Substrate transport device and position teaching method

Abstract

This invention provides a substrate transport device and a position teaching method that enable the automation of teaching operations with a simpler configuration. [Solution] The imaging unit 55 captures images of the hand unit 43 at the reference position Bs and the hand unit 43 at the extended position Cs, which is extended by an amount P1 from the reference position Bs. The position calculation unit 73 calculates the estimated movement amount L1 of the hand unit 43 from each image. The correction coefficient calculation unit 74 calculates a correction coefficient Mk using the extension amount P1 and the estimated movement amount L1. The calibration unit 75 calculates a calibrated movement amount H by calibrating the required movement amount E calculated based on the image of the transported target object with the correction coefficient Mk. Since the calibration unit 75 calibrates the difference between the extension amount P1 and the estimated movement amount L1, in a configuration in which the position of the transported object is calculated using optical images 81 and 82 captured by the imaging unit 55, deviations caused by the imaging unit 55 and the optical images 81 and 82 can be eliminated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate transfer device that transfers substrates such as semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as "wafers"), glass substrates for photomasks, and substrates for optical discs to a transfer target, and a substrate transfer device and a position teaching method for teaching the position of the transfer target.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of a substrate processing device that performs a series of processes on a substrate, there is a device that exposes a substrate on which a resist film is formed with a separate exposure device and performs a development process on the exposed substrate. The inside of the device includes a plurality of blocks such as an index block that carries a carrier for accommodating the substrate into the device, a coating process block that performs a coating process for forming a resist film on the substrate, and a development process block that performs a development process on the substrate. Each of the blocks is partitioned by a partition wall as an example.

[0003] A mounting table for mounting the substrate is provided on each of the partition walls. A substrate transfer device for transferring the substrate is provided in each block. The substrate transfer device disposed in one block mounts the substrate on the mounting table, and the substrate transfer device disposed in the adjacent block holds the substrate, whereby the substrate is transferred and conveyed between the two substrate transfer devices. Each of the blocks also includes a processing table for mounting the substrate to perform various processes, and the substrate transfer device conveys the substrate and mounts it on the processing table. The substrate processing device performs processes on a large number of substrates. Therefore, a large number of mounting portions such as mounting tables and processing tables are arranged as transfer targets for transferring the substrates in the substrate processing device.

[0004] In such substrate processing equipment, the position where the substrate transport device places the substrate relative to the mounting section is set as the target position of the substrate transport mechanism. In substrate processing equipment, the theoretical target position is calculated in advance based on the dimensions of the design drawings. In ideal cases, by moving the substrate transport device to the theoretical target position, the substrate should be placed in the correct position relative to the mounting section. However, the position of the substrate transport device that allows the substrate to be placed in the correct position relative to the mounting section (the actual target position) may deviate from the theoretical target position. Reasons for this deviation between the actual target position and the theoretical target position include assembly errors during the assembly of the device, or wear and tear on various components in the substrate transport device.

[0005] To resolve the discrepancy between the actual target position and the calculated target position, it is necessary to teach the actual target position to the substrate transport device for each of the numerous mounting sections of the substrate processing device. The process of teaching the substrate transport device the actual target position and correcting the positional discrepancy is also called teaching. Teaching is performed when the substrate processing device is started up or during maintenance.

[0006] Traditionally, when teaching a circuit board transport device the actual target position, an operator would visually confirm the target position and manually move the transport device to that position. This manual teaching method places a heavy burden on the operator. Furthermore, depending on the operator's skill level, there are concerns about the work becoming prolonged and teaching errors occurring.

[0007] Therefore, in recent years, attempts have been made to automate teaching. As an example of a configuration for automating teaching, a configuration has been proposed in which a substrate transport device is equipped with a camera at the base end of the hand part that holds the substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the configuration according to Patent Document 1, the operator places a simulated substrate on the placement part, and the camera equipped on the substrate transport device photographs the simulated substrate, thereby automating the process of teaching the target position.

[0008] Another example of a configuration for automating teaching involves using a substrate transport device equipped with a camera and a teaching jig with multiple detection points (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In the configuration described in Patent Document 2, a camera mounted on the handle that holds the substrate photographs each of the detection points of the teaching jig placed on the mounting section, thereby calculating the displacement between the current position of the substrate transport device and the target position. The amount of movement of the substrate transport device is then calculated based on this displacement, thereby automating the process of teaching the target position. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-177092 [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-058215 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] However, conventional examples with such configurations have the following problems. Specifically, the teaching operations disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are both insufficiently automated. In the teaching operation described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary for an operator to place a simulated substrate on the mounting unit, making it difficult to automate the entire teaching operation. Similarly, in the teaching operation described in Patent Document 2, it is necessary for an operator to place a teaching jig on the mounting unit, making it difficult to automate the entire teaching operation.

[0011] Furthermore, the teaching operations disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 require dedicated components for the teaching operation, such as a simulated substrate or a teaching jig. This leads to problems such as increased complexity of the configuration required for the teaching operation and an increase in the number of steps required for the teaching operation.

[0012] Furthermore, in the configurations disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is difficult to eliminate the discrepancy between the actual target position and the calculated target position. In the teaching process disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the direction and distance to which the hand unit should move in order for the substrate transport device to move to the actual target position are calculated based on the image captured by the camera. As an example, suppose that the teaching process calculates that the target position can be reached by moving a predetermined distance L1 in direction A.

[0013] However, through diligent research by the inventors, it was discovered that even when the control unit of the substrate processing apparatus transmits a control signal to the substrate transport apparatus to move the hand unit in direction A so that the travel distance is a predetermined value L1, the value of the hand unit's travel distance calculated based on the image captured by the camera may deviate from the predetermined value L1. In such a conventional configuration, where the actual target position is set using an image of a simulated transport object placed on the mounting unit, it is difficult to grasp the discrepancy between the hand unit's travel distance instructed by the control unit and the value calculated as the hand unit's travel distance from the camera image. As a result, it is difficult to improve the accuracy of the teaching process in the conventional configuration.

[0014] The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to provide a substrate transport device and a position teaching method that enable the automation of teaching operations with a simpler configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] To achieve this objective, the present invention has the following configuration. In other words, the present invention is a substrate transport device for transporting a substrate to a transport target object, A substrate holding part that can move in a first direction while holding the substrate, A movable base that holds the substrate holding portion and is movable in at least a second direction different from the first direction, A pair of imaging units are arranged on the movable base at predetermined intervals, and capture images of the area including the substrate holding portion and the space in front of the substrate holding portion. A moving drive unit that drives the substrate holding portion to move back and forth in the first direction, A drive control unit transmits information about the distance to be driven in the first direction to the forward / backward drive unit and controls the operation of the forward / backward drive unit, A reference image acquisition unit that acquires a reference image by photographing the substrate holding unit, which is positioned at a reference position in the substrate transport device, with the pair of imaging units, An extension image acquisition unit, which causes the drive control unit to extend the substrate holding unit by a predetermined amount in the first direction from the reference position, to acquire an extension image by photographing the substrate holding unit with the pair of imaging units, A target image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the transported target by photographing the transported target with the pair of imaging units, A reference position calculation unit calculates the position of the substrate holding unit relative to the imaging unit as reference position information based on the reference image, An advance position calculation unit calculates the position of the substrate holding unit relative to the imaging unit as advance position information based on the advance image, A target object position calculation unit calculates the position of the transported target object relative to the imaging unit as target object position information based on the target object image, An assumed movement amount calculation unit calculates an assumed movement amount, which is the distance the substrate holding unit is assumed to have moved from the reference position to the assumed movement position, based on the reference position information and the assumed extension position information. A correction coefficient calculation unit calculates a correction coefficient to correct the discrepancy between the assumed movement amount and the advance amount, using the assumed movement amount and the advance amount. A calibration unit that acquires corrected position information by calibrating the target object position information using the correction coefficient, A position storage unit that stores the corrected position information acquired by the calibration unit, Equipped with, The aforementioned imaging unit is It is arranged to move in conjunction with the movement of the movable platform, but not in conjunction with the movement of the substrate holder. It is characterized by the following.

[0016] [Function and Effect] According to the substrate transfer device of the present invention, the pair of imaging units capture images of the substrate holding unit and the area including the front space of the substrate holding unit. The images captured by the pair of imaging units are images of the substrate holding unit and the area including the front space of the substrate holding unit. The position information of the transfer target is calculated based on the images of the substrate holding unit and the transfer target captured by the pair of imaging units. Therefore, when teaching the position information of the transfer target, it is possible to omit the work that is difficult to automate, such as installing a teaching member, such as a simulated substrate or a teaching jig, on the transfer target or the like. Therefore, the configuration of the substrate transfer device can be simplified and the teaching work can be automated.

[0017] The pair of imaging units capture a reference image and an advancement image. The reference image is an image in which the substrate holding unit at the reference position is reflected. The advancement image is an image in which the substrate holding unit at the advancement position is reflected. When the drive control unit gives an instruction to advance by an advancement amount in the first direction from the reference position, the substrate holding unit moves from the reference position to the advancement position. The reference position calculation unit calculates the reference position information by using the reference image. The advancement position calculation unit can calculate the advancement position information by using the advancement image. The assumed movement amount calculation unit calculates the assumed movement amount by using the reference position information and the advancement position information. The assumed movement amount corresponds to the distance that the substrate holding unit is assumed to have moved from the reference position to the advancement position.

[0018] The pair of imaging units are arranged at a predetermined interval. That is, the pair of imaging units function as a stereo camera. Therefore, by using the reference image or the advancement image, the position of the substrate holding unit in each of the three-dimensional directions can be calculated. Further, the imaging unit is disposed on the substrate transfer device so as not to be linked to the movement of the substrate holding unit. That is, even when the substrate holding unit advances in the first direction, the imaging unit does not displace. Therefore, the position of the substrate holding unit reflected in the reference image is different from the position of the substrate holding unit reflected in the advancement image. Therefore, the assumed movement amount of the substrate holding unit on the image can be calculated according to the distance between the position of the substrate holding unit reflected in the reference image and the position of the substrate holding unit reflected in the advancement image.

[0019] The substrate transfer device according to the present invention includes a correction coefficient calculation unit and a calibration unit. The correction coefficient calculation unit calculates a correction coefficient by using an assumed movement amount and an advancement amount. The correction coefficient corrects the deviation between the assumed movement amount and the advancement amount. That is, even when there is a deviation between the value of the movement distance instructed by the drive control unit and the value of the movement distance assumed from the image captured by the imaging unit, the deviation can be corrected by the correction coefficient.

[0020] The calibration unit obtains correction position information by calibrating the target position information using the correction coefficient. The target position information is information on the position of the transfer target with respect to the imaging unit, which is calculated using the target image obtained by the imaging unit capturing the transfer target. The target position information is information calculated from the image. Even when there is a deviation between the value of the movement distance instructed by the drive control unit and the value of the movement distance assumed from the image captured by the imaging unit, the deviation included in the target position information is calibrated by the calibration unit.

[0021] The correction position information obtained by the calibration unit becomes accurate information as information for controlling the movement of the substrate transfer device to the substrate target. Therefore, by storing the correction position information rather than the target position information as the position information of the transfer target, it is possible to teach the substrate transfer device more accurate information as the position of the transfer target. Therefore, in a configuration in which the position information of the transfer target is calculated using the image captured by the imaging unit, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the accuracy of the position information due to a positional deviation of the imaging unit or a coordinate deviation of the image. Thus, while automating the teaching operation using the image captured by the imaging unit, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of the information taught by the teaching operation.

[0022] Also, in the above-described invention, it is preferable that the first direction is the horizontal direction, the second direction is the vertical direction, and the movable stage is configured to be movable at least in the vertical direction and rotatable around the axis in the vertical direction.

[0023] [Function and Effects] According to the substrate transport device of the present invention, the substrate holding part moves horizontally. The movable table is configured to be movable vertically and rotatable around a vertical axis. That is, the substrate holding part held by the movable table is movable horizontally and vertically and rotatable around a vertical axis. In other words, the target position of the substrate holding part can be taught to the substrate transport device in which the substrate holding part is displaced in three dimensions.

[0024] Furthermore, in the above-described invention, it is preferable to include a notification unit that notifies information that the difference between the assumed movement amount and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value when the difference between the assumed movement amount and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0025] [Function and Effect] The substrate transport device according to the present invention is equipped with a notification unit. The notification unit notifies that the difference between the expected movement amount and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. When the difference between the expected movement amount and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, it is assumed that there has been significant deterioration over time in the components of the substrate holding unit or imaging unit. By providing this notification, the operator can quickly grasp that the difference between the expected movement amount and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and reliably avoid a situation in which the accuracy of information regarding the position of the transport target object decreases due to deterioration over time in the substrate holding unit or imaging unit.

[0026] To achieve this objective, the present invention may have the following configuration. In other words, the present invention provides a position teaching method for teaching the position of a transport target object to a substrate transport device, which transports the substrate to a transport target object, comprising: a substrate holding unit that is movable in a first direction while holding a substrate; a movable table that holds the substrate holding unit and is movable in a second direction different from at least the first direction; a pair of imaging units that are arranged on the movable table at a predetermined interval, interlocked with the movement of the movable table but not interlocked with the movement of the substrate holding unit, and which capture images of the area including the substrate holding unit and the space in front of the substrate holding unit; a reciprocating drive unit that drives the substrate holding unit to move back and forth in the first direction; and a drive control unit that transmits information on the distance to be driven in the first direction to the reciprocating drive unit and controls the operation of the reciprocating drive unit. A reference image acquisition step involves obtaining a reference image by photographing the substrate holding unit, which is positioned at a reference position in the substrate transport device, with the pair of imaging units, A reference distance calculation step in which the position of the substrate holding part relative to the imaging part is calculated as reference position information based on the reference image, An advancement image acquisition step involves the drive control unit obtaining an advancement image by photographing the substrate holding unit, which has advanced by a predetermined amount in the first direction from the reference position, with the pair of imaging units, A step of calculating the advance distance, which calculates the position of the substrate holding part relative to the imaging part as advance position information based on the advance image, A step of calculating an assumed movement amount, which is the distance that the substrate holding part is assumed to have moved from the reference position to the assumed movement position, based on the reference position information and the extension position information, A correction coefficient calculation step, which uses the assumed amount of movement and the amount of extension to calculate a correction coefficient for correcting the discrepancy between the assumed amount of movement and the amount of extension, A target image acquisition step involves the pair of imaging units capturing images of the transported target object to acquire a target image, A target object position calculation step, which calculates the position of the transported target object relative to the pair of imaging units as target object position information based on the image of the transported target object captured by the pair of imaging units, A calibration step of obtaining corrected position information by calibrating the target object position information using the correction coefficient, A teaching step in which the corrected position information obtained by the calibration step is taught as the position of the transport target object, It is characterized by having the following features.

[0027] [Function and Effects] According to the position teaching method of the present invention, a pair of imaging units capture images of the substrate holding unit and the area including the space in front of the substrate holding unit. The images captured by the pair of imaging units are images of the substrate holding unit and the area including the space in front of the substrate holding unit. The position information of the transport target is calculated based on the images of the substrate holding unit and the transport target captured by the pair of imaging units. Therefore, when teaching the position information of the transport target, it is possible to omit the difficult task of installing a teaching member, such as a simulated substrate or a teaching jig, on the transport target. As a result, the configuration of the substrate transport device can be simplified and the teaching work can be automated.

[0028] A pair of imaging units capture a reference image and an advanced image. The reference image shows the substrate holder at the reference position. The advanced image shows the substrate holder at the advanced position. The drive control unit issues an instruction to advance the substrate holder by a certain amount in a first direction from the reference position, causing the substrate holder to move from the reference position to the advanced position. In the reference distance calculation step, the reference position information is calculated using the reference image. In the advanced distance calculation step, the advanced position information can be calculated using the advanced image. In the assumed movement amount calculation step, the assumed movement amount is calculated using the reference position information and the advanced position information. The assumed movement amount corresponds to the distance that the substrate holder is assumed to have moved from the reference position to the advanced position.

[0029] The pair of imaging units are positioned at a predetermined distance apart. In other words, the pair of imaging units function as a stereo camera. Therefore, by using a reference image or an advancing image, the position of the substrate holder can be calculated in each of the three dimensions. Furthermore, the imaging units are installed in the substrate transport device so as not to be linked to the movement of the substrate holder. That is, even if the substrate holder advances in the first direction, the imaging units do not displace. Therefore, the position of the substrate holder as seen in the reference image is different from the position of the substrate holder as seen in the advancing image. Thus, the estimated amount of movement of the substrate holder on the image can be calculated according to the distance between the position of the substrate holder as seen in the reference image and the position of the substrate holder as seen in the advancing image.

[0030] The position teaching method according to the present invention comprises a correction coefficient calculation step and a calibration step. The correction coefficient calculation unit calculates a correction coefficient using the assumed amount of movement and the amount of advancement. The correction coefficient corrects the discrepancy between the assumed amount of movement and the amount of advancement. In other words, even if there is a discrepancy between the value of the movement distance instructed by the drive control unit and the value of the movement distance assumed from the image captured by the imaging unit, this discrepancy can be corrected by the correction coefficient.

[0031] In the calibration process, corrected position information is obtained by calibrating the target object position information using a correction coefficient. The target object position information is information about the position of the transported target object relative to the imaging unit, calculated using the target object image taken by the imaging unit. The target object position information is information calculated from the image. Even if there is a discrepancy between the value of the movement distance instructed by the drive control unit and the value of the movement distance expected from the image taken by the imaging unit, this discrepancy included in the target object position information is calibrated by the calibration unit.

[0032] The corrected position information acquired through the calibration process is accurate information for controlling the movement of the substrate transport device toward the substrate target. Therefore, in the teaching process, by teaching the corrected position information, rather than the target object position information, as the position information of the transport target, the substrate transport device can be taught more accurate information as the position of the transport target. Consequently, in a configuration in which the position information of the transport target is calculated using images captured by the imaging unit, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the accuracy of the position information due to positional misalignment of the imaging unit or coordinate misalignment of the images. Thus, it is possible to automate the teaching process using images captured by the imaging unit while further improving the accuracy of the information taught by the teaching process.

[0033] Furthermore, in the above-described invention, it is preferable to include a notification step that notifies information that the difference between the assumed movement amount calculated in the assumed movement amount calculation step and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0034] [Function and Effect] According to the position teaching method of the present invention, in the notification process, information is provided indicating that the difference between the expected movement amount and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. When the difference between the expected movement amount and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the accuracy of the target position of the substrate holding part taught by the substrate transport device is often reduced. By providing this notification in the notification process, the operator can quickly grasp that the difference between the expected movement amount and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. Therefore, situations in which the accuracy of the target position of the substrate holding part is reduced can be quickly and reliably avoided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0035] According to the substrate transport device and position teaching method of the present invention, the teaching process can be automated with a simpler configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0036] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus showing the arrangement of the heat treatment unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows the configuration of the substrate mounting section according to the embodiment. (a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate mounting section showing the support pins in the protruding position, (b) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate mounting section showing the support pins in the retracted position, and (c) is a plan view of the substrate mounting section. [Figure 5] This figure shows the configuration of a substrate transport mechanism according to an embodiment. (a) is a front view of the substrate transport mechanism, (b) is a top view of the substrate transport mechanism, and (c) is a left side view of the substrate transport mechanism. [Figure 6] This is a functional block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the substrate transport device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure illustrates step S1 according to the embodiment. (a) is a front view of the substrate transport mechanism and substrate mounting section, and (b) is a plan view of the substrate transport mechanism and substrate mounting section. [Figure 9] This figure illustrates step S2 according to the embodiment. (a) is a front view of the substrate transport mechanism and substrate mounting section, and (b) is a plan view of the substrate transport mechanism and substrate mounting section. [Figure 10] This figure illustrates the optical image obtained in step S3 of the embodiment. [Figure 11] This figure illustrates step S4 according to the embodiment. (a) is a figure showing the first optical image, (b) is a figure showing the second optical image, and (c) is a figure showing the parallax between the two optical images. [Figure 12] This figure illustrates step S4 in the embodiment. (a) is a figure showing the reference distance of the hand portion, and (b) is a figure showing the three-dimensional distance of the hand center. [Figure 13] This figure illustrates step S5 according to the embodiment. (a) is a front view of the substrate transport mechanism and substrate mounting section, and (b) is a plan view of the substrate transport mechanism and substrate mounting section. [Figure 14]This figure illustrates the optical image obtained in step S6 of the embodiment. [Figure 15] This figure illustrates step S7 in the embodiment. (a) is a figure showing the first optical image, (b) is a figure showing the second optical image, and (c) is a figure showing the parallax between the two optical images. [Figure 16] This figure illustrates step S7 in the embodiment. (a) is a diagram showing the extension distance of the hand portion, and (b) is a diagram showing the assumed movement amount of the hand portion. [Figure 17] This figure illustrates the optical image obtained in step S10 of the embodiment. [Figure 18] This figure illustrates step S11 according to the embodiment. (a) is a figure showing the first optical image, (b) is a figure showing the second optical image, and (c) is a figure showing the parallax between the two optical images. [Figure 19] This figure illustrates step S11 according to the embodiment. (a) is a diagram showing the target object distance of the substrate mounting section, and (b) is a diagram showing the required movement amount of the hand section. [Figure 20] This is a plan view illustrating the movement of the hand part in the comparative example. [Figure 21] This is a plan view illustrating the movement of the hand part according to the embodiment. [Figure 22] This figure illustrates an optical image related to a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0038] <Configuration of substrate processing equipment> Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus 1 equipped with a substrate transport device 10 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The substrate processing apparatus 1 forms a photoresist film on a substrate W and develops the substrate W after exposure.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment comprises an indexer block 2, a coating block 3, a developing block 4, and an interface block 5. The indexer block 2 will be referred to as "ID block 2" below as appropriate. The interface block 5 will be referred to as "IF block 5" below as appropriate. The exposure apparatus EXP, which is an external device, is located adjacent to the IF block 5. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the direction in which each block is aligned (left and right in Figure 1) is defined as the x-direction. The x-direction is the horizontal direction. The horizontal direction perpendicular to the x-direction is defined as the y-direction. The vertical direction is defined as the z-direction.

[0040] ID block 2 comprises two openers 7 and 8 (see Figure 1) and two substrate transport mechanisms TR1 and TR2. The two openers 7 and 8 (carrier mounting sections) on ID block 2 each mount a carrier C capable of accommodating multiple substrates W. For example, a hoop (FOUP: Front Open Unified Pod) is used as the carrier C.

[0041] Each opener 7, 8 includes a mounting base 9 on which the carrier C is placed, an opening 11 for passing the substrate W through, a shutter member (not shown) that opens and closes the opening 11 and attaches and detaches the lid to the carrier body, and a shutter member drive mechanism (not shown) that drives the shutter member.

[0042] Each of the two substrate transport mechanisms TR1 and TR2 is equipped with a hand 13, a rotary drive unit 14, and a lifting drive unit 15. The hand 13 holds the substrate W. The hand 13 is attached to the upper surface of the rotary drive unit 14. A groove (not shown) is formed on the upper surface of the rotary drive unit 14 so as to extend in a predetermined horizontal direction. The hand 13 is configured to move back and forth along this groove in the predetermined horizontal direction. The hand 13 is configured similarly to the hand 43 of the substrate transport mechanism TM1, which will be described later.

[0043] The rotary drive unit 14 is attached to the upper end of the lifting drive unit 15. As shown in Figure 2, the rotary drive unit 14 is configured to rotate around the vertical axis AX1. In other words, the rotation of the rotary drive unit 14 causes the hand 13 to rotate around the vertical axis AX1.

[0044] The lifting drive unit 15 is configured to be movable up and down. As the lifting drive unit 15 moves up and down, the rotational drive unit 14 moves together with the hand 13 in the vertical direction (z direction). In other words, the rotational drive unit 14 and the lifting drive unit 15 enable the hand 13 to move up and down and rotate. Each of the hand 13, rotational drive unit 14, and lifting drive unit 15 is equipped with, for example, an electric motor. In this embodiment, the lifting drive unit 15 is fixed to the floor of the ID block 2 so that it cannot move horizontally. However, the lifting drive unit 15 may be provided to be movable horizontally. Also, one of the two substrate transport mechanisms TR1 and TR2 may be omitted.

[0045] As shown in Figure 2, substrate mounting sections PS1 and PS2 are provided between the ID block 2 and the coating block 3. Substrate mounting section PS1 is provided between the ID block 2 and the upper coating layer 3A, which will be described later. Substrate mounting section PS2 is provided between the ID block 2 and the lower coating layer 3B, which will be described later. Each of the substrate mounting sections PS1 and PS2 is configured to accommodate one or more substrates W.

[0046] The substrate transport mechanism TR1 transports the substrate W from the carrier C placed on the opener 7 to one of the two substrate mounting sections PS1 and PS2. Similarly, the substrate transport mechanism TR2 transports the substrate W from the carrier C placed on the opener 8 to one of the two substrate mounting sections PS1 and PS2. Note that each of the openers 7 and 8 may be provided in two or more units in the vertical direction. In this case, for example, the substrate transport mechanism TR1 can retrieve the substrate W from the carrier C placed on two or more openers 7 provided in the vertical direction.

[0047] The coating block 3 performs a coating process on the substrate W, for example, by applying a photoresist solution or a solution for forming an anti-reflective film. As shown in Figure 2, the coating block 3 comprises an upper coating layer 3A and a lower coating layer 3B. The developing block 4 performs a developing process on the exposed substrate W. The developing block 4 comprises an upper developing layer 4A and a lower developing layer 4B. Each of the coating layer 3A, coating layer 3B, developing layer 4A, and developing layer 4B is equipped with a substrate transport mechanism TM1, a transport space 17, a liquid treatment unit 19, and a heat treatment unit 20 (see Figures 4 and 5).

[0048] The substrate transport mechanism TM1 transports the substrate W in the transport space 17. The transport space 17 is a rectangular space that extends linearly in the left-right direction (x direction) when viewed from above. The liquid treatment unit 19 and the heat treatment unit 20 are arranged to sandwich the transport space 17 from front to back.

[0049] A substrate mounting section PS3 is provided between the upper coating layer 3A and the upper developing layer 4A. A substrate mounting section PS4 is provided between the lower coating layer 3B and the lower developing layer 4B. A substrate mounting section PS5 is provided between the upper developing layer 4A and the IF block 5. A substrate mounting section PS6 is provided between the lower developing layer 4B and the IF block 5.

[0050] Each of the coating layers 3A and 3B comprises four liquid processing units 19. These four liquid processing units 19 are arranged in a 2x2 configuration, with two rows horizontally and two tiers vertically. Each of the developing layers 4A and 4B comprises six liquid processing units 19. These six liquid processing units 19 are arranged in a 3x2 configuration, with three rows horizontally and two tiers vertically.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2, the liquid processing unit 19 comprises a holding and rotating unit 21, a nozzle 23, and a nozzle moving mechanism 25. The holding and rotating unit 21 holds the substrate W, for example by vacuum suction, and rotates the held substrate W around the vertical axis (z direction). The rotation is performed by an electric motor (e.g., a stepping motor). The nozzle 23 supplies a coating liquid (e.g., a liquid for forming an anti-reflective film or a photoresist liquid) or a developing liquid to the substrate W. The nozzle moving mechanism 25 moves the nozzle 23 to any desired position. The nozzle moving mechanism 25 is equipped with, for example, an electric motor.

[0052] Figure 3 shows the arrangement of the heat treatment units 20 in the coating block 3 and the developing block 4. The heat treatment units 20 perform heat treatment (heating and cooling) on ​​the substrate W. Each of the four processing layers 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B is equipped with multiple heat treatment units 20.

[0053] In the two coating layers 3A and 3B, the heat treatment units 20 are configured to be arranged in a 3x5 grid. In Figure 3, each of the two coating layers 3A and 3B has 15 heat treatment units 20. On the other hand, in the two developing layers 4A and 4B, the heat treatment units 20 are configured to be arranged in a 4x5 grid. An edge exposure section EEW may also be provided in the space where the heat treatment units 20 are located. In the embodiment, each of the two developing layers 4A and 4B has 15 heat treatment units 20 and one edge exposure section EEW.

[0054] The edge exposure unit EEW performs exposure processing on the peripheral edge of the substrate W. The edge exposure unit EEW is equipped with a holding and rotating part similar to the holding and rotating part 21 shown in Figure 1. The holding and rotating part of the edge exposure unit EEW is equipped with an electric motor (e.g., a stepping motor). The number and types of liquid treatment units 19 and heat treatment units 20 may be changed as appropriate.

[0055] Each of the heat treatment units 20 includes a cooling plate 27 and a heating plate 29, as shown in Figure 1. The cooling plate 27 cools the substrate W on which it is placed. The cooling plate 27 is disc-shaped and made of, for example, metal or ceramic. The heating plate 29 heats the substrate W on which it is placed to a predetermined temperature. The heating plate 29 is arranged horizontally (Y direction) relative to the cooling plate 27. The heating plate 29 is disc-shaped and made of, for example, metal or ceramic. The heating plate 29 is equipped with a heater (for example, an electric heater).

[0056] IF block 5 is responsible for loading and unloading the substrate W to and from the exposure apparatus EXP that performs the exposure processing. IF block 5 comprises three substrate transport mechanisms TR3 to TR5, multiple pre-exposure cleaning units 31, multiple post-exposure cleaning units SOAK, three mounting and cooling units P-CP, a substrate mounting unit PS7, and a heat treatment unit 20 (see Figures 1 to 3).

[0057] The substrate transport mechanisms TR3 and TR4 are arranged side by side in the y-direction. The substrate transport mechanism TR5 is located to the right of the substrate transport mechanisms TR3 and TR4. The three substrate transport mechanisms TR3 to TR5 are configured similarly to the substrate transport mechanism TR1.

[0058] The pre-exposure cleaning unit 31 and the post-exposure cleaning unit SOAK are positioned opposite each other, with two substrate transport mechanisms TR3 and TR4 in between. Each of the pre-exposure cleaning unit 31 and the post-exposure cleaning unit SOAK includes a holding and rotating part for holding the substrate W, and a nozzle for discharging cleaning liquid onto the substrate W, for example. The holding and rotating part is configured in the same way as the holding and rotating part 21. The pre-exposure cleaning unit 31 may also perform polishing on the back surface and edges (bevels) of the substrate W using a brush or the like. The back surface of the substrate W refers to, for example, the surface opposite to the surface on which the circuit pattern is formed.

[0059] Between the three substrate transport mechanisms TR3 to TR5, there are three mounting and cooling sections P-CP and a substrate mounting section PS7. In IF block 5, six heat treatment units 20 are provided on the side of substrate transport mechanism TR3 and six on the side of substrate transport mechanism TR4.

[0060] <Configuration of the substrate mounting section> Here, we will describe the configuration of the substrate mounting section PS1 on which the transported substrate W is placed. Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the substrate mounting section PS1. Figure 4(c) is a plan view of the substrate mounting section PS1.

[0061] The substrate mounting section PS1 comprises a retaining plate 33, support pins 35, a lifting member 36, and a support pin lifting mechanism 37. The retaining plate 33 is a rectangular plate-shaped member with a flat upper surface. The retaining plate 33 holds and supports the substrate W. The retaining plate 33 is made of metal or ceramic, as an example.

[0062] The retaining plate 33 is provided with three holes 39 in the vertical direction (z direction). A rod-shaped support pin 35 is passed through each of the holes 39. That is, the three support pins 35 are provided so as to penetrate the retaining plate 33. The lower ends of the three support pins 35 are fixed to the lifting member 36. The support pin lifting mechanism 37 raises and lowers the three support pins 35 fixed to the lifting member 36 by raising and lowering the lifting member 36. The support pin lifting mechanism 37 is, as an example, composed of an actuator driven by an electric motor or air.

[0063] The upper ends of the three support pins 35 are configured to be at the same height. The three support pins 35 are configured to be able to move up and down by a support pin lifting mechanism 37. That is, by being raised by the support pin lifting mechanism 37, each of the support pins 35 protrudes from the substrate holding surface (upper surface) of the holding plate 33, as shown in Figure 4(a). Figure 4(a) shows each of the support pins 35 raised from the initial position to the protruding position. By moving each of the support pins 35 to the protruding position and protruding from the holding plate 33, the support pins 35 can receive the substrate W.

[0064] Then, by being lowered by the support pin lifting mechanism 37, each of the support pins 35 is incorporated into the retaining plate 33, as shown in Figure 4(b). Figure 4(b) shows the state in which each of the support pins 35 has been lowered from the protruding position to the initial position. With the support pins 35 receiving the substrate W, the substrate W is placed on the substrate retaining surface of the retaining plate 33 by lowering each of the support pins 35 to the initial position and incorporating them into the retaining plate 33.

[0065] The positions of the three holes 39 in a plan view are as shown in Figure 4(c). In this embodiment, the holes 39 are positioned at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. The pin centers Pk, which correspond to the centers of each vertex of the three support pins 35, are determined to coincide with the center of the retaining plate 33 in a plan view. In a plan view, the pin centers Pk coincide with the centers of the three holes 39.

[0066] The substrate mounting sections PS2 to PS7 have the same configuration as the substrate mounting section PS1. The cooling plate 27 and heating plate 29 also have the same configuration as the substrate mounting section PS1, including three movable support pins 38, a support pin lifting mechanism (not shown) for raising and lowering the three support pins 38, and holes (not shown) through which the three support pins 38 pass.

[0067] <Configuration of the substrate transport mechanism> Next, we will describe the configuration of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 that transports the substrate W. Figure 5(a) is a front view of the substrate transport mechanism TM1. Figure 5(b) is a top view of the substrate transport mechanism TM1. Figure 5(c) is a left side view of the substrate transport mechanism TM1.

[0068] The substrate transport mechanism TM1 comprises a base section 41, a hand section 43, and a rotary drive section 45. As shown in Figure 2, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 further comprises a first moving mechanism 47 and a second moving mechanism 48.

[0069] The base portion 41 is, for example, a rectangular plate-shaped member with the x-direction as its longitudinal direction. A groove 42 is formed on the upper surface of the base portion 41. As shown in Figure 5(b), the groove 42 is formed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 41. The direction in which the groove 42 extends is called the R direction. The R direction is horizontal, just like the x direction. Of the R directions, the direction toward the tip of the groove 42 is called the R1 direction. Of the R directions, the direction toward the base end of the groove 42 is called the R2 direction.

[0070] The hand portion 43 holds the substrate W. The hand portion 43 is disposed on the upper surface of the base portion 41. A reciprocating drive unit 44 is disposed below the hand portion 43, and the hand portion 43 is connected to the base portion 41 via the reciprocating drive unit 44. The reciprocating drive unit 44 includes, for example, an electric motor and a movable member guided by a groove. That is, the reciprocating drive unit 44 is fitted into a groove 42 formed on the upper surface of the base portion 41 and is driven to move back and forth in the R direction along the groove 42. That is, by the reciprocating drive unit 44 moving back and forth in the R direction, the hand portion 43 is configured to move back and forth in the R direction. In other words, the reciprocating drive unit 44 supports the hand portion 43 and moves the hand portion 43 back and forth in the R direction. The hand portion 43 corresponds to the substrate holding portion in this invention.

[0071] The hand portion 43 has one base portion 49 and two tip portions 50 that branch off from the base portion 49. Three protrusions 51 are provided on the inside of the base portion 49 and the two tip portions 50. The substrate W is placed on the three protrusions 51. Each of the three protrusions 51 has a suction portion 53. The suction portion 53 is connected to an intake system (not shown). In this embodiment, the center of the three suction portions 53 is defined as the hand center D. In a plan view, the hand center D coincides with the center of the substrate W held by the hand portion 43. Note that the shape of the hand portion 43 is not limited to the shape shown in Figure 5(b).

[0072] In this embodiment, the position of the hand portion 43 when the reciprocating drive unit 44 is moved to the base end of the groove portion 42 (the right end of the groove portion 42 in Figure 5(b)) is defined as the reference position of the hand portion 43. The state in which the hand portion 43 has moved to the reference position is shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b). The position of the reciprocating drive unit 44 in the state in which the hand portion 43 has moved to the reference position is indicated by the symbol Bs in Figures 5(b) and 9.

[0073] The rotary drive unit 45 is connected to the lower part of the base unit 41. The rotary drive unit 45 rotates the base unit 41 around the vertical axis AX2. The rotation of the rotary drive unit 45 causes the base unit 41 to rotate together with the hand unit 43 around the vertical axis AX2. In other words, the rotation of the rotary drive unit 45 can change the orientation of the hand unit 43 and the direction R in which the groove unit 42 extends. Figures 5(a) to 5(c) show the state in which the forward and backward direction R of the hand unit 43 coincides with the x direction. The rotary drive unit 45 is equipped with an electric motor.

[0074] The first moving mechanism 47 moves the rotary drive unit 45 in the x-direction. This allows the base unit 41 and the hand unit 43 to be moved in the x-direction. The second moving mechanism 48 moves the rotary drive unit 45 in the vertical direction (z-direction). This allows the base unit 41 and the hand unit 43 to be moved in the z-direction. Each of the first moving mechanism 47 and the second moving mechanism 48 is equipped with an electric motor. The first moving mechanism 47 and the second moving mechanism 48 may be provided on the floor of the transport space 17. The configuration comprising the base unit 41, the rotary drive unit 45, the first moving mechanism 47, and the second moving mechanism 48 holds the hand unit 43 so that it can move in the x-direction and the z-direction. The base unit 41, the rotary drive unit 45, the first moving mechanism 47, and the second moving mechanism 48 correspond to the movable platform in this invention.

[0075] The substrate transport device 10 according to the embodiment includes a pair of imaging units 55, as shown in Figure 6. The pair of imaging units 55 are arranged in the substrate transport mechanism TM1, as shown in Figure 5(a), etc. The pair of imaging units 55 are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in a direction intersecting the forward and backward direction R of the hand unit 43. In the embodiment, the pair of imaging units 55 are arranged on both sides of the substrate transport mechanism TM1. Of the pair of imaging units 55, one is designated as imaging unit 55A and the other as imaging unit 55B to distinguish between the two.

[0076] In this embodiment, the imaging unit 55A is located on the left side of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 (below the substrate transport mechanism TM1 in Figure 5(b)). The imaging unit 55B is located on the right side of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 (above the substrate transport mechanism TM1 in Figure 5(b)). The imaging units 55A and 55B are arranged in parallel along the shorter side of the base unit 41. In other words, the pair of imaging units 55 are arranged such that the straight line connecting the imaging units 55A and 55B is parallel to the shorter side of the base unit 41. Each of the imaging units 55A and 55B is located on the rear side of the base unit 41 (right side in Figure 5(a)) to ensure that the hand unit 43 is reliably photographed.

[0077] A pair of imaging units 55 are also installed in each of the substrate transport mechanisms TR1 to TR5. In the substrate transport mechanisms TR1 to TR5, the imaging units 55 are installed in the rotary drive unit 14. That is, in the substrate transport mechanisms TR1 to TR5, the imaging units 55 are configured not to be linked to the movement of the hand 13, but to be linked to the movement of the rotary drive unit 14 and the movement of the lifting drive unit 15.

[0078] Each of the imaging units 55A and 55B includes a connecting member 57 and a camera 59. In other words, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 includes two cameras 59. The connecting member 57 connects the substrate transport mechanism TM1 and the cameras 59. One end of the connecting member 57 is connected to the base portion 41 of the substrate transport mechanism TM1. The other end of the connecting member 57 is connected to the camera 59. In other words, the camera 59 is connected to the base portion 41 via the connecting member 57.

[0079] Each of the two cameras 59 includes a lens 60, an image sensor (not shown), an image acquisition unit 61, and a communication unit 63, etc. The lens 60 is positioned to face forward of the hand unit 43 (to the left in Figure 5(a)). The shooting direction of the camera 59 by the lens 60 is indicated by the symbol Fs in Figure 5(a) and other figures. That is, the lens 60 is positioned to capture an area including the hand unit 43 and the space in front of the hand unit 43. In this embodiment, the orientation of the lens 60 is set so that the shooting direction Fs is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base unit 41.

[0080] The image sensor includes an image sensor, such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The image sensor detects light focused by the lens 60 and transmits a light detection signal. The image acquisition unit 61 performs various image processing based on the light detection signal from the image sensor and acquires an optical image of the hand unit 43 and the area including the space in front of the hand unit 43. The communication unit 63 transmits the optical image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 61 to the control unit 65, which will be described later. In other words, the communication unit 63 transmits the optical image data to the outside of the imaging unit 55. The method by which the communication unit 63 communicates the image data may be either wired or wireless.

[0081] The pair of imaging units 55 are configured to simultaneously image the hand unit 43 and the area including the space in front of the hand unit 43. By simultaneously imaging with the pair of imaging units 55, the image acquisition unit 61 acquires a first optical image 81 generated based on the light focused by the lens 60 of imaging unit 55A, and a second optical image 82 generated based on the light focused by the lens 60 of imaging unit 55B.

[0082] The first optical image 81 is an optical image taken from one side of the substrate transport mechanism TM1, capturing the area including the hand unit 43 and the space in front of the hand unit 43. The second optical image 82 is an optical image taken from the other side of the substrate transport mechanism TM1, capturing the area including the hand unit 43 and the space in front of the hand unit 43. The communication unit 63 then transmits the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 to the control unit 65. In other words, the pair of imaging units 55 function as a stereo camera.

[0083] A pair of imaging units 55 are also installed in each of the substrate transport mechanisms TR1 to TR5. The pair of imaging units 55 are not linked to the forward and backward movement of the hand 13, but are arranged to be linked to the rotational movement of the rotary drive unit 14 and the vertical movement of the vertical drive unit 15. As an example, the pair of imaging units 55 are installed on both sides of the rotary drive unit 14.

[0084] As shown in Figure 6, the substrate processing apparatus 1 further comprises a control unit 65, an operation unit 67, and a storage unit 69. The control unit 65 includes information processing means such as a central processing unit (CPU). The control unit 65 comprehensively controls the operation of each part that constitutes the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0085] The control unit 65 includes a drive control unit 71 that controls the forward / backward drive unit 44. The drive control unit 71 transmits a signal regarding the direction and distance that the forward / backward drive unit 44 should move in the R direction. The forward / backward drive unit 44 moves forward and backward in the R direction according to the signal transmitted from the drive control unit 71.

[0086] The operation unit 67 includes a display unit for displaying various information and an input unit for receiving input operations. An example of the display unit is a liquid crystal monitor. An example of the input unit is a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, various buttons, or a combination thereof. Information of input operations received by the operation unit 67 is transmitted to the control unit 65. The control unit 65 is configured to be able to comprehensively control the operation of each part constituting the substrate processing apparatus 1 in response to the input operations received by the operation unit 67.

[0087] The memory unit 69 includes, for example, a storage medium such as ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random-Access Memory), or a hard disk. The memory unit 69 stores various conditions related to the processing of the substrate W, and operation programs necessary for controlling the substrate processing device 1. The memory unit 69 also has information on the advance amount P1 pre-stored in it. The memory unit 69 may also be provided in the control unit 65.

[0088] The extension amount P1 is information regarding the distance the hand unit 43 extends in the R direction by the reciprocating drive unit 44. The extension amount P1 is predetermined as the distance the hand unit 43 is moved in the R direction to move the hand unit 43 from the reference position Bs to the extended position Cs, which will be described later. In other words, the information of the extension amount P1 is information transmitted from the drive control unit 71 to the reciprocating drive unit 44. An example of an extension amount P1 is 400 mm.

[0089] The substrate transport device 10 further includes a position calculation unit 73, a correction coefficient calculation unit 74, a calibration unit 75, and a position storage unit 76. In this embodiment, each of the position calculation unit 73, the correction coefficient calculation unit 74, the calibration unit 75, and the position storage unit 76 is provided in the control unit 65.

[0090] The position calculation unit 73 calculates the position of the object to be photographed relative to the imaging unit 55 using the image of the object captured by the imaging unit 55. That is, the position calculation unit 73 calculates the position of the object to be photographed relative to the imaging unit 55 based on the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 transmitted from the communication unit 63. The first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 are images of the hand unit 43 and the area in front of the hand unit 43 as the object to be photographed. Therefore, the position calculation unit 73 calculates the distance from the imaging unit 55 to the hand unit 43 as the relative distance K based on the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82. The distance from the imaging unit 55 to the hand unit 43 (relative distance K) is calculated for each of the x, y, and z directions. That is, the position calculation unit 73 calculates the relative distance K based on the first optical image 81 captured by the camera 59 of the imaging unit 55A and the second optical image 82 captured by the camera 59 of the imaging unit 55B.

[0091] Furthermore, when the position calculation unit 73 receives a first optical image 81 and a second optical image 82 showing the transport target object from the communication unit 63, it calculates the distance from the imaging unit 55 to the transport target object as the target object distance G. For example, if the transport target object is the substrate mounting unit PS1, the position calculation unit 73 calculates the distance from the imaging unit 55 to the substrate mounting unit PS1 as the target object distance G based on the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 showing the substrate mounting unit PS1.

[0092] The position calculation unit 73 also calculates the required movement amount E based on information such as the target object distance G. The required movement amount E corresponds to the amount of movement assumed to be necessary for the substrate transport device to move from its current position to the target position of the transported target object. The required movement amount E is calculated for each of the x, y, and z directions. In other words, the required movement amount E corresponds to information that identifies the three-dimensional position of the transported target object. The required movement amount E corresponds to the target object position information in this invention. The position calculation unit 73 corresponds to the target object position calculation unit in this invention.

[0093] The position calculation unit 73 further calculates the assumed movement amount L1 of the hand unit 43 based on the relative distance K calculated when the hand unit 43 is moving to the reference position Bs and the relative distance K calculated when the hand unit 43 is moving to the extension position Cs. The assumed movement amount L1 corresponds to the value assumed to be the distance the hand unit 43 has moved from the reference position Bs to the extension position Cs, based on the image data acquired by the imaging unit 55. The position calculation unit 73 corresponds to the assumed movement amount calculation unit in the present invention.

[0094] The correction coefficient calculation unit 74 calculates a correction coefficient Mk based on the value of the extension amount P1 transmitted by the drive control unit 71 and the value of the assumed movement amount L1 calculated by the position calculation unit 73. The correction coefficient Mk is a coefficient that corrects the discrepancy between the extension amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1. The calibration unit 75 calculates a calibration movement amount H by calibrating the information of the required movement amount E calculated by the position calculation unit 73 based on the correction coefficient Mk. The calibration movement amount H is calculated for each of the x, y, and z directions. The specific calibration method will be described later.

[0095] The position memory unit 76 is equipped with a storage medium such as ROM (Read-Only Memory) or RAM (Random-Access Memory). The position memory unit 76 stores information on the calibration movement amount H calculated by the calibration unit 75. The calibration movement amount H is a value such that when the control unit 65 sends a signal indicating an instruction to move according to the calibration movement amount H, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 moves the target distance G and moves accurately to the transport target. In other words, the calibration movement amount H is stored in the position memory unit 76 as the value of the movement distance that allows the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to move accurately to the transport target.

[0096] In this embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is further equipped with a notification unit 77. The notification unit 77 uses sound, light, characters, etc., to notify that the absolute value of the difference between the advance amount P1 and the calculated movement distance L1 is greater than or equal to a threshold P2. Examples of the notification unit 77 include an alarm device that generates an alarm sound, or a display unit of the operation unit 67 that displays character information. The threshold P2 information is stored in advance in the storage unit 69. The operation of the notification unit 77 is controlled by a control unit 65, for example.

[0097] <Overview of substrate processing method> The following is an overview of the processing steps performed on the substrate W using the substrate processing apparatus 1. First, the substrate W is transported from the indexer block 2 to the coating block 3. That is, in the ID block 2, the substrate transport mechanism TR1 unloads the substrate W from the carrier C which is placed on the opener 7. The substrate transport mechanism TR1 then places the substrate W unloaded from the carrier C onto the substrate mounting section PS1 (or substrate mounting section PS2).

[0098] Next, the substrate transport mechanism TM1, located in the coating block 3, transports the substrate W, which is placed on the substrate mounting section PS1 (or substrate mounting section PS2), to the liquid processing unit 19 of the coating block 3. A coating process is performed on the substrate W transported to the liquid processing unit 19, in which a processing liquid, such as a photoresist liquid, is applied. After the coating process is completed, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 transports the coated substrate W to the heat treatment unit 20. The substrate W transported to the heat treatment unit 20 is placed on a cooling plate 27 for cooling, and then placed on a heating plate 29 for heating.

[0099] After the heat treatment (cooling and heating) in the heat treatment unit 20 is completed, the substrate W is transported from the coating block 3 to the IF block 5. The substrate transport mechanism TM1 located in the coating block 3 transports and places the substrate W on the substrate mounting section PS3 (or substrate mounting section PS4). The substrate transport mechanism TM1 located in the developing block 4 holds the substrate W placed on the substrate mounting section PS3 (or substrate mounting section PS4) and transports and places the substrate W on the substrate mounting section PS5 (or substrate mounting section PS6). The substrate transport mechanisms TR3 and TR4 located in the IF block 5 hold the substrate W placed on the substrate mounting section PS5 (or substrate mounting section PS6) and transport it to the pre-exposure cleaning unit 31 for pre-exposure cleaning.

[0100] After the pre-exposure cleaning process is completed, the substrate W is transferred to the substrate transport mechanism TR5 via the substrate mounting section PS7. The substrate transport mechanism TR5 transports the substrate W from the IF block 5 to the exposure device EXP. In the exposure device EXP, the substrate W is exposed. After the exposure process is completed, the substrate W is transported by the substrate transport mechanisms TR3 to TR5 to the post-exposure cleaning unit SOAK in the IF block 5, where post-exposure cleaning is performed.

[0101] After the post-exposure cleaning process is completed, development processing is performed in the development block 4. Specifically, the substrate transport mechanisms TR3 and TR4 located in the IF block 5 transport and place the substrate W on the substrate mounting section PS5 (or substrate mounting section PS6). The substrate transport mechanism TM1 located in the development block 4 transports the substrate W, which is placed on the substrate mounting section PS5 (or substrate mounting section PS6), to the liquid processing unit 19 of the development block 4. Development processing is performed on the substrate W transported to the liquid processing unit 19 using a developer solution. After development processing, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 of the development block 4 transports the substrate W to the heat processing unit 20 of the development block 4. The substrate W transported to the heat processing unit 20 is placed on the cooling plate 27 for cooling, and then placed on the heating plate 29 for heating.

[0102] After development and heat treatment are completed in development block 4, the substrate W is transported from development block 4 to ID block 2. The substrate W is transported via substrate mounting sections PS1 to PS4 and handed over from substrate transport mechanism TM1 to substrate transport mechanisms TR1 and TR2. Substrate transport mechanisms TR1 and TR2 load the substrate W onto carrier C, which is mounted on opener 8. With these steps, the processing of the substrate W is completed.

[0103] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, when various processing steps are performed on a substrate W, the substrate transport mechanisms TM1, TR1 to TR5 transport the substrate W to the transport target and repeatedly place the substrate W on the transport target. Examples of transport targets include the substrate mounting sections PS1 to PS7, the holding and rotating section of the liquid processing unit 19, and the heating plate 29 of the heat processing unit 20. To improve the accuracy of various processing steps on the substrate W, it is necessary to improve the transport accuracy of the substrate W. That is, it is necessary for the substrate transport mechanisms TM1, TR1 to TR5 to move accurately to the target position on the transport target and place the substrate W at that target position. Therefore, it is necessary to teach each of the substrate transport mechanisms TM1, TR1 to TR5 the target position of each of the numerous transport targets and eliminate the discrepancy between the actual target position and the calculated target position.

[0104] <Explanation of the teaching process> Here, we will describe a series of steps for teaching using the substrate transport device 10 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the series of steps for teaching in the embodiment. Here, we will describe as an example the case in which the substrate transport mechanism TM1, which is arranged in the coating block 3, is taught with respect to the substrate placement section PS1 as the transport target object.

[0105] Step S1 (Movement of the substrate transport mechanism) When the teaching process begins, the first step is to move the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to a predetermined position (implementation position) for carrying out the teaching process. That is, the control unit 65 rotates the rotation drive unit 45 of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 as appropriate so that the tip of the hand unit 43 faces the substrate mounting unit PS1. Furthermore, the control unit 65 controls the first moving mechanism 47 and the second moving mechanism 48 to move the substrate transport mechanism TM1 as appropriate in the x and z directions.

[0106] Under the control of the control unit 65, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 moves to the execution position. The execution position of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 is predetermined to be a position close to the substrate mounting section PS1 such that the imaging unit 55, once moved to the execution position, can capture an image of the substrate mounting section PS1. As the substrate transport mechanism TM1 moves to the execution position, the control unit 65 also raises each of the support pins 35 from the retracted position to the protruding position. Step S1 is completed when the substrate transport mechanism TM1 moves to the execution position and the support pins 35 rise to the protruding position. Figures 8(a) and 8(b) show the state after step S1 has been completed, with the substrate transport mechanism TM1 having moved to the execution position. Figure 8(a) is a front view showing the state after step S1 has been completed, and Figure 8(b) is a top view showing the state after step S1 has been completed.

[0107] Step S2 (Move to reference position) After step S1 is completed by moving the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to the work position, the process of moving the hand unit 43 to the reference position Bs is started. The drive control unit 71 of the control unit 65 drives the forward / backward drive unit 44 in the R direction so that the hand unit 43 moves to the reference position Bs. The reference position Bs corresponds to the base end of the groove 42 (the right end in Figure 5(b)), as shown in Figure 5(b) and the like. The forward / backward drive unit 44 is driven in the R2 direction along the groove 42 according to the control signal of the drive control unit 71.

[0108] As the forward / backward drive unit 44 moves toward the base end of the groove 42 in the R2 direction, the forward / backward drive unit 44 moves together with the hand unit 43 to the reference position Bs. Step S2 is completed when the hand unit 43 moves to the reference position Bs. The direction in which the hand unit 43 moves in step S2 is indicated by the symbol M1 in Figure 9(a) and other figures. Figures 9(a) and 9(b) show the state after step S2 has been completed, with the hand unit 43 having moved to the reference position Bs. Figure 9(a) is a front view showing the state after step S2 has been completed, and Figure 9(b) is a top view showing the state after step S2 has been completed.

[0109] When the hand unit 43 is moved to the reference position Bs, the shooting direction Fs of the shooting unit 55 is shown in Figure 9(b), etc. The shooting direction Fs is the direction in which the lenses 60 of the shooting unit 55A and the shooting unit 55B face. In step S1, the rotation drive unit 45 is pre-rotated so that the shooting direction Fs faces the area including the hand unit 43, the base mounting unit PS1, and the space in front of the hand unit 43. Therefore, when step S2 is completed, the pair of shooting units 55 are capable of shooting the area including the hand unit 43, the base mounting unit PS1, and the space in front of the hand unit 43. In other words, when step S2 is completed, the pair of shooting units 55 are capable of shooting the hand unit 43 and the substrate mounting unit PS1.

[0110] Step S3 (Photograph the hand part at the reference position) After moving the hand unit 43 to the reference position Bs, the process of photographing the hand unit 43 as it moves to the reference position Bs is initiated. The control unit 65 controls a pair of imaging units 55 to capture an image of the hand unit 43 and the area including the space in front of the hand unit 43. When the control unit 65 operates the pair of imaging units 55, the light focused by the lens 60 facing the shooting direction Fs is detected by the image sensor in each of the imaging units 55A and 55B. Each image sensor transmits a light detection signal based on the detected light information. The light detection signals transmitted by each image sensor are sent to the image acquisition unit 61.

[0111] The image acquisition unit 61 performs various image processing based on the light detection signal transmitted by the image sensor of the imaging unit 55A to acquire a first optical image 81. The image acquisition unit 61 also performs various image processing based on the light detection signal transmitted by the image sensor of the imaging unit 55B to acquire a second optical image 82 (reference image acquisition step). Figure 10 shows the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 captured in step S3.

[0112] The first optical image 81 corresponds to an image taken from the left side of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 of the hand unit 43 and its front. The second optical image 82 corresponds to an image taken from the right side of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 of the hand unit 43 and its front. In other words, the first optical image 81 shows the hand unit 43 as captured by the imaging unit 55A. The second optical image 82 shows the hand unit 43 as captured by the imaging unit 55B.

[0113] Of the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 acquired by the image acquisition unit 61, the images showing the hand unit 43 moving to the reference position Bs are designated as the first optical image 81A and the second optical image 82A. In other words, in step S3, the first optical image 81A and the second optical image 82A are acquired by photographing the hand unit 43 at the reference position Bs with a pair of imaging units 55. The first optical image 81A and the second optical image 82A correspond to the reference images in this invention. The image acquisition unit 61 corresponds to the reference image acquisition unit in this invention.

[0114] For the sake of clarity, even if the image of the substrate mounting section PS1 is visible in the first optical image 81A and the second optical image 82A, the image of the substrate mounting section PS1 will not be shown. Step S3 is completed by acquiring the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82, which show the hand section 43 moving to the reference position Bs and its front area, using a pair of imaging units 55.

[0115] Step S4 (Calculate the reference distance) After two optical images 81 and 82 showing the hand unit 43 at the reference position Bs are acquired, the process of calculating the reference distance K1 is started. In step S4, the relative distance K of the hand unit 43 at the reference position Bs is calculated as the reference distance K1. When step S4 is started, the data of the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 acquired by the image acquisition unit 61 in step S3 is transmitted to the communication unit 63. The communication unit 63 transmits the data of the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 to the control unit 65. That is, the data of the first optical image 81A and the second optical image 82A are transmitted outside the imaging unit 55 by the communication unit 63 and received by the position calculation unit 73 of the control unit 65.

[0116] The position calculation unit 73 extracts a reference point for the hand unit 43 for each of the first optical image 81A and the second optical image 82A. In this embodiment, the hand center D, which is the center of the hand unit 43, is used as the reference point for the hand unit 43 (see Figure 5(b)).

[0117] In this embodiment, the method for extracting the hand center D from the optical image is as follows. Specifically, the position calculation unit 73 extracts the three suction parts 53 as feature points of the hand part 43. The position calculation unit 73 uses a method such as pattern matching for each of the first optical image 81A and the second optical image 82A to extract the three suction parts 53 from each of the first optical image 81A and the second optical image 82A. The position calculation unit 73 then extracts the region corresponding to the center of the three suction parts 53 as the reference point, the hand center D. Here, among the hand center D, the hand center D of the hand part 43 that has moved to the reference position Bs will be referred to as "hand center Dt" below to distinguish it from the hand center D of the hand part 43 that has moved to other positions.

[0118] Figure 11(a) shows the three suction parts 53 and hand center Dt extracted in the first optical image 81A. Figure 11(b) shows the three suction parts 53 and hand center Dt extracted in the second optical image 82A. Of the hand centers Dt, the one extracted from the first optical image 81A is designated as hand center DtL. Of the hand centers Dt, the one extracted from the second optical image 82A is designated as hand center DtR.

[0119] In the pair of imaging units 55, the positions where the lens 60 of imaging unit 55A and the position where the lens 60 of imaging unit 55B are arranged differ with respect to the left-right direction of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 (the short-side direction of the base unit 41). Therefore, the position where the hand center DtL is captured in the first optical image 81 and the position where the hand center DtR is captured in the second optical image 82 are different. In other words, a parallax Nd occurs between the hand center DtL and the hand center DtR. Figure 11(c) shows the parallax Nd between the hand center DtL captured in the first optical image 81A and the hand center DtR captured in the second optical image 82A when the hand unit 43 is moving to the reference position Bs. The position calculation unit 73 can calculate the parallax Nd between the hand center DtL and the hand center DtR by extracting the hand centers DtL and DtR.

[0120] The position calculation unit 73 further calculates the distance from the imaging unit 55 to the hand unit 43 as the relative distance K using the parallax Nd. In this embodiment, the distance between the camera 59 of imaging unit 55A and the camera 59 of imaging unit 55B is defined as the camera distance T1. The focal length of the camera 59 in the pair of imaging units 55 is defined as the focal length T2. In this case, the relative distance K can be calculated using the camera distance T1, the focal length T2, and the parallax Nd, using the formula shown in (A) below. K = (T1·T2) / Nd …… (A)

[0121] In other words, the relative distance K is calculated by dividing the product of the camera distance T1 and the focal length T2 by the parallax Nd. As shown in Figure 12(a), the relative distance K corresponds to the distance from the intersection line 79 connecting the pair of imaging units 55 to the hand center Dt. That is, the line connecting the lens 60 of imaging unit 55A and the lens 60 of imaging unit 55B corresponds to the intersection line 79. If the line passing through the hand center Dt and perpendicular to the intersection line 79 is taken as the normal line 80, and the point where the normal line 80 and the intersection line 79 intersect is taken as intersection point V, then the distance from intersection point V to the hand center Dt corresponds to the relative distance K. The relative distance K calculated for the hand unit 43 that is moving to the reference position Bs is taken as the reference distance K1. The reference distance K1 corresponds to the reference position information in this invention. The position calculation unit 73 corresponds to the reference position calculation unit in this invention.

[0122] Furthermore, by calculating the relative distance K, the position of the hand center Dt in the depth direction of the optical images 81 and 82 can be determined. Note that at the time the optical images 81 and 82 in which the hand center Dt is visible are acquired, the position of the hand center Dt in the planar direction (left-right and up-down directions) of the optical images 81 and 82 is already known. In addition, the three-dimensional positions of each component constituting the imaging unit 55A and imaging unit 55B are known in advance. Therefore, by calculating the relative distance K, the three-dimensional position of the hand center Dt relative to the imaging unit 55 can be determined. As an example, as shown in Figure 12(b), the distance from the hand unit 43 at reference position Bs to the hand center Dt can be calculated as the three-dimensional distance S, using the lens 60 of the imaging unit 55A as a reference.

[0123] The three-dimensional distance S includes three components: the distance Sx in the x-direction, the distance Sy in the y-direction, and the distance Sz in the z-direction. That is, starting from the lens 60 of the imaging unit 55A, if the distance moved in the x-direction is distance Sx, the distance moved in the y-direction is distance Sy, and the distance moved in the z-direction is distance Sz, then the lens 60 of the imaging unit 55A is displaced from its position to the hand center Dt of the hand unit 43, which is located at the reference position Bs.

[0124] The position calculation unit 73 can calculate the three-dimensional distance S from the lens 60 of the imaging unit 55A to the hand center Dt of the hand unit 43 at the reference position Bs, based on the relative distance K1. Step S4 is completed when the position calculation unit 73 calculates the relative distance K (reference distance K1) of the hand unit 43 as it moves to the reference position Bs. Step S4 corresponds to the reference distance calculation step in the present invention.

[0125] Step S5 (Move to the advance position) When the relative distance K of the hand unit 43 at the reference position Bs is calculated as the reference distance K1, the process of moving the hand unit 43 from the reference position Bs to the extended position Cs is started. When step S5 is started, the drive control unit 71 of the control unit 65 controls the reciprocating drive unit 44 so that the hand unit 43 extends from the reference position Bs to the extended position Cs. That is, the drive control unit 71 transmits a control signal to the reciprocating drive unit 44 to move a distance corresponding to the extension amount P1 in the R1 direction from the reference position Bs.

[0126] The forward / backward drive unit 44 moves along the groove 42 in the R1 direction according to the control signal. As the forward / backward drive unit 44 moves, the hand unit 43 moves together with the forward / backward drive unit 44 in the R1 direction. That is, as a result of the control of the drive control unit 71 in step S5, the hand unit 43 moves from the reference position Bs to the extended position Cs. The process of step S5 is completed when the hand unit 43 moves from the reference position Bs to the extended position Cs. Figures 13(a) and 13(b) show the state after step S5 has been completed, with the hand unit 43 having moved from the reference position Bs to the extended position Cs. Figure 13(a) is a front view showing the state after step S5 has been completed, and Figure 13(b) is a top view showing the state after step S5 has been completed.

[0127] The pair of imaging units 55 are configured not to move in sync with the movement of the hand unit 43. Therefore, even if the hand unit 43 moves from the reference position Bs to the extended position Cs, the imaging direction Fs of the imaging unit 55 does not change. Also, even if the hand unit 43 moves from the reference position Bs to the extended position Cs, the position of the imaging unit 55 does not change. Therefore, when step S5 is completed, the pair of imaging units 55 are capable of imaging an area including the hand unit 43, the base mounting unit PS1, and the space in front of the hand unit 43. Step S5 is completed by moving the hand unit 43 from the reference position Bs to the extended position Cs.

[0128] Step S6 (Photo of the hand part at the advance position) After moving the hand unit 43 to the extended position Cs, the process of photographing the hand unit 43 in the extended position Cs is initiated. The control unit 65 controls a pair of imaging units 55 to capture an image of the hand unit 43 and the area including the space in front of the hand unit 43. When the control unit 65 operates the pair of imaging units 55, the light focused by the lens 60 facing the shooting direction Fs is detected by the image sensor in each of the imaging units 55A and 55B. Each image sensor transmits a light detection signal based on the detected light information. The light detection signals transmitted by each image sensor are sent to the image acquisition unit 61.

[0129] The image acquisition unit 61 performs various image processing based on the light detection signal transmitted by the image sensor of the imaging unit 55A to acquire a first optical image 81. The image acquisition unit 61 also performs various image processing based on the light detection signal transmitted by the image sensor of the imaging unit 55B to acquire a second optical image 82 (advancing image acquisition step). Figure 14 shows the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 captured in step S6.

[0130] Of the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 acquired by the image acquisition unit 61, the images showing the hand portion 43 moving to the extension position Cs are designated as the first optical image 81B and the second optical image 82B. That is, in step S6, the first optical image 81B and the second optical image 82B are acquired by photographing the hand portion 43 at the extension position Cs with a pair of imaging units 55. For the sake of explanation, even if the image of the substrate mounting portion PS1 is visible in the first optical image 81B and the second optical image 82B, the description of the image of the substrate mounting portion PS1 will be omitted. The first optical image 81B and the second optical image 82B correspond to the extension image in this invention. The image acquisition unit 61 corresponds to the extension image acquisition unit in this invention.

[0131] In step S3, the hand portion 43 is photographed as it moves to a reference position Bs relatively close to the imaging unit 55. Therefore, in the first optical image 81A acquired in step S3, the hand portion 43 is shown on the near side. On the other hand, in step S6, the hand portion 43 is photographed as it moves to an extended position Cs relatively far from the imaging unit 55. Therefore, in the first optical image 81B acquired in step S6, the hand portion 43 is shown further back than in the first optical image 81A. Similarly, the position of the hand portion 43 shown in the first optical image 81B is further back than the position of the hand portion 43 shown in the first optical image 81A. The process in step S6 is completed by acquiring a first optical image 81 and a second optical image 82 showing the hand portion 43 moving to the extended position Cs and its front region using a pair of imaging units 55.

[0132] Step S7 (Calculate the distance to advance) After two optical images 81 and 82 showing the hand portion 43 at the extension position Cs are acquired, the process of calculating the extension distance K2 is started. In step S4, the relative distance K of the hand portion 43 at the extension position Cs is calculated as the extension distance K2. When step S7 is started, the data of the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 acquired by the image acquisition unit 61 in step S6 are transmitted to the position calculation unit 73 of the control unit 65 via the communication unit 63.

[0133] The position calculation unit 73, similar to step S3, extracts the hand center D as the reference point for the hand unit 43 for each of the first optical image 81B and the second optical image 82B.

[0134] In other words, the position calculation unit 73 uses a method such as pattern matching for each of the first optical image 81B and the second optical image 82B to extract three suction parts 53 from each of the first optical image 81B and the second optical image 82B. The position calculation unit 73 then extracts the region corresponding to the center of the three suction parts 53 as the hand center D. Hereinafter, the hand center D of the hand part 43 that has moved to the extended position Cs will be referred to as "hand center Ds" to distinguish it from hand center Dt.

[0135] Figure 15(a) shows the three suction parts 53 and hand centers Ds extracted in the first optical image 81B. Figure 15(b) shows the three suction parts 53 and hand centers Ds extracted in the second optical image 82B. Of the hand centers Ds, those extracted from the first optical image 81A are designated as hand center DsL. Of the hand centers Ds, those extracted from the second optical image 82B are designated as hand center DsR.

[0136] The positions of the imaging unit 55A and the imaging unit 55B are different in the left-right direction of the substrate transport mechanism TM1. Therefore, parallax Nd is also generated between the hand center DsL and the hand center DsR. Figure 15(c) shows the parallax Nd between the hand center DsL shown in the first optical image 81B and the hand center DsR shown in the second optical image 82B when the hand unit 43 is moving to the extension position Cs. The position calculation unit 73 can calculate the parallax Nd between the hand center DsL and the hand center DsR by extracting the hand centers DsL and DsR.

[0137] The position calculation unit 73 further calculates the distance from the imaging unit 55 to the hand unit 43 as the relative distance K, using the parallax Nd between the hand center DsL and the hand center DsR. The formula for calculating the relative distance K in step S6 is the same as in step S3. That is, the relative distance K from the imaging unit 55 to the hand unit 43 at the extended position Cs is calculated by dividing the product of the camera distance T1 and the focal length T2 by the parallax Nd between the hand center DsL and the hand center DsR. Of the relative distance K, the portion calculated for the hand unit 43 that has moved to the extended position Cs is called the extended distance K2. The extended distance K2 corresponds to the extended position information in this invention. The position calculation unit 73 corresponds to the extended position calculation unit in this invention.

[0138] As shown in Figure 16(a), the advance distance K2 corresponds to the distance from the intersection line 79 to the hand center Ds. In other words, the advance distance K2 corresponds to the distance from the intersection point V of the normal line 80 and the intersection line 79 to the hand center Ds. Note that in Figure 16(a) and Figure 16(b) described later, the groove 42 is omitted as appropriate for the sake of explanation. Step S7 corresponds to the advance distance calculation step in the present invention.

[0139] Step S8 (Calculate estimated movement amount) After the reference distance K1 and extension distance K2 are calculated, the process of calculating the assumed movement amount L1 of the hand unit 43 is started. The assumed movement amount L1 is a value that is assumed to be the distance that the hand unit 43 has moved from the reference position Bs to the extension position Cs, based on the image data acquired by the imaging unit 55.

[0140] Once the relative distance K2 is calculated, the assumed displacement L1 is calculated using the relative distance K1 already calculated in step S3 and the relative distance K2. That is, the position calculation unit 73 calculates the assumed displacement L1 using the formula shown in (B) below. L1 = K2 - K1 …… (B)

[0141] Figure 16(b) is a plan view showing the positional relationship between hand center Dt and hand center Ds based on image data, and the relationship between relative distance K1 and relative distance K2. The assumed movement amount L1 is the value assumed to be the distance the hand unit 43 has moved from the reference position Bs to the extended position Cs, based on the image data captured by the imaging unit 55.

[0142] The distance the hand unit 43 moves from the reference position Bs to the extended position Cs corresponds to the distance from the hand center Dt related to the reference position Bs to the hand center Ds related to the extended position Cs. That is, the assumed movement amount L1 corresponds to the distance from the hand center Dt to the hand center Ds, as shown in Figure 15(a), etc. The reference distance K1 corresponds to the distance from the imaging system 55 to the hand center Dt. The extended distance K2 corresponds to the distance from the imaging system 55 to the hand center Ds. Therefore, by calculating the difference between the extended distance K2 and the reference distance K1, the position calculation unit 73 can calculate the assumed movement amount L1. By calculating the assumed movement amount L1, the process of step S8 is completed. Step S8 corresponds to the assumed movement amount calculation process in the present invention.

[0143] Step S9 (Calculate the correction factor) Once the assumed movement amount L1 is calculated and step S8 is completed, the process of calculating the correction coefficient Mk is started. The information of the assumed movement amount L1 calculated by the position calculation unit 73 is transmitted to the correction coefficient calculation unit 74. Information on the extension amount P1 related to the control of the drive control unit 71 is also transmitted from the storage unit 69 to the correction coefficient calculation unit 74. The correction coefficient calculation unit 74 calculates the correction coefficient Mk using the value of the assumed movement amount L1 and the value of the extension amount P1. In this embodiment, the correction coefficient Mk is calculated using the formula shown in (C) below. Mk = P1 / L1 …… (C)

[0144] The correction coefficient Mk is used in a later process as a coefficient to correct the discrepancy between the assumed movement amount L1 and the advance amount P1. In other words, the correction coefficient Mk corrects the discrepancy between the numerical value indicated by the control unit 65 as the movement distance and the numerical value of the movement distance assumed based on the optical images 81 and 82, with respect to the distance information calculated from the optical images 81 and 82. In the embodiment, the correction coefficient Mk is calculated as the ratio of the advance amount P1 to the assumed movement amount L1. The information of the correction coefficient Mk is transmitted from the correction coefficient calculation unit 74 to the calibration unit 75. The process of step S9 is completed when the correction coefficient Mk is calculated. Step S9 corresponds to the correction coefficient calculation process in the present invention.

[0145] Once step S9 is completed, the process branches based on the difference between the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1 (P1-L1) (see option Q1 in Figure 7). The control unit 65 calculates the absolute value of the difference between the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1 (|P1-L1|) and compares this absolute value with the threshold P2. If the absolute value (|P1-L1|) is greater than or equal to the threshold P2 (if option Q1 is "Yes"), the process branches to step S14. If the absolute value (|P1-L1|) is less than the threshold P2 (if option Q1 is "No"), the process branches to step S9. Here, assuming option Q1 is "No", the process from step S10 onwards will be explained. Note that the branching of the process based on option Q1 may also occur after step S8.

[0146] Step S10 (Photographing the target object to be transported) When step S10 is initiated, the system starts to photograph the substrate mounting section PS1, which is the transport target. The control unit 65 controls a pair of imaging units 55 to capture an image of the substrate mounting section PS1 located in the space in front of the hand unit 43. When the control unit 65 operates the pair of imaging units 55, the light focused by the lens 60 facing the imaging direction Fs is detected by the image sensor in each of the imaging units 55A and 55B. Each image sensor transmits a light detection signal based on the detected light information. The light detection signals transmitted by each image sensor are sent to the image acquisition unit 61.

[0147] The image acquisition unit 61 performs various image processing based on the light detection signal transmitted by the image sensor of the imaging unit 55A to acquire a first optical image 81. The image acquisition unit 61 also performs various image processing based on the light detection signal transmitted by the image sensor of the imaging unit 55B to acquire a second optical image 82. Figure 17 shows the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 acquired in step S8.

[0148] Of the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82 acquired by the image acquisition unit 61, the images showing the substrate mounting unit PS1 are designated as the first optical image 81C and the second optical image 82C. That is, in step S10, the substrate mounting unit PS1 located in front of the hand unit 43 is photographed by a pair of imaging units 55 to acquire the first optical image 81C and the second optical image 82C (target image acquisition step). The first optical image 81C and the second optical image 82C correspond to the target image in this invention. The image acquisition unit 61 corresponds to the target image acquisition unit in this invention.

[0149] For the sake of clarity, even if the hand portion 43 is visible in the first optical image 81C and the second optical image 82C, the image of the hand portion 43 will not be shown. Step S10 is completed by acquiring the first optical image 81 and the second optical image 82, which show the substrate mounting portion PS1.

[0150] Step S11 (Calculate target object position information) After two optical images 81 and 82 showing the substrate mounting section PS1 are acquired, the process of calculating the target object distance G for the substrate mounting section PS1 is started. The target object distance G corresponds to the distance from the imaging section 55 to the substrate mounting section PS1. When step S11 is started, the data of the first optical image 81C and the second optical image 82C acquired by the image acquisition section 61 in step S10 is transmitted to the communication section 63. The communication section 63 transmits the data of the first optical image 81C and the second optical image 82C to the control section 65. That is, the data of the first optical image 81C and the second optical image 82C are transmitted outside the imaging section 55 by the communication section 63 and received by the position calculation section 73 of the control section 65.

[0151] The position calculation unit 73 extracts a reference point for the substrate mounting section PS1 for each of the first optical image 81C and the second optical image 82C. In this embodiment, the pin center Pk, which is the center of the three support pins 35, is used as the reference point for the substrate mounting section PS1 (see Figure 4(c)).

[0152] In this embodiment, the method for extracting the pin center Pk from the optical image is as follows. Specifically, the position calculation unit 73 extracts feature points from each of the optical images 81C and 82C as a preliminary step to identifying the reference point of the substrate mounting section PS1. In this embodiment, the position calculation unit 73 extracts the vertices 83 of each of the three support pins 35 as feature points of the substrate mounting section PS1. The position calculation unit 73 uses a method such as pattern matching for each of the first optical image 81C and the second optical image 82C to extract three vertices 83 from each of the first optical image 81C and the second optical image 82C. The position calculation unit 73 then extracts the region corresponding to the center of the three vertices 83 as the pin center Pk.

[0153] Figure 18(a) shows the three vertex points 83 and pin center Pk extracted in the first optical image 81C. Figure 18(b) shows the three vertex points 83 and pin center Pk extracted in the second optical image 82C. Of the pin center Pk, the one extracted from the first optical image 81C is designated as pin center PkL. Of the pin center Pk, the one extracted from the second optical image 82C is designated as pin center PkR.

[0154] In the pair of imaging units 55, the positions where the lens 60 of imaging unit 55A and the position where the lens 60 of imaging unit 55B are arranged differ in the left-right direction of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 (the short-side direction of the base unit 41). Therefore, the position where the pin center PkL is shown in the first optical image 81C and the position where the pin center PkR is shown in the second optical image 82C are different. In other words, a parallax Nd occurs between the pin center PkL and the pin center PkR. Figure 18(c) shows the parallax Nd between the pin center PkL shown in the first optical image 81C and the pin center PkR shown in the second optical image 82C. The position calculation unit 73 can calculate the parallax Nd between the pin center PkL and the pin center PkR by extracting the pin centers PkL and PkR.

[0155] The position calculation unit 73 further calculates the distance from the imaging unit 55 to the substrate mounting unit PS1 as the target object distance G, using the parallax Nd between the pin center PkL and the pin center PkR. The formula used to calculate the target object distance G in step S9 is the same as the formula used to calculate the relative distance K in step S3 and so on. That is, the target object distance G from the imaging unit 55 to the substrate mounting unit PS1 is calculated by dividing the product of the camera distance T1 and the focal length T2 by the parallax Nd between the pin center PkL and the pin center PkR.

[0156] In this embodiment, the target distance G calculated corresponds, strictly speaking, to the distance from the imaging unit 55 to the pin center Pk. That is, as shown in Figure 19(a), the target distance G corresponds to the distance from the intersection line 79 connecting the pair of imaging units 55 to the pin center Pk. If we define the line passing through the pin center Pk and perpendicular to the intersection line 79 as the normal line 86, and the point where the normal line 86 and the intersection line 79 intersect as intersection point V2, then the distance from intersection point V2 to the pin center Pk corresponds to the target distance G.

[0157] When the support pin 35 is raised to its protruding position and the substrate W is transferred to the support pin 35 of the substrate mounting section PS1, the center of the substrate W coincides with the pin center Pk. Also, the hand center D of the hand section 43 coincides with the center of the substrate W held by the hand section 43 of the substrate transport mechanism TM1. Therefore, when the substrate mounting section PS1 is the transport target, the pin center Pk of the substrate mounting section PS1 corresponds to the target position of the substrate transport mechanism TM1. In other words, when the substrate transport mechanism TM1 transports the substrate W to the substrate mounting section PS1, it is necessary to drive the hand section 43 and the first moving mechanism 47 of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 so that the hand center D of the hand section 43 coincides with the pin center Pk.

[0158] To accurately align the hand center D with the pin center Pk, precise information is needed regarding three directions of movement of the hand unit 43 from the hand center D to the target position, the pin center Pk: the x-direction distance, the y-direction distance, and the z-direction distance. For example, if the hand unit 43 is currently at the extended position Cs, moving the hand unit 43 from the extended position Cs to the pin center Pk requires three directions of movement: the x-direction distance, the y-direction distance, and the z-direction distance from the hand center Ds to the pin center Pk.

[0159] In step S11, the target distance G is calculated, which allows us to determine the position of the pin center Pk in the depth direction of the optical images 81 and 82. Note that the position of the pin center Pk in the planar direction (left-right and up-down directions) of the optical images 81 and 82 is already known at the time the optical images 81 and 82, in which the pin center Pk is visible, are acquired. In addition, the three-dimensional positions of each component constituting the imaging unit 55A and imaging unit 55B are known in advance. Therefore, by calculating the target distance G, the three-dimensional position of the pin center Pk relative to the imaging unit 55 can be determined.

[0160] In step S4, by calculating the advance distance K1, it is possible to calculate information regarding the three-dimensional position of the hand center Dt relative to the imaging unit 55 as three-dimensional information S (see Figure 12(b)). Also, by calculating the advance distance K2 in step S7, it is possible to calculate information regarding the three-dimensional position of the hand center Ds relative to the imaging unit 55. Therefore, based on the information regarding the three-dimensional position of the hand center Ds relative to the imaging unit 55 and the three-dimensional position of the pin center Pk relative to the imaging unit 55, it is possible to calculate information regarding the three-dimensional position of the pin center Pk relative to the hand center Ds. In other words, the position calculation unit 73 calculates the amount of movement that is assumed to be necessary to move from the hand center Ds to the target position, the pin center Pk, as the required movement amount E.

[0161] The information on the required movement amount E corresponds to information that identifies the three-dimensional position of the substrate mounting section PS1, which is the transport target object. In other words, the position calculation unit 73 calculates the information on the required movement amount E as target object position information. Step S11 is completed when the position calculation unit 73 calculates the target object distance G and the required movement amount E. Step S11 corresponds to the target object position calculation step.

[0162] The required movement amount E corresponds to information about the distance from the hand center Ds to the pin center Pk, as shown in Figure 19(b). The required movement amount E includes three components: the distance Ex in the x-direction, the distance Ey in the y-direction, and the distance Ez in the z-direction. That is, if information on the required movement amount E is obtained based on image data captured by the imaging unit 55, it is assumed that the hand center Ds will be displaced from its position to the target position, the pin center Pk, if the movement distance in the x-direction is distance Ex, the movement distance in the y-direction is distance Ey, and the movement distance in the z-direction is distance Ez, starting from the hand center Ds.

[0163] Through diligent investigation by the inventors, it was discovered that there may be discrepancies between the value of the movement distance instructed by the control unit 65 to the substrate transport mechanism TM1 and the value of the movement distance of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 estimated from the images captured by the imaging unit 55. To give a specific example, even though the drive control unit 71 of the control unit 65 instructs the reciprocating drive unit 44 to move 100 mm in the R1 direction, the movement distance (estimated movement amount) of the reciprocating drive unit 44 calculated by the position calculation unit 73 based on the optical images 81 and 82 captured by the pair of imaging units 55 may be 102 mm. Possible causes of the discrepancy between the movement distance instructed by the control unit 65 and the movement distance calculated from the image data include deterioration of parts in the hand unit 43, malfunction of parts connecting the hand unit 43 and the reciprocating drive unit 44, positional misalignment of the imaging unit 55, coordinate misalignment of the optical images 81 and 82, and parameter errors in the control system. Examples of malfunctions in the components connecting the hand unit 43 and the forward / backward drive unit 44 include, when the hand unit 43 and the forward / backward drive unit 44 are connected by a belt, breakage of the belt or misalignment of the pulley. Also, when the hand unit 43 and the forward / backward drive unit 44 are connected by gears, examples include backlash or detachment of the gears.

[0164] In this way, the control unit 65 determines the movement distance relative to the hand unit 43 as follows: Give instructions The value (for example, the extension amount P1) is the distance traveled by the hand unit 43 from the image data. ExpectedThere may be deviations from the value (for example, the assumed movement amount L1). Furthermore, due to deterioration of components in the substrate transport mechanism TM1, the control unit 65 may deviate from the movement distance of the hand unit 43. Give instructions The value may deviate from the actual distance the hand unit 43 moves in real space. Also, the distance the hand unit 43 moves from the image data is Expected The value may deviate from the actual distance the hand unit 43 moves in real space. Therefore, when the substrate transport mechanism TM1 is moved from the advance position Cs according to the required movement amount E obtained based on the image data obtained by the imaging unit 55, it has been found that a discrepancy may occur between the position to which the substrate transport mechanism TM1 actually moves according to the instruction of the control unit 65 to move according to the required movement amount E, and the position calculated by the position calculation unit 73 as the target position. Therefore, in the substrate transport device 10 according to the embodiment, steps S12 and S13 are performed to calibrate the required movement amount E using the calibration unit 75, thereby enabling more accurate teaching of the position of the transport target object. Steps S12 and S13 will be described below.

[0165] Step S12 (Calibrate target object position information) When the position calculation unit 73 calculates the required movement amount E, the process of calibrating the required movement amount E, which is the target object position information, is started in step S12. When step S12 is started, the information of the required movement amount E calculated in step S12 is transmitted to the calibration unit 75. The calibration unit 75 calibrates the required movement amount E using the correction coefficient Mk information that has already been transmitted from the correction coefficient calculation unit 74.

[0166] When the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1 are equal, the movement distance indicated by the control unit 65 is equal to the movement distance calculated from the image data. For example, if the required movement amount E is "Ex=800mm, Ey=Ez=0mm", the substrate transport mechanism TM1 accurately reaches the target position (pin center Pk) by moving in the x direction by "a distance of 800mm assumed from the image data of optical images 81 and 82".

[0167] When the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1 are equal, the control unit 65 instructs the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to "move 800 mm in the x direction," and the actual distance the substrate transport mechanism TM1 moves becomes "the distance assumed to be 800 mm from the image data of optical images 81 and 82." In other words, when the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1 are equal, the control unit 65 controls the movement direction and distance of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 according to the content of the required movement amount E, so that the substrate transport mechanism TM1 reaches the target position accurately. Therefore, when the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1 are equal, there is no need to calibrate the position calculation unit 73.

[0168] On the other hand, if the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1 are different, the movement distance instructed by the control unit 65 will differ from the movement distance calculated from the image data. In this case, if the control unit 65 controls the movement direction and distance of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 according to the required movement amount E, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 will reach a position away from the target position. For example, if the required movement amount E is "Ex=800mm, Ey=Ez=0mm", the advance amount P1 is 100mm, and the assumed movement amount L1 is 101mm, the value of the movement distance of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 calculated from the image data will be greater than the value of the distance that the control unit 65 instructs the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to move. In other words, if the control unit 65 instructs the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to "move 800mm in the x direction" according to the information of the required movement amount E, the distance that the substrate transport mechanism TM1 actually moves will be greater than "the distance assumed to be 800mm from the image data of optical images 81 and 82". In other words, the actual distance traveled by the substrate transport mechanism TM1 is greater than the distance required to accurately reach the target position. To put it another way, if the control unit 65 instructs the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to "move 800 mm in the x direction" according to the information on the required movement amount E, the distance traveled by the substrate transport mechanism TM1 in the image data captured by the imaging unit 55 will be greater than 800 mm.

[0169] In other words, if the assumed movement amount L1 is greater than the advance amount P1, when the control unit 65 instructs the hand unit 43 to move according to the required movement amount E, the actual distance Fh that the hand unit 43 moves will be greater than the required movement amount E. As a result, as shown in Figure 20, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 moves to a position Pf that is beyond the pin center Pk. On the other hand, if the assumed movement amount L1 is less than the advance amount P1, when the control unit 65 instructs the hand unit 43 to move according to the required movement amount E, the actual distance Fh that the hand unit 43 moves will be less than the required movement amount E. As a result, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 moves to a position in front of the pin center Pk.

[0170] Thus, when the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1 are different, if the control unit 65 controls the substrate transport mechanism TM1 according to the information of the required movement amount E, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 will reach a position Pf that is away from the target position, which is the pin center Pk. Therefore, when the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1 are different, the calibration unit 75 calibrates the position calculation unit 73.

[0171] The calibration unit 75 calibrates the information of the required movement amount E calculated by the position calculation unit 73 so that the advance amount P1 matches the assumed movement amount L1. In other words, by the calibration unit 75 calibrating the position calculation unit 73, the amount of movement required to move the hand portion 43 of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to the target position is calculated as the calibration movement amount H.

[0172] In summary, the calibration displacement H is calculated using the formula shown in (D) below, based on the values ​​of the required displacement E, the advance amount P1, and the assumed displacement L1. That is, the calibration displacement H is calculated by multiplying the required displacement E by the correction coefficient Mk. In other words, the calibration displacement H is calculated by dividing the product of the required displacement E and the advance amount P1 by the assumed displacement L1. H = E·Mk = (E·P1) / L1 …… (D)

[0173] Specifically, the calibration displacement H includes three components: a distance Hx in the x-direction, a distance Hy in the y-direction, and a distance Hz in the z-direction. In other words, when the control unit 65 instructs the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to "move Hx in the x-direction, Hy in the y-direction, and Hz in the z-direction, starting from the hand center Ds," the substrate transport mechanism TM1 is precisely displaced from the hand center Ds to the target position (pin center Pk).

[0174] The value of the distance Hx in the x-direction at the calibration displacement H is calculated using the formula shown in (E) below, based on the advance amount P1, the assumed displacement L1, and the value of the distance Ex in the x-direction at the required displacement E. Hx=Ex·Mk=(Ex·P1) / L1 …… (E)

[0175] As shown in formula (E), the distance Hx in the x-direction at the calibration distance H is calculated by dividing the product of the distance Ex in the x-direction at the required movement E and the advance amount P1 by the assumed movement amount L1.

[0176] Furthermore, the value of the distance Hy in the y-direction in the calibration displacement H is calculated using the formula shown in (F) below, based on the advance amount P1, the assumed displacement L1, and the value of the distance Ey in the y-direction in the required displacement E. Hy=Ey·Mk=(Ey·P1) / L1 …… (F)

[0177] As shown in formula (F), the distance Hy in the y-direction at the calibration movement H is calculated by dividing the product of the required movement E (distance Ey in the y-direction) and the advance amount P1 by the assumed movement amount L1.

[0178] Furthermore, the value of the distance Hz in the z direction at the calibration displacement H is calculated using the formula shown in (G) below, based on the advance amount P1, the assumed displacement L1, and the value of the distance Ez in the z direction at the required displacement E. Hz=Ez·Mk=(Ez·P1) / L1 …… (G)

[0179] As shown in formula (G), the distance Hy in the y-direction at the calibration movement H is calculated by dividing the product of the required movement E (distance Ey in the y-direction) and the advance amount P1 by the assumed movement amount L1. In this way, the calibration unit 75 calibrates the required movement E using the correction coefficient Mk. In other words, based on the values ​​of the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1, the calibration unit 75 calibrates the required movement E to the calibration movement H. Specifically, the calibration unit 75 calculates the calibration movement H by calculating each component Hx, Hy, and Hz of the calibration movement H. The calibration movement H corresponds to the corrected position information in this invention. The corrected position information corresponds to the target object position information calibrated by the correction coefficient. With the calculation of the calibration movement H, the process of step S12 is completed. Step S12 corresponds to the calibration process in this invention.

[0180] Step S13 (Store correction position information) The calibration movement amount H corresponds to the amount of movement required for the hand unit 43 to move from its current position (in this case, the extension position Cs) to the precise target position. In other words, by calculating the calibration movement amount H, the precise position of the transport target object can be determined in each of the three dimensions.

[0181] The value of the calibration movement amount H calculated by the calibration unit 75 is stored in the position storage unit 76. That is, by storing the value of the calibration movement amount H, the accurate position information of the transport target object is taught to the substrate transport device 10 (teaching step). In other words, the calibration unit 75 calculates the accurate target position Js of the hand unit 43. That is, when the hand unit 43 is in the extended position Cs, and the control unit 65 gives instructions to move the substrate transport mechanism TM1 by a distance Hx in the x direction, a distance Hy in the y direction, and a distance Hz in the z direction, the calibration unit 75 calculates that the position to which the substrate transport mechanism TM1 moves is the target position Js.

[0182] When moving the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to the target position Js of the transport target object, the control unit 65 reads the calibration movement amount H from the position memory unit 76. The control unit 65 then sends control signals to the forward / backward drive unit 44, the rotation drive unit 45, the first movement mechanism 47, the second movement mechanism 48, etc., which are installed in the substrate transport mechanism TM1, instructing them to move according to the calibration movement amount H.

[0183] In other words, when moving the hand unit 43 from the extended position Cs to the target position Js, the control unit 65 instructs the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to match the movement distance and direction to the calibration movement amount H. Specifically, the control unit 65 transmits a control signal to the substrate transport mechanism TM1 to move a distance Hx in the x direction, a distance Hy in the y direction, and a distance Hz in the z direction. Specifically, when moving the hand unit 43 from the extended position Cs to the target position Js, the control unit 65 controls the substrate transport mechanism TM1 so that the hand center D of the hand unit 43 moves a distance Hx in the x direction, a distance Hy in the y direction, and a distance Hz in the z direction, starting from the hand center Ds. As the hand unit 43 moves from the extended position Cs to the target position Js, the hand center D of the hand unit 43 is precisely displaced from the position of the hand center Ds to the pin center Pk. When the control unit 65 issues an instruction to move the substrate transport mechanism TM1 according to the calibration movement amount H, the movement amount of the substrate transport mechanism TM1 calculated (expected) from the image data becomes the required movement amount E.

[0184] The calibration movement amount H is a value calibrated from the required movement amount E according to the difference between the extension amount P1 of the control unit 65 and the assumed movement amount L1 calculated from the image data. That is, when the control unit 65 controls the substrate transport mechanism TM1 so that it moves according to the calibration movement amount H, the distance Fh that the substrate transport mechanism TM1 actually moves will be equal to the required movement amount E. Therefore, when the control unit 65 controls the movement according to the calibration movement amount H, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 moves by a distance Ex in the x direction, a distance Ey in the y direction, and a distance Ez in the z direction, according to the control of the drive control unit 71. As a result, the hand part 43 is displaced so that the hand center D precisely coincides with the pin center Pk. The calibration movement amount H is stored in the position memory unit 76 and the target position Js is taught, completing the process of step S13. With the completion of the processes up to step S13, the series of processes by the substrate transport device 10 is completed.

[0185] Subsequently, the substrate transport device 10 can teach the substrate transport mechanism TM1 the target position of each transport target by repeating steps S1 to S13 for each transport target. When teaching the second and subsequent transport targets, the correction coefficient Mk has already been calculated when teaching the first transport target. Therefore, when teaching the second and subsequent transport targets, the calibration movement amount H can be calculated by reusing the correction coefficient Mk. In other words, when teaching the positions of multiple transport targets to the same substrate transport mechanism in succession, steps S1 to S9 can be omitted in the teaching work for the second and subsequent transport targets.

[0186] In addition to the substrate transport mechanism TM1, the target position of each transported object is also taught to each of the substrate transport mechanisms TR1 to TR5. When the substrate transport mechanisms are different, the deterioration status of the hand unit 43 and the imaging unit 55 will also be different. Therefore, when teaching the position of the transported object to a new substrate transport mechanism, it is necessary to calculate a new correction coefficient Mk by performing steps S1 to S9. Once the target position of the transported object is taught to all substrate transport mechanisms, teaching by the substrate transport device 10 is completed for the entire substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0187] Step S14 (Activate notification unit) Here, we will explain the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 when option Q1 shown in Figure 7 is "Yes". If the assumed movement amount L1 calculated in step S7 differs significantly from the predetermined advance amount P1, it is determined that a situation requiring maintenance of the substrate processing apparatus 1 has occurred. In other words, if the assumed movement amount L1 is significantly larger than the advance amount P1, or if the assumed movement amount L1 is significantly smaller than the advance amount P1, there is a high possibility that some kind of trouble has occurred in the substrate processing apparatus 1. For example, if the components that drive the hand unit 43 are significantly deteriorated, if the position of the imaging unit 55 is significantly deviated from the expected position, or if there is a large deviation in the coordinates of the optical images 81 and 82 captured by the imaging unit 55, a situation will occur where the assumed movement amount L1 differs significantly from the advance amount P1. If teaching is performed by the substrate transport device 10 when the assumed movement amount L1 differs significantly from the advance amount P1, it will be difficult to improve the accuracy of the teaching.

[0188] In this embodiment, the notification unit 77 is activated appropriately according to the difference between the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1. That is, when step S9 is completed, the control unit 65 calculates the absolute value (|P1-L1|) of the difference between the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1, and compares this absolute value with the threshold P2. If the absolute value (|P1-L1|) is greater than or equal to the threshold P2, the process proceeds from step S9 to step S14.

[0189] When step S14 is initiated, the control unit 65 activates the notification unit 77. The notification unit 77 generates a warning sound or light to inform the operator that the absolute value of the difference between the advance amount P1 and the expected movement amount L1 has risen to or above the threshold P2. As another example of a configuration in which the notification unit 77 provides information, the display unit of the operation unit 67 may display characters or images on the display unit that indicate that the absolute value of the difference between the advance amount P1 and the expected movement amount L1 has risen to or above the threshold P2.

[0190] The notification unit 77 notifies the operator that the absolute value of the difference between the advance amount P1 and the expected movement amount L1 has risen above the threshold P2, and that maintenance of the substrate processing device 1 is necessary. When the operator receives the information notified by the notification unit 77, they will, for example, stop the substrate processing device 1 and perform maintenance on the drive system of the hand unit 43 or the imaging unit 55, etc. After performing maintenance on the substrate processing device 1, the operator will restart the operation of the substrate processing device 1. By performing maintenance on the substrate processing device 1 at an appropriate timing based on the difference between the advance amount P1 and the expected movement amount L1, a decrease in the accuracy of teaching by the substrate transport device 10 can be quickly avoided.

[0191] <Effects of the configuration in the example> The substrate transport device 10 according to this embodiment is equipped with a pair of imaging units 55. The pair of imaging units 55 are arranged at a predetermined distance apart. The pair of imaging units 55 capture optical images 81 and 82 of the area including the hand unit 43 and the space in front of the hand unit 43. The pair of imaging units 55 are arranged on both sides of the substrate transport device TM. Therefore, the position calculation unit 73 can calculate the distance from the imaging unit 55 to the object to be photographed as a relative distance K in the depth direction of the optical images 81 and 82, based on the parallax Nd between the first optical image 81 acquired by one imaging unit 55A and the second optical image 82 acquired by the other imaging unit 55B. Thus, the position calculation unit 73 can calculate three-dimensional position information for the object to be photographed that is reflected in the optical images 81 and 82. In other words, the position calculation unit 73 can calculate the three-dimensional position information for the hand unit 43, the substrate mounting unit PS1, etc., that are reflected in the optical images 81 and 82.

[0192] The position calculation unit 73 extracts feature points from the image of the object to be photographed as captured in the optical images 81 and 82, and identifies a reference point of the object to be photographed based on the position of these feature points. The position calculation unit 73 then calculates the distance from the imaging unit 55 to the object to be photographed based on the reference point of the object to be photographed. In other words, since the three-dimensional position information of the object to be photographed is calculated using the feature points of the object to be photographed, in the embodiment using the substrate transport device 10, the work of placing a teaching member, such as a simulated substrate, on the object to be photographed becomes unnecessary. In other words, since the work of installing a teaching member on the transport object, which is difficult to automate, can be omitted, the configuration of the substrate transport device 10 can be simplified, and the teaching work using the substrate transport device 10 can be automated.

[0193] The position calculation unit 73 also calculates the assumed movement amount L1 of the hand unit 43 based on a pair of optical images 81A, 82A and a pair of optical images 81B, 82B. The pair of optical images 81A, 82A are images obtained by photographing the hand unit 43 as it moves to the reference position Bs with a pair of imaging units 55. The pair of optical images 81B, 82B are images obtained by photographing the hand unit 43 as it moves to the extended position Cs with a pair of imaging units 55. The extended position Cs corresponds to a position where the hand unit has been extended by a predetermined amount P1 in the R direction from the reference position Bs.

[0194] Each of the imaging units 55 is positioned on the substrate transport device TM1 so as not to be linked to the movement of the hand unit 43. That is, even if the hand unit 43 moves in the R direction, each of the imaging units 55 does not displace. Therefore, the position of the substrate holder shown in the pair of optical images 81A and 82A is different from the position of the substrate holder shown in the pair of optical images 81B and 82B. Thus, the position calculation unit can calculate the assumed movement amount L1 of the hand unit 43 on the image according to the distance between the position of the hand unit 43 shown in the optical images 81A and 82A and the position of the hand unit 43 shown in the optical images 81B and 82B. The assumed movement amount L1 corresponds to the value that is assumed to be the movement distance of the substrate transport device TM1 from the data of the optical images 81 and 82 when the control unit 65 instructs the substrate transport device TM1 to move by an advance amount P1.

[0195] The substrate transport device 10 according to the embodiment includes a correction coefficient calculation unit 74 that calculates a correction coefficient Mk, and a calibration unit 75 that calibrates the required movement amount E calculated by the position calculation unit 73. The position calculation unit 73 calculates the required movement amount E based on optical images 81C, 82C showing the substrate mounting unit PS1, which is the transport target. The correction coefficient calculation unit 74 calculates a correction coefficient Mk based on the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1. The calibration unit 75 calibrates the information of the required movement amount E calculated by the position calculation unit 73 based on the correction coefficient Mk. This calibration corrects the discrepancy between the distance value instructed by the control unit 65 as the distance to move the hand unit 43 and the distance value of the hand unit 43 moving in the optical images 81, 82 acquired by the imaging unit 55.

[0196] The position calculation unit 73 uses optical images 81C and 82C acquired by the pair of imaging units 55 when they photograph the substrate mounting unit PS1, which is the object to be transported, to calculate information on the three-dimensional distance E required for the hand unit 43 to move to the target position Js. However, the value of this three-dimensional distance E is affected by the discrepancy between the distance value instructed by the control unit 65 and the distance value calculated from the optical images 81 and 82. Therefore, the calibration unit 75 calibrates the value of the three-dimensional distance E so that the assumed movement amount L1 and the advance amount P1 match, thereby calculating the calibrated movement amount H.

[0197] The calibration displacement H is a value obtained by subtracting the effect of the discrepancy between the distance value instructed by the control unit 65 and the distance value calculated from the optical images 81 and 82 from the three-dimensional distance E. In other words, by controlling the movement of the hand unit 43 according to the calibration displacement H, the hand unit 43 can move to the target position Js with high accuracy. Thus, in a configuration in which the three-dimensional positions of the hand unit 43 and the transported object are identified based on images 81 and 82 captured by the imaging unit 55 and the target position Js is taught, the effect of discrepancies caused by images 81 and 82 can be eliminated by performing calibration by the calibration unit 75. As a result, the accuracy of the information taught by the teaching unit 75 can be further improved.

[0198] In this embodiment, the notification unit 77 is activated when the absolute value of the difference between the assumed movement amount L1 and the advance amount P1 is greater than or equal to the threshold P2. The notification unit 77 notifies the operator that the absolute value of the difference between the assumed movement amount L1 and the advance amount P1 is greater than or equal to the threshold P2. By notifying the operator of this information, the operator can quickly learn that maintenance of the substrate processing device 1 is necessary. When the operator receives the information notified by the notification unit 77, they perform an operation to stop the substrate processing device 1, for example, and perform maintenance on the drive system of the hand unit 43 or the imaging unit 55, etc. After performing maintenance on the substrate processing device 1, the operator restarts the operation of the substrate processing device 1. By performing maintenance on the substrate processing device 1 at an appropriate timing based on the difference between the advance amount P1 and the assumed movement amount L1, a decrease in the accuracy of teaching by the substrate transport device 10 can be quickly avoided.

[0199] In this embodiment, the imaging unit 55, which captures an optical image of the transport target object, is mounted on the substrate transport mechanism TM1. That is, when teaching the positions of multiple transport targets to a single substrate transport mechanism TM1, the positional information of multiple transport targets can be accurately taught by using a pair of imaging units 55 mounted on the substrate transport mechanism TM1. In other words, since it is not necessary to arrange multiple imaging units 55 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 to correspond to each of the multiple transport targets, the number of imaging units 55 can be greatly reduced.

[0200] This invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified and implemented as follows.

[0201] (1) In the above-described embodiment, the case in which the pair of optical images 81 and 82 used to calculate the relative distance K of the hand portion 43 and the pair of optical images 81 and 82 used to calculate the target distance G of the substrate mounting portion PS1 are different images was described as an example. However, the relative distance K of the hand portion 43 and the target distance G of the substrate mounting portion PS1 may be calculated using the same optical images 81 and 82.

[0202] Specifically, as an example, a first optical image 81D and a second optical image 81D are acquired, as shown in Figure 22. Each of the first optical image 81D and the second optical image 81D is an optical image showing the hand unit 43 moving to the reference position Bs and the substrate mounting unit PS1. The position calculation unit 73 can use the first optical image 81D and the second optical image 81D to calculate the reference distance K1 of the hand unit 43 at the reference position Bs. The position calculation unit 73 can also use the first optical image 81D and the second optical image 81D to calculate the target distance G of the substrate mounting unit PS1. In this modified example, the number of times optical images 81 and 82 are taken can be reduced, thus shortening the time required for teaching.

[0203] (2) In each of the embodiments described above, the timing of executing steps S10 and S11 is not limited to after the completion of step S9. For example, steps S10 to S11 may be executed before step S3 to calculate the target distance G. Another example is that steps S10 to S11 may be executed before step S6 to calculate the target distance G.

[0204] (3) In each of the embodiments described above, the substrate transport mechanism TM1 is provided with one hand portion 43, but it may be provided with two or more hand portions 43. Similarly, the substrate transport mechanisms TR1 to TR5 are provided with one hand portion 13, but they may be provided with two or more hands portion 13.

[0205] (4) In each of the embodiments described above, the hand center D, which is the center of the hand portion 43, is set as the reference point of the hand portion 43 (see Figure 5(b)). However, a part other than the hand center D may be set as the reference point of the hand portion 43. For example, one of the suction portions 53 provided on the hand portion 43 may be set as the reference point of the hand portion 43. As another example, the midpoint of the two tip portions 50 provided on the hand portion 43 may be set as the reference point of the hand portion 43.

[0206] (5) In each of the embodiments described above, the configuration and number of blocks provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be changed as appropriate. For example, depending on the purpose of the substrate processing apparatus 1, one or more of the coating block 3, developing block 4, IF block 5, and exposure apparatus EXP may be omitted. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0207] 1 ... Substrate processing equipment 2. Indexer block (ID block) 3…Coating block 4…Developing block 5. Interface block (IF block) 7... Opener 8... Opener 9…Opening 10 ... Circuit board transport device 13…Hand 14 ... Rotary drive unit 15 ... Lifting drive unit 17 ... Transport space 19 ... Liquid processing unit 20 ... Heat treatment unit 27 ... Cooling plate 29 ... Heating plate 31 ... Pre-exposure cleaning unit 33 ... Retaining plate 35 ...Support pin 36 ... Lifting member 37 ...Support pin lifting mechanism 38 ...Support pin 39...hole 41 ... Base part 42 ... Groove 43 ...Handball 44 ... Reverse drive unit 45 ... Rotary drive unit 47...First movement mechanism 48…Second movement mechanism 49...Foundation part 50...Tip 51...Protrusion 53...Adsorption part 55 ...Photography Department 57 ...Connecting member 59... Camera 60... Lens 61 ...Image acquisition unit 63... Communications Department 65 ... Control Unit 67...Operation unit 69...Storage section 71 ... Drive control unit 73...Position calculation unit 74 ...Correction coefficient calculation unit 75...Calibration section 77 ... Hochi Department 81 ...First optical image 82...Second optical image 83 ...Vertex Bs…Reference position Cs…Advance position Js…Target position C... Career W... circuit board TR1~TR5 ... Circuit board transport mechanism TM1 ... Substrate transport mechanism PS1~PS7... Circuit board mounting section

Claims

1. A substrate transport device that transports a substrate to a transport target object, A substrate holding part that can move in a first direction while holding the substrate, A movable base that holds the substrate holding portion and is movable in at least a second direction different from the first direction, A pair of imaging units are arranged on the movable base at predetermined intervals, and capture images of the area including the substrate holding portion and the space in front of the substrate holding portion. A moving drive unit that drives the substrate holding portion to move back and forth in the first direction, A drive control unit transmits information about the distance to be driven in the first direction to the forward / backward drive unit and controls the operation of the forward / backward drive unit, A reference image acquisition unit that acquires a reference image by photographing the substrate holding unit, which is positioned at a reference position in the substrate transport device, with the pair of imaging units, An extension image acquisition unit, which causes the drive control unit to extend the substrate holding unit by a predetermined amount in the first direction from the reference position, to acquire an extension image by photographing the substrate holding unit with the pair of imaging units, A target image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the transported target by photographing the transported target with the pair of imaging units, A reference position calculation unit calculates the position of the substrate holding unit relative to the imaging unit as reference position information based on the reference image, An advance position calculation unit calculates the position of the substrate holding unit relative to the imaging unit as advance position information based on the advance image, A target object position calculation unit calculates the position of the transported target object relative to the imaging unit as target object position information based on the target object image, An assumed movement amount calculation unit calculates an assumed movement amount, which is the distance the substrate holding unit is assumed to have moved from the reference position to the assumed movement position, based on the reference position information and the assumed extension position information. A correction coefficient calculation unit calculates a correction coefficient to correct the discrepancy between the assumed movement amount and the advance amount, using the assumed movement amount and the advance amount. A calibration unit that acquires corrected position information by calibrating the target object position information using the correction coefficient, A position storage unit that stores the corrected position information acquired by the calibration unit, Equipped with, The aforementioned imaging unit is It is arranged to move in conjunction with the movement of the movable platform, but not in conjunction with the movement of the substrate holder. A substrate transport device characterized by the following features.

2. In the substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, The first direction is the horizontal direction, The second direction is the vertical direction, The aforementioned movable platform is It is configured to be at least movable in the vertical direction and rotatable about the vertical axis. A substrate transport device characterized by the following features.

3. In the substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, If the difference between the assumed movement amount and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, a notification unit provides information that the difference between the assumed movement amount and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. A substrate transport device characterized by comprising the following features.

4. A position teaching method for teaching the position of a transport target object to a substrate transport device, which transports the substrate to a transport target object, comprising: a substrate holding unit that can move in a first direction while holding the substrate; a movable table that holds the substrate holding unit and can move in a second direction different from at least the first direction; a pair of imaging units that are arranged on the movable table at a predetermined interval, interlocked with the movement of the movable table but not interlocked with the movement of the substrate holding unit, and which capture images of the area including the substrate holding unit and the space in front of the substrate holding unit; a reciprocating drive unit that drives the substrate holding unit to move back and forth in the first direction; and a drive control unit that transmits information on the distance to be driven in the first direction to the reciprocating drive unit and controls the operation of the reciprocating drive unit, wherein the substrate transport device transports the substrate to a transport target object, the position of the transport target object is taught to the device, A reference image acquisition step involves obtaining a reference image by photographing the substrate holding unit, which is positioned at a reference position in the substrate transport device, with the pair of imaging units, A reference distance calculation step in which the position of the substrate holding part relative to the imaging part is calculated as reference position information based on the reference image, An advancement image acquisition step involves the drive control unit obtaining an advancement image by photographing the substrate holding unit, which has advanced by a predetermined amount in the first direction from the reference position, with the pair of imaging units, A step of calculating the advance distance, which calculates the position of the substrate holding part relative to the imaging part as advance position information based on the advance image, A step of calculating an assumed movement amount, which is the distance that the substrate holding part is assumed to have moved from the reference position to the assumed movement position, based on the reference position information and the extension position information, A correction coefficient calculation step, which uses the assumed amount of movement and the amount of extension to calculate a correction coefficient for correcting the discrepancy between the assumed amount of movement and the amount of extension, A target image acquisition step involves the pair of imaging units capturing images of the transported target object to acquire a target image, A target object position calculation step, which calculates the position of the transported target object relative to the pair of imaging units as target object position information based on the image of the transported target object captured by the pair of imaging units, A calibration step of obtaining corrected position information by calibrating the target object position information using the correction coefficient, A teaching step in which the corrected position information obtained by the calibration step is taught as the position of the transport target object, Equipped with A method for teaching a position, characterized by the following features.

5. In the position teaching method described in claim 4, If the difference between the assumed movement amount calculated in the assumed movement amount calculation step and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, a notification step is provided to notify that the difference between the assumed movement amount and the advance amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. A position teaching method characterized by comprising:

Images