Substrate processing apparatus and measurement method

Abstract

This simple configuration measures the film thickness located on the surface of a substrate. [Solution] The substrate processing apparatus comprises a transport device, a measuring device, and a control unit. The transport device has a transport arm that holds and transports the substrate. The measuring device measures the film thickness of a film located on the surface of the substrate. The measuring device has a housing that has an opening through which the substrate held by the transport arm can pass, and a film thickness measuring instrument provided in the housing that measures the film thickness of the substrate. The control unit controls the transport device to move the transport arm so that the substrate passes through the opening in the housing while the substrate is held by the transport arm, and measures the film thickness using the film thickness measuring instrument.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a measurement method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for measuring the film thickness of a film located on the surface of a substrate by transporting the substrate to a cassette chamber using a transport device, fixing the substrate to a fixed stand provided in the cassette chamber, and then moving a film thickness measuring instrument above the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7282171 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] This disclosure provides a technology that can measure the film thickness of a film located on the surface of a substrate using a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a transport device, a measuring device, and a control unit. The transport device has a transport arm for holding and transporting a substrate. The measuring device measures the thickness of a film located on the surface of the substrate. The measuring device has a housing having an opening through which the substrate held by the transport arm can pass, and a film thickness measuring instrument provided in the housing for measuring the thickness of the film on the substrate. The control unit controls the transport device to move the transport arm so that the substrate passes through the opening in the housing while the substrate is held by the transport arm, and measures the thickness of the film using the film thickness measuring instrument. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to this disclosure, the film thickness of a film located on the surface of a substrate can be measured with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the measuring device according to the embodiment, viewed from the front. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the measuring device according to the embodiment, viewed from the side. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the VV line in Figure 3. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of the measurement location for film thickness. [Figure 7] Figure 7 illustrates the variation in measurement results of the optical measuring instrument caused by the tilt of the transport arm. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the measuring device according to the embodiment, viewed from the bottom. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the measuring device housing being placed on the cassette mounting platform. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the measurement process performed by the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing another example of the measurement process performed by the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing another example of the measurement process performed by the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a measuring device according to a modified example 1 of the embodiment, viewed from the front. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows an example of the measurement location for film thickness. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of a substrate processing system according to a modified example 2 of the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a front view schematically showing an outline of the configuration of a substrate processing system according to Modification 2 of the embodiment. **Mode for Carrying Out the Invention**

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") for implementing a bonding device, a substrate processing device, and a measurement method according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited by this embodiment. Also, each embodiment can be appropriately combined within a range that does not conflict with the processing content. In addition, in each of the following embodiments, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0009] In addition, in the embodiments shown below, expressions such as "constant", "orthogonal", "vertical", or "parallel" may be used, but these expressions do not necessarily require strict "constant", "orthogonal", "vertical", or "parallel". That is, each of the above expressions is assumed to allow errors and tolerances such as manufacturing accuracy and installation accuracy.

[0010] In addition, in each of the drawings referred to below, in order to make the description easier to understand, an orthogonal coordinate system may be shown that defines an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction that are orthogonal to each other, with the positive Z-axis direction being the vertically upward direction. Also, the rotation direction around the vertical axis may be referred to as the θ direction.

[0011] (Embodiment) <Substrate Processing System> First, the configuration of a substrate processing system 1 (an example of a substrate processing device) according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an outline of the configuration of the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing an outline of the configuration of the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment. In the present embodiment, a case where the substrate processing system 1 is a photolithography processing system that performs a resist film formation process and a development process on a wafer W will be described as an example.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing system 1 includes a cassette station 2 for loading and unloading cassettes C containing multiple wafers W (an example of substrates), and a processing station 3 equipped with multiple processing devices for performing predetermined processing on the wafers W. The substrate processing system 1 has a configuration in which the cassette station 2, the processing station 3, and an interface station 4 for transferring wafers W between the processing station 3 and an adjacent exposure device (not shown) on the opposite side are integrally connected. Although two processing stations 3 are installed between the cassette station 2 and the interface station 4 as shown in Figure 1, there may be one or three or more processing stations.

[0013] Cassette station 2 comprises a cassette placement section 11 and a transport section 12. The cassette placement section 11 is provided with multiple cassette placement tables 21. Cassettes C, which accommodate multiple wafers W in a horizontal position, are placed on the cassette placement tables 21. A measuring device 60 is also positioned on the cassette placement tables 21. The measuring device 60 measures the thickness of the resist film (an example of a film) located on the surface of the wafer W. The configuration of the measuring device 60 will be described later.

[0014] The transport unit 12 is positioned between the cassette mounting unit 11 and the processing station 3 and contains transport devices 22 and 23. The transport devices 22 and 23 have transport arms 22a and 23a that hold and transport the wafer W. The cassette station 2 transports the wafer between the cassette C or measuring device 60 placed on the cassette mounting table 21 and the processing station 3 using the transport device 22 or transport device 23. For this purpose, the transport devices 22 and 23 are equipped with drive mechanisms as needed, each having movement paths in various directions such as horizontal (X and Y directions), vertical (Z direction), and around the vertical axis (θ direction), and may also have drive mechanisms having movement paths in all directions. At least one of the transport devices 22 and 23 is capable of transferring the wafer W between the measuring device 60 or cassette C and the wafer W using the transport arms 22a and 23a, and is also capable of transferring the wafer W to and from the processing station 3. The wafer transfer operation with the processing station 3 refers to, for example, the transfer of the wafer between the processing station 3 and a third block G3 equipped with a transfer device accessible by the transport device 34 within the processing station 3, as described later. The third block G3 is located in the transport section 12 of the processing station 3. The third block G3 is equipped with multiple transfer devices 24 and multiple notch adjustment devices 25.

[0015] The notch adjustment device 25 includes a substrate turntable on which the wafer W is placed, and an optical sensor that optically detects the notch position on the wafer W. The notch adjustment device 25 rotates the wafer W using the substrate turntable, detects the notch position on the wafer W using the optical sensor, and performs a notch position adjustment process to adjust the detected notch position to a predetermined position.

[0016] Furthermore, an inspection device (not shown) for inspecting the wafer W may be provided at a location accessible by either the transport device 22 or 23.

[0017] Processing station 3 is provided with multiple blocks, for example, a first block G1 and a second block G2. For example, the first block G1 is provided on the front side of processing station 3 (negative Y-axis side in Figure 1), and the second block G2 is provided on the rear side of processing station 3 (positive Y-axis side in Figure 1). A fourth block G4 is provided on the interface station 4 side of processing station 3 (positive X-axis side in Figure 1) or at the connection point with another adjacent processing station 3. The fourth block G4 may be equipped with multiple transfer devices arranged in the vertical direction. In addition, the aforementioned third block G3 may be provided within processing station 3.

[0018] The first block G1 contains multiple processing devices, such as a patterning film forming device 31 and a developing processing device 32. The patterning film forming device 31 can include, for example, a resist film forming device as well as an anti-reflective film (undercoat) forming device. For example, the multiple processing devices are arranged horizontally. Also, as shown in Figure 2, for example, multiple layers containing the patterning film forming device 31 and the developing processing device 32 are stacked vertically. The number, arrangement, and types of these processing devices can be arbitrarily selected.

[0019] In these patterning film forming apparatuses 31 and developing apparatuses 32, for example, a predetermined processing solution is supplied onto the wafer W, or a predetermined gas is supplied. The patterning film forming apparatus 31 performs a resist film forming process by supplying a processing solution for resist film formation onto the wafer W while rotating the wafer W at a predetermined rotational speed. The resist film is a film used as a mask when forming the pattern of the underlying film. The patterning film forming apparatus 31 also performs an anti-reflective film forming process by supplying a processing solution for anti-reflective film formation onto the wafer W while rotating the wafer W at a predetermined rotational speed. The anti-reflective film is a film used to efficiently perform light irradiation processing, such as exposure processing. The developing apparatuses 32 perform a developing process by supplying a developing solution onto the wafer W while rotating the wafer W at a predetermined rotational speed, thereby removing a portion of the exposed resist film and forming the uneven shape that serves as the mask. Furthermore, the developing apparatus 32 can also perform a resist film removal process to remove the entire resist film by supplying a removal solution onto the wafer W while rotating the wafer W at a predetermined rotation speed.

[0020] For example, in the second block G2, heat treatment devices (not shown) for performing heat treatment such as heating and cooling of the wafer W are arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions. Also in the second block G2, although not shown, a hydrophobic treatment device for performing hydrophobic treatment to improve the adhesion between the resist solution and the wafer W, and a peripheral exposure device for exposing the outer periphery of the wafer W are arranged in the vertical (Z direction in Figure 2) and horizontal directions. The number and arrangement of these heat treatment devices, hydrophobic treatment devices, and peripheral exposure devices can also be arbitrarily selected.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, a wafer transport area 33 is formed in the region sandwiched between the first block G1 and the second block G2 in a plan view. A transport device 34 is arranged in the wafer transport area 33.

[0022] The transport device 34 has a transport arm 34a that can move, for example, in the Y direction, front-back direction, θ direction, and up-down direction. The transport device 34 moves within the wafer transport area 33 and can transport wafers W to predetermined devices in the surrounding first block G1, second block G2, third block G3, and fourth block G4. If there are multiple processing stations 3 as shown in Figure 1, the transport device 34 provided at the processing station 3 located on the interface station 4 side can transport wafers W to predetermined devices in the fifth block G5, which will be described later, in addition to the first, second, and fourth blocks G1, G2, and G4.

[0023] Multiple transport devices 34 are arranged vertically, for example, as shown in Figure 2. One transport device 34 can transport wafers W to predetermined devices located at the height of multiple (in this case, four) upper layers of the stacked layers. Another transport device 34 can transport wafers W to predetermined devices located at the height of another multiple (in this case, four) layers below those layers. Multiple wafer transport areas 33 are provided to enable this type of wafer transport. The number of transport devices 34 and the number of layers corresponding to one transport device 34 can be arbitrarily selected, such as providing one transport device 34 for each layer.

[0024] Furthermore, a shuttle transport device (not shown) may be provided in the wafer transport area 33 or in the first block G1 or the second block G2. The shuttle transport device transports the wafer W linearly between a space adjacent to one side of the processing station 3 and another space adjacent to the opposite side.

[0025] Interface station 4 includes a fifth block G5 equipped with multiple transfer devices, and transport devices 41 and 42. Interface station 4 transports wafers W between the fifth block G5, where wafers W are transferred by transport device 34, and the exposure apparatus using transport device 41 or transport device 42. For this purpose, transport devices 41 and 42 are each equipped with a drive mechanism having movement paths in various directions such as horizontal (X and Y directions), vertical (Z direction), and around the vertical axis (θ direction), as needed, and may also be equipped with a drive mechanism having movement paths in all directions. At least one of transport devices 41 and 42 can support the wafer W and transport the wafer W between the transfer devices and the exposure apparatus in the fifth block G5.

[0026] A cleaning device for cleaning the surface of the wafer W, and the aforementioned peripheral exposure device, may be provided within the interface station 4 in a location accessible by either the transport device 41 or 42.

[0027] The inspection device may be provided in the cassette station 2 as described above, but it may also be provided in the processing station 3 and the interface station 4 in a position accessible by any of the transport arms (34, 41, 42 in Figure 1 or Figure 2) located inside each of them.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing system 1 includes a control device 5. The control device 5 is, for example, a computer and comprises a control unit 51 and a storage unit 52. The storage unit 52 stores programs that control various processes performed in the substrate processing system 1. The control unit 51 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the operation of the substrate processing system 1 by reading and executing the programs stored in the storage unit 52.

[0029] The above program may have been recorded on a computer-readable storage medium and installed from that storage medium to the storage unit 52 of the control device 5. Examples of computer-readable storage mediums include hard disks (HDs), flexible disks (FDs), compact disks (CDs), magnetic optical disks (MOs), and memory cards. The control unit 51 may also be composed of hardware only, without using a program.

[0030] <Operation of the PCB processing system> The substrate processing system 1 is configured as described above. Next, an example of substrate processing performed using the substrate processing system 1 configured as described above will be explained.

[0031] First, a cassette C containing multiple wafers W is brought into the cassette station 2 of the substrate processing system 1 and placed on the cassette mounting table 21. Next, each wafer W in the cassette C is sequentially removed by the transport device 22 or transport device 23 and transported to the transfer device 24 of the third block G3.

[0032] The wafer W, transported to the transfer device 24 in the third block G3, is supported by the transfer device 34 and transported to a hydrophobic treatment device located in the second block G2, where a hydrophobic treatment is performed. Next, the transfer device 34 transports the wafer W to a patterning film forming device 31, which is a resist film forming device, where a resist film is formed on the wafer W. After that, the wafer W is transported to a heat treatment device for pre-baking. After the resist film is formed or after the resist film is pre-baked, the control unit 51 may control the transfer device 34 and the transfer device 23, etc., to transport the wafer W to the measuring device 60, and the thickness of the resist film on the surface of the wafer W may be measured using the measuring device 60. After that, the wafer W is transported to the transfer device in the fifth block G5 by the transfer device 34 and the transfer device 23, etc. Furthermore, if there are multiple processing stations 3 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wafer W is first placed in the transfer device of the fourth block G4 before being transported to the transfer device of the fifth block G5, and then transferred between the multiple transfer devices 34. In addition, if necessary, the wafer W may be transported by the transfer device 34 to a peripheral exposure device, where exposure processing may be performed on the peripheral edge of the wafer.

[0033] The wafer W, transported to the transfer device of the fifth block G5, is then transported to the exposure device by the transfer devices 41 and 42 and exposed in a predetermined pattern. The wafer W may be cleaned in a cleaning device before the exposure process.

[0034] The exposed wafer W is transported by transport devices 41 and 42 to the transfer device for the fifth block G5. It is then transported by transport device 34 to the heat treatment device for post-exposure baking.

[0035] The wafer W, which has been baked after exposure, is transported by the transport device 34 to the developing device and developed. After development is complete, the wafer W is transported by the transport device 34 to the heat treatment device and subjected to post-bake treatment.

[0036] Subsequently, the wafer W is transported by the transport device 34 to the transfer device 24 of the third block G3, and then transported by the transport device 22 or transport device 23 of the cassette station 2 to the cassette C on the predetermined cassette mounting table 21. In this way, the series of photolithography processes is completed.

[0037] It should be noted that the substrate processing system 1 in this disclosure is not limited to the configuration and operation described above. For example, in the embodiment described above, the substrate processing system is directly connected to the exposure apparatus and the wafer W is transferred between the interface station 4 and the exposure apparatus, but the substrate processing system 1 does not have to be directly connected to the exposure apparatus. In that case, for example, the wafer W is transported from the cassette station 2 to the processing station 3, the necessary processing is performed, and then it is transported back to the cassette station 2 for removal outside the system. Also, among the processing devices listed, those that are not necessary may not be provided in the substrate processing system 1, or processing may not be performed in those devices.

[0038] Incidentally, there is a known technique in which a wafer is transported to a cassette chamber using a transport device, fixed to a fixed stand provided in the cassette chamber, and then the film thickness of the film located on the surface of the wafer is measured by moving a film thickness measuring instrument above the wafer. In this technique, a movement mechanism for moving the film thickness measuring instrument above the wafer was provided in the cassette chamber. However, if a separate movement mechanism for the film thickness measuring instrument is provided in the cassette chamber, the configuration of the substrate processing system may become complicated.

[0039] Therefore, in the substrate processing system 1 according to this embodiment, an optical measuring instrument for measuring the thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W is provided in the housing of the measuring device 60, and the thickness of the resist film is measured using the optical measuring instrument while the wafer W is held by the transport arm 23a of the transport device 23. This eliminates the need to separately provide a moving mechanism for moving the optical measuring instrument in the measuring device 60. Thus, according to the substrate processing system 1 according to this embodiment, the thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W can be measured with a simple configuration.

[0040] <Configuration of the measuring device> Next, the configuration of the measuring device 60 according to this embodiment will be specifically described with reference to Figures 3 to 9.

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the measuring device 60 according to the embodiment, viewed from the front. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the measuring device 60 according to the embodiment, viewed from the side. Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view along the VV line in Figure 3.

[0042] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the measuring device 60 comprises a housing 61 and an optical measuring instrument 70 (an example of a film thickness measuring instrument). The housing 61 is a housing that has an internal space capable of accommodating a wafer W, similar to the cassette C. The housing 61 has an opening 61a through which the wafer W held by the transport arm 23a can pass.

[0043] The optical measuring instrument 70 irradiates the wafer W with light and measures the thickness of the resist film by the reflected light from the wafer W. The optical measuring instrument 70 has a spectroscopic unit 71, a waveguide unit 72, and a light incident unit 73.

[0044] The spectrometer 71 emits light toward the light incident section 73 via the waveguide section 72, and the reflected light returning to the spectrometer 71 via the light incident section 73 and the waveguide section 72 is spectrally analyzed to obtain spectral data including light intensity for each wavelength.

[0045] The waveguide section 72 guides the light emitted from the spectroscopic section 71 to the light incident section 73, and guides the light incident on the light incident section 73 to the spectroscopic section 71. The waveguide section 72 is composed of, for example, an optical fiber and an optical coupler.

[0046] The light incident unit 73 irradiates downward light guided by the waveguide unit 72. The light incident unit 73 also causes reflected light from the wafer W to enter the waveguide unit 72. The light incident unit 73 is positioned to irradiate the wafer W with light and to allow reflected light from the wafer W to enter as the wafer W, held by the transport arm 23a, passes through the opening 61a of the housing 61. The light incident unit 73 is positioned around the opening 61a of the housing 61. Specifically, the light incident unit 73 is positioned around the opening 61a of the housing 61 and above the path through which the center of the wafer W passes through the opening 61a of the housing 61. This allows the optical measuring instrument 70 to acquire spectral data for each of the multiple measurement positions along the radial direction of the wafer W, including the center of the wafer W. The spectral data changes depending on the thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W. The optical measuring instrument 70 maintains a correspondence between the thickness of the resist film and the spectral data, and can measure the thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W using this correspondence and the spectral data acquired by the spectroscopic unit 71.

[0047] As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 51 (see Figure 1) controls the transport device 23 to move the transport arm 23a so that the wafer W passes through the opening 61a of the housing 61 while holding the wafer W with the transport arm 23a, and measures the thickness of the resist film using the optical measuring instrument 70. That is, the control unit 51 moves the transport arm 23a so that the wafer W gradually passes through the opening 61a of the housing 61 by repeatedly moving and stopping the transport arm 23a at the opening 61a of the housing 61. For example, if the reference (reference wafer) and the measurement position by the optical measuring instrument 70 are pre-aligned, the control unit 51 adjusts the position of the transport arm to match the measurement position by the optical measuring instrument 70 (adjusted by moving and stopping). Here, the light incident part 73 of the optical measuring instrument 70 is located around the opening 61a of the housing 61 and above the passage path of the center of the wafer W passing through the opening 61a of the housing 61. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6, the light incident section 73 has multiple measurement positions P1 to P along a straight line L that passes through the center of the wafer W on the surface of the wafer W and extends in the direction of passage of the wafer W toward the opening 61a of the housing 61 (here, the X-axis direction). n Reflected light from the wafer W is incident on each of them. As a result, the optical measuring instrument 70 measures multiple measurement positions P1 to P n Spectroscopic data can be acquired for each of these. The optical measuring instrument 70 can then measure multiple measurement positions P1 to P n For each of these locations, the thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W can be measured using the spectral data. Figure 6 shows an example of the measurement position for the film thickness. n is a natural number and can be appropriately changed according to the measurement cycle of the spectral measurement by the spectrometer 71 and the movement speed of the wafer W by the transport arm 23a.

[0048] In this embodiment, the control unit 51 controls the transport device 23 to move the transport arm 23a so that the wafer W passes through the opening 61a of the housing 61 while the wafer W is held by the transport arm 23a, and the thickness of the resist film is measured using the optical measuring instrument 70. This makes it possible to measure the thickness of the resist film with a simple configuration without moving the optical measuring instrument 70.

[0049] Furthermore, the control unit 51 uses the optical measuring instrument 70 to measure multiple measurement positions P1 to P on the surface of the wafer W along a straight line L that passes through the center of the wafer W and extends in the direction of passage of the wafer W relative to the opening 61a of the housing 61. n For each case, the thickness of the resist film is measured. This allows for easy measurement of the distribution of the resist film thickness.

[0050] Furthermore, when the control unit 51 is loading the wafer W into the housing 61 from the opening 61a or loading the wafer W out of the housing 61 from the opening 61a, it is preferable to hold the wafer W with the transport arm 23a and measure the thickness of the resist film using the optical measuring instrument 70. This makes it possible to measure the thickness of the resist film easily and efficiently.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the light incident section 73 of the optical measuring instrument 70 is provided around the opening 61a of the housing 61. This makes it easy to measure the thickness distribution of the resist film on the wafer W passing through the opening 61a of the housing 61.

[0052] Incidentally, the measurement results of the optical measuring instrument 70 may fluctuate due to the tilt of the transport arm 23a. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the fluctuation in the measurement results of the optical measuring instrument 70 due to the tilt of the transport arm 23a. As shown in Figure 7, when the transport arm 23a tilts horizontally due to its own weight, the wafer W held by the transport arm 23a also tilts, so that some of the reflected light from the wafer W does not enter the light incident part 73 of the optical measuring instrument 70. If some of the reflected light from the wafer W does not enter the light incident part 73 of the optical measuring instrument 70, the measurement results of the optical measuring instrument 70 will deviate from the true measurement results, and the accuracy of the film thickness measurement will decrease.

[0053] Therefore, in this embodiment, the amount of variation in the measurement result of the optical measuring instrument 70 caused by the tilt of the transport arm 23a is measured, and the measurement result of the optical measuring instrument 70 is corrected based on this amount of variation.

[0054] Before performing the measurement of the resist film thickness using the optical measuring instrument 70, the control unit 51 controls the transport device 23 to move the transport arm 23a so that the reference wafer (an example of a reference substrate) passes through the opening 61a of the housing 61 while the transport arm 23a holds the reference wafer. The reference wafer is a wafer W in which no resist film is located on the surface. The reference wafer may also be a silicon substrate or the like. The control unit 51 irradiates the reference wafer with light using the optical measuring instrument 70 and measures multiple measurement positions P1 to P n (See Figure 6) Reflected light from multiple measurement positions P1~P n Spectroscopic data is acquired for each of these. As the tilt of the wafer W held by the transport arm 23a changes, the spectral data of the reference wafer changes. That is, multiple measurement positions P1~P on the reference wafer n Acquiring spectral data of the reference wafer for each corresponds to measuring the amount of variation in the measurement results of the optical measuring instrument 70 due to the tilt of the transport arm 23a. Then, after the control unit 51 has measured the thickness of the resist film using the optical measuring instrument 70, it sets multiple measurement positions P1 to P n For each case, the measurement result from the optical measuring instrument 70 is corrected based on the spectral data of the reference wafer (the amount of variation in the measurement result from the optical measuring instrument 70). Specifically, the control unit 51 corrects the measurement result from the optical measuring instrument 70 by subtracting a value obtained by converting the spectral data of the reference wafer into the thickness of the resist film from the thickness of the resist film measured by the optical measuring instrument 70.

[0055] In this way, by correcting the measurement results of the optical measuring instrument 70 based on the amount of variation in the measurement results caused by the tilt of the transport arm 23a, the measurement accuracy of the resist film thickness can be improved.

[0056] In this embodiment, the measuring device 60 is placed on the cassette mounting base 21 (see Figures 1 and 2). As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the housing 61 of the measuring device 60 has handle portions 62 on opposing outer surfaces that straddle the opening 61a. The provision of handle portions 62 on the housing 61 improves the portability of the measuring device 60 when placing it on the cassette mounting base 21 or when removing it from the cassette mounting base 21. Furthermore, by placing the measuring device 60 on the cassette mounting base 21 and connecting it to the control device 5 during startup or maintenance of the substrate processing system 1, the film thickness can be easily measured. Moreover, after startup or maintenance is complete, the measuring device 60 can be easily removed from the cassette mounting base 21.

[0057] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the measuring device 60 according to the embodiment, viewed from the bottom. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the housing 61 of the measuring device 60 being placed on the cassette mounting base 21.

[0058] The housing 61 is configured to be placed on the cassette mounting base 21. Specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the housing 61 has legs 63 on its bottom surface and is placed on the cassette mounting base 21 (see Figures 1 and 2) via the legs 63. The legs 63 are provided, for example, at the four corners of the bottom surface of the housing 61.

[0059] Furthermore, the cassette mounting base 21 is provided with a projection 21a used for positioning the cassette C (see Figures 1 and 2). The housing 61 has a fitting portion 64 on its bottom surface that fits with the projection 21a of the cassette mounting base 21. The fitting portion 64 is a projection that protrudes from a part of the bottom surface of the housing 61, and multiple fitting portions are provided in the area surrounded by the four leg portions 63 on the bottom surface of the housing 61. The fitting portion 64 has approximately the same height as the leg portions 63. The fitting portion 64 has a fitting hole 64a that fits with the projection 21a of the cassette mounting base 21.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 9, in a state where the housing 61 is placed on the cassette mounting table 21 via the legs 63, the protrusion 21a of the cassette mounting table 21 fits into the fitting hole 64a of the fitting portion 64, thereby suppressing the displacement of the housing 61.

[0061] <Measurement process> Next, the procedure of the measurement process according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the measurement process executed by the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment. The measurement process shown in FIG. 10 is executed when the substrate processing system 1 is started or maintained. Note that the measurement process shown in FIG. 10 may be executed during the execution of the substrate processing by the substrate processing system 1.

[0062] The control unit 51 controls the transfer devices 22, 23, 34, etc., takes out one wafer W from the cassette C, and transfers the taken-out wafer W to the resist film forming apparatus (patterning film forming apparatus 31) (step S101).

[0063] Next, the control unit 51 controls the resist film forming apparatus to perform a resist film forming process for forming a resist film on the wafer W (step S102). In the resist film forming process, while rotating the wafer W at a predetermined rotational speed, a resist film forming treatment liquid is supplied onto the wafer W to form a resist film on the wafer W.

[0064] Thereafter, the control unit 51 controls the transfer devices 23, 34, etc., takes out the wafer W from the resist film forming apparatus, and transfers the taken-out wafer W to the measuring apparatus 60 (step S103).

[0065] Next, the control unit 51 controls the transfer device 23, holds the wafer W with the transfer arm 23a, and measures the film thickness of the resist film using the optical measuring instrument 70 (step S104). That is, the control unit 51 measures the film thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W at each of a plurality of measurement positions P1 to P n For each of them, the film thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W is measured.

[0066] Next, the control unit 51 determines whether the thickness of the resist film measured by the optical measuring instrument 70 falls within a predetermined tolerance range (step S105). That is, the control unit 51 determines whether the thickness of the resist film measured at multiple measurement positions P1 to P on the wafer W falls within a predetermined tolerance range. n For each case, it is determined whether the measured thickness of the resist film falls within the acceptable range.

[0067] If the thickness of the resist film measured by the optical measuring instrument 70 is outside the acceptable range (step S105, No), the control unit 51 changes the processing conditions for the resist film formation process (step S106). For example, the control unit 51 changes the rotation speed of the wafer W in the resist film formation apparatus and the amount of processing liquid supplied to the wafer W as processing conditions for the resist film formation process.

[0068] On the other hand, if the thickness of the resist film measured by the optical measuring instrument 70 falls within the acceptable range (step S105, Yes), the control unit 51 completes the measurement process without changing the processing conditions for the resist film formation process.

[0069] Thus, the control unit 51 may transport the wafer W after the resist film formation process to the measuring device 60, and while holding the wafer W with the transport arm 23a, measure the thickness of the resist film using the optical measuring instrument 70. This makes it easy to measure the thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W after the resist film formation process.

[0070] Furthermore, the control unit 51 may change the processing conditions for the resist film formation process if the thickness of the resist film measured by the optical measuring instrument 70 falls outside the acceptable range. This allows for appropriate changes to the processing conditions for the resist film formation process if the thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W after the resist film formation process falls outside the acceptable range.

[0071] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing another example of the measurement process performed by the substrate processing system 1 according to this embodiment. The measurement process shown in Figure 11 is performed when the substrate processing system 1 is started up or during maintenance, etc. Note that the measurement process shown in Figure 11 may also be performed while the substrate processing system 1 is performing substrate processing.

[0072] After executing the resist film formation process, the control unit 51 controls the transport device 34, etc., to remove the wafer W from the resist film formation device and transport the removed wafer W to the notch adjustment device 25 (step S201).

[0073] Next, the control unit 51 controls the notch adjustment device 25 to perform a notch position adjustment process to adjust the notch position on the wafer W to a predetermined position (step S202).

[0074] Subsequently, the control unit 51 controls the transport devices 23, 34, etc. to remove the wafer W from the notch adjustment device 25 and transport the removed wafer W to the measuring device 60 (step S103). After that, the control unit 51 performs the processes in steps S103 to S106.

[0075] Thus, the control unit 51 may transport the wafer W after the resist film formation process and notch position adjustment process to the measuring device 60, and while holding the wafer W with the transport arm 23a, measure the thickness of the resist film using the optical measuring instrument 70. This makes it easy to measure the thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W after the resist film formation process and notch position adjustment process. Furthermore, by adjusting the notch position, the thickness of the resist film can be measured while aligning with the reference position. Moreover, measurements can be performed in the same orientation as the reference wafer, preventing deviations in the correction value.

[0076] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing another example of the procedure for a measurement process performed by the substrate processing system 1 according to this embodiment. The measurement process shown in Figure 12 is performed when the substrate processing system 1 is started up or during maintenance, etc. Note that the measurement process shown in Figure 12 may also be performed while the substrate processing system 1 is performing substrate processing.

[0077] After changing the processing conditions for the resist film formation process, the control unit 51 controls the transport devices 23, 34, etc. to remove the wafer W from the measuring device 60 and transport the removed wafer W to the developing device 32 (step S301).

[0078] Next, the control unit 51 controls the developing apparatus 32 to perform a resist film removal process to remove the resist film from the wafer W (step S302). In the resist film removal process, the entire resist film is removed by supplying a removal solution onto the wafer W while rotating the wafer W at a predetermined rotation speed. The developing apparatus 32 is an example of a film removal apparatus.

[0079] Subsequently, the control unit 51 controls the transport device 34, etc., to remove the wafer W from the developing apparatus and transport the removed wafer W to the resist film forming apparatus (patterning film forming apparatus 31) (step S303).

[0080] Next, the control unit 51 controls the resist film forming apparatus under the processing conditions changed in step S106 to perform a resist film forming process on the wafer W (step S304). After that, the control unit 51 transports the wafer W to the measuring device 60 and measures the thickness of the resist film again (step S105). If the thickness of the resist film is outside the acceptable range in step S105 (step S105, No), the processes in steps S301 to S304 and S103 to S105 are repeated until the thickness of the resist film falls within the acceptable range.

[0081] In this way, after changing the processing conditions for the resist film formation process, the control unit 51 repeatedly executes steps S301 to S304 and S103 to S105 until the thickness of the resist film falls within an acceptable range. This allows the processing conditions for the resist film formation process to be appropriately changed if the thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W after the resist film formation process falls outside the acceptable range.

[0082] <Example 1> Next, various modifications of the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 16. In the following modifications, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as in the embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0083] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the measuring device 60 according to Modification 1 of the embodiment, viewed from the front. Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the film thickness measurement position. As shown in Figure 13, Modification 1 differs from the embodiment in that the measuring device 60 has a plurality (in this case, five) optical measuring instruments 70. The plurality of optical measuring instruments 70 are arranged at intervals in a direction (in this case, the Y-axis direction) that intersects the direction in which the wafer W passes through the opening 61a of the housing 61 (in this case, the X-axis direction). Here, the light incident portions 73 of the plurality of optical measuring instruments 70 are located around the opening 61a of the housing 61 and above the passage path of the wafer W passing through the opening 61a of the housing 61. Therefore, as shown in Figure 14, the light incident portions 73 include a line L1 that passes through the center of the wafer W on the surface of the wafer W and extends in the X-axis direction, and a plurality of measurement positions P1 to P5 arranged along the Y-axis direction. n For each of these, reflected light from wafer W is incident.

[0084] As a result, multiple optical measuring instruments 70 are positioned at multiple measurement positions P1 to P aligned along multiple straight lines L1 to L5. n Spectroscopic data can be acquired for each of them. Then, multiple optical measuring instruments 70 are positioned at multiple measurement positions P1 to P along multiple straight lines L1 to L5. nFor each case, the thickness of the resist film located on the surface of the wafer W can be measured using the spectral data.

[0085] In the modified example 1, the control unit 51 uses multiple optical measuring instruments 70 to measure multiple measurement positions P1 to P aligned along multiple straight lines L1 to L5. n For each case, the thickness of the resist film is measured. This allows for easy and highly accurate measurement of the resist film thickness distribution.

[0086] <Modification 2> In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the substrate processing system 1 is a photolithography processing system that performs resist film formation and development processing on the wafer W. However, the substrate processing system may also be an etching processing system that performs etching processing on the film located on the surface of the wafer W. An example of this case will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 16.

[0087] Figure 15 is a schematic plan view showing the general configuration of the substrate processing system 1 according to the modified embodiment 2. Figure 16 is a schematic front view showing the general configuration of the substrate processing system 1 according to the modified embodiment 2.

[0088] As shown in Figure 15, the substrate processing system 1A comprises an input / output station 102, a transfer station 103, and a processing station 104. These are arranged in the order of input / output station 102, transfer station 103, and processing station 104.

[0089] The substrate processing system 1A transports the wafer W, which is brought in from the loading / unloading station 102, to the processing station 104 via the transfer station 103, where it is processed. The substrate processing system 1A then returns the processed wafer W from the processing station 104 to the loading / unloading station 102 via the transfer station 103, and then discharges it to the outside from the loading / unloading station 102.

[0090] The loading / unloading station 102 comprises a cassette mounting table 111 and a transport unit 112. Multiple cassettes C, each containing multiple wafers W in a horizontal position, are placed on the cassette mounting table 111. A measuring device 60 is also positioned on the cassette mounting table 111. The measuring device 60 measures the film thickness of the film located on the surface of the wafers W.

[0091] The transport unit 112 is positioned between the cassette mounting table 111 and the transfer station 103 and has a first transport device 113 inside. The first transport device 113 includes a wafer holding section for holding one wafer W. The first transport device 113 is capable of moving horizontally and vertically, as well as rotating about a vertical axis, and can transport wafers W between the cassette C or measuring device 60 and the transfer station 103 using the wafer holding section.

[0092] Next, the transfer station 103 will be described. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the transfer station 103 has multiple substrate mounting sections 114 and multiple notch adjustment devices 115 arranged inside. Specifically, the processing station 104, which will be described later, has an upper first processing station 104U and a lower second processing station 104L. One substrate mounting section 114 and one notch adjustment device 115 are arranged at the positions corresponding to the first processing station 104U and the second processing station 104L, respectively.

[0093] The notch adjustment device 115 includes a substrate turntable on which the wafer W is placed, and an optical sensor that optically detects the notch position on the wafer W. The notch adjustment device 115 rotates the wafer W using the substrate turntable, detects the notch position on the wafer W using the optical sensor, and performs a notch position adjustment process to adjust the detected notch position to a predetermined position.

[0094] Next, the processing station 104 will be described. As shown in Figure 16, the processing station 104 comprises a first processing station 104U and a second processing station 104L. The first processing station 104U and the second processing station 104L are spatially separated by a partition wall, shutter, etc., and are arranged side by side in the height direction.

[0095] The first processing station 104U and the second processing station 104L have similar configurations and, as shown in Figure 15, include a transport unit 116, a second transport device 117, and a plurality of etching processing units 118 (an example of an etching processing device).

[0096] The second transport device 117 is located inside the transport section 116 and transports the wafer W between the substrate mounting section 114, the notch adjustment device 115, and the etching processing unit 118.

[0097] The second transport device 117 includes a wafer holding section for holding one wafer W. The second transport device 117 is capable of moving horizontally and vertically, as well as rotating about a vertical axis, and transports one wafer W using the wafer holding section.

[0098] Multiple etching units 118 are arranged on both sides of the transport unit 116. The number of etching units 118 in the substrate processing system 1A is not limited to the illustrated example.

[0099] The etching unit 118 performs a predetermined etching process on the wafer W. Specifically, the etching unit 118 performs an etching process to remove a film located on the surface of the wafer W by supplying an etching solution onto the wafer W while rotating the wafer W at a predetermined rotational speed.

[0100] As shown in Figure 15, the substrate processing system 1A includes a control device 105. The control device 105 is, for example, a computer and includes a control unit 151 and a storage unit 152. The storage unit 152 stores programs that control various processes performed in the substrate processing system 1A. The control unit 151 may be, for example, a CPU, or it may be one or more circuits. The control unit 151 controls the operation of the substrate processing system 1A by reading and executing programs stored in the storage unit 152.

[0101] The above program may have been recorded on a computer-readable storage medium and installed from that storage medium to the storage unit 152 of the control device 105. Examples of computer-readable storage mediums include hard disks (HDs), flexible disks (FDs), compact disks (CDs), magnetic optical disks (MOs), memory cards, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), or combinations thereof. The control unit 151 may also be composed of hardware only, without using a program.

[0102] In the substrate processing system 1A configured as described above, first, the first transport device 113 of the loading / unloading station 102 takes out a wafer W from the cassette C placed on the cassette mounting table 111 and places the removed wafer W on the substrate mounting section 114. The wafer W placed on the substrate mounting section 114 is then removed from the substrate mounting section 114 by the second transport device 117 of the processing station 104 and transported to the etching processing unit 118.

[0103] Next, the etching unit 118 performs etching on the incoming wafer W. After etching the wafer W, the control unit 151 may control the first transport device 113 and the second transport device 117, etc., to transport the wafer W to the measuring device 60, and use the measuring device 60 to measure the film thickness on the surface of the wafer W. That is, the control unit 151 transports the etched wafer W to the measuring device 60, and while holding the wafer W with the transport arm, measures the film thickness using the optical measuring instrument 70. Alternatively, after measuring the film thickness with the measuring device 60, the control unit 151 may control the first transport device 113 to transport the wafer W to the notch adjustment device 115, and use the notch adjustment device 115 to perform notch position adjustment on the wafer W. After that, the wafer W is unloaded from the measuring device 60 or the notch adjustment device 115 by the first transport device 113 and placed on the substrate mounting section 114. Then, the processed wafer W placed on the substrate mounting section 114 is returned to the cassette C on the cassette mounting table 111 by the first transport device 113.

[0104] Thus, in the modified example 2, the control unit 151 may transport the wafer W after etching to the measuring device 60, and while holding the wafer W with the transport arm 23a, measure the film thickness using the optical measuring instrument 70. This allows the film thickness to be measured with a simple configuration even in the substrate processing system 1A according to the modified example 2.

[0105] <Other variations> In the embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the measuring device 60 is placed on the cassette mounting table 21 or the like, but the placement of the measuring device 60 is not limited to the cassette mounting table 21 or the like. For example, the measuring device 60 may be placed in a location accessible to each transport device (transport devices 22, 23, 34, 41, 42 in Figure 1 or Figure 2) in the cassette station 2, processing station 3, or interface station 4.

[0106] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment shows an example where the substrate processing system 1 is a photolithography processing system that performs resist film formation and development processing on the wafer W, the substrate processing system is not limited to a photolithography processing system. For example, the substrate processing system may be applied to equipment that needs to measure film thickness, such as a film deposition apparatus or a substrate bonding apparatus.

[0107] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment (for example, substrate processing systems 1 and 1A) comprises a transport device (for example, transport device 23 and first transport device 113), a measuring device (for example, measuring device 60), and a control unit (for example, control units 51 and 151). The transport device has a transport arm (for example, transport arm 23a) that holds and transports a substrate (for example, wafer W). The measuring device measures the film thickness of a film located on the surface of the substrate (for example, a resist film). The measuring device comprises a housing (for example, housing 61) having an opening (for example, opening 61a) through which the substrate held by the transport arm can pass, and a film thickness measuring instrument (for example, optical measuring instrument 70) provided in the housing for measuring the film thickness of the substrate. The control unit controls the transport device to move the transport arm so that the substrate passes through the opening in the housing while the substrate is held by the transport arm, and measures the film thickness using the film thickness measuring instrument. This makes it possible to measure the film thickness of a film located on the surface of the substrate with a simple configuration.

[0108] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Indeed, the embodiments described above can be embodied in a variety of forms. Furthermore, the embodiments described above may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0109] 1. 1A Substrate Processing System 2 Cassette Stations 3 Processing Stations 4 Interface Stations 5 Control device 21 Cassette mounting tray 21a protrusion 22 Conveying device 22a Transport arm 25 Notch adjustment device 31 Patterning film forming apparatus 32. Developing and processing equipment 51 Control Unit 52 Storage section 60 Measuring devices 61 cabinets 61a aperture 62 Handle section 63 Legs 64 Fitting part 64a Fitting hole 70 Optical measuring instruments 71 Spectroscopic section 72 Waveguide section 73 Light incidence part 113 First Conveyor Device 117 Second conveying device 118 Etching Unit 151 Control Unit 152 Storage section C Cassette W wafer

Claims

1. A transport device having a transport arm that holds and transports a substrate, A measuring device for measuring the film thickness located on the surface of the substrate, Control unit and Equipped with, The measuring device is, A housing having an opening through which the substrate held by the transport arm can pass, The housing is provided with a film thickness measuring instrument for measuring the film thickness of the substrate, It has, The control unit, The transport device is controlled to move the transport arm so that the substrate passes through the opening in the housing while the transport arm holds the substrate, and the film thickness is measured using the film thickness measuring instrument. Circuit board processing equipment.

2. The aforementioned film thickness measuring instrument is This is an optical measuring instrument that irradiates light onto the substrate and measures the thickness of the film based on the reflected light from the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned optical measuring instrument is It has a light incident section that incidents reflected light from the substrate, The light incident portion is, Provided around the opening of the housing The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. Cassette mounting platform for mounting a cassette capable of housing the aforementioned circuit board. Equipped with, The measuring device is, Displaced on the aforementioned cassette mounting base The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned enclosure is It is configured to be placed on the aforementioned cassette mounting base. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The aforementioned cassette mounting tray is Protrusion used for positioning the cassette It has, The aforementioned enclosure is Fitting portion that engages with the projection on the bottom surface has The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4.

7. The aforementioned enclosure is The outer surfaces facing each other across the aforementioned opening have handle portions. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

8. The control unit, Using the optical measuring instrument, the film thickness is measured at each of a plurality of measurement positions on the surface of the substrate, which are aligned along a straight line passing through the center of the substrate and extending in the direction of passage of the substrate relative to the opening of the housing. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2.

9. The control unit, Before measuring the film thickness using the optical measuring instrument, the transport device is controlled to move the transport arm so that the reference substrate passes through the opening in the housing while the transport arm holds the reference substrate, which does not have the film on its surface. Using the optical measuring instrument, light is irradiated onto the reference substrate, and the amount of variation in the measurement result by the optical measuring instrument due to the tilt of the transport arm is measured by the reflected light from the plurality of measurement positions on the reference substrate. After measuring the film thickness using the optical measuring instrument, the measurement results from the optical measuring instrument are corrected for each of the multiple measurement positions based on the amount of variation. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8.

10. The measuring device is, Multiple optical measuring instruments are arranged at intervals in a direction intersecting the direction in which the substrate passes through the opening of the housing. It has, The control unit, Using multiple optical measuring instruments, the film thickness is measured at each of the multiple measurement positions arranged along multiple straight lines that pass through the center of the substrate and extend in the direction of passage of the substrate toward the opening of the housing, and which are arranged in a line in an intersecting direction. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8.

11. The control unit, When loading the substrate into the housing through the opening or when loading the substrate out of the housing through the opening, the thickness of the film is measured using the film thickness measuring instrument while the substrate is held by the transport arm. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

12. A film forming apparatus that performs film forming treatment to form the film on the substrate. Furthermore, The control unit, The transport device is controlled to transport the substrate after the film formation process to the measuring device, and the film thickness is measured using the film thickness measuring instrument while the substrate is held by the transport arm. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

13. An adjustment device that performs notch position adjustment processing to adjust the notch position on the substrate after the film formation process. Furthermore, The control unit, The transport device is controlled to transport the substrate after the film formation process and the notch position adjustment process to the measuring device, and the film thickness is measured using the film thickness measuring instrument while the substrate is held by the transport arm. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12.

14. The control unit, If the film thickness measured by the aforementioned film thickness measuring instrument falls outside the acceptable range, the processing conditions for the film formation process are changed. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12.

15. A film removal apparatus that performs film removal processing to remove the film from the substrate. Furthermore, The control unit, After changing the processing conditions for the film formation process, the transport device and another transport device are controlled to transport the substrate from the measuring device to the film removal device. The aforementioned other transport device is controlled to transport the substrate after the film removal process from the film removal device to the film forming device. The transport device and the other transport device are controlled to transport the substrate after the film formation process from the film formation device to the measuring device, and while the substrate is held by the transport arm, the film thickness is measured again using the film thickness measuring instrument. The process is repeated until the film thickness falls within the acceptable range. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 14.

16. An etching apparatus that performs etching processing to etch a film located on the surface of the substrate. Furthermore, The control unit, The substrate after the etching process is transported to the measuring device, and while the substrate is held by the transport arm, the film thickness is measured using the film thickness measuring instrument. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

17. A transport device having a transport arm that holds and transports a substrate, A measuring device for measuring the film thickness located on the surface of the substrate, Equipped with, The measuring device is, A housing having an opening through which the substrate held by the transport arm can pass, The housing is provided with a film thickness measuring instrument for measuring the film thickness of the substrate, A measurement method using a substrate processing apparatus having, The transport device is controlled to hold the substrate with the transport arm and transport it to the measuring device, and while holding the substrate with the transport arm, the film thickness is measured using the film thickness measuring instrument. Measurement method.

18. The aforementioned film thickness measuring instrument is This is an optical measuring instrument that irradiates light onto the substrate and measures the thickness of the film based on the reflected light from the substrate. The measurement method according to claim 17.

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