Coating processing apparatus and coating film formation method

Abstract

To suppress coating failure while reducing a consumption of a chemical liquid.SOLUTION: A coating processing apparatus according to one embodiment includes: a rotary table being rotatable while holding a substrate on which a coating film is to be formed; a first discharge part discharging a first coating liquid to a first discharge position that is a central portion of the substrate to form a first liquid film; a second discharge part discharging a second coating liquid to a second discharge position outside the first discharge position of the substrate to form a second liquid film; an imaging device configured to image contours of the first and second liquid films spreading outside the substrate by rotation of the substrate; and a control device configured to control at least one of a rotation speed of the substrate and the second discharge position on the basis of an imaging result by the imaging device so that a distance between the contours falls within a predetermined range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a coating treatment apparatus and a coating film forming method. [Background technology]

[0002] One of the manufacturing processes for semiconductor devices is to apply a chemical solution onto a substrate to form a coating film. The chemical solution is supplied near the center of the substrate, and is spread over the substrate by rotation, with unnecessary chemical solution being discharged to the outside of the substrate. In order to reduce the amount of chemical solution consumed in this process, a process to increase the fluidity of the chemical solution may be performed by spreading a solvent over the substrate just before supplying the chemical solution.

[0003] At this time, the solvent may dry out on the outer periphery of the substrate, which may result in insufficient fluidity of the chemical solution on the outer periphery of the substrate, resulting in poor coating. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-136010 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-214689 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2000-288458 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2010-40921 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of one embodiment is to provide a coating treatment apparatus and a coating film forming method that can reduce the amount of chemical solution consumed and reduce coating defects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The coating processing apparatus of the embodiment includes a turntable capable of holding and rotating a substrate on which a coating film is to be formed, a first discharge unit configured to discharge a first coating liquid to a first discharge position which is the center of the substrate held on the turntable to form a first liquid film, a second discharge unit configured to discharge a second coating liquid to a second discharge position which is outer than the first discharge position of the substrate to form a second liquid film, an imaging device configured to image contours of the first and second liquid films which spread outwardly of the substrate as the substrate rotates, and a control device configured to control at least one of the rotation speed of the substrate and the second discharge position based on the imaging results obtained by the imaging device so that the distance between the contours is within a predetermined range. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which a substrate is placed on the coating treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view showing an example of a state in which a substrate is placed on the coating treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a recipe table included in the control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a reference information DB stored in a storage unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 3 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a coating film forming process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the flow of a coating film forming process in a processing section of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a top view showing an example of a state in which a substrate is placed on a coating treatment apparatus according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a reference information DB stored in a storage unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a coating film forming process according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining the flow of a coating film forming process in a processing section of a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, the components in the following embodiments include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine or are substantially the same.

[0009] (Example of the configuration of a coating treatment device) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which a substrate W is placed on a coating processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0010] In this specification, the vertical direction of the coating processing apparatus 1 is defined as the Z direction, the upward direction is defined as the positive Z direction, and the downward direction is defined as the negative Z direction. The X direction is a direction along the surface of the substrate W carried into the coating processing apparatus 1. The X direction and the Z direction intersect with each other.

[0011] In this specification, the direction along the surface of the substrate W carried into the coating processing apparatus 1 and intersecting with the X and Z directions is defined as the Y direction. In this case, the positive Y direction and the negative Y direction are defined such that the negative Y direction, the positive Z direction, the positive Y direction, and the negative Z direction are arranged clockwise when viewed from the negative X direction side.

[0012] 1, the coating processing apparatus 1 includes a processing section 10 and a control device 11. With this configuration, the coating processing apparatus 1 can apply a chemical liquid onto a substrate W to form a coating film.

[0013] Further, an inspection device 12 is connected to the control device 11. The inspection device 12 is a defect inspection device capable of inspecting the presence or absence of, for example, coating defects as the formation state of a coating film formed on the substrate W. The inspection device 12 transmits the inspection result to the control device 11.

[0014] The processing section 10 includes a spin chuck 20, a plurality of chemical liquid nozzles 30a to 30c, and cameras 40a and 40b.

[0015] The spin chuck 20 is configured to be rotatable while holding a substrate W on which a coating film is to be formed. The spin chuck 20 is formed in a substantially circular plate shape when viewed from the Z direction. The spin chuck 20 fixes and holds the substrate W on its upper surface by, for example, vacuum suction. The spin chuck 20 is an example of a rotating table.

[0016] A chuck driving mechanism 21 is connected to the spin chuck 20. The chuck driving mechanism 21 is an actuator equipped with a motor and the like (not shown). The chuck driving mechanism 21 controls the rotation operation and suction operation of the spin chuck 20 as described above according to instructions from the control device 11.

[0017] Specifically, the chuck driving mechanism 21 rotates the spin chuck 20 about the rotation axis Ro, thereby rotating the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20 at a predetermined rotation speed. This causes the chemical solution supplied onto the substrate W to spread outward from the substrate W. Also, for example, the higher the rotation speed of the substrate W, the more the substrate W becomes dried, and the chemical solution spread on the substrate W may volatilize. The rotation speed that the chuck driving mechanism 21 can control is, for example, 1 rpm to 4000 rpm.

[0018] Each of the plurality of chemical liquid nozzles 30a to 30c is configured to be able to deliver a predetermined chemical liquid toward the substrate W.

[0019] The chemical liquid nozzle 30a is disposed above the substrate W and is configured to be able to discharge the resist liquid 100 to form a first liquid film 120 at a first discharge position RC, which is the center of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20.

[0020] Specifically, the chemical liquid nozzle 30a discharges the resist liquid 100, which is a raw material of the first liquid film 120, to a first discharge position RC, which is the center on the substrate W. The first discharge position RC is approximately the center of the substrate W. As a result, the first liquid film 120 is formed in the central region of the substrate W. The chemical liquid nozzle 30a is an example of a first discharge part.

[0021] The resist liquid 100 is, for example, a photoresist, and contains an organic solvent such as a thinner as a solvent. The organic solvent contained in the resist liquid 100 discharged onto the substrate W is evaporated by the rotation of the substrate W, thereby forming a resist layer as a coating film. The viscosity of the resist liquid 100 is, for example, 100 cp or more. The resist liquid 100 is an example of a first coating liquid.

[0022] The chemical liquid nozzle 30b is disposed above the substrate W, and is configured to be able to discharge the pre-wet liquid 200 to form a second liquid film 220 at a second discharge position RM on the substrate W that is outer than the first discharge position RC.

[0023] Specifically, the chemical liquid nozzle 30b discharges the pre-wet liquid 200, which is a raw material of the second liquid film 220, to a second discharge position RM outside the approximately central portion on the substrate W. As a result, the second liquid film 220 is formed outside the central region of the substrate W. When the chemical liquid nozzle 30b discharges the pre-wet liquid 200, the chuck drive mechanism 21 rotates the spin chuck 20. As a result, the second liquid film 220 is formed in an approximately circular ring shape on the substrate W. The pre-wet liquid 200 is an example of a second coating liquid.

[0024] The chemical liquid nozzle 30b is also capable of discharging the pre-wet liquid 200 to the first discharge position RC to form a third liquid film (not shown). The third liquid film is spread toward the outside of the substrate W by the rotation of the substrate W. As a result, the entire upper surface of the substrate W is covered with the third liquid film. The chemical liquid nozzle 30b is an example of a second discharge unit.

[0025] The pre-wet liquid 200 is, for example, an organic solvent such as a thinner capable of dissolving the resist liquid 100. Therefore, the pre-wet liquid 200 volatilizes with the high speed rotation of the substrate W. The viscosity of the pre-wet liquid 200 is, for example, 1 to 2 cp.

[0026] The first liquid film 120 and the second liquid film 220 formed by the coating treatment apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0027] Fig. 2 is a top view showing an example of a state in which a substrate W is placed on the coating treatment device 1 according to embodiment 1. For ease of explanation, Fig. 2 shows only the chemical nozzles 30a, 30b, the cameras 40a, 40b, and the substrate W among the components of the treatment device 10.

[0028] 2(a) shows the state of a first liquid film 120 formed by the chemical liquid nozzle 30a on the substrate W. The first liquid film 120 is formed in a central region of the substrate W in a substantially circular shape when viewed from the Z direction. The first liquid film 120 has an edge portion 122 as a contour portion. The edge portion 122 moves toward the outside of the substrate W around the rotation axis Ro as the substrate W rotates. The higher the rotation speed of the substrate W, the stronger the centrifugal force acting on the edge portion 122, and therefore the edge portion 122 moves to the outside of the substrate W at high speed.

[0029] 2(b) shows the state of the second liquid film 220 formed by the chemical liquid nozzle 30b on the substrate W. The second liquid film 220 is formed outside the central region on the substrate W in a substantially circular ring shape when viewed from the Z direction. The second liquid film 220 has an edge 222 as a contour portion, and an edge 224 outside the edge 222. The edges 222 and 224 move toward the outside of the substrate W around the rotation axis Ro as the substrate W rotates. The higher the rotation speed of the substrate W, the stronger the centrifugal force acting on the edges 222 and 224, so that the edges 222 and 224 move toward the outside of the substrate W at high speed.

[0030] 2(a) and 2(b), the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 are arranged concentrically outwardly with the rotation axis Ro as the center. There is a distance L between the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222.

[0031] Returning to FIG. 1, the chemical liquid nozzle 30a and the chemical liquid nozzle 30b are connected to a nozzle driving mechanism 31. The nozzle driving mechanism 31 is an actuator equipped with a motor and the like (not shown). The nozzle driving mechanism 31 controls the driving of the above-mentioned chemical liquid nozzle 30a and the chemical liquid nozzle 30b in accordance with instructions from the control device 11. This enables the chemical liquid nozzle 30a and the chemical liquid nozzle 30b to move above the substrate W along, for example, the Y direction.

[0032] The chemical liquid nozzle 30c is disposed below the substrate W and configured to be capable of discharging a bevel-removing liquid 300 onto the rear surface RP and the bevel portion Bv of the substrate W. The bevel-removing liquid 300 is, for example, an organic solvent such as a thinner capable of dissolving the resist liquid 100. The rear surface RP and the bevel portion Bv of the substrate W are covered with the bevel-removing liquid 300, thereby cleaning the relevant portions.

[0033] Further, the chemical nozzle 30a, the chemical nozzle 30b, and the chemical nozzle 30c are each connected to a supply pipe (not shown), and a chemical bottle is connected to each of these supply pipes. The supply pipes (not shown) are connected to a discharge control mechanism 32. The discharge control mechanism 32 controls the discharge of the resist liquid 100, the pre-wet liquid 200, and the paste liquid 300 as described above according to instructions from the control device 11. This allows the chemical nozzle 30a, the chemical nozzle 30b, and the chemical nozzle 30c to discharge the chemical liquid at any desired timing and flow rate.

[0034] The cameras 40a and 40b are imaging sensors capable of capturing an image of an object at a speed of, for example, 1 to several tens of fps. The cameras 40a and 40b are provided on the liquid nozzles 30a and 30b, respectively.

[0035] Specifically, camera 40a is installed on a side surface of chemical liquid nozzle 30a so as to face the negative Z direction. Camera 40a captures an image of edge 122 of first liquid film 120 spreading toward the outside of substrate W. Camera 40b is installed on a side surface of chemical liquid nozzle 30b so as to face the negative Z direction. Camera 40b captures an image of edge 222 of second liquid film 220 spreading toward the outside of substrate W. When capturing images of edge 122 and edge 222, nozzle drive mechanism 31 appropriately controls the drive of chemical liquid nozzle 30a and chemical liquid nozzle 30b in the Y direction. Camera 40a is an example of a first imaging device. Camera 40b is an example of a second imaging device.

[0036] The cameras 40a and 40b capture images of the edge portions 122 and 222 at predetermined time intervals from when the chemical liquid nozzle 30a starts to discharge the resist liquid 100 until when it ends, and transmit the captured images to the control device 11.

[0037] (Example of control device configuration) Next, a configuration example of the control device 11 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0038] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the control device 11 according to the first embodiment. The control device 11 illustrated here includes a microcomputer (processor) to which a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 13, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 14, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 15, a storage unit 16, an output unit 17, an input unit 18, and the like are connected via a bus 19. The CPU 13 executes a coating film forming process according to a program stored in the ROM 14, the storage unit 16, and the like. The RAM 15 is used as a working area for the CPU 13, and the like. The output unit 17 may be, for example, a display, and the like. The input unit 18 may be, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel mechanism, a pointing device, and the like.

[0039] The control device 11 controls each part of the processing device 10 involved in the coating film formation process based on the program stored in the storage device 16 and the like and the recipe loaded therein. At this time, the control device 11 refers to the imaging results obtained from the above-mentioned cameras 40a and 40b and the inspection results obtained from the above-mentioned inspection device 12, etc.

[0040] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the control device 11 according to the embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the control device 11 functions as a first condition input unit 51, a calculation unit 52, a determination unit 53, a second condition determination unit 54, a database generation unit 55, and a storage unit 16 as functional units for executing the coating film formation process.

[0041] First, a recipe to which the first condition is input will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a recipe table 511 held by the control device 11 according to the first embodiment.

[0042] The first condition is a condition for starting the process of forming the first liquid film 120 and the second liquid film 220. Specifically, the first condition is a parameter at the timing of starting the formation of the first liquid film 120 and the second liquid film 220. The first condition may be, for example, information on the rotation speed of the substrate W and the position of the second discharge position RM, but is not limited to these.

[0043] 5, a plurality of recipes are recorded in recipe table 511. In each recipe, various parameters for performing a coating film forming process on a substrate W are set. Specifically, for example, in addition to a process name, a plurality of parameters related to a chemical nozzle and the like are set in a recipe. Such recipe table 511 is presented to a user, for example, in output unit 17. The user selects a desired recipe from recipe table 511.

[0044] "Process name" is an item in which a name for distinguishing a process is set. Processes are distinguished by a combination of, for example, the type of substrate W, the type of resist liquid 100 to be discharged, and the type of pre-wet liquid 200. Therefore, for example, when the substrate W, resist liquid 100, and pre-wet liquid 200 are the same, the same process can be given the same name.

[0045] Parameters related to the "chemical liquid nozzle 30a" include, for example, the ejection start timing ("Start" in the figure), the ejection end timing ("End" in the figure), the ejection position ("First ejection position" in the figure), and the number of rotations ("Number of rotations" in the figure).

[0046] The "discharge start timing" is the timing at which the chemical liquid nozzle 30a starts discharging the resist liquid 100 to the first discharge position RC. The "discharge end timing" is the timing at which the chemical liquid nozzle 30a stops discharging the resist liquid 100. The "first discharge position" is information about the position of the first discharge position RC. Furthermore, the "rotation speed" is the rotation speed of the substrate W when the chemical liquid nozzle 30a starts discharging the resist liquid 100. The rotation speed is an example of a rotation speed.

[0047] The parameters related to "chemical liquid nozzle 30b" include the ejection start timing ("start" in the figure), the ejection end timing ("end" in the figure), the ejection position ("second ejection position" in the figure), and the like.

[0048] The "discharge start timing" is the timing at which the chemical liquid nozzle 30b starts discharging the pre-wet liquid 200 to the second discharge position RM. The "discharge end timing" is the timing at which the chemical liquid nozzle 30b ends discharging the pre-wet liquid 200. The "second discharge position" is information relating to the position of the second discharge position RM.

[0049] The first condition input unit 51 receives input of the first conditions with such a recipe as the input target.

[0050] Specifically, the first condition input unit 51 receives an input of, for example, "X1" as the first condition for the "rotation speed" of the parameters related to the "chemical liquid nozzle 30a." As a result, the rotation speed of the substrate W at the timing when the discharge of the resist liquid 100 from the chemical liquid nozzle 30a starts is set to "X1."

[0051] Furthermore, the first condition input unit 51 accepts input of, for example, "Y1" as the first condition for the "second discharge position" among the parameters related to the "chemical liquid nozzle 30b." As a result, the second discharge position RM at the timing when the discharge of the pre-wet liquid 200 starts is set to "Y1."

[0052] Such a first condition is arbitrarily determined by the user. The user executes an operation of inputting the first condition via, for example, the input unit 18. When inputting the first condition, the user may refer to, for example, a reference information DB 161 described later.

[0053] When the first condition input unit 51 receives the input of the first condition, it loads the recipe, thereby starting the coating film forming process using the parameters registered in the recipe.

[0054] Returning to FIG. 4, the calculation unit 52 calculates the distance L between the edge 122 of the first liquid film 120 and the edge 222 of the second liquid film 220 based on the captured images acquired by the cameras 40a and 40b.

[0055] Specifically, for example, the calculation unit 52 identifies the position of the edge 122 at a given time t based on the captured image acquired from the camera 40a. The position of the edge 122 is identified based on the position of the liquid nozzle 30a when the captured image is acquired. The calculation unit 52 also identifies the position of the edge 222 at a given time t based on the captured image acquired from the camera 40b. The position of the edge 222 is identified based on the position of the liquid nozzle 30b when the captured image is acquired. In this way, the calculation unit 52 calculates the distance L between the edge 122 and the edge 222 at the given time t.

[0056] The calculation unit 52 executes the process of calculating the distance L at predetermined time intervals from the start to the end of the discharge of the resist liquid 100. Furthermore, the calculation unit 52 calculates, as an analysis result, the speed at which each of the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 spreads on the substrate W, based on the positions of the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 at each predetermined time interval.

[0057] The determination unit 53 determines whether the distance L calculated by the calculation unit 52 exceeds a predetermined range. The predetermined range used by the determination unit 53 for the above determination is, for example, a distance at least at which the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 do not come into contact with each other, and not more than 4 cm. More preferably, it is a few mm or more, and not more than 4 cm. That is, the determination unit 53 determines that the distance L exceeds the predetermined range when the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 are in contact with each other, or when the distance L between the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 exceeds 4 cm.

[0058] The second condition determination unit 54 controls the rotation speed of the substrate W so that the distance L falls within a predetermined range, based on the imaging results obtained from the cameras 40a and 40b. Specifically, when the determination unit 53 determines that the distance L falls within the predetermined range, the second condition determination unit 54 controls the rotation speed of the substrate W so that the distance L is maintained within the predetermined range, based on the analysis results of the calculation unit 52.

[0059] For example, the second condition determining unit 54 identifies a transition of the distance L between times t1 and t2 after the start of the discharge of the resist liquid 100. For example, if the distance L is decreasing between times t1 and t2, the second condition determining unit 54 determines the rotation speed of the substrate W from time t2 onwards until the end of the discharge of the resist liquid 100 to be "X2" as a second condition smaller than "X1" accepted as the first condition.

[0060] The second condition is a condition for maintaining the distance L within a predetermined range. Specifically, the second condition is a parameter that is determined for maintaining the distance L within a predetermined range after the first liquid film 120 and the second liquid film 220 are formed. The second condition may, for example, be information on the rotation speed of the substrate W and the position of the second discharge position RM, but is not limited to these.

[0061] The second condition determination unit 54 controls the chuck drive mechanism 21 so that the rotation speed of the substrate W becomes "X2" which is the second condition. This reduces the rotation speed of the substrate W, and therefore the speed at which the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 spread over the substrate W decreases. As a result, the decrease in the distance L is suppressed, and the distance L between the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 can be maintained within a predetermined range. "The distance L maintains a predetermined range" includes a case where the distance L coincides with the predetermined range, as well as a case where the distance L maintains within a small error from the predetermined range.

[0062] On the other hand, for example, if the distance L is increasing from time t1 to t2, the second condition determination unit 54 determines the rotation speed of the substrate W from time t2 onwards until the ejection of the resist liquid 100 is completed to be "X3" as the second condition, which is greater than "X1" accepted as the first condition.

[0063] The second condition determination unit 54 controls the chuck drive mechanism 21 so that the rotation speed of the substrate W becomes "X3" which is the second condition. This increases the rotation speed of the substrate W, and therefore increases the speed at which the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 spread over the substrate W. As a result, the spread of the distance L is suppressed, and it becomes possible to maintain the distance L between the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 within a predetermined range.

[0064] Furthermore, when the distance L exceeds a predetermined range, the second condition determining section 54 determines not to control the rotation speed of the substrate W as described above.

[0065] Specifically, when the judgment unit 53 judges that the distance L exceeds a predetermined range, the second condition determination unit 54 controls the chuck drive mechanism 21, the nozzle drive mechanism 31, the discharge control mechanism 32, etc. to execute a process of stopping the coating film forming process on the substrate W. As a result, the coating film forming process on the substrate W is stopped, and the substrate W is unloaded from the processing unit 10. The second condition determination unit 54 is an example of a control unit.

[0066] Here, the reason why the second condition determining unit 54 determines to stop processing when it is determined that the distance L exceeds the predetermined range will be described.

[0067] As described above, the predetermined range of the distance L is equal to or greater than the distance at which the edge 122 and the edge 222 do not come into contact with each other, and is equal to or less than 4 cm. For example, if the edge 122 and the edge 222 come into contact with each other before the discharge of the resist liquid 100 is completed, the outline of the edge 122, which has been formed in a substantially circular shape, may be distorted. If an attempt is made to spread the first liquid film 120 with a distorted outline on the substrate W, the centrifugal force is not evenly applied to the edge 122, and the first liquid film 120 spreads unevenly on the substrate W. As a result, there is a high possibility that poor coating will occur.

[0068] On the other hand, for example, if the distance L exceeds 4 cm before the discharge of the resist liquid 100 is completed, the second liquid film 220 covering the outer side of the central region of the substrate W may volatilize before the first liquid film 120 is spread to the outer periphery of the substrate W. This may result in an insufficient improvement in the fluidity of the resist liquid 100 at the outer periphery of the substrate W, increasing the possibility of coating defects occurring. As a result, the flow rate of the resist liquid 100 may be increased, which may prevent the effect of saving chemicals from being obtained.

[0069] In this way, if the distance L exceeds a predetermined range, it is determined that there is a high possibility of a coating defect occurring, and the processing of the substrate W is immediately stopped, making it possible to omit subsequent processing, thereby reducing processing costs.

[0070] The database generating unit 55 generates a reference information database (hereinafter referred to as reference information DB) 161 that associates, for the substrate W on which the coating film is formed, the rotation speed of the substrate W determined as the second condition, the second discharge position RM, the distance L calculated as the analysis result, the speed at which the first liquid film 120 and the second liquid film 220 spread over the substrate W, and the inspection result of inspecting the formation state of the coating film, and stores it in the memory unit 16. The reference information DB 161 is an example of reference information.

[0071] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the reference information DB 161 stored in the storage unit 16 according to the first embodiment.

[0072] 6, a plurality of processing histories H are recorded in the reference information DB 161. In each processing history H, for each "process name", "substrate and chemical information", "first condition", "second condition", "analysis result", and "inspection result" are associated with each other.

[0073] As described above, the "process name" is a name for identifying a process. In the example of Fig. 6, the name corresponding to the "process name" set in the recipe loaded in the first condition input unit 51 is recorded in the "process name".

[0074] Items related to "substrate and coating liquid information" include the type of substrate W, the type of resist liquid 100, and the type of pre-wet liquid 200. "Substrate and coating liquid information" is information that is pre-linked to the "process name" set in the recipe. Furthermore, "substrate and chemical information" may include, for example, information regarding the viscosity, boiling point, etc. of the resist liquid 100 and pre-wet liquid 200 in addition to the items shown in FIG.

[0075] As the item related to the "first condition", the first condition accepted by the first condition input unit 51 is recorded. In the example of Fig. 6, information related to the number of rotations of the substrate W when the discharge of the resist liquid 100 starts and the position of the second discharge position RM, which are input as the "first condition", is recorded. Here, for example, "X1" is recorded as the "number of rotations". In addition, for example, "Y1" is recorded as the "second discharge position".

[0076] The second condition determined by the second condition determining unit 54 is recorded as an item related to the "second condition". That is, the rotation speed of the substrate W determined and controlled by the second condition determining unit 54 is recorded as the "second condition". In the example of Fig. 6, for example, "X2" is recorded as the "second condition". Furthermore, if it is determined in the second condition determining unit 54 that the rotation speed is not to be controlled, the coating film forming process for the substrate W is stopped, and therefore "None", which means that the second condition is not recorded, is recorded.

[0077] As the item related to "analysis result", the analysis result in the calculation unit 52 is recorded. In the example of Fig. 6, the spreading speeds on the substrate W of the first liquid film 120 and the second liquid film 220 and the distance L at a predetermined time when the substrate W is rotated at the rotation speed "X2" as the second condition are recorded. Furthermore, when it is determined in the second condition determination unit 54 that the rotation speed is not to be controlled, "None" is recorded.

[0078] As the item related to "determination result", the determination result determined by the determination unit 53 is recorded in the form of "o / x". In the example of Fig. 6, the determination result at a predetermined time when the substrate W is rotated at the rotation speed "X2" as the second condition is recorded. The predetermined time is, for example, the time when the discharge of the resist liquid 100 is completed. That is, for example, in the "determination result", if the distance L at the time when the discharge of the resist liquid 100 is completed does not exceed a predetermined range, the item is indicated by "o", and if it exceeds the predetermined range, the item is indicated by "x".

[0079] As for the item related to "inspection result", the inspection result of the substrate W in the inspection device 12 is recorded in the form of "o / x". If, for example, no coating defect is found on the substrate W as a result of inspecting the formation state of the coating film, the item is indicated by "o", and if a coating defect is found on the substrate W, the item is indicated by "x". Furthermore, if it is determined in the second condition determination unit 54 that the rotation speed will not be controlled, inspection of the substrate W is not performed either, and therefore "None" is recorded.

[0080] The storage unit 16 is a storage medium such as an HDD, an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The storage unit 16 stores the above-mentioned reference information DB 161 including the recipe table 511, the analysis results, the determination results, and the inspection results, and the like.

[0081] (Method of forming coating film) The coating film forming method of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flow chart illustrating the flow of the coating film forming process according to the first embodiment.

[0082] When a desired recipe is selected by a user (S101), the first condition input unit 51 accepts an input of a first condition (S102).

[0083] The input of the first condition is accepted and the recipe is loaded, thereby starting the processing in the processing unit 10. Hereinafter, the processing in steps S103 to S106 in FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0084] Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the flow of processing in the processing unit 10 of embodiment 1. The diagram shown in Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a substrate W is placed on the coating processing apparatus 1. For ease of explanation, Fig. 8 shows only a part of the configuration of the processing unit 10 shown in Fig. 1.

[0085] Once the recipe is loaded, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the substrate W is carried into the processing section 10 and held on the spin chuck 20 (S103).

[0086] Next, as shown in FIG. 8(b), when the nozzle drive mechanism 31 moves the liquid nozzle 30b above the first discharge position RC, the discharge control mechanism 32 causes the pre-wet liquid 200 to be discharged from the liquid nozzle 30b (S104).

[0087] At this time, the chuck driving mechanism 21 rotates the spin chuck 20 at a predetermined rotation speed to rotate the substrate W. As a result, the pre-wet liquid 200 is spread over the substrate W, and the upper surface of the substrate W is covered with the pre-wet liquid 200.

[0088] Next, as shown in FIG. 8(c), when the nozzle drive mechanism 31 moves the liquid nozzle 30b above the second discharge position RM, the discharge control mechanism 32 causes the pre-wet liquid 200 to be discharged from the liquid nozzle 30b (S105).

[0089] At this time, the chuck driving mechanism 21 rotates the substrate W at a predetermined rotation speed. As described with reference to FIG. 2(b), the predetermined rotation speed is preferably a rotation speed at which the pre-wet liquid 200 goes around the substrate W once and a substantially annular second liquid film 220 is formed. The second liquid film 220 formed on the substrate W starts to spread outward as the substrate W rotates. In this manner, the pre-wet liquid 200 is replenished to the outer periphery of the substrate W.

[0090] Next, as shown in FIG. 8(d), when the nozzle driving mechanism 31 moves the chemical liquid nozzle 30a above the first discharge position RC, the discharge control mechanism 32 causes the chemical liquid nozzle 30a to discharge the resist liquid 100 (S106).

[0091] At this time, as soon as the chemical liquid nozzle 30a starts to discharge the resist liquid 100, the chuck driving mechanism 21 rotates the substrate W at a rotation speed based on the first condition. The first liquid film 120 formed at the first discharge position RC starts to spread outward as the substrate W rotates.

[0092] Returning to FIG. 7, the description of step S107 and subsequent steps will be continued.

[0093] The cameras 40a and 40b start capturing images of the edge 122 of the first liquid film 120 and the edge 222 of the second liquid film 220 at the same time as the discharge of the resist liquid 100 starts (S107). The cameras 40a and 40b transmit the captured images to the calculation unit 52 at predetermined time intervals.

[0094] The calculation unit 52 analyzes the acquired captured image (S108). Specifically, the calculation unit 52 calculates the distance L between the edge 122 and the edge 222 as the analysis result. The calculation unit 52 also calculates the speed at which the edge 122 and the edge 222 spread on the substrate W as the analysis result.

[0095] The determination unit 53 determines whether the distance L exceeds a predetermined range at every predetermined time (S109).

[0096] When the judgment unit 53 judges that the distance L exceeds the predetermined range (S109→Yes), the second condition determination unit 54 stops the coating film forming process on the substrate W (S110).

[0097] If the judgment unit 53 determines that the distance L does not exceed the predetermined range (S109 → No), the second condition determination unit 54 controls the rotation speed of the substrate W based on the images captured by the cameras 40a and 40b so that the distance L is maintained within the predetermined range (S111).

[0098] Specifically, for example, the second condition determination unit 54 changes the rotation speed of the substrate W for the remaining time until the discharge of the resist liquid 100 is completed to a second condition different from the first condition, based on the change in the distance L over time.

[0099] When the discharge of the resist liquid 100 is completed, the chuck driving mechanism 21 rotates the substrate W at a high rotation speed different from the second condition, and spreads the first liquid film 120 and the second liquid film 220 to the outside of the substrate W in one go (S112).

[0100] Next, the chuck driving mechanism 21 further rotates the substrate W at a high rotation speed to volatilize the organic solvent contained in the first liquid film 120 and the second liquid film 220. As a result, a resist layer is formed on the substrate W as a coating film.

[0101] Next, while continuing to rotate the substrate W, the discharge control mechanism 32 discharges the pre-wet liquid 200 from the chemical liquid nozzle 30c onto the back surface RP and the bevel portion Bv of the substrate W. This cleans the back surface RP and the bevel portion Bv of the substrate W (S113).

[0102] Next, the chuck driving mechanism 21 releases the hold on the substrate W. This makes it possible for the substrate W to be unloaded from the processing section 10 (S114).

[0103] Next, the substrate W is transported to the inspection device 12 (not shown). When the inspection of the substrate W is completed (S115), the inspection device 12 transmits the inspection results to the database generation unit 55.

[0104] The database generating unit 55 generates a reference information DB 161 in which the first condition, the second condition, the analysis result, and the test result are recorded in association with each other (S116).

[0105] This completes the coating film forming process of the first embodiment.

[0106] (Comparative Example) 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating the flow of a coating film forming process in a processing section 10x of the comparative example, and are cross-sectional views showing a state in which a substrate W is placed in the processing section 10x of the comparative example.

[0107] As shown in Fig. 13(a), in a processing section 10x of the comparative example, a pre-wet liquid 200 is discharged to a first discharge position RC while the substrate W is rotating, and spreads outwardly of the substrate W. Next, as shown in Fig. 13(b), a resist liquid 100 is discharged to the first discharge position RC. Next, as shown in Fig. 13(c), the resist liquid 100 is spread outwardly as the substrate W rotates.

[0108] At this time, the pre-wet liquid 200 that has been spread on the substrate W immediately before the ejection of the resist liquid 100 shown in Fig. 13(b) may volatilize at the outer periphery of the substrate W. This may result in an insufficient improvement in the fluidity of the resist liquid 100 at the outer periphery of the substrate W. As a result, as shown in Fig. 13(c), the resist liquid 100 may not spread sufficiently to the outer periphery of the substrate W, and coating defects or the like may occur at the outer periphery of the substrate W.

[0109] (Overview) The coating processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment captures an image of an edge 122 of a first liquid film 120 made of the resist liquid 100 discharged to a first discharge position RC which is the center of the substrate W, and an edge 222 of a second liquid film 220 made of the pre-wet liquid 200 discharged to a second discharge position RM outside the first discharge position RC. The control device 11 controls the rotation speed of the substrate W based on the image capture result so that the distance L between the edge 122 and the edge 222 is within a predetermined range.

[0110] In this way, the pre-wet liquid 200 is replenished to the second discharge position RM outside the first discharge position RC, so that the fluidity of the resist liquid 100 at the outer periphery of the substrate W is improved, and the resist liquid 100 can be sufficiently spread to the outer periphery with a small discharge amount. At this time, the rotation speed of the substrate W is controlled so that the distance L between the first liquid film 120 and the second liquid film 220 is maintained at a predetermined distance. This makes it possible to reduce the consumption of the resist liquid 100 while suppressing coating defects on the substrate W.

[0111] When the distance L is within a predetermined range, the coating processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment controls the rotation speed of the substrate W so that the distance L is maintained within the predetermined range. When the distance L exceeds the predetermined range, the control device 11 does not control the rotation speed of the substrate W.

[0112] In this way, by determining whether the distance L is within a predetermined range based on the imaging result, the possibility of defective coating can be predicted, so that unnecessary processing can be avoided on the substrate W that is likely to have defective coating, etc. As a result, processing costs can be reduced.

[0113] [Variations] A modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0114] The coating processing apparatus and coating processing method of the modified example differ from the above-mentioned embodiment 1 in that the second discharge position RM is determined instead of controlling the rotation speed of the substrate W. In the following, the same components as those of the above-mentioned embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted.

[0115] Fig. 9 is a top view showing an example of a state in which a substrate W is placed on a coating treatment apparatus 1 according to a modified example of embodiment 1. For ease of explanation, Fig. 9 shows only the chemical liquid nozzles 30a, 30b, the cameras 40a, 40b, and the substrate W among the components of the treatment apparatus 10.

[0116] On the substrate W shown in FIGS. 9(a) to 9(c), a first liquid film 120 formed by the chemical liquid nozzle 30a and a second liquid film 220 formed by the chemical liquid nozzle 30b are shown.

[0117] FIG. 9(a) shows the formation position of the second liquid film 220 when the second discharge position RM is set to "Y1" as the first condition in the first condition input section 51.

[0118] When the judgment unit 53 judges that the distance L between the edge 122 and the edge 222 is within a predetermined range, the second condition determination unit 54 determines the second ejection position RM based on the analysis results of the calculation unit 52 so that the distance L remains within the predetermined range.

[0119] For example, the second condition determination unit 54 identifies the transition of the distance L between times t1 and t2 after the start of discharging the resist liquid 100. For example, if the distance L decreases between times t1 and t2, the second condition determination unit 54 determines the position of the second discharge position RM to be "Y2" as the second condition shown in Fig. 9(b). "Y2" is a position on the negative Y side of "Y1" accepted as the first condition, that is, an outer position of the substrate W as viewed from the rotation axis Ro.

[0120] The second discharge position RM as the second condition determined in this manner is applied to the second and subsequent substrates W when a plurality of substrates W are processed using the same recipe. For example, the second condition determination unit 54 controls the nozzle drive mechanism 31 so that the second discharge position RM is set to "Y2" for the second and subsequent substrates W. As a result, the position of the second discharge position RM is set in advance outside the substrate W, so that the distance L between the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 can be secured to be wide in advance. As a result, the distance L between the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 can be maintained within a predetermined range until the discharge of the resist liquid 100 is completed.

[0121] On the other hand, for example, if the distance L is increasing between times t1 and t2, the second condition determination unit 54 determines, as the second condition, the position of the second discharge position RM to be "Y3" shown in Fig. 9(c). "Y3" is a position on the positive Y side of "Y1" accepted as the first condition, that is, a position inside the substrate W as viewed from the rotation axis Ro.

[0122] For example, the second condition determination unit 54 controls the nozzle drive mechanism 31 so that the second discharge position RM becomes "Y3" for the second and subsequent substrates W. This allows the position of the second discharge position RM to be set in advance inside the substrate W, so that the distance L between the edge 122 and the edge 222 can be narrowed in advance. As a result, the distance L can be maintained within a predetermined range until the discharge of the resist liquid 100 is completed.

[0123] According to the coating treatment apparatus and coating treatment method of the modified example, the same effects as those of the coating treatment apparatus and coating treatment method of the first embodiment described above are achieved.

[0124] [Embodiment 2] A second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. The coating treatment device and coating film forming method of the second embodiment are different from the first embodiment in that the first condition is determined based on the generated reference information DB 161. In the following description, the same reference symbols are used for configurations similar to those of the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof may be omitted.

[0125] (Example of the configuration of a coating treatment device) FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the control device 11 according to the second embodiment.

[0126] As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 11 functions as functional units for executing the coating process, including a first condition determination unit 50, a first condition input unit 51, a calculation unit 52, a judgment unit 53, a second condition determination unit 54, a database generation unit 55, and a memory unit 16.

[0127] The first condition determination unit 50 determines, based on the reference information DB 161, the rotation speed of the substrate W and the second discharge position RM when the formation state of the coating film satisfies a predetermined condition as a first condition for starting the formation of the first liquid film 120 and the second liquid film 220. The predetermined condition used by the first condition determination unit 50 for the above determination is a condition where the "inspection result" in the reference information DB 161 indicates "◯". The first condition is an example of a condition.

[0128] A method for determining the first condition in the first condition determining unit 50 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the reference information DB 161 stored in the storage unit 16 according to the second embodiment.

[0129] 11, processing histories H1 to Hn are recorded in reference information DB 161. In processing histories H1 to Hn, "substrate and chemical information," "first conditions," "second conditions," "analysis results," and "inspection results" are recorded in association with each "process name." When processing histories H1 to Hn do not need to be individually distinguished, they may hereinafter be referred to as "processing histories H." Reference information DB 161 is an example of reference information.

[0130] 11, the same "process name" is recorded in each of the process histories H1 to H3. That is, each of the process histories H1 to H3 is a record of analysis results and inspection results when a coating film forming process is performed under different conditions in the same process "Aa."

[0131] The first condition determination unit 50 specifies the processing history H2, whose "inspection result" indicates "◯", as a condition that satisfies a predetermined condition, from among the processing histories H1 to H3 processed in the same process "Aa". Then, the first condition determination unit 50 determines the first condition based on the processing history H2.

[0132] For example, the first condition determination unit 50 determines, as the first condition, "Y1" which is the "second ejection position" recorded in the "first condition" and "X21" which is the "number of rotations" recorded in the "second condition" in the processing history H2. The first condition determination unit 50 transmits the determined first condition to the first condition input unit 51. The first condition determination unit 50 is an example of a control unit.

[0133] The first condition input unit 51 accepts input of the first conditions from the first condition determination unit 50. Specifically, the first condition input unit 51 accepts input of the first conditions linked to a "step name" corresponding to a "step name" of a recipe selected by a user. When the first condition input unit 51 accepts input of the first conditions, it loads the recipe. As a result, the coating film formation process is performed under the first conditions.

[0134] When the judgment unit 53 judges that the distance L is within the predetermined range, the second condition determination unit 54 controls the rotation speed of the substrate W so that the distance L is within the predetermined range, based on the reference information DB 161 and the imaging results of imaging the edge 122 of the first liquid film 120 and the edge 222 of the second liquid film 220 formed using the first condition. Specifically, the second condition determination unit 54 controls the rotation speed of the substrate W so that the distance L is maintained within the predetermined range, based on the speed at which the first liquid film 120 and the second liquid film 220 spread over the substrate W, which is included in the reference information DB 161, and the analysis result in the calculation unit 52.

[0135] For example, the second condition determination unit 54 specifies a transition of the distance L between times t1 and t2 after the start of the discharge of the resist liquid 100 based on the analysis result. For example, if the distance L is decreasing between times t1 and t2, the second condition determination unit 54 determines the rotation speed of the substrate W from time t2 until the end of the discharge of the resist liquid 100 to a second condition smaller than "X21" as the first condition received by the first condition input unit 51, based on the "rotation speed", the "spreading speed of the first liquid film", and the "spreading speed of the second liquid film" recorded in the process histories H1 to H3 as the second condition.

[0136] On the other hand, for example, if the distance L is increasing between times t1 and t2, the second condition determination unit 54 determines the rotation speed of the substrate W from time t2 until the end of the ejection of the resist liquid 100 to a second condition greater than "X21" received by the first condition input unit 51, based on the "rotation speed", "spreading speed of the first liquid film", and "spreading speed of the second liquid film" recorded in the processing history H1 to H3 as the second conditions.

[0137] The second condition determining unit 54 controls the chuck driving mechanism 21 so that the rotation speed of the substrate W becomes the rotation speed determined by the second condition. This adjusts the rotation speed of the substrate W, and adjusts the speed at which the edge 122 of the first liquid film 120 and the edge 222 of the second liquid film 220 spread over the substrate W. As a result, it becomes possible to maintain the distance L between the edge 122 and the edge 222 within a predetermined range.

[0138] (Method of forming coating film) The coating film forming method of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flow chart illustrating the flow of the coating film forming process according to the second embodiment.

[0139] The first condition determining section 50 determines, based on the reference information DB 161, the rotation speed of the substrate W and the second discharge position RM when the "determination result" indicates "◯" as the first condition (S201).

[0140] When a desired recipe is selected by the user (S202), the first condition input unit 51 accepts an input of the first condition from the first condition determination unit 50 (S203).

[0141] Note that the processes from steps S204 to S211 and from steps S213 to S217 are similar to the processes from steps S103 to S110 and from steps S112 to S116 in FIG. 7, respectively, and therefore will not be described.

[0142] If the judgment unit 53 determines that the distance L does not exceed the specified range (S210 → No), the second condition determination unit 54 controls the rotation speed of the substrate W so that the distance L is maintained within the specified range based on the analysis results in the calculation unit 52 and the reference information DB161 (S212).

[0143] This completes the coating film forming process of the second embodiment.

[0144] In this way, the first condition under which the possibility of a coating defect is low is specified based on the reference information DB 161, and for the substrate W on which the coating film forming process is started under the specified first condition, the rotation speed is controlled based on the imaging result and the reference information DB 161. This makes it possible to further suppress coating defects on the substrate W.

[0145] Furthermore, the ability to easily specify the first conditions based on such reference information DB 161 eliminates the need for a large number of substrates W and the time required to establish optimal conditions without coating defects, thereby reducing costs.

[0146] The coating processing apparatus and coating processing method of the second embodiment provide the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0147] [Variations] A modified example of the second embodiment will be described. The modified example of the second embodiment corresponds to the modified example of the first embodiment. That is, the coating processing apparatus and coating processing method of the modified example of the second embodiment differ from the above-mentioned second embodiment in that a new second discharge position RM is determined instead of controlling the rotation speed of the substrate W. Note that in the following, a description of the same configuration as the above-mentioned second embodiment may be omitted.

[0148] When the judgment unit 53 judges that the distance L is within a predetermined range, the second condition determination unit 54 determines the second ejection position RM based on the analysis results of the calculation unit 52 and the reference information DB161 so that the distance L remains within the predetermined range.

[0149] For example, when the distance L changes over time, the second condition determination unit 54 determines the position of the second ejection position RM as the second condition based on the state of the change and the "spreading speed of the first liquid film" and the "spreading speed of the second liquid film" in the reference information DB161.

[0150] The second condition determination unit 54 controls the nozzle driving mechanism 31 so that the second condition is applied to the second discharge position RM for the second and subsequent substrates W when multiple substrates W are processed using the same recipe, for example.

[0151] This allows the distance L between the edge 122 and the edge 222 to be adjusted in advance, so that the distance L can be maintained within a predetermined range until the discharge of the resist liquid 100 is completed.

[0152] According to the coating treatment apparatus and coating treatment method of the modified example, the same effects as those of the coating treatment apparatus and coating treatment method of the first and second embodiments described above are achieved.

[0153] [Other variations] In the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example, the camera 40a and the camera 40b are described as being provided on the side surface of the chemical liquid nozzle 30a and the side surface of the chemical liquid nozzle 30b, respectively. However, the number and the installation positions of the cameras are not limited to this. For example, only one camera capable of capturing an image of the edge portion 122 of the first liquid film 120 and the edge portion 222 of the second liquid film 220 may be provided in the coating processing device 1. Also, for example, as long as the edge portion 122 and the edge portion 222 can be captured, the installation positions of the camera 40a and the camera 40b in the processing device 10 may be anywhere.

[0154] In the above-described embodiment and modified example, the rotation speed of the substrate W is controlled so as to maintain the distance L within a predetermined range, but this is not limiting. For example, the rotation acceleration of the substrate W may be controlled.

[0155] The above-described first embodiment and its modifications, and the second embodiment and its modifications may be used in combination.

[0156] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 1...coating processing device, 10...processing device, 11...control device, 12...inspection device, 16...memory unit, 20...spin chuck, 30a, 30b...chemical liquid nozzle, 40a, 40b...camera, 50...first condition determination unit, 51...first condition input unit, 52...calculation unit, 53...judgment unit, 54...second condition determination unit, 55...database generation unit, 100...resist liquid, 120...first liquid film, 122...edge, 161...reference information DB, 200...pre-wet liquid, 220...second liquid film, 222...edge, W...substrate.

Claims

1. A turntable capable of holding and rotating a substrate on which a coating film is to be formed; a first discharge unit that discharges a first coating liquid onto a first discharge position that is a center portion of the substrate held on the turntable to form a first liquid film; a second discharge unit that discharges a second coating liquid onto a second discharge position on the substrate that is located outside the first discharge position to form a second liquid film; an imaging device capable of imaging contours of the first and second liquid films spreading outwardly of the substrate as the substrate rotates; a control device that controls at least one of a rotation speed of the substrate and the second discharge position based on an imaging result by the imaging device so that the distance between the contour portions falls within a predetermined range; and Equipped with Coating treatment equipment.

2. The control device includes: a control unit that calculates a distance between contour portions of the first and second liquid films based on the imaging result, and, when the distance between the contour portions is within a predetermined range, controls at least one of the rotation speed of the substrate and the second discharge position so that the distance between the contour portions is maintained within the predetermined range; Equipped with The coating treatment device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit is When the distance between the contour portions exceeds a predetermined range, the rotation speed of the substrate is not controlled. The coating treatment device according to claim 2 .

4. The control device includes: a storage unit that stores reference information that associates the rotation speed of the substrate on which the coating film is formed, the second discharge position, the distance between the contour portions, the speed at which the first and second liquid films spread on the substrate, and an inspection result of inspecting a formation state of the coating film, the control unit controls at least one of the rotation speed of the substrate and the second discharge position based on the reference information and the imaging result so that the distance between the contour portions falls within a predetermined range. The coating treatment device according to claim 2 .

5. The control unit further includes: determining, based on the reference information, the rotation speed of the substrate and the second discharge position when the formation state of the coating film satisfies a predetermined condition as conditions for starting formation of the first and second liquid films; based on the speeds at which the first and second liquid films spread on the substrate, which are included in the reference information, and the imaging results of imaging the contours of the first and second liquid films formed under the conditions, at least one of a rotation speed of the substrate and the second discharge position is controlled so that a distance between the contours falls within a predetermined range. The coating treatment apparatus according to claim 4 .

6. the imaging device is provided in each of the first discharge unit and the second discharge unit, a first imaging device provided in the first discharge unit and a second imaging device provided in the second discharge unit capture images of the contours of the first and second liquid films, respectively; The coating treatment device according to claim 1 .

7. The imaging device is provided so as to be capable of imaging the contour portions of the first and second liquid films. The coating treatment device according to claim 1 .

8. A substrate on which a coating film is to be formed is held on a turntable that can rotate while holding the substrate; A first coating liquid is discharged onto a first discharge position, which is a central portion of the substrate, to form a first liquid film; A second coating liquid is discharged onto a second discharge position on the substrate that is located outside the first discharge position to form a second liquid film; capturing images of contours of the first and second liquid films spreading outwardly of the substrate by the rotation of the substrate with an imaging device; and controlling at least one of a rotation speed of the substrate and a second discharge position based on an imaging result by the imaging device so that the distance between the contour portions falls within a predetermined range. A method for forming a coating film.

Images