analyzer 700 can receive monitoring information and generate diagnostic data via the network, and the controller 800 can also receive monitoring information and diagnostic data from the substrate inspector 600 or the analyzer 700 via the network. With this configuration, the controller 800 can determine whether there is an abnormality in the substrate processing status and transmit control commands for resetting the substrate processing conditions to the substrate processor 100 via the network.

[0063] The substrate processing method according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below. Here, descriptions of content in the substrate processing method according to embodiments of the present disclosure that overlaps with the content of the substrate processing system described above will be omitted.

[0064] Figure 4 This is a diagram schematically illustrating a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] Reference Figure 4 In the substrate processing method according to the embodiment, that is, in a substrate processing method in which multiple substrates are processed according to set processing conditions by a substrate processing system including a substrate processor 100, a substrate inspector 600, an analyzer 700, and a controller 800, the substrate processing method includes: step S100, in which the substrate inspector 600 monitors a first region of a first substrate processed by the substrate processor 100; step S200, in which the substrate inspector 600 monitors a second region of a second substrate processed by the substrate processor 100 (the second region is at least partially different from the first region); step S300, in which the analyzer 700 generates diagnostic data including information about the processing status of the substrate processed by the substrate processor 100 from the information monitored by the substrate inspector 600; and step S400, in which the controller 800 receives and manages the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700.

[0066] Here, step S400, where the controller 800 receives and manages the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700, may include the step of the controller 800 receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700 and sending the diagnostic data to an external device. Furthermore, step S400, where the controller 800 receives and manages the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700, may include the step of the controller 800 receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700 and sending an alarm signal when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate.

[0067] The substrate processing method according to embodiments of this disclosure may include the step of selecting a first substrate and a second substrate to monitor a first region of the first substrate and a second region of the second substrate. In the step of selecting the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate and the second substrate to be monitored are selected from a plurality of substrates processed according to set processing conditions. Here, processing conditions may refer to conditions (e.g., processing method) used to process the substrates. The first substrate and the second substrate can be selected from a carrier containing a plurality of substrates, and in this case, the first substrate and the second substrate can be selected from a plurality of substrates included in a batch, thus allowing determination of whether the entire substrate processing apparatus is malfunctioning. Furthermore, the first substrate and the second substrate can be selected from a plurality of substrates that have undergone predetermined processing within the same substrate processor 100. That is, for example, when approximately 3 to 6 substrates are processed simultaneously within the same substrate processor 100, the first substrate and the second substrate can be selected from all and some of the approximately 3 to 6 substrates, thereby making it easy to determine whether the substrate processor 100 is malfunctioning.

[0068] In step S100, which monitors a first region of the first substrate, the substrate inspector 600 monitors the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence and distribution of particles, etc., of a portion of the first substrate. Similarly, in step S200, which monitors a second region of the second substrate, the substrate inspector 600 monitors the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence and distribution of particles, etc., of a portion of the second substrate. In this case, at least a portion of the first and second regions may differ from each other.

[0069] For example, in step S100, which monitors a first region of the first substrate, a portion of the first substrate along a first direction passing through the central portion of the first substrate can be monitored. Similarly, in step S200, which monitors a second region of the second substrate along a second direction different from the first direction passing through the central portion of the second substrate, a portion of the second substrate can be monitored. Each substrate processed by the substrate processor 100 has a characteristic of symmetry about its central portion; therefore, the substrate inspector 600 can monitor the first region of the first substrate and the second region of the second substrate using either the first detector 622 and the second detector 624, or using the detector 620, which is mounted to be relatively movable.

[0070] Therefore, the substrate inspector 600 may include a substrate holder 610 for mounting a substrate and a detector 620 for monitoring the substrate mounted on the substrate holder 610. Figure 2 The diagram shows that multiple detectors 620 can be configured to monitor different areas of multiple substrates, or as shown. Figure 3 The plurality of detectors 620 shown can be mounted relatively movable to monitor different regions of the plurality of substrates. On the other hand, the controller can control the movement path of the detectors 620 such that at least partial regions of the first substrate and the second substrate are monitored at different locations, so that the monitored region (i.e., the first region) of the first substrate and the monitored region (i.e., the second region) of the second substrate are at least partially different from each other. The above can be similarly applied to step S100 of monitoring the first region of the first substrate and step S200 of monitoring the second region of the second substrate, and undoubtedly, each monitored region can be configured in various ways such that at least a portion of its region is monitored at different locations.

[0071] In step S300, when generating diagnostic data, the analyzer 700 generates diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspector 600 within a predetermined time period, including information about the processing status of the substrate processed by the substrate processor 100. For example, the analyzer 700 can generate diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspector 600 within the predetermined time period (e.g., substrate thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range).

[0072] Here, in step S300 of generating diagnostic data, diagnostic data can be generated from information obtained by the substrate inspector 600 monitoring multiple substrates, including a first substrate and a second substrate, within a predetermined time period. For example, the analyzer 700 can generate diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspector 600 within the predetermined time period (e.g., substrate thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range). Furthermore, the analyzer 700 can generate diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspector 600 within a predetermined number of times (e.g., substrate thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range). Here, the diagnostic data can include information accumulated within such a predetermined time period regarding substrate thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range, or it can include information regarding the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of updated substrates within the predetermined time period. Furthermore, as described above, the diagnostic data can include various information that allows checking the processing status of substrates processed according to set processing conditions.

[0073] In the step of receiving and sending diagnostic data externally, the controller 800 can receive the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700 and send it externally. That is, the controller 800 can receive the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700 and send it to external systems other than the board processing system, user electronic devices that allow users to check the diagnostic data, servers, etc. In this way, by receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700 and sending it externally, the controller 800 can prevent excessive data accumulation in the board processing system from causing performance degradation and improve processing speed.

[0074] On the other hand, in the step of sending an alarm signal, the controller 800 can receive diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700 and send an alarm signal when it determines that the processing state of the substrate is abnormal. That is, the controller 800 receives diagnostic data generated by the analyzer and determines whether the processing state of the substrate is abnormal, and when it determines that the processing state of the substrate is abnormal, it can send an alarm signal to notify the user.

[0075] Here, in the step of sending an alarm signal, the controller 800 can receive diagnostic data generated by the analyzer 700 to determine whether there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, and when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, it can send an alarm signal to notify the user.

[0076] In this scenario, when both the information obtained by monitoring the first substrate or the diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and the information obtained by monitoring the second substrate or the diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom, are within the set error range, the controller 800 can determine that the processing state is normal (i.e., good). Furthermore, when at least one of the information obtained by monitoring the first substrate or the diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and the information obtained by monitoring the second substrate or the diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom, exceeds the error range, the controller 800 can determine that the processing state is abnormal (i.e., bad).

[0077] Furthermore, the controller 800 can assign a priority to information obtained by monitoring the first substrate or diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and information obtained by monitoring the second substrate or diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom. When at least one of the information assigned a set priority exceeds the error range, it can be determined that the processing status of the substrate is abnormal. In this way, the controller 800 can determine the processing status of the substrate based on the priority of multiple pieces of information, thereby effectively shortening the inspection time by avoiding unnecessary processing status determination of areas of the substrate with low defect frequencies.

[0078] On the other hand, the substrate processing method according to embodiments of the present disclosure may further include a step of resetting the conditions set by the controller 800 for the substrate processor 100. For example, the controller 800 may determine whether the processing status of the substrate being processed in the substrate processor 100 is abnormal from monitoring information or diagnostic data for multiple substrates. When the controller 800 determines that the processing status is poor, the user can check this determination result and reset the processing conditions set by the controller 800 for the substrate processor 100.

[0079] The step of resetting the settings can be performed by a learner trained to reset the processing conditions set for the substrate processor 100. In this case, the learner can be trained using an artificial neural network, which is a machine learning model built by simulating the structure of human neurons in software and refers to a computer system used to implement artificial intelligence. The controller 800 according to an embodiment of this disclosure includes a learner having such an artificial neural network, and when the processing state of the substrate is determined to be undesirable, it can present or suggest ideal processing conditions through artificial intelligence, or change the set processing conditions and automatically reset the conditions. For this purpose, the controller 800 may also include a memory that pre-stores learning information including substrate state information and processing condition information to be reset based on the substrate state information, and the learner can be trained using the learning information stored in the memory.

[0080] Here, the learner can be trained using the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of a substrate processed by the substrate processing equipment according to the first processing conditions. Furthermore, the learner can be trained using the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of a substrate processed by the substrate processing equipment according to the second processing conditions. Here, the first processing conditions can be similar to the second processing conditions, except that at least one operation differs from the second processing conditions. In this case, the learner can generate a third processing condition that includes an indication of the difference between the first and second processing conditions, and can indicate that the difference corresponds to differences in the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate for a specific operation. When an abnormality exists in the processing state of the substrate, the learner can be trained to select processing conditions that can resolve or minimize the abnormality by acquiring or generating learning information in this way.

[0081] Furthermore, the method may also include training a learner with information about the results of processing the substrate under re-set processing conditions in the substrate processor. That is, the memory can store information about the results of processing the substrate under re-set processing conditions in the substrate processor 100 as learning information. In this case, the learner can relearn the result information processed according to the re-set processing conditions and select optimized processing conditions that can resolve or minimize processing state anomalies.

[0082] Although the substrate processing system and substrate processing method have been described with reference to specific embodiments, the embodiments are not limited thereto. Therefore, those skilled in the art will readily understand that various modifications and changes can be made to this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0083] While the preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described and explained using the specific terminology described above, such terminology is intended only to clearly describe the disclosure, and it will be apparent that the embodiments of this disclosure and the terminology described may be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the technical spirit and scope of the claims. Such modified embodiments should not be construed as independent of the spirit and scope of this disclosure, but should be considered to fall within the scope of the claims of this disclosure.

[0084] Industrial applicability

[0085] According to embodiments of this disclosure, by monitoring at least a portion of multiple substrates at different locations, diagnostic data including information about the substrate processing status can be generated in a short time, thereby shortening the time required for detection.

Claims

1. A substrate processing system, comprising: A substrate processor configured to process one or more substrates according to set processing conditions. A substrate inspector configured to monitor a plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor; An analyzer configured to generate diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspector within a predetermined time period, including information on the processing status of the plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor. as well as A controller configured to receive the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer and send the diagnostic data to an external source. The substrate inspector is configured to monitor a first region of a first substrate and a second region of a second substrate among the plurality of substrates, wherein at least a portion of the first region and the second region are different from each other.

2. A substrate processing system, comprising: A substrate processor configured to process one or more substrates according to set processing conditions. A substrate inspector configured to monitor a plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor; An analyzer configured to generate diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspector over a predetermined time period, including information about the processing status of the plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor; as well as A controller configured to receive the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer and to send an alarm signal when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the plurality of substrates. The substrate inspector is configured to monitor a first region of a first substrate and a second region of a second substrate among the plurality of substrates, wherein at least a portion of the first region and the second region are different from each other.

3. The substrate processing system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The plurality of substrates are selected from a plurality of substrates processed under the same processing conditions.

4. The substrate processing system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The controller resets the processing conditions set for the substrate processor.

5. The substrate processing system as described in claim 4, wherein, The controller includes a learner trained to reset the processing conditions set by the substrate processor.

6. The substrate processing system as described in claim 5, wherein, The controller also includes a memory that pre-stores training data including information about the processing conditions to be reset based on the processing status of the plurality of substrates. The learner is trained using the training data stored in the memory.

7. The substrate processing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein, The memory stores information about the results of processing the substrate under the re-set processing conditions in the substrate processor as the training data.

8. A method for processing multiple substrates according to set processing conditions using a substrate processing system, the substrate processing system comprising a substrate processor, a substrate inspector, an analyzer, and a controller, the method comprising: The substrate inspector monitors a first region of the first substrate processed by the substrate processor. The substrate inspector monitors a second region of a second substrate processed by the substrate processor, the second region being at least partially different from the first region; The analyzer generates diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspector, including information about the processing status of the plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor; as well as The controller receives the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer and sends the diagnostic data to an external source.

9. A method for processing multiple substrates according to set processing conditions using a substrate processing system, the substrate processing system comprising a substrate processor, a substrate inspector, an analyzer, and a controller, the method comprising: The substrate inspector monitors a first region of the first substrate processed by the substrate processor. The substrate inspector monitors a second region of a second substrate processed by the substrate processor, the second region being at least partially different from the first region; The analyzer generates diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspector, including information about the processing status of the plurality of substrates processed by the substrate processor; as well as The controller receives the diagnostic data generated by the analyzer and sends an alarm signal when it determines that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the plurality of substrates.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein, In the step of generating the diagnostic data, the diagnostic data is generated by the substrate inspector monitoring information obtained from multiple substrates, including the first substrate and the second substrate, within a predetermined time period.

11. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein, In the step of monitoring the first region of the first substrate, a portion of the first substrate is monitored along a first direction passing through the central portion of the first substrate, and In the step of monitoring the second region of the second substrate, a portion of the second substrate is monitored along a second direction different from the first direction, passing through the central portion of the second substrate.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein, In the step of sending the alarm signal, if at least one of the information obtained by monitoring the first substrate and the information obtained by monitoring the second substrate exceeds the error range, it is determined that the processing state of the substrate is abnormal.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein, In the step of sending the alarm signal, when a sequence is assigned to the information obtained by monitoring the first substrate and the information obtained by monitoring the second substrate, and at least one of the information assigned the set sequence exceeds the error range, it is determined that the processing state of the substrate is abnormal.

14. The method of claim 8 or 9, further comprising: The processing conditions set for the substrate processor are reset.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The step of resetting the set processing conditions is performed by a learner trained to reset the processing conditions set for the substrate processor.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: After the step of resetting the set processing conditions, the learner is trained with information about the results of processing the substrate under the reset processing conditions in the substrate processor.

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