Substrate adjustment method and substrate adjustment device

Abstract

To provide a substrate conditioning method capable of producing a high-quality inspection substrate by reliably adsorbing contaminants onto the substrate surface. [Solution] The substrate conditioning method of the present invention includes a liquid supplying process for supplying, to the surface of the substrate, a liquid in which particles having a dispersion of an electric charge opposite to the charge on the electrically charged substrate surface. That is, the liquid supplying process is a substrate conditioning process for the substrate W, in which a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed is supplied to the central portion of the substrate, which has a negative charge, and a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed is supplied to the peripheral portion of the substrate, which has a positive charge.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate preparation method and apparatus for preparing a substrate for inspection by adhering particles to the substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an evaluation sample manufacturing device capable of forming any contamination pattern on a substrate. The device includes a spin chuck for holding the substrate, an applicator capable of holding a contaminant liquid containing contaminants, and a moving device for moving the applicator to bring the applicator into contact with any position on the substrate held by the spin chuck. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-205346 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional methods do not adequately optimize the contaminant solution. Even when attempting to manufacture evaluation sample substrates using the same contaminant solution, there are cases where the contaminants are not sufficiently adsorbed onto the substrate. While this problem is thought to be due to the condition of the substrate surface, no specific solution has been proposed.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a substrate adjustment method and substrate adjustment device that can reliably adsorb contaminants onto the substrate surface and produce high-quality inspection substrates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration: That is, a substrate adjustment method of the present invention is a substrate adjustment method for producing a substrate for inspection, which includes the steps of: A liquid supply process is provided to supply the substrate surface with a liquid containing dispersed particles that have an opposite charge to the charge on the substrate surface. It is characterized by the following.

[0007] [Actions and Effects] The above-described configuration includes a liquid supply process for supplying a liquid to the substrate surface in which particles carrying an opposite charge to the charge of the charged substrate surface are dispersed. This configuration ensures that contaminants are adsorbed onto the substrate surface. That is, according to the present invention, negatively charged contaminant particles are supplied to a positively charged substrate surface, and similarly, positively charged contaminant particles are supplied to a negatively charged substrate surface. In either case, the substrate surface and the contaminant particles attract each other. In this way, the contaminant particles can be reliably adsorbed onto the substrate surface. That is, according to the present invention, high-quality test substrates can be produced.

[0008] In the above-described substrate adjustment method, When the substrate surface includes negatively charged regions and positively charged regions, It is preferable that the liquid supplying process includes a first process of supplying a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed to the substrate surface, and a second process of supplying a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed to the substrate surface.

[0009] [Actions and Effects] According to the above-mentioned configuration, when the substrate surface includes negatively charged areas and positively charged areas, the liquid supply process includes a first process of supplying a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed to the substrate surface, and a second process of supplying a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed to the substrate surface. With this configuration, the liquid supply process can be realized by appropriately switching the liquid depending on the charge state of the substrate surface.

[0010] In the above-described substrate adjustment method, In the first step, a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed is supplied to the positively charged peripheral edge of the substrate; In the second step, it is preferable to supply a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed to the central portion of the substrate which is negatively charged.

[0011] [Operation and Effect] According to the above-mentioned configuration, in the first process, a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed is supplied to the positively charged peripheral portion of the substrate, and in the second process, a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed is supplied to the negatively charged central portion of the substrate. With this configuration, it is possible to achieve optimal particle adsorption in accordance with the unevenness of the charge on the substrate surface.

[0012] In the above-described substrate adjustment method, It is preferable to provide a liquid adjustment process for controlling the charge carried by the particles by adjusting the pH of the liquid.

[0013] [Actions and Effects] The above-mentioned configuration includes a liquid adjustment process that controls the charge on the particles by adjusting the pH of the liquid. By controlling the charge on the particles by adjusting the pH of the liquid, the control of the charge on the particles becomes easy.

[0014] In the above-described substrate adjustment method, The liquid preparation process includes: When adjusting the liquid to be acidic, carbon dioxide gas is supplied to the liquid, When the liquid is adjusted to be alkaline, it is preferable to supply ammonia to the liquid.

[0015] [Operation and Effect] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the liquid adjustment process involves supplying carbon dioxide gas to the liquid when adjusting the liquid to acidity, and supplying ammonia to the liquid when adjusting the liquid to alkaline. This configuration makes it possible to easily and reliably adjust the pH of the liquid.

[0016] The present specification also discloses a substrate preparation apparatus as follows: The substrate preparation apparatus is a substrate preparation apparatus for producing a substrate for inspection, and includes: a brush capable of applying a liquid to a substrate; a drive mechanism for driving the brush; a waiting pod for keeping the brush in the liquid; a liquid supply tank for holding the adjusted liquid; a liquid supply pipe for supplying the liquid from the liquid supply tank to the standby pod; a control unit that adjusts the liquid held in the liquid supply tank, The control unit controls the liquid supply tank to adjust the liquid in which particles having an opposite charge to the charge on the charged substrate surface are dispersed. It is characterized by the following.

[0017] [Operation and Effect] According to the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to provide a substrate conditioning device that has the same effects as the above-mentioned substrate conditioning method.

[0018] Furthermore, the substrate adjustment device described above is The liquid supply tank includes a first tank for holding a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed, and a second tank for holding a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed, The control unit A liquid to be supplied to the negatively charged substrate surface is prepared in the first tank; It is preferable to prepare the liquid to be supplied to the positively charged substrate surface in the second tank.

[0019] [Actions and Effects] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the liquid supply tank includes a first tank that holds a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed and a second tank that holds a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed, and the control unit adjusts the liquid to be supplied to the negatively charged substrate surface in the first tank and adjusts the liquid to be supplied to the positively charged substrate surface in the second tank. By providing a first tank for positive charges and a second tank for negative charges in this way, the liquid supply tank can be switched depending on the part of the substrate, making it possible to produce high-quality test substrates. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate conditioning method and a substrate conditioning device that can reliably adsorb contaminants onto the substrate surface and produce high-quality substrates for inspection. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating the overall configuration of a substrate adjustment device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the overall configuration of a substrate adjustment device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the substrate adjustment device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views illustrating the operation of the substrate adjustment device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views illustrating the operation of the substrate adjustment device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views illustrating the operation of the substrate adjustment device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are plan views illustrating the operation of the substrate adjustment device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams illustrating the principle of substrate adjustment according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams illustrating the principle of substrate adjustment according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a first tank according to a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a second tank according to a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The substrate conditioning device according to the present invention is configured to apply particles simulating particles to the surface of an unprocessed substrate (silicon wafer). The substrate coated with particles by the substrate conditioning device is used mainly for testing to evaluate the cleaning performance of a substrate processing apparatus that performs substrate cleaning. [Example]

[0023] <1. Overall structure> Fig. 1 explains the external shape of the substrate conditioning apparatus 1 in this example. As shown in Fig. 1, the substrate conditioning apparatus 1 in this example includes a chamber 41 that stores a substrate W, and a liquid adjustment unit 42 that is attached to the chamber 41. The chamber 41 is configured to receive the substrate W in a horizontal position from the outside and apply a liquid in which particles are dispersed to the substrate W, and the liquid adjustment unit 42 is configured to adjust the liquid to be applied to the substrate W.

[0024] The chamber 41 is provided with an inlet for receiving the substrate W. The shutter 43 is a mechanism that can close the inlet, and is in a closed state when the chamber 41 is conditioning the substrate W. The shutter 43 is also in an open state when the substrate W is introduced into the chamber 41 and when the substrate W is removed from the chamber 41.

[0025] 1 also illustrates a robot R that introduces a substrate W into the chamber 41 and retrieves the substrate W from the chamber 41. The robot R has a hand 44 that can hold the substrate W in a horizontal position. When introducing the substrate W into the chamber 41, the robot R inserts the hand 44 holding the substrate W into an inlet of the chamber 41. The robot R then places the substrate W on a spin chuck 8, which will be described later. Thereafter, the robot R causes the empty hand 44 to exit the chamber 41.

[0026] On the other hand, when retrieving the substrate W from the chamber 41, the robot R inserts the empty hand 44 into the inlet of the chamber 41. Then, the robot R retrieves the substrate W supported by the spin chuck 8, which will be described later. Thereafter, the robot R causes the hand 44, which is holding the substrate W, to withdraw from the chamber 41.

[0027] <2. Chamber> Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the substrate conditioning apparatus 1 of this example. Fig. 2 illustrates both the configuration of the chamber 41 and the configuration of the solution conditioning unit 42, but first, the configuration of the chamber 41 will be described in detail.

[0028] The chamber 41 mainly includes a spin chuck 8 and a brush mechanism 10. The spin chuck 8 is configured to be able to rotate the substrate W while holding it, and in this example, has a vacuum chuck 81 that holds the substrate W by suctioning the back surface of the substrate W.

[0029] The rotating shaft 82 is a cylindrical member connected to the vacuum chuck 81, and its central axis coincides with the rotation axis of the vacuum chuck 81. The motor 83 is configured to rotatably support the rotating shaft 82. The motor 83 is a power source that rotates the vacuum chuck 81 and the rotating shaft 82.

[0030] The spin chuck 8 is composed of the above-mentioned vacuum chuck 81, a rotary shaft 82, and a motor 83. The main body of the motor 83 is fixed to the bottom plate 45 of the substrate adjustment device 1.

[0031] The suction control unit 85 controls the vacuum chuck 81 to control the suction of the back surface of the substrate W. When the suction control unit 85 activates the vacuum chuck 81, the substrate W placed on the vacuum chuck 81 is adsorbed to the vacuum chuck 81. When the suction control unit 85 stops the operation of the vacuum chuck 81, the substrate W is unlocked from the vacuum chuck 81, and the substrate W is simply placed on the vacuum chuck 81. Note that the suction control unit 85 keeps the vacuum chuck 81 activated at all times while the substrate W is rotating. The suction control unit 85 activates or stops the operation of the vacuum chuck 81 only when the rotation of the substrate W is stopped.

[0032] The brush mechanism 10 includes a brush 101 that is pressed against the substrate W, an arm 102 that supports the brush 101, and a rotation / elevation mechanism 103 that rotates and elevates the arm 102. The brush 101 is capable of penetrating a liquid having particles dispersed therein. The brush 101 that has been permeated with the liquid is pressed against the surface of the substrate W, and the liquid that has permeated the brush 101 is transferred to the surface of the substrate W. The brush 101 is configured to be able to apply the liquid to the substrate W.

[0033] The rotary lifting mechanism 103 corresponds to the drive mechanism of the present invention, and is configured to drive the brush 101. The rotary lifting mechanism 103 can move the brush 101 closer to the substrate W or move the brush 101 away from the substrate W by rotating the arm 102. Furthermore, the rotary lifting mechanism 103 can apply liquid to a predetermined portion of the substrate W by moving the brush 101 over the substrate W. Such oscillation of the brush 101 over the substrate W is called the scanning operation of the brush 101.

[0034] The standby pod 32 is configured to keep the brush 101 in the liquid. That is, the standby pod 32 is configured to hold the liquid and is provided for the purpose of preventing the brush 101 from drying out. That is, the brush 101 is initially immersed in the standby pod 32 and is exposed to the liquid held by the standby pod 32. In this way, the liquid held by the standby pod 32 permeates the brush 101. Therefore, the type of liquid to be applied to the substrate W by the brush 101 can be changed by adjusting the liquid held by the standby pod 32. The standby pod 32 is provided with a communication port 33 to which a pipe extending from the liquid adjusting unit 42 is connected. The liquid to be applied to the substrate W can be changed by selecting the type of liquid to be supplied to this communication port 33.

[0035] The cup 53 is a cylindrical member that surrounds the periphery of the spin chuck 8, and can be freely raised and lowered relative to the vacuum chuck 81. The cup 53 is raised and lowered by a cup lifting mechanism .

[0036] <3. Liquid adjustment unit> The configuration of the liquid adjusting unit 42 of this example will be described with continued reference to Figure 2. The liquid adjusting unit 42 of this example is configured to adjust the liquid held in the standby pod 32 described above.

[0037] The liquid adjustment unit 42 is capable of adjusting two types of liquid. That is, the liquid adjustment unit 42 has a first tank 11 and a second tank 21, each of which holds a different type of liquid. The first tank 11 and the second tank 21 both correspond to the liquid supply tanks of the present invention. The first tank 11 and the second tank 21 are configured to hold the adjusted liquid.

[0038] First tank 11 holds a liquid in which particles resembling particles are dispersed. Paddle 12 is immersed in first tank 11, has a rotation axis, and is provided for the purpose of stirring the liquid held in first tank 11. An air inlet 13 for releasing, for example, carbon dioxide gas is provided on the bottom surface of first tank 11. The carbon dioxide gas released from air inlet 13 is stirred into the liquid by paddle 12, adjusting the pH of the liquid.

[0039] In addition, the first tank 11 is provided with a liquid supply port 14 for introducing pure water and a discharge port 15 for supplying the liquid in the first tank 11 to the chamber 41.

[0040] The first pipe 17 connects the outlet 15 of the first tank 11 to the communication port 33 of the standby pod 32. The liquid in the first tank 11 can flow from the outlet 15 through the first pipe 17 to the communication port 33 of the standby pod 32. In this way, the liquid in the first tank 11 is transported to the standby pod 32. The first valve 16 is provided midway along the first pipe 17 and controls the flow of liquid between the first tank 11 and the standby pod. The pH control unit 31 is configured to control the pH of the liquid in the standby pod 32 and opens and closes the first valve 16. When the pH control unit 31 opens the first valve 16, the liquid held in the first tank 11 flows into the standby pod 32, lowering the pH of the liquid in the standby pod 32. The first pipe 17 corresponds to a liquid supply pipe according to the present invention and is configured to supply the liquid in the first tank 11 to the standby pod 32.

[0041] Second tank 21 holds a liquid in which particles resembling the particles are dispersed. Paddle 22 is immersed in second tank 21, has a rotation axis, and is provided for the purpose of stirring the liquid held in second tank 21. A liquid supply port 23 for discharging, for example, ammonia water is provided on the bottom surface of second tank 21. The ammonia discharged from liquid supply port 23 is stirred into the liquid by paddle 22, and the pH of the liquid is adjusted.

[0042] In addition, the second tank 21 is provided with a liquid supply port 24 for introducing pure water and a discharge port 25 for supplying the liquid in the second tank 21 to the chamber 41.

[0043] The second pipe 27 connects the outlet 25 of the second tank 21 to the communication port 33 of the standby pod 32. The liquid in the second tank 21 can flow from the outlet 25 through the second pipe 27 to the communication port 33 of the standby pod 32. In this way, the liquid in the second tank 21 is transported to the standby pod 32. The second valve 26 is provided midway along the second pipe 27 and controls the flow of liquid between the second tank 21 and the standby pod. The pH control unit 31 is configured to control the pH of the liquid in the standby pod 32 and opens and closes the second valve 26. When the pH control unit 31 opens the second valve 26, the liquid held in the second tank 21 flows into the standby pod 32, increasing the pH of the liquid in the standby pod 32. The second pipe 27 corresponds to the liquid supply pipe of the present invention and is configured to supply the liquid in the second tank 21 to the standby pod 32.

[0044] <4. Other configurations> FIG. 1 explains the control unit 131 of this example. The control unit 131 of this example is composed of, for example, a CPU (central processing unit) and is configured to control the substrate preparation apparatus 1. The control performed by the control unit 131 includes, for example, control of the opening and closing operation of the shutter 43, control of the cup lifting mechanism 54, control of the motor 83, and control of the rotary lifting mechanism 103. The control unit 131 of this example also has the functions of a pH control unit 31 and a suction control unit 85. The control unit 131 is configured to adjust the liquids held in the first tank 11 and the second tank 21. The control unit 131 of this example may be configured to realize these controls by a single device or by multiple devices.

[0045] 1 also describes the storage unit 132 of this example. The storage unit 132 of this example stores programs, parameters, etc. necessary for the operation of the substrate adjustment apparatus 1. The control unit 131 of this example is configured to operate by accessing the storage unit 132. The specific configuration of the storage unit 132 is not particularly limited.

[0046] <5. Operation of the substrate adjustment device> Hereinafter, the operation of the substrate conditioning apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0047] Step S11: In the liquid adjustment unit 42, the liquid in the first tank 11 and the liquid in the second tank 21 are adjusted. Carbon dioxide gas is supplied from the air inlet 13 of the first tank 11, and the pH of the liquid held in the first tank 11 decreases, making it acidic. Ammonia water is supplied from the liquid inlet 23 of the second tank 21, and the pH of the liquid held in the second tank 21 increases, making it alkaline. This step corresponds to the liquid adjustment process of the present invention.

[0048] In this step, the first valve 16 is closed and the second valve is open. Therefore, the liquid held in the standby pod 32 is the same as the liquid held in the second tank .

[0049] Step S12: An unadjusted substrate W is loaded into the chamber 41. FIG. 4 illustrates the substrate adjusting apparatus 1 when the substrate is loaded. When the substrate W is loaded into the substrate adjusting apparatus 1, the cup 53 is lowered. This prevents the hand 44 of the robot R from colliding with the cup 53 when the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck 8. Thereafter, the suction control unit 85 controls the vacuum chuck 81 to adsorb the substrate W onto the vacuum chuck 81. Thereafter, the control unit 131 controls the cup lifting mechanism 54 to raise the cup 53. Then, the control unit 131 controls the motor 83 to start rotating the substrate W.

[0050] Step S13: The brush 101, which is in an initial state and immersed in the waiting pod 32, is raised from the waiting pod 32 and moved to the peripheral edge of the substrate W. The brush 101 is pressed against the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and the substrate W is rotated in this state. Therefore, the alkaline liquid is applied to a ring-shaped region on the peripheral edge of the substrate W. Such movement of the brush 101 is achieved by the rotary lift mechanism 103. Note that if a scanning operation of the brush 101 is performed in this step, the thickness of the ring-shaped region on the substrate W to which the liquid is applied can be increased. FIG. 5 shows how the brush 101 is pressed against the peripheral edge of the substrate W in this step. This step corresponds to the first process in the liquid supply process of the present invention.

[0051] Step S14: When application of the liquid to the peripheral edge of the substrate W is completed, the brush 101 returns from the upper surface of the substrate W to the waiting pod 32. At this time, the first valve 16 is in the open state, and the second valve 26 is in the closed state. Therefore, the liquid held in the waiting pod 32 becomes the same as the liquid held in the first tank 11.

[0052] Step S15: The brush 101, which has been immersed in the standby pod 32, is raised from the standby pod 32 and moved to the center of the substrate W. The brush 101 is pressed against the center of the substrate W, and the substrate W is rotated in this state. Therefore, the acidic liquid is applied to a circular area in the center of the substrate W. Such movement of the brush 101 is achieved by the rotary lift mechanism 103. Note that if a scanning operation of the brush 101 is performed in this step, the thickness of the circular area on the substrate W to which the liquid is applied can be increased. FIG. 6 shows how the brush 101 is pressed against the center of the substrate W in this step. This step corresponds to the second step in the liquid supplying step of the present invention.

[0053] Step S16: The adjusted substrate W is unloaded from the chamber 41. The substrate adjustment apparatus 1 during substrate unloading can be explained using FIG. 4. When the substrate W is unloaded into the substrate adjustment apparatus 1, the cup 53 is lowered. This prevents the hand 44 of the robot R, which retrieves the substrate W placed on the spin chuck 8, from colliding with the cup 53. Prior to substrate transport, the suction control unit 85 controls the vacuum chuck 81 to terminate suction of the substrate W by the vacuum chuck 81. The adjusted substrate W is unloaded from the chamber 41 by the hand 44, and the operation of the substrate adjustment apparatus 1 of this example is completed.

[0054] Fig. 7 is a plan view of the substrate W finally produced by the above-described operations. As shown in Fig. 7, the central portion of the substrate W is a circular region R1 to which the acidic liquid is applied, and the peripheral portion of the substrate W is a ring-shaped region R2 to which the alkaline liquid is applied.

[0055] <6. Charging of the substrate> In this way, by switching the liquid to be applied depending on the region of the substrate W, a high-quality inspection substrate can be prepared, and this point will be explained below. Figure 8 explains the charging state of the substrate W dried by spin drying. As shown in Figure 8, the upper surface of the substrate W is positively charged at the periphery and negatively charged at the center.

[0056] 7. Relationship between pH of liquid and zeta potential of particles When attempting to adsorb particles onto such a substrate W, it is preferable to supply negatively charged particles to the positively charged peripheral portion of the substrate W, and it is preferable to supply positively charged particles to the negatively charged central portion of the substrate W. In this example, the charge state of the particles can be controlled by adjusting the pH of the liquid.

[0057] Figure 9 is a graph showing the correlation between the zeta potential of various particles and the pH of the liquid in which the particles are dispersed. Simply put, zeta potential is an index that indicates the charge state of a particle; if this value is positive, the particle is positively charged. Similarly, if the zeta potential is negative, the particle is negatively charged.

[0058] The graph in Figure 9 plots the zeta potential of PSL (polystylene latex) particles, Si3N4 particles, SiO2 particles, and Si particles, which mimic particles that cause problems in various substrate processing, for each pH of the liquid in which they are dispersed. When the pH of the liquid is low, the zeta potential of each particle tends to be high. On the other hand, when the pH of the liquid is high, the zeta potential of each particle tends to be low.

[0059] The graph in Figure 9 shows that the zeta potential (particularly the charge) of particles can be adjusted to a desired value by adjusting the pH of the liquid in which the particles are dispersed. According to this example, an alkaline liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed is supplied to the positively charged peripheral portion of the substrate W, and an acidic liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed is supplied to the negatively charged central portion of the substrate W. In other words, the charge carried by the particles is changed by adjusting the pH of the liquid. When adjusting the liquid to be acidic, carbon dioxide gas is supplied to the liquid, and when adjusting the liquid to be alkaline, ammonia is supplied to the liquid.

[0060] In this way, a phenomenon occurs in which the surface of the substrate and the particles are electrically attracted to each other at any position on the substrate W, and the particles scattered on the upper surface of the substrate W do not fall off the substrate W but remain on the upper surface of the substrate W. Therefore, the substrate adjustment device 1 of this example can adjust high-quality inspection substrates.

[0061] That is, the substrate conditioning apparatus 1 of this example is configured to supply a liquid having particles dispersed therein that have an opposite charge to the charge on the electrically charged substrate surface to the substrate surface. More specifically, the substrate conditioning apparatus 1 of this example performs a substrate conditioning process on a substrate W that has been dried by spin drying, and supplies a liquid having positively charged particles dispersed therein to the negatively charged central portion of the substrate, and supplies a liquid having negatively charged particles dispersed therein to the positively charged peripheral portion of the substrate.

[0062] Specifically, in this example, the supply of liquid to the substrate W is carried out by selectively using a first tank 11 that holds a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed and a second tank 21 that holds a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed.

[0063] <8. Effect of the Invention> As described above, this embodiment includes a liquid supply process for supplying to the substrate surface a liquid containing dispersed particles having an opposite charge to the charge of the charged substrate surface. This configuration ensures that contaminants are reliably adsorbed onto the substrate surface. That is, this embodiment provides that negatively charged contaminant particles are supplied to a positively charged substrate surface, and similarly, that positively charged contaminant particles are supplied to a negatively charged substrate surface. In either case, the substrate surface and the contaminant particles are attracted to each other. In this way, the contaminant particles are reliably adsorbed onto the substrate surface. In other words, this embodiment provides that high-quality test substrates can be produced.

[0064] According to the above-described configuration, when the substrate surface includes negatively charged regions and positively charged regions, the liquid supply process includes a first process of supplying a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed to the substrate surface, and a second process of supplying a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed to the substrate surface. With this configuration, the liquid supply process can be realized by appropriately switching the liquid depending on the charge state of the substrate surface.

[0065] According to the above-described configuration, the liquid supply process is a substrate conditioning process for the substrate W that has been dried by spin drying, in which a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed is supplied to the negatively charged central portion of the substrate, and a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed is supplied to the positively charged peripheral portion of the substrate. With this configuration, it is possible to achieve optimal particle adsorption in accordance with the uneven charge on the substrate surface caused by spin drying.

[0066] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the liquid adjustment process is provided to control the charge of the particles by adjusting the pH of the liquid. By controlling the charge of the particles by adjusting the pH of the liquid, the control of the charge of the particles becomes easy.

[0067] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the liquid adjustment process involves supplying carbon dioxide gas to the liquid when adjusting the liquid to an acidic state, and supplying ammonia to the liquid when adjusting the liquid to an alkaline state. This configuration makes it possible to adjust the pH of the liquid simply and reliably.

[0068] According to the above-described configuration, the liquid supply tank includes a first tank 11 that holds a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed and a second tank 21 that holds a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed, and the control unit 131 controls the first tank 11 to adjust the liquid supplied to the negatively charged substrate surface, and controls the second tank 21 to adjust the liquid supplied to the positively charged substrate surface. By providing the first tank 11 for positive charges and the second tank 21 for negative charges in this manner, the liquid supply tanks can be switched depending on the location of the substrate W, making it possible to produce high-quality inspection substrates.

[0069] <9. Variations> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be modified as follows.

[0070] <Variation 1> In the above-described embodiment, the substrate W is conditioned using two different types of liquid, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. When the entire upper surface of the substrate is positively or negatively charged, the substrate W can be conditioned using a single liquid. Specifically, for example, when the entire upper surface of the substrate is positively charged, the liquid supply tank can be composed of the second tank 21. In this case, the first tank 11 of the embodiment is not necessarily required. Also, for example, when the entire upper surface of the substrate is negatively charged, the liquid supply tank can be composed of the first tank 11. In this case, the second tank 21 of the embodiment is not necessarily required.

[0071] <Variation 2> The above-described first modification may be further developed so that the liquid is supplied to the substrate W by a nozzle that ejects the liquid instead of the brush 101. Supplying the liquid using a nozzle has the advantage that the same liquid is supplied to the entire area of ​​the substrate W. According to this modification, there is no need to switch the liquid depending on the part of the substrate W, so a configuration using a nozzle instead of the brush 101 can be adopted.

[0072] <Variation 3> In the above-described embodiment, the pH of the liquid is simply maintained at an acidic or alkaline level, but if strict control of the pH is required, carbon dioxide gas may be supplied to the first tank 11 by feedback control. In this case, the first tank 11 will be equipped with an air supply control unit 133 that controls the amount of carbon dioxide gas supplied, and a sensor 134 that outputs the pH of the liquid to the air supply control unit 133, as shown in FIG.

[0073] The same can be said for the second tank 21. That is, if strict control of pH is required, ammonia water may be supplied to the second tank 21 by feedback control. In this case, the second tank 21 will be equipped with a liquid supply control unit 135 that controls the amount of ammonia water supplied, and a sensor 136 that outputs the pH of the liquid to the liquid supply control unit 135, as shown in FIG.

[0074] According to this example, the gas supply control unit 133 adjusts the liquid supplied to the negatively charged substrate surface, and the liquid supply control unit 135 adjusts the liquid supplied to the positively charged substrate surface.

[0075] <Variation 4> In addition to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, a configuration may also be adopted in which a brush for the bevel portion is provided to supply liquid to the bevel portion of the substrate W. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 Board adjustment device 8 Spin Chuck 10 Brush mechanism 11 Tank 1 12 paddles 13 Air supply port 14 Liquid supply port 15 Outlet 16 First Valve 17 First Pipe 21 Tank 2 22 Paddle 23 Liquid supply port 24 Liquid supply port 25 Outlet 26 Second valve 27 Second piping 31 pH control section 32 Waiting Pod 33 Connecting port 41 Chamber 42 Liquid adjustment unit 43 Shutter 44 hands 45 Bottom plate 53 cups 54 Cup lifting mechanism 81 Vacuum Chuck 82 Rotation axis 83 Motor 85 Suction control unit 101 Brush 102 Arm 103 Rotating lifting mechanism 131 Control Unit 132 Storage section 133 Air supply control unit 134 Sensors 135 Liquid supply control section 136 Sensors R Robot R1 area R2 area W substrate

Claims

1. A substrate adjustment method for producing a substrate for inspection, comprising the steps of: A liquid supply process is provided to supply the substrate surface with a liquid containing dispersed particles that have an opposite charge to the charge on the substrate surface. A substrate adjustment method comprising:

2. 2. The substrate adjustment method according to claim 1, When the substrate surface includes negatively charged regions and positively charged regions, The liquid supplying step includes a first step of supplying a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed onto the substrate surface, and a second step of supplying a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed onto the substrate surface. A substrate adjustment method comprising:

3. 3. The substrate adjustment method according to claim 2, In the first step, a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed is supplied to a positively charged peripheral portion of the substrate; In the second step, a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed is supplied to the central portion of the substrate which is negatively charged. A substrate adjustment method comprising:

4. 2. The substrate adjustment method according to claim 1, A liquid adjustment process is provided to control the charge carried by the particles by adjusting the pH of the liquid. A substrate adjustment method comprising:

5. 4. The substrate adjustment method according to claim 3, The liquid preparation process includes: When adjusting the liquid to be acidic, carbon dioxide gas is supplied to the liquid, When adjusting the liquid to be alkaline, ammonia is supplied to the liquid. A substrate adjustment method comprising:

6. A substrate adjustment device for producing a substrate for inspection, a brush capable of applying a liquid to a substrate; a drive mechanism for driving the brush; a waiting pod for keeping the brush in the liquid; a liquid supply tank for holding the adjusted liquid; a liquid supply pipe for supplying the liquid from the liquid supply tank to the standby pod; a control unit that adjusts the liquid held in the liquid supply tank, The control unit controls the liquid supply tank to adjust the liquid in which particles having an opposite charge to the charge on the charged substrate surface are dispersed. A substrate adjustment device characterized by:

7. 7. The substrate conditioning apparatus according to claim 6, The liquid supply tank includes a first tank for holding a liquid in which positively charged particles are dispersed, and a second tank for holding a liquid in which negatively charged particles are dispersed, The control unit A liquid to be supplied to the negatively charged substrate surface is prepared in the first tank; The liquid to be supplied to the positively charged substrate surface is prepared in the second tank. A substrate adjustment device characterized by:

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