Information Acquisition System and Information Acquisition Method

Abstract

To prevent the occurrence of troubles in processing due to improper arrangement of a member positioned near a substrate processed by a substrate processing device.SOLUTION: An information acquisition system that acquires information on a substrate processing device that processes a substrate held by a substrate holding unit includes a base body held instead of the substrate by the substrate holding unit, an interference detection unit each having one end side fixed to the base body and a movable other end side, and a signal acquisition unit that acquires a signal that varies according to deformation of the interference detection unit due to interference with a member to be detected around the base body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information acquisition system and an information acquisition method. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers) are stored in a carrier and transported to a substrate processing apparatus for processing. Examples of such processing include liquid processing such as forming a coating film by supplying a coating liquid and developing. During such liquid processing, a processing liquid is supplied from a nozzle to the wafer stored in a cup. Patent Document 1 describes a developing apparatus that includes a cup with an annular protrusion that faces the lower surface of the wafer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-13932 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to prevent processing defects caused by members located near a substrate being processed in a substrate processing apparatus being placed in an inappropriate position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure provides an information acquisition system for acquiring information about a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate held by a substrate holder, the information acquisition system comprising: a base body held by the substrate holding portion instead of the substrate; an interference detection unit having one end fixed to the base body and another end movable with respect to the base body; a signal acquiring unit for acquiring a signal that varies in response to deformation of the interference detection unit due to interference with a detection target member in the periphery of the base body held by the substrate holding unit; Equipped with 、 the substrate holder is rotatable together with the base body; Height information of the detection target member is obtained according to deformation of the interference detection unit during rotation of the substrate holding unit and the base body. Another information acquisition system of the present disclosure is an information acquisition system for acquiring information about a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate held by a substrate holding unit, the information acquisition system including: a base body held by the substrate holding portion instead of the substrate; an interference detection unit having one end fixed to the base body and another end movable with respect to the base body; a signal acquiring unit for acquiring a signal that varies in response to deformation of the interference detection unit due to interference with a detection target member in the periphery of the base body held by the substrate holding unit; Equipped with The interference detection portion is a beam-shaped body, one end of which is fixed to the center of the base body and the other end of which extends toward the edge of the base body. Still another information acquisition system of the present disclosure is an information acquisition system for acquiring information regarding a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held by a substrate holding unit, the information acquisition system including: a base body held by the substrate holding portion instead of the substrate; an interference detection unit having one end fixed to the base body and another end movable with respect to the base body; a signal acquiring unit for acquiring a signal that varies in response to deformation of the interference detection unit due to interference with a detection target member in the periphery of the base body held by the substrate holding unit; Equipped with The interference detection unit is provided on an upper side of the base body, A gap is provided between the other end of the interference detection portion and the base body. Effect of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure can prevent processing defects caused by members located near a substrate being processed in a substrate processing apparatus being placed in an inappropriate position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus constituting an information acquisition system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a vertical sectional front view of a resist film forming module included in the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the resist film forming module. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an inspection wafer and a computing device that constitute the information acquisition system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of the inspection wafer. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the test wafer. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the test wafer. [Figure 8] 6A to 6C are explanatory views showing the operation of a first beam-like body provided on the inspection wafer. [Figure 9] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a second beam-like body provided on the inspection wafer. FIG. [Figure 10] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a detection signal acquired from the inspection wafer. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an image of the annular protrusion captured by a camera. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an image of a nozzle captured by a camera. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 shows an information acquisition system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The information acquisition system 1 is composed of a substrate processing apparatus 2, an inspection wafer 6, and a calculation device 9. First, an overview of each part constituting the information acquisition system 1 will be described. The substrate processing apparatus 2 performs processing by transporting a wafer W, which is a circular substrate, between processing modules using a transport mechanism. This processing includes supplying a resist to the wafer W stored in a cup 4 in a processing module for forming a resist film, and forming the resist film.

[0009] The inspection wafer 6 is transported to the processing module (resist film forming module 3) by the transport mechanism instead of the wafer W. The inspection wafer 6 is provided with an interference detection unit. A detection signal output from the inspection wafer 6 varies depending on whether the interference detection unit interferes with the annular protrusion 46 and / or the nozzle 51B, which are components of the cup 4. The detection signal is wirelessly transmitted to the calculation device 9, and the waveform of the detection signal is displayed on a display unit 95 included in the calculation device 9, so that when the wafer W is processed, it is possible to inspect whether the annular protrusion 46 and / or the nozzle 51B are positioned at the appropriate position. The nozzle 51B is a nozzle for EBR (Edge Bead Removal). EBR is a process in which a solvent is ejected from a nozzle to remove a portion covering the peripheral portion of the wafer W from a film (resist film in this embodiment) formed on the entire surface of the wafer W.

[0010] The inspection wafer 6 is also provided with cameras 81 and 82, which are imaging units that capture images of the annular protrusion 46 and the nozzle 51B, respectively, to acquire image data. Based on this image data, the information acquisition system 1 can acquire the distance (H0, described below) between the wafer W and the annular protrusion 46 when the wafer W is placed on the resist film formation module 3, and the distance (H1, described below) between the wafer W and the EBR nozzle 51B. A method for acquiring these distances will be described in the second embodiment, but the configuration of the system for acquiring these distances will be partially described in the description of the first embodiment.

[0011] The substrate processing apparatus 2 will be described in detail below. The substrate processing apparatus 2 is composed of a carrier block D1 and a processing block D2. The carrier block D1 and the processing block D2 are arranged on the left and right and connected to each other. The wafer W is stored in a carrier C, which is a transfer container, and is transferred to the carrier block D1 by a transfer mechanism for the carrier C (not shown). The carrier block D1 has a stage 21 on which the carrier C is placed. The carrier block D1 is also provided with an opening / closing unit 22 and a transfer mechanism 23. The opening / closing unit 22 opens and closes a transfer port formed in a side wall of the carrier block D1. The transfer mechanism 23 transfers the wafer W to the carrier C on the stage 21 through the transfer port.

[0012] The processing block D2 includes a transfer path 24 for the wafer W extending in the left-right direction, and a transfer mechanism 25 provided on the transfer path 24. The transfer mechanism 25 and the transfer mechanism 23 transfer the wafer W between the carrier C and each processing module provided in the processing block D2. A plurality of processing modules are provided on the left and right sides of the front and rear sides of the transfer path 24. The processing module on the rear side is a heating module 26, which performs a heating process to remove a solvent in the resist film. The processing module on the front side is a resist film forming module 3. In addition, a transfer module TRS on which the wafer W is temporarily placed is provided at a position near the carrier block D1 on the transfer path 24. The wafer W is transferred between the carrier block D1 and the processing block D2 via the transfer module TRS.

[0013] Next, the resist film forming module 3 will be described with reference to the vertical cross-sectional side view of Fig. 2 and the plan view of Fig. 3. The resist film forming module 3 includes a spin chuck 31 that is a substrate holding unit, and the spin chuck 31 horizontally holds the wafer W by suction at the center of the back side of the wafer W. The spin chuck 31 is connected to a rotation mechanism 33 via a vertically extending shaft 32, and the rotation mechanism 33 rotates the wafer W held by the spin chuck 31 about the vertical axis. A circular shroud 34 is provided to surround the shaft 32, and three lift pins 35 (only two are shown in Fig. 2) are provided to extend vertically through the shroud 34. The lift pins 35 are raised and lowered by a lift mechanism 36, and the wafer W is transferred between the spin chuck 31 and the transfer mechanism 25 described above.

[0014] A circular cup 4 is provided around the wafer W from below to the sides of the peripheral edge of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 31, and the cup 4 is composed of a cup body 41, a lower guide portion 42, an intermediate guide portion 43, and an upper guide portion 44. The cup body 41 is formed to form an annular recess along the circumference of the wafer W, and receives processing liquid (resist and solvent) that drops or splashes from the wafer W. The components of the cup body 41 are indicated as an outer cylindrical portion 41A, a bottom body 41B, and an inner cylindrical portion 41C. The outer cylindrical portion 41A and the inner cylindrical portion 41C are upright tubular members that form the side walls of the annular recess. The bottom body 41B is a horizontal annular plate that connects the lower end of the outer cylindrical portion 41A and the lower end of the inner cylindrical portion 41C, and forms the bottom of the annular recess. The bottom body 41B is provided with an exhaust pipe 45A for exhausting the inside of the cup 4, and also has a drainage port 45B for draining the processing liquid from the recess.

[0015] Next, the lower guide portion 42 will be described. The lower guide portion 42 is a circular member formed so as to expand from the peripheral portion of the shroud 34 described above, passing over the inner cylindrical portion 41C, toward the outer cylindrical portion 41A, and is located below the wafer W held by the spin chuck 31. The upper surface of the lower guide portion 42 is formed as inclined surfaces 42A and 42B, and the inclined surface 42A is located closer to the center of the cup 4 than the inclined surface 42B. The inclined surface 42A rises toward the outside of the cup 4, and the inclined surface 42B falls toward the outside of the cup 4, so that the vertical cross section of the lower guide portion 42 is formed in a mountain shape. The inclined surface 42B guides the processing liquid that has fallen or scattered from the wafer W and adheres thereto to flow down to the bottom body 41B.

[0016] The top of the mountain shape formed by the inclined surfaces 42A, 42B protrudes upward to form an annular protrusion 46, which follows the circumference of the wafer W placed on the spin chuck 31 and is close to the peripheral edge of the wafer W. The annular protrusion 46 prevents the processing liquid supplied to the front surface of the wafer W from flowing around to the rear surface of the wafer W and depositing at a position close to the center of the wafer W, and prevents mist of the processing liquid from depositing at a position close to the center of the rear surface of the wafer W. The height of the lower guide portion 42 is adjustable relative to the shroud 34 and the cup body 41, and therefore the height of the annular protrusion 46 is adjustable relative to the bottom surface of the wafer W. In FIG. 2, the distance between the annular protrusion 46 and the bottom surface of the wafer W (referred to as the cup separation distance) is indicated as H0.

[0017] The intermediate guide portion 43 constituting the cup 4 includes a vertical wall 43A attached to the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 41A, and an inclined portion 43B extending obliquely upward from the upper end of the vertical wall 43A toward the center of the cup 4. The inclined portion 43B has a through hole 43C for discharging liquid in the vertical direction. The upper guide portion 44 constituting the cup 4 includes a vertical wall 44A attached to the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 41A, a horizontal portion 44B extending horizontally from the upper end of the vertical wall toward the center of the cup 4, and a cylindrical mouth wall 44C extending vertically upward from the tip of the horizontal portion 44B. The vertical wall 44A is provided above the vertical wall 43A of the intermediate guide portion 43, and the horizontal portion 44B is located above the inclined portion 43B of the intermediate guide portion 43.

[0018] Next, the resist supply mechanism 5A and the EBR processing mechanism 5B provided in the resist film forming module 3 will be described. The resist supply mechanism 5A includes a resist supply nozzle 51A, a resist supply unit 52A, an arm 53A, a moving mechanism 54A, and a waiting unit 55A. The resist supply nozzle 51A discharges the resist pressure-fed from the resist supply unit 52A vertically downward. The arm 53A supports the resist supply nozzle 51A, and is configured to be freely raised and lowered and horizontally moved by the moving mechanism 54A. A waiting unit 55A that opens upward is provided outside the cup 4, and the resist supply nozzle 51A moves between the opening of the waiting unit 55A and the inside of the cup 4 by the moving mechanism 54A. The resist supply nozzle 51A that has moved into the cup 4 discharges the resist onto the center of the rotating wafer W, and a resist film is formed on the entire surface of the wafer W by spin coating.

[0019] The EBR processing mechanism 5B includes a solvent supply nozzle 51B, a solvent supply unit 52B, an arm 53B, a moving mechanism 54B, and a standby unit 55B. The solvent supply nozzle 51B is a nozzle for EBR, and discharges the solvent, which is pumped from the solvent supply unit 52B, from the center side of the wafer W to the peripheral side in a diagonal downward direction. In other words, the solvent is discharged in a direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The arm 53B supports the solvent supply nozzle 51B, and is configured to be freely raised and lowered and freely moved horizontally by the moving mechanism 54B. A standby unit 55B that opens upward is provided outside the cup 4, and the solvent supply nozzle 51B moves between the opening of the standby unit 55B and a processing position above the wafer W in the cup 4 by the moving mechanism 54B. Note that FIG. 3 shows the solvent supply nozzle 51B in a state where it has been moved to the processing position by a solid line, and the above-mentioned EBR is performed by discharging the solvent from the solvent supply nozzle 51B at the processing position onto the rotating wafer W.

[0020] For example, the height of the solvent supply nozzle 51B is attached to the arm 53B so as to be freely adjustable. Therefore, the distance H1 (referred to as the nozzle separation distance) between the solvent supply nozzle 51B and the surface of the wafer W in the processing position shown in Fig. 2 is freely adjustable, and the landing position of the solvent discharged from the solvent supply nozzle 51B on the wafer W changes by changing the nozzle separation distance H1. Although shown only in Fig. 3, an illumination unit 48 capable of irradiating light toward the cup 4 is provided near the cup 4. When the camera 82 captures an image of the solvent supply nozzle 51B, the illumination unit 48 irradiates light onto the solvent supply nozzle 51B.

[0021] The substrate processing apparatus 2 includes a control unit 20 configured by a computer (see FIG. 1), and a program stored in a storage medium such as a compact disc, a hard disk, a memory card, or a DVD is installed in the control unit 20. The installed program includes instructions (each step) so that a control signal is output to each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 2. The control signal causes the transfer mechanisms 23 and 25 to transfer the wafer W, and each processing module to process the wafer W.

[0022] However, due to an error made by an operator when assembling or adjusting the resist film forming module 3, the cup separation distance H0 and / or the second distance, that is, the nozzle separation distance H1, may be out of the appropriate range. If the wafer W is processed with the cup separation distance H0 being inappropriate, the annular protrusion 46 may come into contact with the wafer W and damage the rear surface of the wafer W, or the annular protrusion 46 may be too far away from the wafer W and may not be able to fully perform its function. If the wafer W is processed with the nozzle separation distance H1 being inappropriate, the solvent supply nozzle 51B may come into contact with the wafer W and damage the wafer W, or an abnormality may occur in the width of the removed region of the resist film due to an abnormality in the landing position.

[0023] The inspection wafer 6 is suction-held on the spin chuck 31 in place of the wafer W. The above-mentioned interference with the detection target members (annular protrusion 46 and nozzle 51B) is detected by the inspection wafer 6, and information on the height of the annular protrusion 46 and the height of the solvent supply nozzle 51B, that is, whether the cup separation distance H0 and the nozzle separation distance H1 are smaller than their appropriate ranges, respectively, is obtained. By obtaining the height information, it is possible to prevent contact between the wafer W and the annular protrusion 46, and abnormal contact and landing position of the solvent supply nozzle 51B with the wafer W.

[0024] The configuration of the inspection wafer 6 will be described below with reference to the vertical cross-sectional side views of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 and the plan view of FIG. 6. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show vertical cross-sectional side views at different positions. Note that FIG. 6 omits some of the components shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. The inspection wafer 6 includes a circular base body 61 and a substrate 62. The base body 61 is a substrate having the same size as the wafer W, and its lower surface is configured as a flat surface similar to the lower surface of the wafer W. Therefore, the base body 61 can be transported by the transport mechanisms 23 and 25 and adsorbed and held by the spin chuck 31, similar to the wafer W. FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 show the base body 61 in such a state that it is adsorbed and held by the spin chuck 31 (i.e., the inspection wafer 6 in a state that it is adsorbed and held).

[0025] A substrate 62 is laminated on the upper side of a base body 61. The substrate 62 has a main body 63 provided on the center of the base body 61. Although the main body 63 is shown as a circle in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 described later for convenience of illustration, it is not limited to a circle and may be any shape. Various circuit components and devices are provided on the main body 63, and are collectively shown as a component group 64 in the drawing.

[0026] The components and devices constituting the component group 64 include a CPU and a communication device that wirelessly transmits and receives various data (including signals). The data acquired by each sensor and camera can be wirelessly transmitted to the calculation device 9 by this communication device. In addition, a signal that serves as a trigger for acquiring the data can be transmitted to each camera and each sensor via this communication device. As described later, the cameras 81, 82, etc. are mounted on a board other than the board 62, but data can be transmitted to the calculation device 9 and trigger signals can be received in this way via a wire 60 that connects the boards together. In addition, a battery 65 is provided in the center of the base body 61 to supply power to the component group 64, each sensor, each camera, and a lighting unit 85 described later.

[0027] 7, the substrate 62 on the base body 61 will be further described. A main body 63 of the substrate 62 is fixed to the base body 61. A part of the periphery of the main body 63 extends toward the periphery of the main body 63 to form an elongated beam-like body 66 along the radial direction of the base body 61. A through hole 67 is formed in the periphery of the base body 61 at a position overlapping with the tip side of the beam-like body 66, penetrating the base body 61 in the thickness direction. The through hole 67 forms a connection path connecting one side (upper side) and the other side (lower side) of the base body 61 in the vertical direction.

[0028] The arrows in FIG. 7 show enlarged views of the various parts around the through hole 67. A protrusion 68 is provided on the lower surface of the tip side of the beam-like body 66, protruding downward and entering the through hole 67. The tip (lower end) of the protrusion 68 is located below the lower surface of the main body part 63, and protrudes, for example, about 1 mm from the lower surface of the main body part 63 (see FIG. 4). The protrusion 68 is located slightly away from the tip of the beam-like body 66 toward the base end side, and the tip of the beam-like body 66 is located closer to the periphery of the base body 61 than the through hole 67. Due to such an arrangement of the protrusion 68 and the through hole 67, the part of the beam-like body 66 on the base end side of the through hole 67 and the part on the tip side of the through hole 67 are supported in contact with the base body 61, respectively. That is, the upper surface region of the base body 61 including the outer edge of the through hole 67 supports the beam-like body 66.

[0029] The beam-like body 66, which is the first beam-like body, is a so-called cantilever and is configured as a first interference detection unit for acquiring information about the height of the annular protrusion 46. More specifically, the lower surface of the beam-like body 66 is not fixed to the base body 61 and has flexibility in the vertical direction (thickness direction of the base body 61). As described above, the main body 63 to which the beam-like body 66 is connected is fixed to the base body 61, so that the base end of the beam-like body 66 is fixed to the base body 61. Therefore, one end of the beam-like body 66 is fixed to the center side of the base body 61, while the other end extending toward the peripheral part of the base body 61 is configured to be movable relative to the base body 61. A strain gauge (strain sensor) 69 is provided on the upper side of the base end (one end) of the beam-like body 66. The strain gauge 69, which is the first signal acquisition unit, configures a Wheatstone bridge circuit together with the parts included in the above-mentioned part group 64, and a voltage signal output from the circuit is wirelessly transmitted to the calculation device 9 as a detection signal.

[0030] When the base body 61 is attracted by the spin chuck 31, the protrusion 68 of the beam-like body 66 is located above the annular protrusion 46. The lower surface of the wafer W and the lower surface of the base body 61 are both flat surfaces, so that they are at the same height when placed on the spin chuck 31. Therefore, when the cup separation distance H0 (the distance between the wafer W and the annular protrusion 46) is equal to or less than the reference value and the wafer W interferes with the annular protrusion 46, interference also occurs between the protrusion 68 of the inspection wafer 6 and the annular protrusion 46 as shown in FIG. 8. Such interference of the protrusion 68 causes deformation of the tip side of the beam-like body 66 so that it is pushed upward. The strain gauge 69 also deforms in response to the deformation of the beam-like body 66, and the signal output from the Wheatstone bridge circuit varies in response to the change in resistance of the strain gauge 69 caused by this deformation. Therefore, by monitoring this signal, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of interference between the annular protrusion 46 and the protrusion 68, and therefore it is possible to determine whether interference occurs between the wafer W and the annular protrusion 46.

[0031] Also, a notch is provided on the periphery of the upper surface of the base body 61 at a position different in the circumferential direction from the position where the beam-like body 66 is provided. A second beam-like body, a beam-like body 71, is fixed at its base end toward the center of the base body 61 from the notch. The tip side of the beam-like body 71 is formed elongated so as to extend above the notch in the radial direction of the base body 61. Therefore, the tip of the beam-like body 71 is floating above the base body 61. In other words, a gap is formed between the beam-like body 71 and the base body 61 by the above-mentioned notch, and this gap is indicated as 72.

[0032] The beam-like body 71 also has a cantilever like the beam-like body 66, and is configured as a second interference detection unit for acquiring information about the height of the solvent supply nozzle 51B at the processing position. By being provided above the gap 72 as described above, the tip of the beam-like body 71 is configured to be movable up and down. A strain gauge 73 is provided on the upper side of the base end of the beam-like body 71. The strain gauge 73, which is the second signal acquisition unit, configures a Wheatstone bridge circuit together with the parts included in the part group 64 like the strain gauge 69, and a voltage signal from the circuit is wirelessly transmitted to the calculation device 9 as a detection signal.

[0033] When the spin chuck 31 is rotated with the wafer 6 to be inspected attached thereto (the wafer 6 to be inspected is also rotated), the lower end of the solvent supply nozzle 51B may interfere with the beam-like body 71 as shown in FIG. 9 when the nozzle separation distance H1 is equal to or less than a reference value. Such interference causes the tip of the beam-like body 71 to be pushed downward through the gap 72, and the gap 72 is deformed to narrow. The strain gauge 73 is also deformed in response to the deformation of the beam-like body 71, and the signal output from the Wheatstone bridge circuit including the strain gauge 73 fluctuates. Therefore, by monitoring this signal, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of interference between the solvent supply nozzle 51B and the beam-like body 71, and to determine whether the processing position of the solvent supply nozzle 51B is appropriate.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, two substrates 80 are provided at the periphery of the base body 61 at positions spaced apart from the beam-like bodies 66 and 71 in the circumferential direction, and these two substrates 80 are also spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction. A camera 81 is provided on one substrate 80, and a camera 82 is provided on the other substrate 80, and each has its field of view directed toward the periphery of the base body 61. The cameras 81 and 82 are used to image the annular protrusion 46 and the solvent supply nozzle 51B, respectively. A mirror 83 is disposed on the optical axis of the camera 81, and a through hole 84 is formed in the base body 61. When the inspection wafer 6 is held by the spin chuck 31, the through hole 84 is located on the annular protrusion 46, and a part of the upper surface of the annular protrusion 46 in the circumferential direction is reflected on the mirror 83 through the through hole 84. The camera 81 can image the part of the upper surface of the annular protrusion 46 reflected on the mirror 83. Two illumination units 85 are embedded in the base body 61. The lighting units 85 are arranged on either side of the through-hole 84 in the circumferential direction of the base body 61, and irradiate light downward. When an image is captured by the camera 81, light is irradiated from each lighting unit 85 onto a subject below.

[0035] On the base body 61, for example, a circular cover 86 whose side wall follows the circumference of the base body 61 is provided, and covers the main body 63 of the substrate 62, the battery 65, the cameras 81, 82, and the mirror 83. However, an opening is provided on the side wall of the cover 86 on the optical axis of the camera 82 so as not to prevent the camera 82 from capturing an image of the solvent supply nozzle 51B. In addition, for example, the lower end of the side wall of the cover 86 is cut out so as not to prevent the deformation of the beam-like bodies 66 and 71, and the tip sides of the beam-like bodies 66 and 71 protrude outside the cover 86 through the cutout. In addition, the side end of the cover 86 is located closer to the center of the base body 61 than the solvent supply nozzle 51B at the processing position in order to prevent interference with the solvent supply nozzle 51B.

[0036] In the example shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the center of the cover 86 is formed to have a height greater than that of the periphery of the cover 86, and to form a convex portion 87 facing upward. In accordance with the configuration of the cover 86, the battery 65 and the group of parts 64 can be disposed in the center of the base body 61 as described above, and the center of gravity of the base body 61 can be positioned in the center. Therefore, when the base body 61 is placed on the spin chuck 31, the base body 61 can be prevented from sagging due to its own weight. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the height of the beam-like bodies 66, 71 and the cameras 81, 82 from changing due to the sagging, and thus affecting the measurement results. Therefore, the cover 86 having the convex portion 87 contributes to improving the detection accuracy of anomalies. However, the cover 86 may be formed to have a relatively large thickness, so that the upper surface of the cover 86 has a flat shape.

[0037] Also, for example, when an operator handles the inspection wafer 6 by loading it onto the carrier C or performing maintenance, the inspection wafer 6 passes through a relatively narrow area. At that time, since the upper surface of the cover 86 is located at a position higher than the beam-like bodies 66 and 71, even if the inspection wafer 6 collides with a wall that defines the narrow area, the cover 86 collides with the inspection wafer 6, preventing the inspection wafer 6 from colliding with the wall of the beam-like bodies 66 and 71. Therefore, the beam-like bodies 66 and 71 are prevented from being plastically deformed or damaged. Therefore, the cover 86 can effectively protect the beam-like bodies 66 and 71.

[0038] Next, the arithmetic device 9 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The arithmetic device 9 is a computer and includes a bus 91. A program storage unit 92, a wireless transceiver unit 93, a memory 94, a display unit 95, and an operation unit 96 are connected to the bus 91. A program 90 stored in a storage medium such as a compact disc, a hard disk, a memory card, or a DVD is installed in the program storage unit 92. The arithmetic device is configured as an information acquisition unit that calculates the above-mentioned separation distances H0 and H1.

[0039] The wireless transceiver 93 wirelessly transmits a signal that serves as a trigger for acquiring data to the inspection wafer 6, and wirelessly receives detection signals from each circuit including the above-mentioned strain gauges 69, 73, and image data acquired by the cameras 81, 82. The memory 94 stores data acquired from each sensor and camera. Reference data that serves as a criterion for determining the presence or absence of interference, which will be described later, is also stored in the memory 94. In addition, for example, data for acquiring separation distances H0, H1 from image data in the second embodiment is stored, which will be described in the second embodiment.

[0040] The operation unit 96 is composed of a mouse, a keyboard, etc., and the user of the information acquisition system 1 can instruct the execution of processing that can be performed by the program 90 via the operation unit 96. In addition, for example, the arithmetic device 9 is connected to the control unit 20 of the substrate processing apparatus 2, and when, for example, the inspection wafer 6 is held by the spin chuck 31, the control unit 20 transmits a signal to the arithmetic device 9 indicating that various data can be acquired.

[0041] Next, an operation procedure of the information acquisition system 1 described above will be explained. First, the carrier C storing the inspection wafer 6 is transported to the stage 21 of the substrate processing apparatus 2. The inspection wafer 6 is transported in the order of the transport mechanism 23 → the delivery module TRS → the transport mechanism 25 → the resist film forming module 3, and is placed on the spin chuck 31 via the lift pins 35 and is adsorbed and held thereon. Thereafter, the solvent supply nozzle 51B moves from the standby section 55B to the processing position.

[0042] When an operator issues a predetermined command from the computing device 9, the spin chuck 31 rotates, and the inspection wafer 6 rotates once at a relatively low speed. During this rotation, the height of each part of the resist film forming module 3 is adjusted so that there is no interference between the annular protrusion 46 and the protrusion 68 of the beam-like body 66, and no interference between the solvent supply nozzle 51B and the beam-like body 71. Detection signals from each circuit, including the strain gauges 69 and 71, during this rotation are sent to the computing device 9 and stored as reference data. After the inspection wafer 6 rotates once, the solvent supply nozzle 51B returns to the standby section 55B. Then, the inspection wafer 6 is transferred to the transport mechanism 25 via the lift pins 35, and is returned to the carrier C via the transfer module TRS and the transport mechanism 23 in this order.

[0043] Thereafter, at any timing, the carrier C storing the inspection wafer 6 is transported to the stage 21 of the substrate processing apparatus 2. Then, in the same manner as when the reference data was acquired, the inspection wafer 6 is transported to the resist film forming module 3, placed on the spin chuck 31, adsorbed and held, and the solvent supply nozzle 51B is moved to the processing position. In the same manner as when the reference data was acquired, for example, when an operator gives an instruction, the inspection wafer 6 rotates once by the spin chuck 31, and detection signals from each circuit including the strain gauges 69 and 71 during this one rotation are each transmitted to the arithmetic unit 9 and stored as interference detection data. The inspection wafer 6 after data acquisition is returned to the carrier C in the same manner as the inspection wafer 6 after reference data acquisition.

[0044] The worker displays the signal waveform of the acquired interference detection data and the signal waveform of the reference data on the display unit 95 and compares them to detect the presence or absence of interference. FIG. 10 shows an example of a signal waveform obtained from a circuit including a strain gauge 69. An example of the signal waveform of the reference data is shown by a solid line, and an example of the signal waveform of the detection data when interference as shown in FIG. 8 occurs is shown by a dotted line and an alternate long and short dash line, respectively. The dotted and alternate long and short dash line signal waveforms are acquired by different types of interference as will be described later. As shown in the figure, the reference data does not change significantly in signal level at each time during data acquisition. Detection data when there is no interference will have a signal waveform that is the same or roughly the same as the reference data.

[0045] For example, if the lower guide portion 42 constituting the annular protrusion 46 is attached at an angle and interferes with only a portion of the circumferential direction of the annular protrusion 46, the signal level at a specific time during the rotation of the inspection wafer 6 will be significantly different from the signal level of the reference data, as shown by the dotted waveform. If the annular protrusion 46 continues to be in contact with the protrusion 68 during the rotation of the inspection wafer 6, the signal level at each time during data acquisition will be significantly different from the signal level of the reference data, as shown by the dashed-dotted waveform.

[0046] In this way, it is possible to determine whether interference exists or not from the difference in the signal waveforms. Although the operator judges whether interference exists in the above embodiment, the judgment may be made by the program 90. Note that, although the signal waveform obtained from the circuit including the strain gauge 69 has been shown, the same is true for the signal waveform obtained from the circuit including the strain gauge 73. In other words, the signal level of the reference data does not change significantly at each time during data acquisition, but in the case of interference with the nozzle, it changes significantly at a specific timing as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 10.

[0047] If the operator judges that the height of the annular protrusion 46 or the solvent supply nozzle 51B needs to be adjusted based on the comparison between the reference data and the detection data, the operator adjusts accordingly. After that, the carrier C storing the wafer W is transported to the stage 21 of the substrate processing apparatus 2. The wafer W is transported in the order of the transport mechanism 23 → the transfer module TRS → the transport mechanism 25 → the resist film forming module 3 → the transport mechanism 25 → the heating module 26 → the transport mechanism 25 → the transfer module TRS, and is returned to the carrier C by the transport mechanism 23. During this transport, in the resist film forming module 3, the resist is discharged from the resist supply nozzle 51A to the center of the surface of the wafer W rotated by the spin chuck 31, and a resist film is formed on the entire surface of the wafer W by spin coating. After that, the solvent supply nozzle 51B moves from the standby section 55B to the processing position, and the solvent is supplied to the peripheral portion of the rotating wafer W, and the resist film on the peripheral portion is removed.

[0048] As described above, in the inspection wafer 6 constituting the information acquisition system 1, the beam-like bodies 66, 71 each having one end fixed to the inspection wafer 6 are provided with the strain gauges 69, 73. The beam-like bodies 66, 71 are configured to interfere with the annular protrusion 46 and the solvent supply nozzle 51B arranged at an abnormal height as interference detection members. With the above configuration, the beam-like bodies 66, 71 are relatively greatly distorted by interference, and the strain gauges 69, 73 are also relatively greatly distorted. Therefore, a relatively large signal fluctuation can be detected, and interference can be detected based on this signal fluctuation. Then, an operator can adjust the resist film forming module 3 based on the detection result of this interference. Therefore, the resist film forming module 3 prevents the processing of the wafer W from becoming defective, and the yield of semiconductor products manufactured from the wafer W can be prevented from decreasing.

[0049] It is also possible to provide only one of the beam-like bodies 66 and 71 and detect only one of the interference of the annular protrusion 46 and the interference at the solvent supply nozzle 51B. The inspection wafer 6 is rotated when detecting the interference described above. However, if the height of the annular protrusion 46 becomes abnormal, interference occurs between the annular protrusion 46 and the beam-like body 66 when the lift pins 35 are lowered to adsorb the inspection wafer 6 to the spin chuck 31, and the interference can be detected. In other words, it is not necessarily essential to rotate the inspection wafer 6 when detecting interference with the annular protrusion 46.

[0050] As described above, the beam-like body 66 is supported from below by the base body 61. When the beam-like body 66 interferes with the annular protrusion 46, it vibrates up and down. If the beam-like body 66 were not supported by the base body 61, for example, as the inspection wafer 6 is used repeatedly and the above-mentioned interference is repeated, the tip side of the beam-like body 66 may be deformed and droopy due to the above-mentioned vibration. In other words, supporting the beam-like body 66 from below suppresses such deformation of the beam-like body 66, and the life of the inspection wafer 6 can be extended.

[0051] Also, when only a part of the circumferential direction of the annular protrusion 46 is abnormal in height, as in the case where the waveform example shown by the dotted line in FIG. 10 is obtained, the annular protrusion 46 comes into contact with the protrusion 68 connected to the beam-like body 66 from the lateral direction due to the rotation of the inspection wafer 6. Because of such interference from the lateral direction, an upward force is generated at the tip side of the beam-like body 66, while a downward force is generated at the base end side of the beam-like body 66. In other words, when viewed from the lateral direction, a force is generated so that the beam-like body 66 twists (rotates around an axis extending in the extension direction of the beam-like body 66). However, since the base end side of the beam-like body 66 is supported by the base body 61, downward deformation and twisting are suppressed, and upward deformation is promoted. In other words, since the beam-like body 66 is in a state where it is easy to deform upward in the initial deformation stage, the tip of the beam-like body 66 bends upward significantly.

[0052] Furthermore, when the above-mentioned interference from the side occurs, if we consider the beam-like body 66 in the radial cross section of the inspection wafer 6, an upward force is generated on the interfered side, and a downward force is generated on the opposite side. At this time, even on the opposite side of the beam-like body 66 from the interfered side, the base body 61 supports the beam-like body 66 from below, so that downward deformation and twisting are suppressed as above, and upward deformation is promoted. Therefore, a large signal change due to interference can be extracted, and detection accuracy is improved.

[0053] In this way, the portion of the base body 61 that supports the base end side of the beam-like body 66, specifically, the portion that overlaps the beam-like body 66 closer to the center of the base body 61 than the through hole 67, can be said to be a guide for more reliably bending the tip side of the beam-like body 66 upward. In this embodiment, the portion of the base body 61 that supports the beam-like body 66, 71 from below forms a surface along the lower surface of the beam-like body 66, 71, but it may have multiple different points in the longitudinal direction of the beam-like body 66, 71 and / or the circumferential direction of the inspection wafer 6. That is, the beam-like body 66, 71 may be supported from below at multiple points spaced apart. In addition, the vertical cross section of the beam-like body 66, 71 as viewed in the extension direction has a shape in which the vertical (up-down) dimension is shorter than the horizontal dimension, and the structure is such that it is easier to deform in the vertical direction than the horizontal direction. Although the protrusion 68 is configured to enter the through hole 67 forming a connection path connecting the top and bottom of the base body 61, the connection path may be formed by providing a notch toward the center of the base body 61 on the periphery of the base body 61, and the protrusion 68 may enter the notch. By supporting the beam-like body 66 in a region including the outer edge of the notch, the region can be made to function as the above-mentioned guide.

[0054] Second embodiment As a second embodiment, the cup separation distance H0 is obtained using image data acquired from the camera 81, and the nozzle separation distance H1 is obtained using image data acquired from the camera 82. A method of obtaining the cup separation distance H0 will be described. FIG. 11 shows image data of a part of the circumferential direction of the upper surface of the annular projection 46 captured by the camera 81. The dotted frame indicates pixels of the image. The number of pixels of the width L3 of the annular projection 46 is detected from the image data obtained in this way (step S1). The cup separation distance H0 is calculated based on the correspondence relationship between the number of pixels of the width L3 and the cup separation distance H0 that has been obtained in advance (step S2). As this correspondence relationship, an equation of any degree may be prepared that uses the cup separation distance H0 and the number of pixels of the width L3 as variables, and expresses the relationship that L3 becomes smaller as H0 increases. Then, the cup separation distance H0 calculated from the correspondence relationship is displayed on the display unit 95 of the calculation device 9 (step S3).

[0055] A method of acquiring the nozzle separation distance H1 will be described. FIG. 12 shows image data of the side of the solvent supply nozzle 51B captured by the camera 82. In the image data, the number of pixels corresponding to the width L4 of the solvent supply nozzle 51B is detected (step T1). Next, in the image data, the number of pixels at the height H20 between the lower end of the solvent supply nozzle 51B specified in step T1 and the reference height H10 (pixels at a height set in advance in the image data) is detected (step T2). The H20 is set as the nozzle reference height. Then, the width L4 of the solvent supply nozzle 51B acquired in advance / the number of pixels corresponding to the width L4 acquired in step T1 is calculated, and this calculated value is set as the distance in one pixel (step T3). Then, the number of pixels of the nozzle reference height H20 obtained in step T2 x the distance in one pixel obtained in step T3 is calculated. That is, the nozzle reference height H20, which is the number of pixels on the image data, is converted to the actual height (distance) (step T4).

[0056] Also, the height difference (H30) between the surface of the wafer W when the wafer W is held by suction on the spin chuck 31 and the above-mentioned reference height H10 in the image captured by the camera 82 when the inspection wafer 6 is held by suction on the spin chuck 31 is acquired in advance. The nozzle separation distance H1 is calculated based on the actual nozzle reference height H20 obtained in the above step T4 and the height difference H30 (step T5). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, when the nozzle 51B appears above the reference height H20 in the image, the nozzle separation distance H1 is calculated as H20+H30, and when the nozzle 51B appears below the reference height H20 in the image, the nozzle separation distance H1 is calculated as H30-H20. The calculated nozzle separation distance H1 is displayed on the display unit 95 of the calculation device 9 (step T6). The height difference H30 acquired in advance is used because the field of view of the camera 82 is limited by being installed on the base body 61.

[0057] The above steps S1 to S3 and T1 to T6 are performed by the above program 90. The correspondence between the number of pixels of width L3 and cup separation distance H0, height difference H30, and actual width L4 of solvent supply nozzle 51B for executing these steps are obtained in advance and stored in memory 94 of calculation device 9.

[0058] The operation procedure of the information acquisition system 1 when acquiring the cup separation distance H0 and the nozzle separation distance H1 will be described below. As described in the first embodiment, the inspection wafer 6 is transported from the carrier C to the resist film forming module 3 and is suction-held on the spin chuck 31. Then, the nozzle 51B moves from the waiting section 55B to the processing position. When the user issues a predetermined command from the calculation device 9, the spin chuck 31 rotates intermittently, for example, at intervals of a predetermined angle, and when the rotation stops, the cameras 81 and 82 capture images to acquire image data. The acquired image data is sequentially wirelessly transmitted to the calculation device 9. When the inspection wafer 6 makes one rotation, the solvent supply nozzle 51B returns to the waiting section 55B, and the inspection wafer 6 is returned to the carrier C.

[0059] The above steps S1 to S3 are executed for each image data acquired by the camera 81, and the cup separation distance H0 is calculated and displayed on the screen. Furthermore, from the multiple image data acquired by the camera 82, for example, the image showing the solvent supply nozzle 51B as shown in FIG. 12 is selected by the program 90 of the computing device 9. The above steps T1 to T6 are then executed for the selected image data, and the nozzle separation distance H1 is calculated and displayed on the screen. Upon seeing the separation distances H0 and H1 displayed in this manner, an operator adjusts the height of the annular projection 46 and / or the nozzle 51B as necessary.

[0060] Although it has been described that one of the detection of interference shown in the first embodiment and the acquisition of the separation distances H0 and H1 shown in the second embodiment is selected and performed, both of them may be performed. When only one of them is selected and performed, by acquiring the separation distances H0 and H1, it is possible to prevent each of the problems caused by the separation distances H0 and H1 being relatively large. However, in order to prevent blurring of the acquired image, the rotation of the inspection wafer 6 is stopped as described above when the cameras 81 and 82 are capturing the image. However, when detecting interference, it is not necessary to stop the rotation of the inspection wafer 6. Therefore, there is an advantage that the time required for the inspection is short.

[0061] In the second embodiment, the camera 81 captures images multiple times to obtain images of each portion in the circumferential direction of the annular projection 46, and the cup separation distance H0 is obtained from each image data. However, image data of only one portion may be obtained to obtain the cup separation distance H0 of only that portion. In the first embodiment, the configuration may be such that the output signal varies due to interference with the beam-like bodies 66 and 81, and therefore the use of the strain gauges 69 and 73 is not limited. Specifically, for example, a vibration sensor may be provided instead of the strain gauges 69 and 73, and a detection signal regarding vibration may be output to the calculation device 9. Although the strain gauges 69 and 73 are shown to be provided on the base end side of the beam-like bodies 66 and 71, the configuration is not limited to providing the strain gauges on the base end side as long as the signal variation can be detected.

[0062] In the information acquisition system 1 described above, the control unit 20 and the arithmetic device 9 are provided separately, but the control unit 20 may also serve as the arithmetic device 9. In addition, although each piece of data is wirelessly transmitted to the arithmetic device 9 in the example described above, for example, a removable memory may be mounted on the base body 61 of the inspection wafer 6 and the data may be stored in the memory. In that case, an operator may remove the memory from the inspection wafer 6 that has been returned to the carrier C after data acquisition and transfer each piece of data to the arithmetic device 9. Therefore, the inspection wafer 6 may not be configured to wirelessly transmit image data. Note that the inspection wafer 6 and the arithmetic device 9 may be connected by wire, and various pieces of data may be transmitted to the arithmetic device 9.

[0063] Incidentally, the camera 82 is provided to capture an image of the solvent supply nozzle 51B, but may be provided to capture an image of the resist supply nozzle 51A, and the distance between the resist supply nozzle 51A and the surface of the wafer W may be acquired. The liquid processing module provided in the substrate processing apparatus 2 is not limited to the resist film forming module 3. It may be a module that supplies a processing liquid for forming a coating film other than a resist film, such as an anti-reflection film or an insulating film, from a nozzle to the surface of the wafer W to form a film, or a module that supplies a cleaning liquid, a developing liquid, or an adhesive for bonding a plurality of wafers W to each other from a nozzle to the surface of the wafer W. In this way, information on the height between the nozzle that supplies a processing liquid other than a resist and the surface of the wafer W can also be acquired by the method of the embodiment described above.

[0064] Furthermore, the processing liquid supplied from the nozzle to the peripheral portion of the wafer W is not limited to a solvent, but may be, for example, a coating liquid for forming a coating film. Information about the height between the nozzle and the surface of the wafer W can be acquired by the methods described above. The inspection wafer 6 is not limited to being transported from the outside to the substrate processing apparatus 2 by the carrier C. For example, a module for storing the inspection wafer 6 may be provided in the substrate processing apparatus 2, and the wafer 6 may be transported between the module and the resist film forming module 3.

[0065] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, modified, and combined in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] W wafer 31 Spin Chuck 6 Test Wafer 61 Base body 66, 71 Beam body 69 Strain Gauges

Claims

1. 1. An information acquiring system for acquiring information regarding a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held by a substrate holder, comprising: a base body held by the substrate holding portion instead of the substrate; an interference detection unit having one end fixed to the base body and another end movable with respect to the base body; a signal acquiring unit for acquiring a signal that varies in response to deformation of the interference detection unit due to interference with a detection target member in the periphery of the base body held by the substrate holding unit; Equipped with the substrate holder is rotatable together with the base body; An information acquisition system that acquires information on the height of the detection target member in accordance with deformation of the interference detection unit during rotation of the substrate holding unit and the base body.

2. 1. An information acquiring system for acquiring information regarding a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held by a substrate holder, comprising: a base body held by the substrate holding portion instead of the substrate; an interference detection unit having one end fixed to the base body and another end movable with respect to the base body; a signal acquiring unit for acquiring a signal that varies in response to deformation of the interference detection unit due to interference with a detection target member in the periphery of the base body held by the substrate holding unit; Equipped with An information acquisition system in which the interference detection unit is a beam-shaped body, one end of which is fixed to the center of the base body and the other end of which extends toward the edge of the base body.

3. The base body has a connection path, which is a notch or a hole, connecting one side and the other side of the base body in a thickness direction, the beam-shaped body is provided on one side of the base body in a thickness direction, a protrusion is provided on the other end side of the beam-shaped body, the protrusion entering the connection path and protruding to the other side in the thickness direction of the base body and facing the detection target member located on the other side; The information acquisition system according to claim 2 , wherein an outer edge of the connection path in the base body is in contact with the beam-like body.

4. The other side in the thickness direction of the base body is a lower side, The base body is provided with an imaging unit for imaging the lower side of the base body and acquiring image data, The information acquisition system according to claim 3 , further comprising an information acquisition unit that acquires information about a distance between the base body and the interference detection unit based on the image data.

5. The interference detection unit is provided on an upper side of the base body, 3. The information acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein a gap is provided between the other end of the interference detection portion and the base body.

6. 1. An information acquiring system for acquiring information regarding a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held by a substrate holder, comprising: a base body held by the substrate holding portion instead of the substrate; an interference detection unit having one end fixed to the base body and another end movable with respect to the base body; a signal acquiring unit for acquiring a signal that varies in response to deformation of the interference detection unit due to interference with a detection target member in the periphery of the base body held by the substrate holding unit; Equipped with The interference detection unit is provided on an upper side of the base body, An information acquisition system, wherein a gap is provided between the other end of the interference detection unit and the base body.

7. 1. An information acquiring method for acquiring information regarding a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held by a substrate holder, comprising: holding a base body instead of the substrate by the substrate holding part; a step of causing an interference detection unit having one end fixed to the base body and another end movable relative to the base body to interfere with a detection target member in a periphery of the base body held by the substrate holding unit and deform the interference detection unit; acquiring a signal that varies in response to deformation of the interference detection unit; rotating the substrate holder together with the base body; acquiring information on the height of the detection target member in response to deformation of the interference detection unit during rotation of the substrate holding unit and the base body; An information acquisition method comprising:

8. 1. An information acquiring method for acquiring information regarding a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held by a substrate holder, comprising: holding a base body instead of the substrate by the substrate holding part; a step of causing an interference detection unit having one end fixed to the base body and another end movable relative to the base body to interfere with a detection target member in a periphery of the base body held by the substrate holding unit and deform the interference detection unit; acquiring a signal that varies in response to deformation of the interference detection unit; Equipped with An information acquisition method in which the interference detection unit is a beam-shaped body, one end of which is fixed to the center of the base body and the other end of which extends toward the edge of the base body.

9. The base body has a connection path, which is a notch or a hole, connecting one side and the other side of the base body in a thickness direction, and the beam-like body is provided on one side of the base body in the thickness direction, a protrusion is provided on the other end side of the beam-shaped body, the protrusion entering the connection path and protruding to the other side in the thickness direction of the base body and facing the detection target member located on the other side; an outer edge of the connection path in the base body contacts the beam-like body; The information acquiring method according to claim 8 , further comprising the step of: causing the projection to interfere with the detection target member, thereby deforming the beam-like body.

10. The other side in the thickness direction of the base body is a lower side, A step of capturing an image of a lower side of the base body by an imaging unit provided on the base body to acquire image data; acquiring information about a distance between the base body and the interference detection unit based on the image data; The information acquisition method according to claim 9, further comprising:

11. the interference detection unit is provided on the upper side of the base body, and the other end side of the interference detection unit is provided floating above the base material, a gap is provided between the other end of the interference detection unit and the base body; a step of deforming the interference detection unit so that the gap becomes narrower due to interference between the interference detection unit and the detection target member; The information acquisition method according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising:

12. 1. An information acquiring method for acquiring information regarding a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held by a substrate holder, comprising: holding a base body instead of the substrate by the substrate holding part; a step of causing an interference detection unit having one end fixed to the base body and another end movable relative to the base body to interfere with a detection target member in a periphery of the base body held by the substrate holding unit and deform the interference detection unit; acquiring a signal that varies in response to deformation of the interference detection unit; Equipped with the interference detection unit is provided on the upper side of the base body, and the other end side of the interference detection unit is provided floating above the base material, a gap is provided between the other end of the interference detection unit and the base body; An information acquisition method comprising a step of deforming the interference detection unit so that the gap becomes narrower due to interference between the interference detection unit and the detection target member.

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