Substrate abnormality detection method and substrate abnormality detection device

Abstract

To detect abnormality of a substrate before the substrate is conveyed to a gate.SOLUTION: An information processing device 40 compares a first average value obtained by averaging pixel values in an evaluation target range of a first gray scale image representing an image in a pin-down state in gray scale with a second average value obtained by averaging pixel values in an evaluation target range of a second gray scale image representing an image in a pin-up state in gray scale. The information processing device 40 binarizes the second grayscale image to acquire a binarized image by setting a pixel having a value equal to or larger than a binarization reference value as a white pixel when the first average value is a value indicating higher brightness, and setting a pixel having a value equal to or smaller than the binarization reference value as a white pixel when the second average value is a value indicating lower brightness. The information processing device 40 determines that a crack has occurred in the substrate when the proportion of white pixels in the evaluation target range of the binarized image is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate abnormality detection method and a substrate abnormality detection device. [Background technology]

[0002] A plasma processing apparatus is known that performs plasma processing on a substrate placed on a mounting table inside a processing chamber. In the plasma processing apparatus, an abnormality in the substrate, such as a crack in the substrate, is detected after the plasma processing. For example, in a substrate abnormality detection method described in Patent Document 1, a sensor installed near a gate detects an abnormality in the substrate while the substrate after the plasma processing is being carried into the gate from the processing chamber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-73599 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure detects abnormalities in a substrate before the substrate is transported to a gate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the technology according to the present disclosure is a substrate abnormality detection method for detecting cracks in a substrate being processed in a processing vessel of a substrate processing apparatus using a substrate abnormality detection device, the substrate processing apparatus including: a mounting table provided in the processing vessel and having a mounting surface on which the substrate is placed; lift pins that are protruding and retracting from the mounting surface and can raise and lower the substrate; at least one observation window provided in a side wall of the processing vessel; and a control device that controls execution of the processing to be performed on the substrate, the method including the steps of: acquiring a video captured by at least one camera that captures images of the inside of the processing vessel through the observation window, the video including a first state in which the substrate is placed on the mounting surface to a second state in which processing to remove the substrate from the mounting surface by the lift pins is completed; setting an evaluation range on the mounting surface in the image, common to all images constituting the video, so that the substrate is not included in a state in which the substrate has been completely removed from the mounting surface; and acquiring a grayscale image of the second state based on the moving image, acquiring a second grayscale image that expresses the image of the second state in grayscale based on the moving image, calculating a first average value by averaging pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the first grayscale image, calculating a second average value by averaging pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the second grayscale image, determining a binarization reference value based on the pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the first grayscale image, comparing the first average value with the second average value, and if the first average value is a value indicating a lighter image, setting pixels having a value equal to or greater than the binarization reference value as white pixels, and if the second average value is a value indicating a lighter image, setting pixels having a value equal to or less than the binarization reference value as white pixels, to acquire a binarized image, and determining that a crack has occurred in the substrate if a ratio of white pixels in the evaluation range of the binarized image is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to detect an abnormality in a substrate before the substrate is transported to the gate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate abnormality detection system including an information processing device that is a substrate abnormality detection device according to an embodiment of the technology disclosed herein. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus of FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram for explaining an image of the inside of the processing vessel taken by the camera in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a hardware configuration of the information processing device of FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a substrate abnormality detection process executed by the information processing device of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the processing contents of S501 and S508 in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which a plurality of cameras capture video at different angles of view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] As described above, in the conventional abnormality detection method, an abnormality in a substrate that has been subjected to plasma processing is detected by a sensor provided near the gate while the substrate is being carried from the processing vessel to the gate.

[0009] However, with conventional anomaly detection methods, even if an anomaly such as a crack occurs in a substrate during processing in a processing vessel, the anomaly is not detected until the substrate is transported from the processing vessel to the gate, which raises the risk of fragments of the broken substrate scattering inside the processing vessel or near the gate, causing problems in subsequent processes.

[0010] In contrast, the technology disclosed herein determines whether a crack has occurred in a substrate based on a video including a state in which the substrate is placed on a mounting surface of a mounting table provided in a processing chamber and a state in which the process of removing the substrate from the mounting surface by lift pins is completed. Specifically, a binarization reference value is determined based on pixel values ​​in an evaluation range of a grayscale image (first grayscale image) in which the substrate is placed on the mounting surface. A first average value obtained by averaging pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the first grayscale image is compared with a second average value obtained by averaging pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of a grayscale image (second grayscale image) in which the process of removing the substrate from the mounting surface is completed. If the first average value indicates a brighter image, pixels having a value equal to or greater than the binarization reference value are designated as white pixels. If the second average value indicates a brighter image, pixels having a value equal to or less than the binarization reference value are designated as white pixels. A binarized image is acquired by binarizing the second grayscale image. Furthermore, if the ratio of white pixels in the evaluation range of this binarized image is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that a crack has occurred in the substrate.

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the technology according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate abnormality detection system 1 including an information processing device 40, which is a substrate abnormality detection device according to an embodiment of the technology disclosed herein. In Fig. 1, the substrate abnormality detection system 1 is made up of a film forming apparatus 10, a camera 22, and the information processing device 40. In the substrate abnormality detection system 1, the information processing device 40 performs a substrate abnormality detection process shown in Fig. 5, which will be described later, on the video transmitted from the camera 22 to determine whether a crack has occurred in the substrate placed on the mounting table 13 in the processing chamber of the film forming apparatus 10, and notifies the film forming apparatus 10 of the determination result.

[0013] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the film formation apparatus 10 of Fig. 1. The film formation apparatus 10 of Fig. 2 is an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus (substrate processing apparatus). The film formation apparatus 10 performs a film formation process to form a protective film or the like on a rectangular substrate, for example, a glass substrate G (hereinafter referred to as "substrate G") for an FPD (Flat Panel Display), using plasma generated from a processing gas.

[0014] The film forming apparatus 10 includes a rectangular cylindrical processing chamber 11 made of a conductive material, and the processing chamber 11 accommodates a substrate G. The upper portion of the processing chamber 11 is airtightly sealed by a window member 12. Inside the processing chamber 11, a mounting table 13 on which the substrate G is placed is disposed at the lower portion, and the mounting table 13 faces the window member 12. In the processing chamber 11, a processing space U is formed between the mounting table 13 and the window member 12. In the processing space U, plasma is generated from a processing gas, as will be described later.

[0015] An electrostatic chuck (not shown) is provided on the upper surface of the mounting table 13. The substrate G placed on the mounting table 13 is attracted and held to the mounting table 13 by the electrostatic chuck. The mounting table 13 also stores lift pins 38 as shown in FIG. 3, which will be described later.

[0016] The lift pins 38 can protrude and retract from the mounting surface of the mounting table 13, allowing the substrate G to be raised and lowered. The lift pins 38 are primarily used to transfer the substrate G into and out of the processing chamber 11 through a loading / unloading port 19 (gate) described below. More specifically, the lift pins 38 lift the substrate G and transfer the substrate G between the substrate G and a loading / unloading device (not shown) installed adjacent to the processing chamber 11 and extending into the processing chamber 11. The lift pins 38 are also used to remove static electricity from the substrate G electrostatically attracted to the mounting table 13. The procedure for this removal of static electricity is as follows: First, after the film formation process is completed, the DC power supply to the electrostatic chuck is turned off. Next, a static elimination gas, such as Ar gas, N gas, or O gas, is supplied into the processing chamber 11 to form a static elimination plasma. After the static elimination plasma is formed, the substrate G is lifted up by the lift pins 38 to enhance the static elimination effect.

[0017] A temperature control mechanism such as a chiller and a heat transfer gas supply mechanism (neither of which are shown) are provided inside the mounting table 13 to control the temperature of the mounted substrate G. The mounting table 13 is installed on the bottom surface of the processing chamber 11 via an insulating frame 14.

[0018] A metal frame 15 is provided at the upper end of the side wall of the processing vessel 11, and a side wall portion 16 is installed on the upper surface of the metal frame 15. The side wall portion 16 supports a top plate 17, and the top plate 17 covers the window member 12 from above. A sealing member 18 such as an O-ring is provided between the side wall of the processing vessel 11 and the metal frame 15 to keep the processing space U airtight.

[0019] One side wall of the processing vessel 11 is provided with a loading / unloading port 19 for loading / unloading the substrate G into / from the processing space U, and a gate valve 20 for opening / closing the loading / unloading port 19. A monitoring window 21 (observation window) in which an optically transparent member is airtightly fitted is provided on the other side wall of the processing vessel 11. A camera 22 (photographer) for monitoring the interior of the processing vessel 11 through the monitoring window 21 is provided adjacent to the film forming apparatus 10 on the outside of the processing vessel 11. The camera 22 may be provided as part of the film forming apparatus 10. The camera 22 transmits a video of the interior of the processing vessel 11 that it has captured to the information processing device 40. In this embodiment, the image captured by the camera 22 is a video, not a still image. For example, the video captured by the camera 22 includes information about the state of the substrate G from when the substrate G is placed on the mounting table 13 to when the process of removing the substrate G from the mounting table 13 by the lift pins 38 is completed.

[0020] The window member 12 is made of a conductor, for example, metal, has a rectangular shape, and is divided into a plurality of segments 23, with a partition member 24 made of an insulator disposed between each of the adjacent segments 23. The partition members 24 separate the adjacent segments 23 and electrically insulate them from one another.

[0021] In the film forming apparatus 10, the space surrounded by the window member 12, the side wall portion 16, and the top plate 17 constitutes an antenna chamber 25. In the antenna chamber 25, an inductive coupling antenna 26 is disposed so as to face the substrate G on the mounting table 13 across the window member 12. The inductive coupling antenna 26 is disposed across the regions facing the respective segments 23 as a whole, and is formed in a spiral shape so as to wrap around in the circumferential direction of the window member 12, but the shape of the inductive coupling antenna 26 is not limited to a spiral shape.

[0022] Each divided piece 23 has a number of gas holes 27 formed therein, which open toward the processing space U. A gas supply pipe 28 is connected to each divided piece 23, and the gas supply pipe 28 is connected to a gas supply device 29. A gas diffusion chamber 30 is formed inside each divided piece 23, and the gas supply device 29 introduces processing gas into the gas diffusion chamber 30 via the gas supply pipe 28. The processing gas introduced into the gas diffusion chamber 30 is supplied to the processing space U through the gas holes 27.

[0023] In the film forming apparatus 10, a high-frequency power supply 32 is connected to the inductively coupled antenna 26 via a matching box 31. The high-frequency power supply 32 supplies high-frequency power for generating plasma, for example, 13.56 MHz, to the inductively coupled antenna 26. As a result, eddy currents are induced in each of the segments 23 constituting the window member 12, circulating from the upper surface (the inductively coupled antenna 26 side) to the lower surface (the processing space U side). These eddy currents form an inductive electric field in the processing space U. This inductive electric field then excites the processing gas supplied to the processing space U to generate plasma. Note that, although the above-described embodiment has been described as being made of a conductor such as metal, the window member 12 may also be made of a dielectric. In this case, the electric field formed by the inductively coupled antenna 26 penetrates the window member 12 and directly acts on the processing gas to generate plasma. Furthermore, the gas diffusion chamber, gas holes, etc. are formed, for example, in a support beam supporting the dielectric.

[0024] Furthermore, a high-frequency power supply 34 is connected to the mounting table 13 via a matching box 33. The high-frequency power supply 34 supplies, for example, 3.2 MHz high-frequency bias power to the mounting table 13. This allows various ions in the plasma in the processing space U to be attracted to the substrate G, thereby performing a film formation process to form various films on the substrate G. Note that the film formation apparatus 10 may also perform an etching process on the substrate G by attracting various ions to the substrate G. In this case, the film formation apparatus 10 functions as an etching apparatus.

[0025] Furthermore, in the film forming apparatus 10, an exhaust port 35 is formed on the bottom surface of the processing vessel 11. An exhaust device 36, such as a turbomolecular pump or a dry pump, is connected to this exhaust port 35. When performing the film forming process, the exhaust device 36 maintains the processing space U at a predetermined pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. The film forming apparatus 10 is also provided with a control unit 37. The control unit 37 is a control device consisting of a computer having at least a CPU and memory, and the memory stores a recipe (program) for performing a series of substrate processes, such as the film forming process and static elimination of the substrate G. The recipe also includes information for performing pin-up of the substrate. The control unit 37 controls the execution of the processes performed on the substrate.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining an image of the inside of the processing vessel 11 captured by the camera 22 in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3, Fig. 3(A) and Fig. 3(B) each show a captured image of one frame among a plurality of frames constituting a moving image captured by the camera 22.

[0027] As described above, the camera 22 captures images of the interior of the processing vessel 11 through the monitoring window 21, specifically, from a first state in which the substrate G is placed on the mounting table 13 (hereinafter referred to as the "pin-down state") to a second state in which the process of removing the substrate G from the mounting table 13 by the lift pins 38 is completed (hereinafter referred to as the "pin-up state"), and obtains a video including the captured image shown in FIG. 3(A) and the captured image shown in FIG. 3(B). The captured image of the pin-down state shown in FIG. 3(A) includes structural components inside the processing vessel 11, such as the mounting table 13 and the substrate G placed on the mounting table 13. The captured image of the pin-up state shown in FIG. 3(B) includes the mounting table 13, the substrate G, and the lift pins 38 lifting the substrate G. The camera 22 then transmits the video to the information processing device 40. In this embodiment, a configuration is described in which the camera 22 directly transmits video to the information processing device 40, but the camera 22 may also be configured to transmit video to the information processing device 40 via the control unit 37 of the film forming apparatus 10.

[0028] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic hardware configuration of the information processing device 40 shown in Fig. 1. The information processing device 40 is, for example, a personal computer. The information processing device 40 includes a CPU 41, a ROM 42, a RAM 43, an HDD 44, a communication I / F 45, and an input / output I / F 46, which are connected to each other via a system bus 47 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0029] The CPU 41 is a microprocessor that performs overall control of the information processing device 40. Specifically, the CPU 41 reads out programs stored in the ROM 42 or HDD 44, and executes the programs deployed on the RAM 43. The ROM 42 stores the programs and the like to be executed by the CPU 41. The RAM 43 is used as the main memory of the CPU 41, and is also used as an area for temporarily storing programs and data.

[0030] The HDD 44 stores various data and programs executed by the CPU 41. Note that, in the present embodiment, a configuration will be described in which the information processing device 40 includes an HDD as an example of a storage device, but the information processing device 40 may include a storage device other than an HDD, such as an SSD.

[0031] The communication I / F 45 is an interface through which the information processing device 40 communicates with external devices. For example, the communication I / F 45 receives video captured by the camera 22 from the camera 22. Note that communication via the communication I / F 45 is realized by various communication technologies, whether wireless or wired. The input / output I / F 46 is connected to an output device such as a display that displays various types of information, and an input device such as a mouse or keyboard that is used by the user.

[0032] Next, a substrate abnormality detection process for determining whether or not a crack has occurred in the substrate placed on the mounting table 13 in the processing chamber 11 of the film forming apparatus 10 will be described.

[0033] 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the substrate abnormality detection process executed by the information processing device 40 of FIG. 1. The substrate abnormality detection process of FIG. 5 is realized by the CPU 41 executing a program stored in the ROM 42 or the HDD 44. The substrate abnormality detection process of FIG. 5 is executed, for example, when the information processing device 40 receives an instruction from a user to start the substrate abnormality detection process. In this embodiment, it is assumed that a recipe used when the film forming apparatus 10 executes a series of processes such as the film forming process and the static elimination of the substrate G is stored in advance in a storage device (internal or external) of the control unit 37. The recipe stored in the storage device is loaded into the memory of the control unit 37 when the process is executed. This recipe includes, for example, a pin-up start time and a pin-up end time.

[0034] 5, first, CPU 41 acquires from camera 22 a video captured by camera 22 (S500). As described above, this video is a video captured from the pin-down state to the pin-up state. In this embodiment, the video captured by camera 22 is described as a video obtained by color photography, as an example. CPU 41 also acquires from control unit 37 a recipe stored in the storage device of control unit 37. At this time, it is not necessary for all information included in the recipe to be acquired by the CPU 41, but it is sufficient if at least information relating to the pin-up start time and pin-up end time is acquired. The timing for acquiring the recipe is not limited to this timing, and the information processing device 40 may acquire the recipe in advance from the control unit 37 before starting this process. In S500, the video may be associated with the time included in the recipe.

[0035] Next, the CPU 41 sets an evaluation range for the acquired video using four-point coordinates previously specified by the user (S501). In this embodiment, before starting this process, the user uses an image in a pin-up state to specify four-point coordinates that surround the mounting surface portion of the image. At this time, the user specifies the coordinates so that the pin-up board G is not included within the outline. As such, in this embodiment, the evaluation range is set for all images constituting the video so that the mounting surface in the image does not include the board G when the board G is completely removed from the mounting surface. Note that in the pin-down state, the mounting surface is obscured by the board G, so in the image in the pin-down state, the evaluation range set using the above four-point coordinates is a portion of the board G surrounded by points 61a to 61d in FIG. 6(A) (hereinafter referred to as the "board portion"). Note that the board portion surrounded by points 61a to 61d preferably corresponds to the majority of the board G.

[0036] Next, the CPU 41 acquires (generates) a first grayscale image that expresses an image of the pin-down state in grayscale based on the acquired video (S502). Specifically, the CPU 41 acquires a frame image from the video that corresponds to a time indicating the pin-down state included in the recipe (for example, the start time of pin-up), and converts this frame image to grayscale to generate the first grayscale image.

[0037] Next, the CPU 41 acquires (generates) a second grayscale image that expresses the image of the pin-up state in grayscale based on the acquired moving image (S503). Specifically, the CPU 41 acquires a frame image from this moving image that corresponds to the time indicating the pin-up state included in the recipe (for example, the end time of the pin-up), and converts this frame image into grayscale to generate the second grayscale image.

[0038] Next, the CPU 41 calculates a first average value by averaging the pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the first grayscale image (S504). Note that the evaluation range of the first grayscale image, which represents the image in the pin-down state in grayscale, is the board portion as shown in Fig. 6(A), and the first average value is the average value of the pixel values ​​in the board portion.

[0039] Next, the CPU 41 calculates a second average value by averaging the pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the second grayscale image (S505). The evaluation range of the second grayscale image, which represents the image in the pin-up state in grayscale, is a part of the mounting surface of the mounting table 13 (hereinafter referred to as the "mounting surface portion"), and the second average value is the average value of the pixel values ​​of the mounting surface portion. If a crack has occurred in the substrate, the evaluation range of the second grayscale image will include part of the cracked substrate portion, and therefore the second average value will be the average value of the pixel values ​​of the mounting surface portion with the cracked substrate portion remaining.

[0040] Next, the CPU 41 determines a reference value for binarization based on pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the first grayscale image (S506). Specifically, the CPU 41 determines the first average value as the reference value for binarization. That is, the average value of pixel values ​​in the area where the mounting surface is covered with the substrate G becomes the reference value for binarization. However, since the substrate G is evenly illuminated under the plasma emission, there is little variation in pixel values ​​corresponding to the substrate G. Therefore, it is appropriate to use the average value of pixel values ​​in the area covered with the substrate G as the reference value for binarization.

[0041] Next, the CPU 41 binarizes the second grayscale image using the binarization reference value determined in S506 to acquire (generate) a binarized image (S507). Here, depending on the conditions inside the processing vessel 11, the substrate G may not necessarily be detected as brighter. Therefore, in this embodiment, the CPU 41 compares the first average value with the second average value. If the first average value indicates that the substrate G is brighter than the mounting surface, the CPU 41 binarizes the second grayscale image by defining pixels having values ​​equal to or greater than the binarization reference value (first average value) as white pixels to acquire a binarized image. On the other hand, if the second average value indicates that the substrate G is brighter than the mounting surface, the CPU 41 binarizes the second grayscale image by defining pixels having values ​​equal to or less than the binarization reference value (first average value) as white pixels to acquire a binarized image. In this way, in this embodiment, a binarized image in which the substrate G is generally white can be acquired.

[0042] Note that, when the reference value for binarization is the first average value, when pixels with values ​​equal to or greater than the first average value are designated as white, pixels with values ​​less than the first average value become black pixels even if they are in the substrate portion, and when pixels with values ​​equal to or less than the first average value are designated as white, pixels with values ​​greater than the first average value become black pixels even if they are in the substrate portion. In other words, the substrate portion in the second grayscale image does not become entirely white. However, because the entire substrate G is evenly illuminated by the plasma emission and the brightness of the substrate G becomes approximately uniform, even when the first average value is designated as the reference value for binarization, the substrate portion in the second grayscale image is converted to approximately white.

[0043] Next, the CPU 41 determines whether the proportion of white pixels in the evaluation range of the binarized image is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The threshold is, for example, 40%. In this embodiment, the binarization reference value is the first average value. However, even in bare portions of the mounting surface that are not covered by the substrate, some portions may be converted to white after being converted to grayscale because they are equal to or less than the binarization reference value or greater than the binarization reference value. In other words, since there is a possibility that some portions of the mounting surface may be converted to white, in this embodiment, the standard white proportion (threshold) for determining that the substrate G remains is set to 40% rather than 0%.

[0044] If it is determined in S508 that the ratio of white pixels in the evaluation range of the binarized image is equal to or greater than the threshold (see, for example, FIG. 6B), the CPU 41 notifies the film forming apparatus 10 that there is an abnormality in the substrate G (S509) and terminates this process. Upon receiving this notification, the film forming apparatus 10 stops the process that it was executing in order to prevent the damage caused by the abnormality in the substrate G from spreading.

[0045] If it is determined in S508 that the proportion of white pixels in the evaluation range of the binarized image is less than the threshold value (see, for example, FIG. 6C), the CPU 41 notifies the film forming apparatus 10 that there is no abnormality in the substrate G (S510) and ends this process. Upon receiving this notification, the film forming apparatus 10 continues the process that it was executing. Alternatively, if there is no abnormality, the film forming apparatus 10 may be allowed to continue the process that it is executing without any particular notification. Note that in this process, the notification in S509 or S510 is issued relatively quickly, for example, within about one second, after the video is acquired in S500.

[0046] According to this embodiment, the binarization reference value is determined based on pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of a first grayscale image that represents the image in the pin-down state in grayscale. That is, regardless of whether the substrate G is cracked or not, the binarization reference value is determined from the grayscale value of the portion of the substrate in the pin-down state where the entire mounting surface is covered by the substrate G. Therefore, the crack in the substrate G does not affect this reference value. Furthermore, a first average value obtained by averaging pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the first grayscale image is compared with a second average value obtained by averaging pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of a second grayscale image that represents the image in the pin-up state in grayscale. If the first average value indicates a brighter image, pixels with values ​​equal to or greater than the binarization reference value are designated as white pixels. If the second average value indicates a brighter image, pixels with values ​​equal to or less than the binarization reference value are designated as white pixels. This allows for the acquisition of a binarized image in which the area of ​​the substrate G is generally white. Furthermore, if the ratio of white pixels in the evaluation range of this binarized image is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that a crack has occurred in the substrate G. This makes it possible to detect abnormalities in the substrate G using only the image.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the determination regarding cracks in the substrate G is made based on the video, the determination result regarding cracks in the substrate G can be output in a relatively short time, for example, in about one second. Therefore, the determination result is output almost immediately after the state in which the process of removing the substrate G from the mounting surface is completed is photographed. This makes it possible to detect abnormalities in the substrate G before the substrate G is transported to the gate.

[0048] Furthermore, the first grayscale image for determining the binarization reference value and the second grayscale image binarized to determine whether or not cracks have occurred in the substrate G are acquired from the same video, i.e., from images captured under the same shooting conditions. This prevents a problem in which an image that should be converted to white in the second grayscale image is not converted to white when pixels are converted using the binarization reference value due to different shooting conditions for the first grayscale image and the second grayscale image.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a first grayscale image is acquired based on an image in the video that corresponds to a time that indicates a pin-down state of the recipe, and a second grayscale image is acquired based on an image in the video that corresponds to a time that indicates a pin-up state of the recipe. This makes it possible to reliably acquire the first grayscale image that represents the image in the pin-down state in grayscale and the second grayscale image that represents the image in the pin-up state in grayscale, which are necessary for detecting an abnormality in the substrate G.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, video recording is performed under the plasma light emitted by the plasma, so that video recording for detecting abnormalities in the substrate G can be performed using the plasma light emission without providing a separate light source.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the information processing device 40, which is a substrate abnormality detection device, is a separate device from the film forming device 10, and therefore can also be used to detect substrate abnormalities in other substrate processing devices having a configuration similar to that of the film forming device 10.

[0052] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0053] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the video captured by the camera 22 is described as a video obtained by color photography, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the video captured by the camera 22 may be a video obtained by monochrome photography. In such a configuration, the first grayscale image and the second grayscale image can be directly acquired from the captured video, thereby reducing the processing load required to acquire these images and, in turn, reducing the overall processing load for detecting abnormalities in the substrate G.

[0054] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the substrate abnormality detection device is the information processing device 40 separate from the film forming apparatus 10, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the film forming apparatus 10 may have the functions of the information processing device 40. In this case, the control unit 37 of the film forming apparatus 10 executes a process corresponding to the above-described substrate abnormality detection process. Even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

[0055] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which only one camera captures video has been described, but this configuration is not limited thereto. For example, multiple cameras capturing video at different angles of view may each capture video. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , in a configuration in which two cameras 22a and 22b capturing video from different angles each capture video, if the proportion of white in either of two binarized images acquired based on the two videos captured by the two cameras 22a and 22b is equal to or greater than a threshold, it is determined that a crack has occurred in the substrate G. In other words, because it is determined whether or not a crack has occurred in the substrate G based on videos captured from different angles, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a crack in the substrate G from being overlooked and improve the accuracy of detecting abnormalities in the substrate G.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the processing vessel 11 has been described as having a rectangular cylindrical shape, but the shape of the processing vessel 11 is not limited to a rectangular cylindrical shape. For example, the processing vessel 11 may have another shape, such as a cylindrical shape.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the binarization reference value was described as the first average value, but the binarization reference value is not limited to the first average value. However, if the binarization reference value is changed from the first average value, the area of ​​the portion converted to white, even on the placement surface, will change. Therefore, it is necessary to change the reference white percentage for determining that the substrate G remains, i.e., the threshold used in S508. For example, if the binarization reference value is changed so that each grayscale portion is more easily converted to white, it is considered that the area of ​​the portion converted to white, even on the placement surface, will increase. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the reference white percentage (threshold) for determining that the substrate G remains, for example, from 40% to 50%. Furthermore, if the binarization reference value is changed so that each grayscale portion is more difficult to convert to white, it is considered that the area of ​​the portion converted to white, even on the substrate G, will decrease. Therefore, it is necessary to decrease the reference white percentage (threshold) for determining that the substrate G remains, for example, from 40% to 30%.

[0058] In this embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus has been described as being applied to a film formation apparatus, but is not limited thereto. The substrate processing apparatus may be an etching apparatus, an ashing apparatus, or another type of substrate processing apparatus that performs a process of separating a substrate placed on a mounting table from the mounting table using lift pins. That is, the processing performed on the substrate is not limited to film formation processing, but may be etching processing, ashing processing, or other processing. In addition, in this embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus has been described as being an inductively coupled plasma apparatus, but is not limited thereto. Other types of plasma apparatus may be used, such as a capacitively coupled plasma apparatus or a microwave plasma apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 10 Film deposition equipment 11 Processing container 21 Observation Window 22, 22a, 22b Camera 37 Control Unit 38 Lift Pin 40 Information processing equipment 41 CPU

Claims

1. A substrate abnormality detection method for detecting cracks in a substrate being processed in a processing vessel of a substrate processing apparatus by a substrate abnormality detection device, comprising: The substrate processing apparatus includes: a mounting table provided in the processing chamber and having a mounting surface on which the substrate is placed; lifting pins that can be protruded and retracted from the mounting surface and can lift and lower the substrate; At least one observation window provided in a sidewall of the processing vessel; a control device for controlling the execution of the processing performed on the substrate, acquiring a video captured by at least one camera that captures an image of the inside of the processing vessel through the observation window, the video including a first state in which the substrate is placed on the placement surface to a second state in which the process of removing the substrate from the placement surface by the lift pins is completed; a step of setting an evaluation range on the placement surface in each of the images constituting the moving image so that the substrate is not included in the placement surface when the substrate is completely removed from the placement surface; acquiring a first grayscale image that represents the image of the first state in grayscale based on the moving image; acquiring a second grayscale image that represents the image of the second state in grayscale based on the moving image; calculating a first average value by averaging pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the first grayscale image; calculating a second average value by averaging pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the second grayscale image; determining a reference value for binarization based on pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the first grayscale image; a step of comparing the first average value with the second average value, and if the first average value is a value indicating that the image is brighter, setting pixels having a value equal to or greater than the binarization reference value as white pixels, and if the second average value is a value indicating that the image is brighter, setting pixels having a value equal to or less than the binarization reference value as white pixels, thereby binarizing the second grayscale image to obtain a binarized image; and determining that a crack has occurred in the substrate if the proportion of white pixels in the evaluation range of the binary image is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

2. 2. The substrate abnormality detection method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate processing apparatus further executes the processing based on a preset recipe, acquires the first grayscale image based on an image in the video that corresponds to a time indicating a first state of the recipe, and acquires the second grayscale image based on an image in the video that corresponds to a time indicating a second state of the recipe.

3. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a plasma generating means for generating plasma, 2. The substrate abnormality detection method according to claim 1, wherein the step of capturing the moving image is performed in the presence of plasma light emitted by the plasma.

4. Two cameras are arranged to capture images of the inside of the processing vessel from different angles, 2. A substrate abnormality detection method as described in claim 1, wherein in the judging process, if the proportion of white in either of the two binary images obtained based on the two videos taken by the two camera cameras is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it is judged that a crack has occurred in the substrate.

5. 2. The method for detecting an abnormality in a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the reference value for binarization is the first average value.

6. The video is a video obtained by color photography, In the step of acquiring the first grayscale image, an image of the first state is acquired from the moving image, and the first grayscale image is generated from the image of the first state; 2. The substrate abnormality detection method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of acquiring the second grayscale image, an image of the second state is acquired from the moving image, and the second grayscale image is generated from the image of the second state.

7. 2. The method for detecting an abnormality in a circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the video is a video obtained by monochrome photography.

8. 2. The substrate abnormality detection method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the video includes a step of transmitting the video captured by the camera from the camera to the control device, and a step of transmitting the video from the control device to the substrate abnormality detection device.

9. A substrate abnormality detection device that detects cracks in a substrate being processed in a processing vessel of a substrate processing apparatus, acquiring a video from at least one camera that photographs the inside of the processing vessel through at least one observation window provided in a sidewall of the processing vessel, the video including at least a first state in which the substrate is placed on a mounting surface of a mounting table provided in the processing vessel, to a second state in which a process of removing the substrate from the mounting surface by elevating pins that can be protruded and retracted from the mounting surface and can elevate and lower the substrate is completed; a step of setting an evaluation range on the placement surface in each of the images constituting the moving image so that the substrate is not included in the placement surface when the substrate is completely removed from the placement surface; acquiring a first grayscale image that represents the image of the first state in grayscale based on the moving image; acquiring a second grayscale image that represents the image in the second state in grayscale based on the moving image; calculating a first average value by averaging pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the first grayscale image; calculating a second average value by averaging pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the second grayscale image; determining a reference value for binarization based on pixel values ​​in the evaluation range of the first grayscale image; a step of comparing the first average value with the second average value, and if the first average value is a value indicating that the image is brighter, setting pixels having a value equal to or greater than the binarization reference value as white pixels, and if the second average value is a value indicating that the image is brighter, setting pixels having a value equal to or less than the binarization reference value as white pixels, thereby binarizing the second grayscale image to obtain a binarized image; and determining that a crack has occurred in the substrate if the proportion of white pixels in the evaluation range of the binarized image is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

10. 10. The substrate abnormality detection device according to claim 9, wherein the substrate abnormality detection device is an information processing device separate from the substrate processing device.

11. The substrate abnormality detection device according to claim 9 , wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes the substrate abnormality detection device.

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