Observation device, observation method, and substrate processing device

Abstract

To provide an observation device capable of satisfactorily imaging a portion to be observed, such as a peripheral portion of a semiconductor wafer, an observation method, and a substrate processing device equipped with the observation device.SOLUTION: An observation device comprises: an illumination optical system that irradiates the vicinity of a portion to be observed with primary illumination light; a head portion that has a diffusion surface for diffusing the primary illumination light in the vicinity of the portion to be observed and irradiates and illuminates the portion to be observed with the diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light; and an observation optical system that receives light reflected by the portion to be observed illuminated with the secondary illumination light to observe the portion to be observed. The color of the primary illumination light of the illumination optical system is adjusted to a color suitable for observing the portion to be observed. Then, the observation is performed by the primary illumination light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an observation technique for observing an object to be observed such as a semiconductor wafer, and particularly to an observation technique suitable for observing an observation portion such as the peripheral portion of a semiconductor wafer, and to a substrate processing apparatus utilizing said observation technique. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known processing systems that perform various processes on the peripheral portion of an object to be observed, such as a semiconductor wafer. For example, in Patent Document 1, a coating material is spread on a substrate, and then the bevel portion of the substrate is cleaned. After the bevel cleaning process, an inspection process is performed in which the surface condition of the bevel portion is observed to determine whether or not the coating material is present on the bevel portion. This inspection process is performed by an apparatus different from the apparatus that performs the bevel cleaning process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-139492 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the system described in Patent Document 1, the substrate processing apparatus that performs the bevel cleaning process and the inspection apparatus that performs the inspection process are separated from each other. This causes a time lag between when a defect occurs in the substrate processing apparatus and when the defect is discovered by the inspection apparatus. This can be a factor in reducing the yield.

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, it is conceivable to incorporate an observation device into the substrate processing apparatus. However, the observation device arranges a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera on the peripheral edge of the substrate, and observes the peripheral edge of the substrate with the camera. In addition, when inspecting the surface condition of the bevel portion, a camera for observing the bevel portion from various directions and a light source for illuminating the bevel portion from various directions corresponding to the camera are required. In other words, in the conventional observation device, the components arranged near the peripheral edge of the substrate are relatively large, and it is difficult to incorporate the observation device into the substrate processing apparatus.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an observation apparatus and an observation method that are capable of satisfactorily observing an observation portion such as a peripheral portion of a semiconductor wafer, as well as a substrate processing apparatus equipped with the observation apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention is an observation device for observing an observed portion of an object under observation, comprising an illumination optical system which irradiates primary illumination light near the observed portion, a head unit which has a diffusion surface which diffuses the primary illumination light near the observed portion and which irradiates and illuminates the observed portion with the diffused light generated at the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light, and an observation optical system which receives light reflected from the observed portion illuminated by the secondary illumination light and observes the observed portion, wherein the illumination optical system is capable of changing the color of the primary illumination light.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is an observation device for observing an observed portion of an object under observation, comprising: an illumination optical system which irradiates a vicinity of the observed portion with primary illumination light containing a plurality of color component lights having different wavelengths; a head unit which has a diffusion surface which diffuses the primary illumination light in the vicinity of the observed portion and which irradiates and illuminates the observed portion with the diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light; and an observation optical system having a color camera which receives, with a plurality of light receiving elements, the plurality of color component lights contained in the reflected light reflected from the observed portion illuminated by the secondary illumination light, wherein the observation optical system is characterized in that by using all or a portion of the plurality of light receiving elements, the observed portion can be observed in different colors.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention is a method for observing an observed portion of an object under observation, comprising an illumination step of irradiating a diffusion surface of a head portion positioned near the observed portion with primary illumination light, thereby irradiating and illuminating the observed portion with the diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light, and an observation step of receiving light reflected by the observed portion illuminated by the secondary illumination light, and observing the observed portion, wherein the illumination step includes a step of adjusting the contrast of an image of the observed portion observed in the observation step by changing the color of the primary illumination light.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a method for observing an observed portion of an object under observation, comprising an illumination step of irradiating a diffusion surface of a head portion positioned near the observed portion with primary illumination light, thereby irradiating and illuminating the observed portion with the diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light, and an observation step of receiving reflected light reflected from the observed portion illuminated by the secondary illumination light, wherein the primary illumination light contains a plurality of color component lights having different wavelengths from each other, and the observation step includes a step of receiving the plurality of color component lights contained in the reflected light with a plurality of light receiving elements, respectively, and a step of adjusting the contrast of the observed image by using all or a part of the plurality of light receiving elements.

[0011] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a rotation mechanism which holds and rotates a substrate; a processing mechanism which supplies a processing liquid to a peripheral portion of the substrate rotated by the rotation mechanism to process the peripheral portion of the substrate; and an observation device which observes the peripheral portion before or after processing the peripheral portion, the observation device comprising an illumination optical system which irradiates a vicinity of the peripheral portion with primary illumination light; a head unit which has a diffusion surface which diffuses the primary illumination light in the vicinity of the peripheral portion and irradiates and illuminates the peripheral portion with diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light; and The illumination optical system comprises an illumination optical system that irradiates the vicinity of the peripheral portion with primary illumination light, a head unit that has a diffusion surface that diffuses the primary illumination light near the peripheral portion and irradiates and illuminates the peripheral portion with the diffused light generated by the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light, and an observation optical system that receives reflected light reflected by the peripheral portion illuminated by the secondary illumination light to observe the peripheral portion, and the illumination optical system is characterized in that it is capable of changing the color of the primary illumination light.

[0012] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a rotation mechanism for holding and rotating a substrate; a processing mechanism for supplying a processing liquid to the peripheral portion of the substrate rotated by the rotation mechanism to process the peripheral portion of the substrate; and an observation device for observing the peripheral portion before or after processing the peripheral portion, wherein the observation device comprises an illumination optical system for irradiating the vicinity of the peripheral portion with primary illumination light including a plurality of color component lights having different wavelengths; a head unit having a diffusion surface for diffusing the primary illumination light in the vicinity of the peripheral portion and irradiating and illuminating the peripheral portion with the diffused light generated by the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light; and an observation optical system having a color camera for receiving, with a plurality of light receiving elements, the plurality of color component lights included in the reflected light reflected by the peripheral portion illuminated by the secondary illumination light, wherein the color camera is characterized in that it observes the peripheral portion in different colors by using all or a portion of the plurality of light receiving elements.

[0013] In the invention configured in this manner, the head unit is positioned near the observation area. Then, the diffusion surface of the head unit is irradiated with primary illumination light, and the diffused light generated on the diffusion surface is irradiated as secondary illumination light onto the observation area. A portion of the diffused light is reflected from the observation area thus illuminated with the diffused light. The reflected light is then incident on the observation optical system, and the observation area is observed.

[0014] Here, one of the requirements for good observation of an observation area is the signal-to-noise ratio. For example, if the observation area contains two types of films, it will be difficult to identify the film boundaries if the image of the observation area obtained during observation does not have sufficient contrast. In addition, if the observation area contains a defect, it will be difficult to distinguish between the defect and its surroundings, and the defect may be overlooked. Therefore, there is a demand for technology that can obtain a contrast suitable for observation. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, an observation apparatus capable of satisfactorily observing an observation portion of an object to be observed can be obtained. Furthermore, the use of the observation apparatus makes it easy to incorporate the observation apparatus into a substrate processing apparatus. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a substrate processing system equipped with an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus. [Diagram 3] 2 is a plan view of a portion of the substrate processing apparatus as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the shape of a peripheral portion of a substrate to be imaged; [Diagram 5] 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a head portion of the imaging mechanism. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a typical progression of light that contributes to top-side imaging. [Figure 8]FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a typical progression of light that contributes to side imaging. [Figure 9] 4 is a diagram showing a schematic image of a peripheral portion of a substrate captured by an imaging section; FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an illumination optical system provided in a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a drive circuit for a light-emitting element. [Figure 12] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing schematic diagrams illustrating light emission patterns of light-emitting elements, images observed in each light emission pattern, and distribution of the number of pixels indicating brightness. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a drive circuit for a light-emitting element. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an observation pattern combining three types of color components, and an image observed with each light emission pattern, and a distribution of the number of pixels indicating brightness. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] 1 is a diagram showing a substrate processing system equipped with an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. The substrate processing system 200 includes a substrate processing section 210 that processes substrates S, and an indexer section 220 that is coupled to the substrate processing section 210. The indexer section 220 is configured to receive a container C for accommodating the substrates S (FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that accommodates multiple substrates S in a sealed state, SMIF (Standard Insulation Folding Insertion Facility) that accommodates multiple substrates S in a sealed state, etc.). The system is equipped with a container holder 221 capable of holding a plurality of substrates (e.g., pods, OCs (Open Cassettes), etc.), and an indexer robot 222 for accessing the containers C held by the container holder 221 to take out unprocessed substrates S from the container C or store processed substrates S in the container C. Each container C contains a plurality of substrates S in a substantially horizontal position.

[0018] In this specification, the pattern-formed surface (one main surface) of both main surfaces of the substrate S on which a pattern is formed is referred to as the "front surface," and the other main surface on the opposite side on which no pattern is formed is referred to as the "rear surface." The surface facing downward is referred to as the "lower surface," and the surface facing upward is referred to as the "upper surface." In this specification, the "pattern-formed surface" refers to the surface of the substrate on which a concave-convex pattern is formed in any region.

[0019] The indexer robot 222 comprises a base 222a fixed to the device housing, an articulated arm 222b rotatably provided around a vertical axis relative to the base 222a, and a hand 222c attached to the tip of the articulated arm 222b. The hand 222c is structured so that a substrate S can be placed on its upper surface and held thereon. Indexer robots having such articulated arms and hands for holding substrates are well known, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0020] The substrate processing section 210 includes a substrate transfer robot 211 disposed approximately at the center in a plan view, and a plurality of processing units 1 disposed to surround the substrate transfer robot 211. Specifically, the plurality of processing units 1 are disposed facing the space in which the substrate transfer robot 211 is disposed. The main components of the processing units 1 are installed inside the processing chamber 100. The substrate transfer robot 211 accesses these processing units 1 at appropriate times to transfer the substrate S. Meanwhile, each processing unit 1 performs a predetermined process on the substrate S. In this embodiment, one of these processing units 1 corresponds to the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a part of the substrate processing apparatus seen from above. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the peripheral portion of a substrate to be imaged. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIGS. 2, 3 and each of the figures referred to below, the dimensions and numbers of each part may be exaggerated or simplified for ease of understanding. In addition, in order to clarify the directional relationships, each figure is appropriately provided with a coordinate system in which the Z axis is the vertical direction and the XY plane is the horizontal plane.

[0022] The substrate processing apparatus (processing unit) 1 includes a rotation mechanism 2, a scattering prevention mechanism 3, a processing mechanism 4, a peripheral heating mechanism 5, and an imaging mechanism 6. These components 2 to 6 are housed in an internal space 101 of a processing chamber 100 and are electrically connected to a control unit 9 that controls the entire apparatus. The components 2 to 6 operate in response to instructions from the control unit 9.

[0023] The control unit 9 may be, for example, a device similar to a general computer. That is, in the control unit 9, a CPU serving as an arithmetic processing unit 91 performs arithmetic processing according to a procedure described in a program, thereby controlling each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 supplies a processing liquid to the peripheral part of the upper surface of the substrate S in the processing chamber to perform a bevel etching process. The detailed configuration and operation of the control unit 9 will be described later. In this embodiment, the control unit 9 is provided for each substrate processing apparatus 1, but a configuration may be adopted in which a single control unit controls a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 1. In addition, a configuration may be adopted in which the substrate processing apparatus 1 is controlled by a control unit (not shown) that controls the entire substrate processing system 200.

[0024] The rotation mechanism 2 rotates the substrate S in a rotation direction AR1 (FIG. 3) while holding it in a substantially horizontal position with its surface facing upward. The rotation mechanism 2 rotates the substrate S around a vertical rotation axis AX passing through the center of the main surface of the substrate S. The rotation mechanism 2 includes a spin chuck 21, which is a disk-shaped member smaller than the substrate S. The spin chuck 21 is provided so that its upper surface is substantially horizontal and its central axis coincides with the rotation axis AX. A rotation shaft portion 22 is connected to the lower surface of the spin chuck 21. The rotation shaft portion 22 extends in the vertical direction with its axis line coinciding with the rotation axis AX. A rotation drive portion (e.g., a motor) 23 is connected to the rotation shaft portion 22. The rotation drive portion 23 drives the rotation shaft portion 22 to rotate around its axis line in response to a rotation command from the control unit 9. Therefore, the spin chuck 21 can rotate around the rotation axis AX together with the rotation shaft portion 22. The rotation drive unit 23 and the rotation shaft unit 22 serve to rotate the spin chuck 21 about the rotation axis AX.

[0025] A through hole (not shown) is provided in the center of the spin chuck 21, and communicates with the internal space of the rotating shaft portion 22. A pump 24 (FIG. 5) is connected to the internal space through a pipe in which a valve (not shown) is interposed. The pump 24 and the valve are electrically connected to the control unit 9 and operate according to commands from the control unit 9. This allows negative pressure and positive pressure to be selectively applied to the spin chuck 21. For example, when the pump 24 applies negative pressure to the spin chuck 21 with the substrate S placed on the upper surface of the spin chuck 21 in a substantially horizontal position, the spin chuck 21 sucks and holds the substrate S from below. On the other hand, when the pump 24 applies positive pressure to the spin chuck 21, the substrate S can be removed from the upper surface of the spin chuck 21. When the suction of the pump 24 is stopped, the substrate S can be moved horizontally on the upper surface of the spin chuck 21.

[0026] 2 and 3, the splash prevention mechanism 3 has a generally cylindrical cup 31 provided to surround the outer periphery of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, and a liquid receiving portion 32 provided below the outer periphery of the cup 31. The cup 31 is raised and lowered by the operation of a guard driving portion 33 (FIG. 5) in response to a control command from the control unit 9. When the cup 31 is positioned at the lower position, the upper end of the cup 31 is located below the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, as shown in FIG. 2. Conversely, when the cup 31 is positioned at the upper position, the upper end of the cup 31 is located above the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S.

[0027] 2, when the cup 31 is in the lower position, the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21 is exposed to the outside of the cup 31. This prevents the cup 31 from becoming an obstacle, for example, when the substrate S is loaded onto or unloaded from the spin chuck 21.

[0028] On the other hand, when the cup 31 is in the upper position, the inner peripheral surface of the cup 31 surrounds the outer periphery of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21. This makes it possible to prevent droplets of the processing liquid shaken off from the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S from scattering inside the processing chamber 100 during the bevel etching process described below. It also makes it possible to reliably recover the processing liquid. That is, as the substrate S rotates, droplets of the processing liquid shaken off from the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the cup 31 and flow downward, and are collected and recovered by the liquid receiving portion 32 arranged below the cup 31.

[0029] The processing mechanism 4 has a base 41, a rotating support shaft 42, an arm 43, and a processing liquid nozzle 44. The base 41 is fixed to the processing chamber 100. The rotating support shaft 42 is provided rotatably relative to the base 41. The arm 43 extends horizontally from the rotating support shaft 42, and a processing liquid nozzle 44 is attached to its tip. The rotating support shaft 42 rotates in response to a control command from the control unit 9, causing the arm 43 to swing, and the processing liquid nozzle 44 at the tip of the arm 43 moves between a retracted position retracted from above the substrate S to the side and a processing position above the peripheral portion of the substrate S. In FIG. 3, the nozzle 44 indicated by the two-dot chain line is in the retracted position, and the nozzle 44 indicated by the solid line is in the processing position.

[0030] The processing liquid nozzle 44 is connected to a processing liquid supply unit 45 (FIG. 5). When the processing liquid supply unit 45 supplies the processing liquid toward the processing liquid nozzle 44 in response to a supply command from the control unit 9, the processing liquid is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 44 toward a processing start position Ps. This processing start position Ps is a point on the path along which the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S moves. Therefore, as the processing liquid nozzle 44 discharges the processing liquid while the spin chuck 21 rotates, each portion of the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S is supplied with the processing liquid while passing through the processing start position Ps. As a result, a bevel etching process using the processing liquid is performed on the entire peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S.

[0031] The peripheral heating mechanism 5 includes an annular heater 51. The heater 51 incorporates a heating element that extends in the peripheral direction of the substrate S along the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate S. When a heating command is given to the heater 51 from the control unit 9, the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S is heated from below by heat emitted from the heating element. This raises the temperature of the peripheral portion Ss to a value suitable for the bevel etching process.

[0032] The imaging mechanism 6 includes a base 6A, a pivot 6B, an arm 6C, a head driver 6D, an illumination optical system 6E, an observation optical system 6F, and a head 6G. The base 6A is fixed to the processing chamber 100. The pivot 6B is rotatably provided on the base 6A. An arm 6C extends horizontally from the pivot 6B, and a head 6G is attached to its tip. When a control command is given from the control unit 9 to the head driver 6D (FIG. 5) that drives the arm 6C, the head driver 6D swings the arm 6C as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3 in response to the command. As a result, the head 6G attached to the tip of the arm 6C reciprocates between a retreat position P1 where the head 6G retreats from above the substrate S to the side, and an imaging position P2 where the head 6G captures an image of the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S. 3, the head unit 6G indicated by a solid line is in the retracted position, and the head unit 6G indicated by a dashed line is in the imaging position. At the imaging position P2, the head unit 6G is disposed close to the (-Y) side end of the substrate S.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the illumination optical system 6E and the observation optical system 6F are provided at a position P3 spaced from the imaging position P2 in the X direction. This position P3 is spaced from each unit (the rotation mechanism 2, the scattering prevention mechanism 3, the processing mechanism 4, and the peripheral heating mechanism 5) that performs the bevel etching process on the substrate S and the cup 31. The illumination optical system 6E irradiates the illumination light L1 from the outside of the cup 31 toward the imaging position P2. At this time, the cup 31 is positioned at a lower position, and the head unit 6G is positioned at the imaging position P2, so that the illumination light L1 is incident on the head unit 6G. The illumination light L1 is diffusely reflected by the head unit 6G. The diffused light thus generated illuminates the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S. Then, the reflected light L2 reflected by the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S is further reflected by the head unit 6G. The reflected light L2 is guided from the head unit 6G toward the position P3 and incident on the observation optical system 6F. As a result, the observation optical system 6F acquires an image of the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S, and sends the image data to the control unit 9.

[0034] Here, the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S to be imaged in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, some substrates S, such as semiconductor wafers, have a bevel portion having an inclined surface formed on their peripheral portion. The "bevel portion" here refers to the entire area of ​​the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S, whose surface is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane when the substrate S is in a horizontal position.

[0035] The cross-sectional shape and dimensions of the bevel are specified as standard specifications, with the maximum dimension Dmax shown by the dotted line and the minimum dimension Dmin shown by the dashed line, and generally a relatively high degree of freedom is given as long as they fall within these limits. In many cases, the cross section of the bevel is made up of multiple surfaces with different inclinations, as shown in Figure 4, but there are also cases where it is made up of a curved surface.

[0036] In the following, where necessary, the portion of the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S that is flush with the upper surface of the substrate S will be referred to as the "A surface" and given the symbol Sa, and the edge surface of the substrate S will be referred to as the "C surface" and given the symbol Sc. The inclined surface connecting the A surface Sa and the C surface Sc will be referred to as the "B surface" and given the symbol Sb. The portion that is flush with the lower surface of the substrate S will be referred to as the "E surface" and given the symbol Se, and the inclined surface connecting the C surface Sc and the E surface Se will be referred to as the "D surface" and given the symbol Sd. In this specification, the "periphery portion Ss" is a concept that comprehensively includes each of these surfaces.

[0037] As described above, the head unit 6G has both a diffusion illumination function of receiving illumination light L1 from the illumination optical system 6E to generate diffuse light and illuminating the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S with the diffuse light, and a guide function of guiding reflected light L2 reflected by the peripheral portion Ss to the observation optical system 6F. The configuration and operation of the head unit 6G will be described below with reference to Figures 6 to 9. After that, the configuration and operation of the illumination optical system 6E will be described in detail.

[0038] Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the head part of the imaging mechanism. More specifically, Fig. 6(a) is a diagram showing a state where the head part 6G is placed at the imaging position P2, and Fig. 6(b) shows a state where the substrate S is removed from the head part 6G. The head part 6G has a diffuse illumination part 61 having a diffuse surface 610, a guide part 62 composed of three mirror members 62a to 62c each surrounded by a diffuse surface 611, and a holder part 63 that holds the diffuse illumination part 61. In Fig. 6, a dot is added to the area corresponding to the holder part 63 to distinguish it from the diffuse illumination part 61.

[0039] The diffuse lighting section 61 is made of white resin, for example, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). The diffuse lighting section 61 has a plate shape that is approximately parallel to the YZ plane, and a notch 611 is formed at the end on the (+Y) direction side. This notch 611 has a shape obtained by rotating a U-shape 90° clockwise when viewed from the (+X) direction side.

[0040] In the diffuse illumination section 61, an inclined surface 610 is provided along the cutout portion 611. The inclined surface 610 is provided so as to surround the cutout portion 611 from the top and bottom directions and the (-Y) direction, and is a tapered surface that is finished so as to incline in the (-X) direction as it approaches the cutout portion 611. The surface is finished so as to diffusely reflect incident light, and as will be described later, functions as a diffusion surface 610 that diffusely reflects the illumination light and causes it to be incident on the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S.

[0041] Mirror members 62a to 62c are attached so as to be surrounded by diffusion surface 610. More specifically, a first mirror member 62a is attached to a position on diffusion surface 610 vertically above notch 611, a second mirror member 62b is attached to the (-Y) side of notch 611, and a third mirror member 62c is attached to a position vertically below notch 611. In this embodiment, mirror members 62a to 62c are made of Si (silicon) in consideration of chemical resistance, heat resistance, and the like.

[0042] On the other hand, the holding unit 63 is made of a resin having high resistance to chemicals and heat, such as PEEK (polyetheretherketone), and is a plate-like member having an outer shape generally similar to that of the diffuse illumination unit 61. The holding unit 63 is connected to the rear surface of the diffuse illumination unit 61, that is, the (-X) side main surface, and functions as a backup member. The holding unit 63 is also connected to the arm 6C. Therefore, the oscillating motion of the arm 6C causes the diffuse illumination unit 61 and the holding unit 63 to move integrally between the retracted position P1 and the imaging position P2.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 6(a), when the head unit 6G is at the imaging position P2 and the substrate S is held by the spin chuck 21, the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S is positioned between the notches 611. When the notches 611 are viewed from the (+X) side in the (-X) direction, the first mirror member 62a reflects the images of the portions of the substrate peripheral portion Ss that are visible when viewed from above, that is, the A-side Sa and the B-side Sb. Similarly, the second mirror member 62b reflects the images of the portions of the substrate peripheral portion Ss that are visible when viewed from the side, that is, the B-side Sb, the C-side Sc, and the D-side Sd. Moreover, the third mirror member 62c reflects the images of the portions of the substrate peripheral portion Ss that are visible when viewed from below, that is, the D-side Sd and the E-side Se.

[0044] As will be described in detail later, the observation optical system 6F captures images in an imaging field set to view all three mirror members 62a-62c from the (+X) side. As a result, the images of the substrate S reflected in each of the mirror members 62a-62c are captured in a single image. That is, the observation optical system 6F can capture images of the A-side Sa, B-side Sb, C-side Sc, D-side Sd, and E-side Se of the substrate Ss all in a single image. By capturing images multiple times as the substrate S rotates, images of multiple regions of the peripheral portion Ss at different positions along the circumferential direction can be obtained.

[0045] In the following description, capturing images of the A-surface Sa and B-surface Sb of the substrate S reflected in the first mirror member 62a is referred to as "top surface imaging." Capturing images of the B-surface Sb, C-surface Sc, and D-surface Sd of the substrate S reflected in the second mirror member 62b is referred to as "side surface imaging." Capturing images of the D-surface Sd and E-surface Se of the substrate S reflected in the third mirror member 62c is referred to as "bottom surface imaging."

[0046] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a typical way in which light that contributes to imaging of the upper surface travels. More specifically, FIG. 7(a) is a perspective view showing the path of light that is incident on and reflected by the head unit 6G, and FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view of the vertical cut surface thereof. As shown by solid arrows in FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 7(b), illumination light L1a traveling in the (-X) direction along the upper surface side of the substrate S is incident on the diffusion surface 610 of the head unit 6G. The light that is incident on the diffusion surface 610, particularly on the upper diffusion surface 61a located above the cutout portion 611, and diffusely reflected is incident on the upper surface of the substrate S from various directions, thereby illuminating the substrate peripheral portion Ss.

[0047] As indicated by the dotted arrows, the light reflected by the substrate S can travel in various directions, but among these, the light L2a that is incident on the mirror member 62a and is reflected by the mirror member 62a and travels in the (+X) direction is incident on the observation optical system 6F arranged on the optical path. By receiving this light, "top surface imaging" is realized, which images the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S as viewed from the top surface side.

[0048] 7(b), a phenomenon similar to that on the upper surface side occurs on the lower surface side of the substrate S. That is, the head unit 6G has a top-bottom symmetrical structure, and illumination light L1c traveling in the (-X) direction along the lower surface side of the substrate S is incident on the lower diffusion surface 61c located particularly below the cutout portion 611 of the diffusion surface 610, and is diffusely reflected thereon to illuminate the lower surface of the substrate S. At this time, reflected light L2c reflected by the substrate S and the mirror member 62c and traveling in the (+X) direction is received, thereby achieving "lower surface imaging" that images the peripheral portion Ss as viewed from the lower surface side of the substrate S.

[0049] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the progression of light that contributes to side imaging. More specifically, FIG. 8(a) is a perspective view showing the path of light that is incident on and reflected by the head unit 6G, and FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view of the horizontal cut surface thereof. As shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b), the illumination light L1b traveling in the (-X) direction along the side of the substrate S is incident on the diffusion surface 610 of the head unit 6G, and is diffusely reflected by the lateral diffusion surface 61b located on the side of the cutout portion 611 in particular. This light is incident on the side of the substrate S from various directions, thereby illuminating the substrate peripheral portion Ss.

[0050] Among the light reflected from the substrate S indicated by the dotted arrow, light L2b reflected by the mirror member 62b and traveling in the (+X) direction is incident on the observation optical system 6F arranged on the optical path. This realizes "side surface imaging" for imaging the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S as viewed from the side.

[0051] The observation optical system 6F has an observation lens system composed of an object-side telecentric lens and a CMOS camera. Therefore, only the reflected light L2 (L2a, L2b, L2c) parallel to the optical axis of the observation lens system among the above reflected light is incident on the sensor surface of the CMOS camera, and an image of the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S and the adjacent area is formed on the sensor surface. In this way, the observation optical system 6F captures the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S and the adjacent area, and obtains an image Im including, for example, an upper surface image area Ma, a side surface image area Mb, and a lower surface image area Mc as shown in FIG. Then, the observation optical system 6F transmits image data indicating the image to the control unit 9.

[0052] 9A and 9B are diagrams showing an image of the peripheral portion of the substrate captured by the imaging unit. Fig. 9A is a schematic diagram showing the head unit 6G and the substrate S viewed from the (+X) side in the (-X) direction, and the area FV surrounded by a dashed line represents the imaging field of view of the observation optical system 6F. In this way, the imaging field of view FV of the observation optical system 6F is set to include the mirror members 62a to 62c of the head unit 6G.

[0053] Fig. 9(b) shows a schematic diagram of images of the substrate S reflected on the mirror members 62a to 62c within the imaging field of view FV. As shown in Fig. 9(b), images of the A-side Sa and B-side Sb of the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S are reflected on the first mirror member 62a. Images of the B-side Sb, C-side Sc, and D-side Sd of the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S are reflected on the second mirror member 62b. Images of the D-side Sd and E-side Se of the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S are reflected on the third mirror member 62c. The observation optical system 6F captures these images collectively to obtain one image.

[0054] Fig. 9(c) is a schematic diagram of an image actually obtained by imaging. In the imaging mechanism 6 configured as described above, the illumination light from the illumination optical system 6E is diffused by the diffusion surface 610 to illuminate the substrate S, and an image is captured by receiving a portion of the reflected light from the substrate S. For this reason, it cannot be said that either the illumination light amount or the received light amount is sufficient. In order to capture an image satisfactorily under such circumstances, it is necessary to increase the sensitivity of the camera, and as a result, the detailed structure of the head part 6G is hardly reflected in the image due to so-called overexposure.

[0055] Therefore, as shown in Figure 9 (c), the image Im actually obtained includes a dark region Md corresponding to the cutout portion 611 and including an image of the side of the substrate S that is reflected out of focus within it, a top image region Ma corresponding to the image of the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S viewed from above, a side image region Mb corresponding to the image of the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S viewed from the side, and a bottom image region Mc corresponding to the image of the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S viewed from below.

[0056] By analyzing the image Im including these regions, it is possible to obtain information indicating the shape of the peripheral portion of the substrate S in the circumferential direction, the etching state, etc. From this information, it is possible to inspect the amount of eccentricity of the substrate S placed on the spin chuck 21 with respect to the rotation axis AX, the amount of warping of the substrate S, the bevel etching result (etching width), etc.

[0057] In the substrate processing apparatus 1 equipped with the imaging mechanism 6 configured as described above, the control unit 9 controls each part of the apparatus to execute (A) substrate inspection before bevel etching, (B) alignment, (C) bevel etching after alignment, and (D) substrate inspection after bevel etching. As shown in Fig. 5, the control unit 9 has a calculation processing unit 91 that performs various calculation processes, a storage unit 92 that stores basic programs and image data, and an input display unit 93 that displays various information and receives input from an operator.

[0058] In the control unit 9, a calculation processor (CPU) 91 as a main control unit performs calculation processing according to a procedure described in a program, thereby controlling each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 as follows. That is, as shown in Fig. 5, the calculation processor 91 functions as a positioning control unit 911 that performs positioning of the head unit 6G, an entire peripheral image acquisition unit 912 that acquires an entire peripheral image, an eccentricity amount derivation unit 913 that derives an amount of eccentricity of the substrate S from the entire peripheral image before the bevel etching process, a warpage amount derivation unit 914 that derives an amount of warpage of the substrate S from the entire peripheral image before the bevel etching process, an etching width derivation unit 915 that derives an etching width from the entire peripheral image after the bevel etching process, and a residue analysis unit 916 that analyzes residues from a residue-enhanced image obtained by image processing the entire peripheral image.

[0059] 5 denotes an eccentricity correction mechanism that moves the substrate S by the amount of eccentricity described above to correct the eccentricity of the substrate S with respect to the rotation axis AX. Since a conventionally known eccentricity correction mechanism can be used, a detailed description of the structure of the eccentricity correction mechanism 7 will be omitted here.

[0060] Incidentally, the illumination optical system 6E of the imaging mechanism 6 irradiates an area FV (see FIG. 9(a)) including the diffusion surface 610 with the illumination light L1 as primary illumination light, thereby generating diffuse light that is diffusely reflected by the diffusion surface 610 as secondary illumination light. The substrate S is then illuminated by the diffuse light (illumination process). The observation optical system 6F of the imaging mechanism 6 receives a portion of the reflected light from the substrate S to image the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S. In this manner, the peripheral portion Ss is observed by the observation optical system 6F (observation process). In this manner, the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S is observed using the imaging mechanism 6, and the substrate S and the peripheral portion Ss correspond to examples of the "object to be observed" and the "part to be observed", respectively, and the imaging mechanism 6 functions as the "observation device" of the present invention.

[0061] In order to obtain a good image of the peripheral portion Ss by the imaging mechanism 6, the following points are required for the observation optical system 6F. That is, in the peripheral portion Ss, one or more types of films may be formed by laminating on the base material of the substrate S. And, the peripheral portion Ss may include the base material surface and a resist film by the bevel etching process. Here, when light of a specific color (including white) is used as the illumination light L1 and a monochrome camera is used as the observation optical system 6F, the following problem may occur. That is, depending on the color of the film, the observed brightness may be the same as that of the surroundings of the film, making it difficult to observe the boundary of the film. Also, as the SN ratio deteriorates, it becomes difficult to observe defects present in the film, which may lead to a decrease in the accuracy of defect detection.

[0062] Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 uses an imaging mechanism 6 having an illumination optical system 6E having the configuration shown in FIG. 10, an observation optical system 6F having a monochrome camera, and the above-mentioned head unit 6G, and this imaging mechanism 6 corresponds to the first embodiment of the observation device according to the present invention.

[0063] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an illumination optical system installed in a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. Fig. 10(a) shows the overall configuration of the illumination optical system, and Fig. 10(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the configuration of an illumination optical system 6E excluding a projection optical unit. The illumination optical system 6E has a light source unit 64, an optical rod 65, a mask unit 66, and a projection optical unit 67. The light source unit 64, the optical rod 65, and the mask unit 66 are positioned and held by a light-emitting side housing 68. The light-emitting side housing 68 and the projection optical unit 67 are connected to each other.

[0064] A through hole 681 extends through the light-emitting side housing 68. The light source unit 64 and the mask unit 66 are attached to both ends of the light-emitting side housing 68 in the extension direction D1 (the left-right direction on the paper surface of FIG. 10) of the through hole 681. An optical rod 65 is disposed inside the through hole 681 parallel to the extension direction D1 and is fixed by a rod holder (not shown). The optical rod 65 is made of glass or a resin material that is transparent to the light beam emitted from the light source unit 64, and has a columnar shape extending in a direction parallel to the extension direction D1.

[0065] 10(c), the light source unit 64 has a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light beams having different wavelength characteristics. More specifically, a total of four types of light-emitting elements 641, including a light-emitting element 641R that emits red light, a light-emitting element 641G that emits green light, a light-emitting element 641B that emits blue light, and a light-emitting element 641W that emits white light, are mounted on the light source substrate 642. In this embodiment, the four light-emitting elements 641R, 641G, 641B, and 641W are arranged in a matrix.

[0066] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a driving circuit for a light-emitting element. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a light-emitting pattern of the light-emitting element, and an image observed in each light-emitting pattern, and a distribution of the number of pixels showing brightness. As shown in FIG. 12, four light-emitting elements 641R, 641G, 641B, and 641W are connected in series to a DC power source. Also, a semiconductor relay 643 is provided for each light-emitting element 641, and receives signals OUT1 to OUT4 from the control unit 9. These signals OUT1 to OUT4 are control signals for controlling the light-emitting elements 641R, 641G, 641B, and 641W, respectively. Therefore, by controlling the on / off of the light-emitting elements 641R, 641G, 641B, and 641W by the signals OUT1 to OUT4, light beams of different colors are emitted from the light source unit 64 in 15 types of light-emitting patterns, as shown in FIG. 12. As a result, the contrast of the image observed by the monochrome camera of the observation optical system 6F is adjusted, as will be described later in detail.

[0067] Returning to Fig. 10, the explanation will be continued. In order to efficiently dissipate heat generated when the light emitting element 641 is turned on, as shown in Figs. 10(a) and (b), an aluminum heat dissipation member 644 is attached to the side of the light source substrate 642 opposite the light emitting element (the left hand side in Fig. 10). In this embodiment, the light emitting element 641, the light source substrate 642, and the heat dissipation member 644 are integrated to form a light emitting structure 69. Moreover, the light emitting structure 69 is detachable from the light emitting side housing 68. For example, the light emitting element 641 may be replaced with a new light emitting structure 69 depending on the life of the light emitting element 641.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 10(c), on the light-emitting element side of the light source substrate 642, a protective cover 645 is provided to cover the light-emitting element 641. The protective cover 645 is made of glass or a resin material that is transparent to the light beam emitted from the light-emitting element 641, and an end face 645a on the optical rod side is finished to a flat surface. This end face 645a faces and is in close contact with an end face 651 of the optical rod 65. Therefore, when the light-emitting element 641 is turned on and emits a light beam, the light beam emitted from the light-emitting element 641 with a certain spread enters the optical rod 65 through the protective cover 645 as shown in Fig. 10(e).

[0069] The cross section of the optical rod 65 has a circular or polygonal shape, and the end face 651 on the light source side corresponds to the incident end, while the end face 652 on the projection optical side corresponds to the exit end. That is, in the optical rod 65, when the light beam emitted from the light source 64 enters the end face 651, most of the light beams, except for some light beams (light beams shown by dotted lines in FIG. 10(e)), are totally reflected inside the optical rod 65 and propagate in the extension direction D1. Then, as shown in FIG. 10(f), light beams with almost the same characteristics are emitted from each part of the end face 652 as the above-mentioned primary illumination light L1. Therefore, the light amount distribution of the light beam at the end face 652 has a top hat shape. That is, the optical rod 65 exerts a beam homogenizer function, and as a result, the primary illumination light L1 having a uniform light amount distribution is obtained.

[0070] Here, by configuring the projection optical unit 67 to enlarge the emission end (end surface 652) of the optical rod 65 at an appropriate magnification and project it onto the diffusion surface 610, it is possible to primarily illuminate the diffusion surface 610 with a uniform light amount distribution. Also, as described above, by turning on all the light emitting elements 641 according to the signals OUT1 to OUT4 (FIG. 11) from the control unit 9, it is possible to irradiate the diffusion surface 610 with primary illumination light L1 having a relatively high light amount. This increases the amount of diffused light (secondary illumination light), and allows the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S to be observed satisfactorily.

[0071] In addition, the light emission pattern can be switched by turning off some of the light emitting elements 641 using signals OUT1 to OUT4 (FIG. 11) from the control unit 9, and the color of the primary illumination light L1 can be changed to a color corresponding to the light emission pattern. As a result, the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S can be illuminated with a color suitable for observing the peripheral portion Ss, and the following effects can be obtained. That is, as shown in the right column of FIG. 12, the contrast of the image of the peripheral portion Ss observed by the observation optical system 6F (only the upper surface image area Ma is shown in the figure) changes significantly due to the difference in color of the primary illumination light L1. This change mode differs depending on the type of substrate S, more specifically, the type of film formed on the peripheral portion Ss. That is, the change mode for each type of substrate S can be obtained, and the light emission pattern optimal for observing the peripheral portion Ss can be determined from among them. Therefore, for example, the calculation processing unit 91 may be configured to determine the light emission pattern and perform observation based on a lookup table that associates the type of substrate S with the light emission pattern or a recipe for each substrate S. As a result, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, observation is performed with the primary illumination light L1 of a color suitable for observing the peripheral portion Ss. As a result, the boundary of the film in the peripheral portion Ss can be clearly identified, and overlooking defects can be reliably prevented.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the mask unit 66 is provided, the following action and effect can be obtained. For example, when observing a patterned substrate S, the following problem may occur. As described above, when the emission end (end surface 652) of the optical rod 65 is directly projected onto the head unit 6G by the projection optical unit 67, all the light beams emitted from the optical rod 65 are irradiated as the primary illumination light L1 not only onto the diffusion surface 610 but also onto the mirror members 62a to 62c. The light specularly reflected by the mirror members 62a to 62c may be incident on the substrate S with high intensity, and may be further specularly reflected by the substrate S and incident on the diffusion surface 610. This may result in new diffused light, and may cause a diffraction phenomenon of light due to the pattern of the substrate S. In addition, the light incident on the substrate S with high intensity as described above may return to the mirror members 62a to 62c and enter the observation optical system 6F. These factors may cause bright areas that do not actually exist to be observed, resulting in a deterioration in observation quality.

[0073] Therefore, in this embodiment, the mask section 66 shown in Figs. 10(b) and (d) is interposed between the optical rod 65 and the projection optical section 67. The mask section 66 has a flat plate 661 made of glass or resin material having transparency to the primary illumination light L1. Three masks 663 are provided on a main surface 662 of the flat plate 661 facing the optical rod 65. These masks 663 are optically conjugate with the mirror members 62a to 62c, respectively, and function as light-shielding masks for the mirror members 62a to 62c. That is, each mask 663 blocks the light beam incident from the end surface 652 of the optical rod 65, and restricts the irradiation of the primary illumination light L1 onto the mirror members 62a to 62c. As a result, the above problem is solved. On the other hand, the primary illumination light L1 is irradiated onto the diffusion surface 610 through the non-masked area of ​​the mask section 66. As a result, the above problems are eliminated and the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S can be observed with excellent quality.

[0074] As described above, in the first embodiment, the optical rod 65 corresponds to an example of the "beam homogenizer" of the present invention. Also, the light emitting elements 641R, 641G, 641B, and 641W connected in series correspond to an example of the "plurality of light emitting elements emitting light beams having different wavelength characteristics" of the present invention. Here, the type of light emitting element is not limited to this, and the connection method is not limited to this, and a parallel connection as shown in FIG. 13 may be adopted. The four light emitting elements 641 may be connected in parallel, and the semiconductor relays 643 may be individually switched on and off by the signals OUT1 to OUT4 from the control unit 9 to control the lighting of the light emitting elements 641, and the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained. Moreover, when the parallel connection structure is adopted, even if one of the light emitting elements 641 breaks down, the remaining light emitting elements 641 continue to light up, and the observation process can be continued. Also, when the above-mentioned failure occurs, a larger current flows through the remaining light emitting elements 641 than before the failure, and the decrease in the amount of light can be suppressed. In this way, the parallel connection structure is excellent in robustness. Furthermore, the lighting control of the four light-emitting elements 641 is not limited to the method of individually opening and closing the semiconductor relays 643. The four light-emitting elements 641 may be each connected to a power source, and the power source output may be controlled by a signal from the control unit 9, thereby controlling the lighting of each of the four light-emitting elements 641.

[0075] In the first embodiment, the color of the primary illumination light L1 is changed by switching the light emission pattern of the four types of light emitting elements 641, but the color may be changed by attaching and detaching the light source unit 64 (second embodiment). That is, a plurality of light source units 64 that emit primary illumination light L1 of different colors may be prepared. Each light source unit 64 may be one in which one or a plurality of light emitting elements 641 that emit light of a specific color are mounted on a light source board 642. Then, among the light source units 64, the light source unit 64 that emits primary illumination light L1 of a color corresponding to the type of the substrate S can be selected and attached to the light-emitting side housing 68. As a result, even in the second embodiment, observation is performed with primary illumination light L1 of a color suitable for observation of the peripheral portion Ss. As a result, the boundary of the film in the peripheral portion Ss can be clearly identified, and overlooking defects can be reliably prevented.

[0076] Also, the light source unit 64 may be configured to generate light including a plurality of color component lights having different wavelengths, for example, white light, and may be configured to change the color of the primary illumination light L1 by the presence or absence or replacement of an optical filter (third embodiment). In this third embodiment, the light emitted from the light source unit 64 travels along a path passing through the optical rod 65, the mask unit 66, and the projection optical unit 67, and is irradiated onto the diffusion surface 610. At this time, the optical filter may be configured to be freely retractable from the path. Then, when the optical filter retracts from the path and is not positioned on the path, the white primary illumination light L1 is irradiated onto the diffusion surface 610. On the other hand, when an optical filter is disposed on the path, the primary illumination light L1 having a color according to the transmission characteristics of the optical filter is irradiated onto the diffusion surface 610. Furthermore, when it is desired to change the color of the primary illumination light L1 to three or more types, a plurality of optical filters having different wavelength characteristics to transmit can be used. In other words, by switching the optical filters positioned on the above-mentioned path, the color of the primary illumination light L1 can be changed in various ways. Thus, even in the third embodiment, observation is performed with the primary illumination light L1 of a color suitable for observing the peripheral portion Ss. As a result, the boundary of the film in the peripheral portion Ss can be clearly identified, and overlooking defects can be reliably prevented. The switching position of such an optical filter may be near the exit side of the light-emitting side housing 68, inside the projection optical unit 67, or near the exit side.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the color of the primary illumination light L1 is changed in order to optimize the contrast of the observation image. That is, the contrast is optimized by adjustment in the illumination optical system 6E. Here, the contrast may be optimized in the observation optical system 6F (fourth embodiment). More specifically, the light source unit 64 may be configured to generate light including a plurality of color component lights having different wavelengths, for example, white light, and the observation optical system 6F may be configured as a color camera. Specifically, a so-called single-plate color camera in which optical filters that pass only the R, G, and B color components are arranged in a Bayer array on each pixel of a normal monochrome area CCD (Charge Coupled Device) may be used as the observation optical system 6F, or a so-called 3CCD camera may be used. This 3CCD camera separates the reflected light L2 into R, G, and B using a dichroic prism or the like, and captures the light using area sensors (light receiving elements) for each color.

[0078] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an observation pattern combining three kinds of color components, and an image observed in each light emission pattern, and a distribution of the number of pixels showing brightness. In this fourth embodiment, it is possible to obtain an observation image (observation pattern 001) composed of all three kinds of color component light (R output, G output, B output), an observation image (observation patterns 002-004) composed of two kinds of color component light, and an observation image (observation patterns 005-007) composed of one kind of color component light. In other words, it is configured so that the peripheral portion Ss can be observed in a plurality of kinds of colors. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment as well, it is possible to clearly identify the boundary of the film in the peripheral portion Ss, and it is possible to reliably prevent defects from being overlooked.

[0079] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the first embodiment, the peripheral portion Ss can be observed with the number of light emission patterns, in the second embodiment, the number of light source units 64, in the third embodiment, the number of optical filters, and in the fourth embodiment, the number of colors of the observation patterns. However, the number of colors is not limited to these, and may be any number equal to or greater than "2".

[0080] In the first embodiment, the light emitting elements 641 are connected in series or in parallel, but a combination of direct connection and parallel connection may be used. For example, in the first embodiment, when the light source unit 64 is configured with four light emitting elements 641, two light emitting element rows, each of which has two light emitting elements 641 connected in series, may be formed, and these light emitting element rows may be connected in parallel.

[0081] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the mask unit 66 is provided in consideration of observing the patterned substrate S, but in a substrate processing apparatus 1 in which the above consideration is not necessary, it is not necessary to provide the mask unit 66.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the optical rod 65 is used as a "beam homogenizer" for homogenizing the amount of light of the light beam from the light source unit 64, but other beam homogenizers may be used.

[0083] In the embodiment, the lengths of the upper diffusion surface 61a, the lower diffusion surface 61c, and the mirror members 62a and 62c in the Y direction are set in accordance with the bevel etching width of the substrate S, but the length of each part may be changed according to the range to be observed by the imaging mechanism 6. Also, head parts 6G having different Y-direction lengths of the diffusion surface and the mirror member may be prepared in this manner, and the head part 6G may be selectively used according to the imaging target range. When head parts 6G having different Y-direction lengths of the diffusion surface are prepared, the diffusion surface of the head part 6G may be composed of a continuous curved surface. When head parts 6G having different Y-direction lengths of the diffusion surface are prepared, a part of the diffusion surface of the head part 6G may be composed of a flat surface.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the observation lens system of the observation optical system 6F is configured with an object-side telecentric lens, but the configuration of the observation lens system of the observation optical system 6F is not limited to this. The observation lens system of the observation optical system 6F may be configured with other lenses.

[0085] In addition, in the above embodiment, the reflected light L2 reflected at the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S is received by the observation optical system 6F via the mirror members 62a to 62c, but the reflected light L2 may also be received by the observation optical system 6F.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the diffuse illumination unit 61 and the holding unit 63 are made of a material having chemical resistance and heat resistance because they are in an environment of a processing liquid for performing a bevel etching process and in an environment heated by the heater 51. Although the diffuse illumination unit 61 and the holding unit 63 are made of PTFE and PEEK, respectively, the constituent materials are not limited to these. The diffuse illumination unit 61 may be made of a material having chemical resistance and heat resistance other than PTFE. The holding unit 63 may be made of a material having chemical resistance and heat resistance other than PEEK. The diffuse illumination unit 61 and the holding unit 63 may be configured such that a fluororesin material such as PFA is coated on the surface of a metal material, a resin material, or a ceramic material. Although the diffuse illumination unit 61 and the holding unit 63 are made of different materials, they may be made of the same material. Furthermore, when the diffuse illumination unit 61 and the holding unit 63 are used in an environment in which chemical resistance and heat resistance are not required, the constituent materials are not limited. The diffuse illumination section 61 and the holder 63 may be made of a material that is not resistant to chemicals or heat.

[0087] Furthermore, there is no limitation on the configuration of the diffusing surfaces 61a-61c and the holding part 63 of the diffusing illumination part 61. For example, when at least a part of the diffusing illumination part 61 or the holding part 63 is made of a metal material, the diffusing surfaces 61a-61c may be made by subjecting the surface of the metal material to shot blasting.

[0088] The mirror members 62a to 62c are not limited to Si (silicon). That is, other materials may be used as long as they have chemical resistance to the processing liquid and heat resistance to the processing temperature. The mirror members 62a to 62c may be configured, for example, by depositing a metal material on the surface of a material having chemical resistance and heat resistance. Furthermore, when the mirror members 62a to 62c are used in an environment in which chemical resistance and heat resistance are not required, the constituent material is not limited. The mirror members 62a to 62c may be configured of a material that does not have chemical resistance and heat resistance. The mirror members 62a to 62c may be configured, for example, by depositing a metal material on the surface of a material that does not have chemical resistance and heat resistance.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the imaging mechanism 6 is fixed, whereas the peripheral portion is imaged by moving the substrate S, which is the object under observation, but the imaging mechanism 6 may be configured to move while the substrate S is fixed. Also, both the substrate S and the imaging mechanism 6 may be moved. That is, the peripheral portion of the object under observation may be imaged by the observation device while the object under observation (substrate S) is moved relative to the observation device (imaging mechanism 6).

[0090] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the imaging mechanism 6 corresponding to the observation device according to the present invention is incorporated into the substrate processing apparatus 1 that performs bevel etching on the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S, but the application of the observation device (imaging mechanism 6) is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to an observation device that images an observation portion of an object to be observed. The imaging mechanism 6 corresponding to the observation device according to the present invention can also be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that supplies a coating film remover to the peripheral portion of the substrate S on which a coating film has been formed, thereby removing the coating film from the peripheral portion of the substrate S. It can also be applied to an observation device that observes the surface of the substrate before performing an exposure process. [Industrial Applicability]

[0091] The present invention can be generally applied to an observation technique for observing an object to be observed, such as a semiconductor wafer, and to substrate processing apparatuses that utilize the observation technique. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1...Substrate processing device 6...Imaging mechanism (observation device) 6E…Illumination optical system 6F: Observation optical system 6G…Head section 610…Diffusion surface 64...Light source section 65...Optical rod (beam homogenizer) 67...Projection optical section 68…Light-emitting housing 610…Diffusion surface 641, 641R, 641G, 641B...Light emitting element 651...(optical rod) input end 652...(optical rod) output end L1…Primary illumination light L2…Reflected light S...Substrate (object to be observed) Ss…peripheral area (observed area)

Claims

1. An observation apparatus for observing an observation portion of an object to be observed, comprising: an illumination optical system that irradiates a vicinity of the observation area with primary illumination light; a head portion having a diffusion surface for diffusing the primary illumination light in the vicinity of the observation area, the head portion irradiating and illuminating the observation area with the diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light; an observation optical system that receives light reflected from the observation area illuminated by the secondary illumination light and observes the observation area, 13. An observation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the illumination optical system is capable of changing the color of the primary illumination light.

2. The observation device according to claim 1, The illumination optical system includes: a beam homogenizer having an input end and an output end; a light source unit that causes a light beam constituting the primary illumination light to enter the entrance end of the beam homogenizer; a projection optical unit that projects the exit end of the beam homogenizer onto the diffusion surface; having The light source unit has a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light beams having different wavelength characteristics, and the light beams are emitted from all or some of the plurality of light-emitting elements.

3. The observation device according to claim 1, The illumination optical system includes: a beam homogenizer having an input end and an output end; a light source unit that causes a light beam constituting the primary illumination light to enter the entrance end of the beam homogenizer; a projection optical unit that projects the exit end of the beam homogenizer onto the diffusion surface; a light-emitting side housing for fixing the beam homogenizer; having The light-emitting side housing is configured to be detachable so as to selectively face the beam homogenizer with a plurality of light source units that emit the primary illumination light of different colors.

4. The observation device according to claim 1, The illumination optical system includes: a light source unit that generates light including a plurality of color component lights having mutually different wavelengths; an optical filter provided so as to be freely inserted and removed from a path along which the light emitted from the light source proceeds to the diffusion surface; An observation device in which the color of the primary illumination light is changed by inserting or removing the optical filter into or from the path, or by replacing the optical filter with one having a different wavelength characteristic that transmits light.

5. The observation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the observation optical system is a monochrome camera that receives the reflected light and obtains an image of the observation area.

6. An observation apparatus for observing an observation portion of an object to be observed, comprising: an illumination optical system that irradiates a primary illumination light including a plurality of color component lights having different wavelengths onto a vicinity of the observation area; a head portion having a diffusion surface for diffusing the primary illumination light in the vicinity of the observation area, the head portion irradiating and illuminating the observation area with the diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light; an observation optical system having a color camera that receives, with a plurality of light receiving elements, the plurality of color component lights included in the reflected light that is reflected from the observation area illuminated with the secondary illumination light, The observation apparatus is characterized in that the observation optical system is capable of observing the observation area in different colors by using all or a part of the plurality of light receiving elements.

7. The observation device according to claim 6, The color camera is a 3CCD camera.

8. An observation method for observing an observation portion of an object to be observed, comprising the steps of: an illumination step of irradiating a diffusion surface of a head portion positioned near the observation area with primary illumination light, thereby irradiating and illuminating the observation area with diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light; an observation step of receiving light reflected from the observation area illuminated by the secondary illumination light and observing the observation area, 11. An observation method, comprising: a step of adjusting the contrast of an image of the observation area observed in the observation step by changing a color of the primary illumination light in the illumination step.

9. An observation method for observing an observation portion of an object to be observed, comprising the steps of: an illumination step of irradiating a diffusion surface of a head portion positioned near the observation area with primary illumination light, thereby irradiating and illuminating the observation area with diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light; an observation step of receiving light reflected from the observation area illuminated by the secondary illumination light and observing the observation area, the primary illumination light includes a plurality of color component lights having different wavelengths; The observation step includes: receiving the plurality of color component lights included in the reflected light with a plurality of light receiving elements; and adjusting the contrast of the observed image by using all or a part of the plurality of light receiving elements.

10. a rotation mechanism that holds and rotates the substrate; a processing mechanism that supplies a processing liquid to a peripheral portion of the substrate rotated by the rotation mechanism to process the peripheral portion of the substrate; and an observation device for observing the peripheral portion before or after the peripheral portion is treated, The observation device is an illumination optical system that irradiates a vicinity of the peripheral portion with primary illumination light; a head portion having a diffusion surface that diffuses the primary illumination light in the vicinity of the peripheral portion, the head portion irradiating and illuminating the peripheral portion with diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light; an observation optical system that receives light reflected from the peripheral portion illuminated by the secondary illumination light and observes the peripheral portion, The illumination optical system includes: an illumination optical system that irradiates a vicinity of the peripheral portion with primary illumination light; a head portion having a diffusion surface that diffuses the primary illumination light in the vicinity of the peripheral portion, the head portion irradiating and illuminating the peripheral portion with diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light; an observation optical system that receives light reflected from the peripheral portion illuminated by the secondary illumination light and observes the peripheral portion, The illumination optical system is capable of changing the color of the primary illumination light. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,

11. a rotation mechanism that holds and rotates the substrate; a processing mechanism that supplies a processing liquid to a peripheral portion of the substrate rotated by the rotation mechanism to process the peripheral portion of the substrate; and an observation device for observing the peripheral portion before or after the peripheral portion is treated, The observation device is an illumination optical system that irradiates a primary illumination light including a plurality of color component lights having different wavelengths onto an area near the peripheral portion; a head portion having a diffusion surface that diffuses the primary illumination light in the vicinity of the peripheral portion, the head portion irradiating and illuminating the peripheral portion with diffused light generated on the diffusion surface as secondary illumination light; an observation optical system having a color camera that receives, with a plurality of light receiving elements, the plurality of color component lights included in the reflected light that is reflected from the peripheral portion illuminated with the secondary illumination light, The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the color camera observes the peripheral portion in different colors by using all or some of the plurality of light receiving elements.

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