Anomaly detection device and anomaly detection method for substrate support devices

Abstract

This invention provides a technology that can detect abnormalities in the operation of support members in a substrate support device. [Solution] The abnormality detection device 20 of the substrate support device 10 includes a sensor 80 configured to detect information regarding vibration or sound generated when a plurality of support members 40 move, and a control device 70 configured to detect abnormalities in the operation of the plurality of support members 40 based on the information detected by the sensor 80.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an abnormality detection device and an abnormality detection method for a substrate support device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a substrate support device for supporting a substrate, there is known a device including a base having a plurality of holes, and a plurality of support members configured to support the substrate, wherein each of the plurality of support members is inserted into each of the plurality of holes of the base, and a driving device configured to move the plurality of support members in the vertical direction with respect to the base (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In such a substrate support device, a stopper is provided at a position above the base for each of the plurality of support members. The plurality of support members are configured to move between a "lower position" where the stopper contacts the upper surface of the base and an "upper position" where the stopper is separated from the upper surface of the base and is located above the upper surface by being driven by the driving device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the conventional substrate support device as described above, it is conceivable that an abnormality occurs in the operation of the support member. For example, it is conceivable that an abnormality occurs in the operation of some of the plurality of support members, and the stopper does not contact the upper surface of the base. In this case, it may be difficult to normally support the substrate by the support members. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of a technology capable of detecting an abnormality in the operation of the support members of the substrate support device.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and one of its objectives is to provide a technology that can detect abnormalities in the operation of a support member of a substrate support device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (Aspect 1) To achieve the above objective, one aspect of the present invention is an abnormality detection device for a substrate support device, wherein the substrate support device comprises a base having a plurality of holes, and a plurality of support members configured to support a substrate, each of the plurality of support members comprising a plurality of support members inserted through each of the plurality of holes in the base, and a drive device configured to move the plurality of support members vertically relative to the base, each of the plurality of support members being provided with a stopper at a location above the base, and the plurality of support members being driven by the drive device to move between a lower position in which the stopper contacts the upper surface of the base and an upper position in which the stopper is away from the upper surface of the base and located above the upper surface, and the abnormality detection device comprises a sensor configured to detect information regarding vibration or sound generated when the plurality of support members move, and a control device configured to detect an abnormality in the operation of the plurality of support members based on the information detected by the sensor.

[0007] According to this embodiment, abnormalities in the operation of the support member can be detected based on information regarding vibrations or sounds generated when the support member of the substrate support device moves.

[0008] (Aspect 2) In the above embodiment 1, the information may be information relating to vibrations or sounds that occur when the plurality of support members move downward.

[0009] (Aspect 3) In the above embodiment 1 or embodiment 2, the control device may detect an abnormality in the operation of the plurality of support members by comparing the information detected by the sensor with a preset standard.

[0010] (Aspect 4) To achieve the above objective, one aspect of the present invention is a method for detecting abnormalities in a substrate support device, wherein the substrate support device comprises a base having a plurality of holes, and a plurality of support members configured to support a substrate, each of the plurality of support members comprising a plurality of support members inserted through each of the plurality of holes in the base, and a drive device configured to move the plurality of support members vertically relative to the base, each of the plurality of support members being provided with a stopper at a location above the base, and the plurality of support members being driven by the drive device to move between a lower position in which the stopper contacts the upper surface of the base and an upper position in which the stopper is away from the upper surface of the base and located above the upper surface, and the abnormality detection method comprises detecting information relating to vibration or sound generated when the plurality of support members move, and detecting an abnormality in the operation of the plurality of support members based on the detected information.

[0011] According to this embodiment, abnormalities in the operation of the support member can be detected based on information regarding vibrations or sounds generated when the support member of the substrate support device moves. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the support member according to the embodiment is located in an "upper position". [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of multiple support members according to the embodiment as viewed from above. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of an anomaly detection method according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a case where an abnormality occurs in some of the support members of the plurality of support members according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] (Embodiment) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The drawings are schematic in order to facilitate understanding of the features, and the dimensional ratios of each component may not be the same as those of the actual components. The drawings also show the XYZ Cartesian coordinates as necessary. In these Cartesian coordinates, the Z direction corresponds to upward, and the -Z direction corresponds to downward (the direction in which gravity acts).

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is an apparatus capable of performing a predetermined process on a substrate Wf. The specific examples of the predetermined process are not particularly limited, and various processes such as cleaning and drying can be used. In this embodiment, cleaning is used as an example of the predetermined process.

[0015] In this case, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be equipped with a cleaning nozzle 2 for discharging cleaning liquid toward the substrate Wf, as illustrated in Figure 1. With this configuration, the substrate Wf can be cleaned by the cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning nozzle 2. In this case, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may also be equipped with a cleaning tank 3 for recovering the cleaning liquid after cleaning.

[0016] As illustrated in Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a substrate support device 10 for supporting the substrate Wf. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the substrate Wf is supported by the substrate support device 10, and a predetermined process is performed on the substrate Wf. In Figure 1, the cross-section of the substrate support device 10 is schematically shown.

[0017] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the substrate support device 10 includes a base 30, a plurality of support members 40, a drive device 50, and a control device 70. The substrate support device 10 may also include an elastic member 60. Note that FIG. 1 illustrates a state where the support member 40 is located at a "lower position" described later. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state where the support member 40 is located at an "upper position" described later. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state where the plurality of support members 40 are viewed from above.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, the control device 70 according to the present embodiment is configured to, as an example, overall control the substrate processing device 1, the substrate support device 10, and an abnormality detection device 20 described later. However, the configuration of the present embodiment is not limited thereto. The present embodiment can also have a configuration in which, for example, a control device for controlling the substrate processing device 1, a control device for controlling the substrate support device 10, and a control device for controlling the abnormality detection device 20 are provided separately.

[0019] The control device 70 is configured by a computer. Specifically, the control device 70 (that is, the computer) includes a processor 71, a storage device 72 as a non-temporary storage medium, and the like. In the control device 70, the processor 71 controls the operation of the controlled unit based on the commands of the program stored in the storage device 72.

[0020] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the base 30 according to the present embodiment is composed of a plate member extending in the horizontal direction. The base 30 is a member for supporting the support member 40 described later. A plurality of holes 31 penetrating in the vertical direction are provided in a part of the base 30. The support member 40 described later is inserted into each of the holes 31. The base 30 according to the present embodiment is supported by a support shaft 35.

[0021] The support shaft 35 may be connected to a rotating mechanism (not shown) and configured to rotate by this mechanism. In this case, the base 30 supported by the support shaft 35 can be rotated. This allows the support member 40 that engages with the base 30 to rotate, thereby allowing the substrate Wf supported by the support member 40 to rotate. With this configuration, for example, when performing a predetermined process on the substrate Wf, the predetermined process can be performed on the substrate Wf while rotating the substrate Wf supported by the substrate support device 10.

[0022] Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, the multiple support members 40 are configured to support the substrate Wf. The multiple support members 40 are also configured to move vertically relative to the base 30 when driven by the drive device 50. The number of multiple support members 40 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, there are four as an example.

[0023] In this embodiment, each of the multiple support members 40 is composed of a support pin extending in the vertical direction. Each support member 40 is positioned to pass through each of the holes 31 in the base 30.

[0024] A clamp 41 may be provided at the upper end of each support member 40. In this embodiment, as an example, the portion of the support member 40 other than the clamp 41 at the upper end of the support member 40 supports the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the substrate Wf from below, and the clamp 41 supports the outer peripheral side surface of the substrate Wf.

[0025] Furthermore, under normal circumstances (when there is no abnormality in the operation of the support members 40), the multiple support members 40 support the substrate Wf so that the substrate Wf is horizontal.

[0026] The lower end of the support member 40 (which is located below the base 30) is provided with a lower end diameter expansion portion 42 that expands radially outward.

[0027] The elastic member 60 is positioned between the enlarged diameter portion 42 at the lower end of the support member 40 and the lower surface 32b of the base 30. In this embodiment, the elastic member 60 biases the support member 40 downward. The specific configuration of the elastic member 60 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, a coil spring is used as an example of the elastic member 60.

[0028] A stopper 43 is provided at a location between the upper and lower ends of the support member 40, above the base 30. In this embodiment, the stopper 43 is, for example, composed of an enlarged diameter portion that expands radially outward on the outer circumference of the support member 40.

[0029] Here, the position where the stopper 43 contacts the upper surface 32a of the base 30 is referred to as the "lower position" (see Figure 1). The position where the stopper 43 is away from the upper surface 32a of the base 30 and located above the upper surface 32a is referred to as the "upper position" (see Figure 2). As illustrated in Figure 2, in the upper position, the stopper 43 according to this embodiment is located a predetermined distance above the upper surface 32a of the base 30. The support member 40 is configured to move between the lower position and the upper position while supporting the substrate Wf.

[0030] When the support member 40 moves in the vertical direction, vibrations and noise may be generated as a result of this movement. In this embodiment, particularly large vibrations and noise may be generated when the support member 40 moves downward and is positioned in the lower position (i.e., when the stopper 43 contacts the upper surface 32a of the base 30).

[0031] The drive unit 50 is configured to move (i.e., raise and lower) a plurality of support members 40 in the vertical direction relative to the base 30. The specific configuration of the drive unit 50 is not particularly limited as long as it has such a function, but for example, as an example of the drive unit 50, a known drive unit (or lifting unit) can be used which includes an engagement portion 51 configured to engage with the support member 40 and an air cylinder (not shown) that raises and lowers the engagement portion 51 using, for example, pneumatic pressure. The operation of the drive unit 50 is controlled by the control unit 70.

[0032] The engaging portion 51 of the drive unit 50 contacts the lower end of the support member 40, moving the support member 40 upward, thereby positioning the support member 40 in the "upper position". On the other hand, the engaging portion 51 of the drive unit 50 moves downward and separates from the lower end of the support member 40 (i.e., the engagement with the support member 40 is released), thereby returning the support member 40 to the "lower position".

[0033] For example, the substrate Wf may be attached to and removed from the support member 40 when the support member 40 is in the "upper position". Also, for example, a predetermined process (e.g., cleaning) may be performed on the substrate Wf when the support member 40 is in the "lower position". However, this is merely an example, and the support member 4 may be used in any situation. The user can set the position of 0 to be either above or below as needed.

[0034] As described above, known substrate support devices such as those exemplified in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can be used as substrate support devices 10. Therefore, a further detailed description of the substrate support device 10 is omitted.

[0035] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a case where an abnormality occurs in some of the support members 40 of the multiple support members 40. For example, an abnormality may occur in some of the multiple support members 40, causing the stopper 43 of the support member 40 to not contact the upper surface 32a of the base 30 (i.e., not to be in the lower position). Such a condition can occur, for example, when foreign matter is present between the stopper 43 and the upper surface 32a of the base 30, or when there is a defect in the mechanism for moving the support member 40 (for example, the drive unit 50 or the elastic member 60).

[0036] As described above, if an abnormality occurs in the support member 40, it may become difficult to properly support the substrate Wf with the support member 40. Specifically, as illustrated in Figure 5, the substrate Wf may be supported at an angle. In this case, the substrate Wf may be subjected to a predetermined process while it is not properly supported. Therefore, in order to prevent such problems from occurring, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with an abnormality detection device 20 ("substrate support device abnormality detection device") as described below.

[0037] Referring to Figure 1, the anomaly detection device 20 according to this embodiment includes a sensor 80. Furthermore, the anomaly detection device 20 according to this embodiment also includes the control device 70 described above as part of its components. The substrate support device 10 and the anomaly detection device 20 together may also be referred to as a "substrate support system".

[0038] The sensor 80 is configured to detect information about vibrations ("vibration information") or sound ("sound information") that occur when the multiple support members 40 move. In this embodiment, "when the support members 40 move (i.e., when the support members 40 move)" refers to any point in time between the start point and the end point of the movement of the support members 40. The sensor 80 transmits the detection result (output value) to the control device 70.

[0039] When using a sensor capable of detecting vibration information as sensor 80, specific examples of such a sensor 80 include vibration sensors and acceleration sensors. On the other hand, when using a sensor capable of detecting sound information as sensor 80, examples of such a sensor 80 include acoustic sensors.

[0040] The specific location of the sensor 80 is not particularly limited, as long as it can detect vibrations and sounds from the support member 40. The sensor 80 shown in Figure 1 is, as an example, placed on the base 30. However, this is only one example of where the sensor 80 can be placed; for example, the sensor 80 may be placed on the support member 40.

[0041] Alternatively, the sensor 80 may be placed, for example, on the outside of the cleaning tank 3 (for example, on the outer surface of the cleaning tank 3). This configuration makes it possible to prevent the sensor 80 from getting wet with cleaning fluid or the like. In this case, the cleaning tank 3 is configured so that vibrations from the support member 40 are transmitted via a predetermined member (vibration transmission member). Alternatively, if the substrate support device 10 and the substrate processing device 1 equipped therewith are located inside a housing, the sensor 80 may be placed on the wall surface of the housing. In this case as well, the housing is configured so that vibrations from the support member 40 are transmitted via a predetermined member.

[0042] In this embodiment, the number of sensors 80 in the anomaly detection device 20 is one. However, the number of sensors 80 is not limited to this, and the anomaly detection device 20 may be equipped with multiple sensors 80.

[0043] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an anomaly detection method according to this embodiment. In step S10, the sensor 80 detects vibration information (or sound information) generated when the multiple support members 40 move. Specifically, the sensor 80 detects vibration information (or sound information) at least from the start to the end of movement of the multiple support members 40 (i.e., from the time the control device 70 sends a command to start movement of the support members 40 to the drive device 50 until it sends a command to end movement).

[0044] Furthermore, the sensor 80 may continuously detect vibration information (or sound information) while the substrate processing device 1 is in operation (from the start to the end of startup) and while the substrate support device 10 is in operation (from the start of support of the substrate Wf to the end of support of the substrate Wf). The information detected by the sensor 80 is transmitted to the control device 70.

[0045] Next, the control device 70 detects an abnormality in the operation of the multiple support members 40 based on the information detected by the sensor 80 in step S10 (step S20). As a specific example, the control device 70 may detect an abnormality in the operation of the multiple support members 40 by comparing the information detected by the sensor with a "pre-set standard". As this standard, the vibration information (or sound information) detected by the sensor 80 when the multiple support members 40 move normally can be used. The control device 70 may also store the vibration information (or sound information) when the support members 40 move normally and update this standard value based on this stored information.

[0046] As a specific example of step S20, the control device 70 may detect an abnormality in the downward movement of the multiple support members 40 based on vibration information (or sound information) generated when the multiple support members 40 move downward. Specifically, in this case, the control device 70 may detect an abnormality in the movement of the support members 40 based on vibration information (or sound information) generated when the stopper 43 contacts the upper surface 32a of the base 30.

[0047] Specifically, in this case, the control device 70 detects an abnormality in the downward movement of the multiple support members 40 by comparing the information detected by the sensor 80 when the multiple support members 40 move downward from an upper position (during downward movement) with a preset standard (reference vibration information (or sound information)). As this standard, the vibration information (or sound information) detected by the sensor 80 when the multiple support members 40 move downward "normally" and are in the lower position can be used. Note that this vibration information (or sound information) is a concept that includes the time waveform of vibration (or sound).

[0048] As a result of this comparison, the control device 70 may detect that there is an abnormality in the downward movement of the support members 40 if it determines that vibration (or sound) that should occur when the stoppers 43 of the multiple support members 40 normally contact the upper surface 32a of the base 30 does not occur.

[0049] Furthermore, the control device 70 may obtain additional information by performing frequency analysis based on the information detected by the sensor 80. In addition, as a result of this frequency analysis, it may obtain not only values ​​for each frequency but also an "overall value (evaluation value)". The overall value refers to the combined value (composite power) of all frequency bands of the power spectrum obtained by FFT (Discrete Fourier Transform) based on the time signal of vibration (or sound).

[0050] A concrete example of this would be as follows: When multiple support members 40 move downward, for example, foreign matter may get trapped between the stopper 43 of some of the support members 40 and the base 30, causing the stopper 43 of these support members 40 to no longer contact the upper surface 32a of the base 30 (while the stoppers 43 of the other support members 40 are still in contact with the upper surface 32a of the base 30). In such a case, the "overall value" acquired by the control device 70 will be lower than the reference value (the overall value when all the stoppers 43 of the multiple support members 40 are in contact with the upper surface 32a of the base 30).

[0051] Therefore, the control device 70 can detect (or determine) that an abnormality has occurred in the downward movement of the support member 40 if the acquired overall value is lower than the reference value. Specifically, the control device 70 can detect that an abnormality has occurred in which the stopper 43 of some of the support members 40 is not in contact with the upper surface 32a of the base 30.

[0052] Furthermore, a so-called "partial overall value" may be used as this overall value. This partial overall value limits the range of the frequency band and represents the combined value of the power spectrum within this limited frequency band.

[0053] Alternatively, the control device 70 may determine the "peak value" of the frequency based on the information detected by the sensor 80 and detect an abnormality by comparing this peak value with a preset reference peak value (reference value). In this case, the control device 70 can detect that an abnormality is occurring in the downward movement of the support member 40 if the peak value is lower than the reference value.

[0054] Alternatively, the control device 70 can acquire a temporal timing difference (deviation) in the movement of the support member 40 based on the vibration information (or sound information) detected by the sensor 80, and detect an abnormality in the support member 40 based on this acquired timing difference. Specifically, in this case, for example, the control device 70 may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the movement of the support member 40 when it determines, based on the detection result of the sensor 80, that the timing at which the stopper 43 contacts the upper surface 32a of the base 30 is later than the timing under normal conditions.

[0055] The user can understand that there is an abnormality in the support member 40 by obtaining the judgment result of the control device 70 in step S20. Specifically, the user can understand, for example, that some of the support members 40 are not in the lower position (as shown in Figure 5). As a result, the user can determine that the substrate Wf may not be properly supported by the support members 40 and stop the processing by the substrate processing device 1 or repair the substrate support device 10. As a result, it is possible to prevent the predetermined processing from being performed on the substrate Wf while the substrate Wf is not properly supported.

[0056] The substrate processing apparatus 1 may also include an alarm device 90 configured to sound an alarm when the control device 70 detects an abnormality in step S20. The specific configuration of this alarm device 90 is not particularly limited, but for example, an alarm lamp that sounds an alarm, a buzzer that sounds an alarm, or a display that shows an alarm with text information can be used.

[0057] Furthermore, in the flowchart of Figure 4 described above, if the control device 70 detects an abnormality in the operation of the multiple support members 40 based on sound information, the control device 70 may, for example, detect an abnormality in the multiple support members 40 based on the sliding sound generated when the multiple support members 40 move (sliding sound generated between the support members 40 and the base 30).

[0058] Specifically, in this case, in step S10, the sensor 80 detects the sliding sound generated when the multiple support members 40 move downward or upward. In step S20, the control device 70 detects an abnormality in the movement of the multiple support members 40 by comparing the sliding sound detected by the sensor 80 with a preset reference sound (sliding sound under normal conditions). Specifically, for example, if the sliding resistance when the support members 40 move in the vertical direction increases due to some cause, and an abnormality occurs in the movement of the support members 40, the sliding sound of the support members 40 is expected to become louder. Therefore, the control device 70 may detect that an abnormality has occurred in the movement of the support members 40 when the sliding sound obtained based on the value detected by the sensor 80 becomes louder than the reference value.

[0059] The substrate processing apparatus 1 may also be equipped with both a sensor 80 for detecting vibration information (vibration information detection sensor) and a sensor 80 for detecting sound information (sound information detection sensor). In this case, the control device 70 may detect an abnormality in the operation of the support member 40 based on at least one of the vibration information detected by the vibration information detection sensor and the sound information detected by the sound information detection sensor.

[0060] According to this embodiment as described above, it is possible to detect abnormalities in the operation of the multiple support members 40 based on vibration information or sound information generated when the multiple support members 40 move. As a result, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent predetermined processing from being performed on the substrate Wf when the substrate Wf is not properly supported.

[0061] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the placement location of the sensor 80 only needs to be a location where vibration information or sound information during the movement of the support member 40 can be detected, thus offering a high degree of freedom in selecting the placement location of the sensor 80. For this reason, this embodiment can be easily implemented. In addition, the abnormality detection device 20 according to this embodiment can be realized by applying the sensor 80 and control device 70 to an existing substrate support device. In this respect as well, the abnormality detection device 20 according to this embodiment can be easily implemented.

[0062] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, for example, vibration information or sound information when multiple support members 40 move downward multiple times can be accumulated and stored in the storage device 72. In this case, for example, by using machine learning on this accumulated vibration information or sound information, it is possible to derive vibration information or sound information that can serve as an indicator for replacing parts of the substrate support device 10.

[0063] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the present invention as described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10 Board support device 20 Anomaly detection device 30 bases 31 holes 32a top surface 40 Support member 43 Stopper 50 Drive unit 70 Control device 80 sensors Wf substrate

Claims

1. An abnormality detection device for a substrate support device, The substrate support device is A base having multiple holes, A plurality of support members configured to support a substrate, each of the plurality of support members being inserted through each of the plurality of holes in the base, The system includes a drive device configured to move the plurality of support members vertically relative to the base, Each of the aforementioned plurality of support members is provided with a stopper at a location above the base. The plurality of support members are configured to move between a lower position in which the stopper contacts the upper surface of the base and an upper position in which the stopper is separated from the upper surface of the base and positioned above the upper surface, when driven by the drive device. The abnormality detection device is, A sensor configured to detect information regarding vibrations or sounds generated when the plurality of support members move, An abnormality detection device for a substrate support device, comprising: a control device configured to detect abnormalities in the operation of the plurality of support members based on the information detected by the sensor; and

2. The abnormality detection device for a substrate support device according to claim 1, wherein the information is information relating to vibration or sound generated when the plurality of support members move downward.

3. The abnormality detection device for a substrate support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device detects an abnormality in the operation of the plurality of support members by comparing the information detected by the sensor with a preset standard.

4. A method for detecting abnormalities in a substrate support device, The substrate support device is A base having multiple holes, A plurality of support members configured to support a substrate, each of the plurality of support members being inserted through each of the plurality of holes in the base, The system includes a drive device configured to move the plurality of support members vertically relative to the base, Each of the aforementioned plurality of support members is provided with a stopper at a location above the base. The plurality of support members are configured to move between a lower position in which the stopper contacts the upper surface of the base and an upper position in which the stopper is separated from the upper surface of the base and positioned above the upper surface, when driven by the drive device. The aforementioned abnormality detection method is: To detect information regarding vibrations or sounds that occur when the plurality of support members move, A method for detecting abnormalities in a substrate support device, comprising detecting abnormalities in the operation of the plurality of support members based on the detected information.

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