SUBSTRATE HOLDER POSITION ADJUSTMENT METHOD, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

To provide a location adjustment method and a substrate processing system for properly setting a reference height location of a substrate holding unit possessed by a substrate conveying device, without being affected by a reduction in suction force used to hold the substrate, etc.SOLUTION: In a coating / developing processing system as a substrate processing system, a location adjustment method for a substrate holding unit possessed by a substrate conveying device includes: Step S2 of moving horizontally the substrate holding unit holding a substrate to above a substrate placing unit on which the substrate is to be placed; Step S3 of lowering the substrate holding unit to a reference height location being currently set; Step S4 of moving the substrate holding unit to a detection unit for detecting a horizontal location of the substrate to detect the substrate on the substrate holding unit by the detection unit; and Step S5 of determining whether the substrate is placed on the substrate placing unit from the substrate holding unit.Steps S2 to S5 are repeatedly performed in sequence until it is determined that the substrate is located on the substrate placing unit, and each time the process is performed, the reference height location is corrected downward by a predetermined distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for adjusting a position of a substrate holder, a substrate processing system, and a storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for adjusting the position of a substrate transport device having a substrate holder. This method includes the steps of supporting a substrate with a substrate holder capable of holding the substrate by suction, and lowering the substrate holder for holding the substrate by about 0.1 mm from above a substrate placement portion on which the substrate is to be placed toward the substrate placement portion, and starting the suction after the lowering to detect whether the substrate is held by the substrate holder by suction. The method further includes the steps of repeating the detection step when it is determined in the detection step that the substrate is being held by suction, and setting the position of the substrate holder at this time to a reference position in the vertical direction of the substrate holder when it is determined in the detection step that the substrate is not being held by suction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-110444 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology disclosed herein appropriately sets the reference height position of a substrate holder of a substrate transport device without being affected by a decrease in the suction force used to hold a substrate, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a method for adjusting a position of a substrate holding part of a substrate transport device, the method including the steps of: (A) horizontally moving the substrate holding part supporting a substrate to above a substrate mounting part on which the substrate is to be placed; (B) lowering the substrate holding part supporting a substrate to a currently set reference height position; (C) moving the substrate holding part to a detection part for detecting the horizontal position of the substrate on the substrate holding part and detecting the substrate on the substrate holding part with the detection part; and (D) determining, based on a detection result from the step (C), whether or not the substrate has been placed from the substrate holding part to the substrate mounting part in the step (B). The steps (A) to (D) are repeated in order until it is determined in the step (D) that the substrate has been placed from the substrate holding part to the substrate mounting part in the step (B), and the reference height position is corrected downward a predetermined distance each time the steps are repeated. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately set the reference height position of a substrate holding part of a substrate transport device without being affected by a decrease in the suction force used to hold a substrate, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an internal configuration of a coating and developing treatment system as a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an internal configuration of a coating and developing treatment system from the front side; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the internal configuration of the coating and developing treatment system on the rear side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of a configuration of a cassette. [Diagram 5] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an outline of a configuration of a resist coating apparatus. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a configuration of a resist coating apparatus. [Figure 7] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an outline of a configuration of a heat treatment apparatus; [Figure 8]1 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a configuration of a heat treatment apparatus; [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a top view of the transfer arm, with the frame not shown. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for adjusting a reference height position of a fork. [Figure 12] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the state of the transport arm and the resist coating device during the adjustment process. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a strict adjustment process. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the process for roughly adjusting the reference height position of the fork. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] For example, a photolithography process in a semiconductor device manufacturing process is performed in a substrate processing system provided with substrate processing apparatuses such as a resist coater, etc. This substrate processing system also includes a substrate transport apparatus that transports substrates to the substrate processing apparatuses, etc.

[0009] The substrate transport device has a fork as a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate, and the fork moves three-dimensionally, for example, in the front-rear, left-right and up-down directions, to load and unload the substrate from a substrate processing apparatus or the like.

[0010] However, when the forks supporting the substrate descend and the substrate is handed over to the substrate placement part of the substrate processing apparatus or the like, if the descending speed of the forks is fast, the substrate is subjected to an impact from the substrate placement part, causing the substrate to shift its horizontal position relative to the substrate placement part or to fall. If the descending speed of the forks is simply slowed down, the impact on the substrate can be suppressed, but the throughput will decrease. Therefore, the descending speed of the forks is controlled to be slowed down only when the substrate supported by the forks is close to the substrate placement part of the substrate processing apparatus or the like. For this control or the like, it is necessary to appropriately set the reference height position of the forks. Specifically, it is necessary to set the reference height position near the lower position of the forks when the substrate is handed over to the substrate placement part from the forks supporting the substrate.

[0011] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the reference height position of the forks is set based on whether or not the substrate is held by the forks. In this technology, whether or not the substrate is held by the forks is detected based on a vacuum sensor or the like provided in a pipe connecting a vacuum pipe communicating with the suction holes of the forks and a vacuum exhaust unit. However, for example, if the vacuum exhaust unit is an exhaust utility facility in a factory, the suction force for suctioning the substrate may change depending on the state of other devices that share the exhaust utility facility, etc. When such a change occurs, the detection result by the vacuum sensor fluctuates, making it impossible to properly determine whether the substrate is being held by the forks, and in some cases making it impossible to properly set the reference height position of the forks.

[0012] Therefore, the technology disclosed herein appropriately sets the reference height position of the forks of the substrate transport device without being affected by a decrease in the suction force used to hold the substrate, etc.

[0013] Hereinafter, a substrate holder position adjusting method and a substrate processing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0014] <Coating and developing processing system> Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the internal configuration of a coating and developing treatment system as a substrate processing system according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are diagrams showing an outline of the internal configuration of the front side and rear side, respectively, of the coating and developing treatment system 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing an outline of the configuration of a cassette C described later.

[0015] 1 to 3, the coating and developing treatment system 1 includes a cassette station 2 into which a cassette C, which is a container capable of accommodating a plurality of semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers) serving as substrates, is carried in and out, and a treatment station 3 including a plurality of treatment devices for performing predetermined treatments such as resist coating treatment. The coating and developing treatment system 1 includes an interface station 5 that transfers the wafer W between the cassette station 2, the treatment station 3, and an exposure device 4 adjacent to the treatment station 3, all of which are integrally connected. The coating and developing treatment system 1 also includes a control unit 6 that controls the coating and developing treatment system 1, including the control of a transport device 70 described below.

[0016] The cassette station 2 is divided into, for example, a cassette loading / unloading section 10 and a wafer transport section 11. For example, the cassette loading / unloading section 10 is provided at the end of the coating and developing processing system 1 on the negative Y direction side (left direction in FIG. 1). The cassette loading / unloading section 10 is provided with a cassette mounting table 12. A plurality of mounting plates 13, for example, four mounting plates 13, are provided on the cassette mounting table 12. The mounting plates 13 are arranged in a row in the horizontal X direction (up and down direction in FIG. 1). The mounting plates 13 can be used to mount the cassettes C when they are loaded or unloaded from the coating and developing processing system 1.

[0017] 2, the cassette C has a box-shaped main body C1 having an opening on the positive side in the Y direction, and a lid (not shown) that covers the opening of the main body C1. A plurality of shelves C11 serving as substrate placement sections are provided along the vertical direction on both side walls of the main body C1. The cassette C accommodates wafers W placed on the shelves C11.

[0018] Returning to the explanation of FIGS. The wafer transfer section 11 is provided with a transfer device 20 that transfers the wafer W. The transfer device 20 is provided with a transfer path 21 extending in the X direction and a transfer unit 22 that is movable on the transfer path 21. The transfer unit 22 is also movable in the up-down direction and around the vertical axis (θ direction), and can transfer the wafer W between the cassette C on each mounting plate 13 and a transfer device in the third block G3 of the processing station 3, which will be described later.

[0019] The processing station 3 is provided with a plurality of blocks, for example, four blocks G1, G2, G3, and G4, each equipped with various devices. For example, a first block G1 is provided on the front side (negative side in the X direction in FIG. 1) of the processing station 3, and a second block G2 is provided on the rear side (positive side in the X direction in FIG. 1) of the processing station 3. A third block G3 is provided on the cassette station 2 side (negative side in the Y direction in FIG. 1) of the processing station 3, and a fourth block G4 is provided on the interface station 5 side (positive side in the Y direction in FIG. 1) of the processing station 3.

[0020] In the first block G1, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of liquid processing devices, such as a development processing device 30 that develops the wafer W, and a resist coating device 31 that coats the wafer W with a resist liquid to form a resist film, are arranged in this order from the bottom.

[0021] For example, three developing treatment devices 30 and three resist coating devices 31 are arranged in the horizontal direction. The number and arrangement of the developing treatment devices 30 and the resist coating devices 31 can be selected arbitrarily.

[0022] In the developing treatment device 30 and the resist coating device 31, a predetermined processing liquid is applied onto the wafer W by, for example, a spin coating method. In the spin coating, for example, the processing liquid is discharged onto the wafer W from a discharge nozzle, and the wafer W is rotated to diffuse the processing liquid onto the surface of the wafer W.

[0023] 3, in the second block G2, heat treatment devices 40 for performing heat treatment such as heating and cooling of the wafer W and peripheral exposure devices 41 for exposing the peripheral portion of the wafer W are arranged in a vertical and horizontal direction. The number and arrangement of these heat treatment devices 40 and peripheral exposure devices 41 can also be selected arbitrarily.

[0024] The third block G3 is provided with a plurality of delivery devices 50. Moreover, the fourth block G4 is provided with a plurality of delivery devices 60.

[0025] 1, a region surrounded by the first block G1 to the fourth block G4 forms a wafer transfer region D. In the wafer transfer region D, a transfer device 70 serving as a substrate transfer device for transferring a wafer W, for example, is disposed.

[0026] The transfer device 70 has a transfer arm 70a that is movable in, for example, the Y direction, the θ direction, and the vertical direction. The transfer device 70 moves the transfer arm 70a holding the wafer W within the wafer transfer region D, and can transfer the wafer W to a predetermined device within the surrounding first block G1, second block G2, third block G3, and fourth block G4. A plurality of transfer devices 70 are arranged vertically as shown in, for example, FIG. 3, and can transfer the wafer W to a predetermined device at approximately the same height in each of the blocks G1 to G4. The transfer device 70 will be described in detail later.

[0027] In addition, in the wafer transfer region D, a shuttle transfer device 71 is provided which linearly transfers the wafer W between the third block G3 and the fourth block G4.

[0028] The shuttle transfer device 71 can move the supported wafer W linearly in the Y direction and transfer the wafer W between the delivery device 50 in the third block G3 and the delivery device 60 in the fourth block G4, which are at approximately the same height.

[0029] 1, a transfer device 72 is provided on the positive side of the X direction of the third block G3. The transfer device 72 has a transfer arm 72a that is movable in, for example, the θ direction and the vertical direction. The transfer device 72 can transfer the wafer W to each delivery device 50 in the third block G3 by moving the transfer arm 70a holding the wafer W up and down.

[0030] The interface station 5 is provided with a transfer device 73 and a delivery device 74. The transfer device 73 has a transfer arm 73a that is movable, for example, in the θ direction and in the vertical direction. The transfer device 73 holds a wafer W on the transfer arm 73a and can transfer the wafer W between each delivery device 60 in the fourth block G4, the delivery device 74, and the exposure device 4.

[0031] The control unit 6 is, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU, a memory, and the like, and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores a program for controlling the operation of the drive systems of the above-mentioned various processing devices and various transport devices, and controlling the wafer processing described below. The program storage unit also stores a program for controlling the operation of the drive systems of the transport devices, and controlling the position adjustment processing described below. The above program may be recorded in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium H and installed from the storage medium H to the control unit 6. The storage medium H may be either temporary or non-transitory. A part or all of the program may be realized by dedicated hardware (circuit board).

[0032] <Wafer processing> Next, wafer processing using the coating and developing treatment system 1 will be described.

[0033] In wafer processing using the coating and developing processing system 1, first, the transfer device 20 takes out the wafer W from the cassette C on the cassette mounting table 12 and transfers it to the delivery device 50 in the processing station 3.

[0034] Next, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer device 70 to the heat treatment device 40 in the second block G2 and subjected to temperature adjustment processing. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the resist coating device 31 in the first block G1, where a resist film is formed on the wafer W. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment device 40 and subjected to a pre-baking process (PAB: Pre-Applied Bake). Note that the pre-baking process, the subsequent PEB (Post Exposure Bake) process, and the post-baking process all perform similar heat treatments. However, the heat treatment devices 40 used for each heat treatment are different from each other.

[0035] Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the edge exposure device 41 and subjected to edge exposure processing. Next, the wafer W is transferred to the exposure device 4 and subjected to exposure processing with a predetermined pattern.

[0036] Next, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment device 40 and subjected to PEB treatment. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to, for example, the development treatment device 30 and subjected to development treatment. After completion of the development treatment, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment device 40 and subjected to post-bake treatment. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the cassette C on the cassette mounting table 12 by the transfer unit 22 or the like, and a series of photolithography steps is completed.

[0037] <Resist coating device 31> Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the above-mentioned resist coating apparatus 31. Figures 5 and 6 are a vertical cross-sectional view and a horizontal cross-sectional view, respectively, showing the outline of the configuration of the resist coating apparatus 31. 5 and 6, the resist coating apparatus 31 has a processing container 100 whose interior can be sealed. A loading / unloading port (not shown) for the wafer W is formed on a side surface of the processing container 100 facing the transfer device 70, and an opening / closing shutter (not shown) is provided at the loading / unloading port.

[0038] A spin chuck 110 is provided in the center of the processing vessel 100 as a substrate mounting portion on which a wafer W is mounted. The spin chuck 110 holds and rotates the wafer W and has a horizontal upper surface on which, for example, a suction port (not shown) for sucking the wafer W is provided. The wafer W can be attracted and held on the spin chuck 110 by suction from the suction port.

[0039] The spin chuck 110 is connected to a chuck driving mechanism 111 and can be rotated at a desired speed by the chuck driving mechanism 111. The chuck driving mechanism 111 has a rotation driving source (not shown) such as a motor that generates a driving force for rotating the spin chuck 110. The chuck driving mechanism 111 is also provided with an elevation driving source such as a cylinder, and the spin chuck 110 can be moved up and down by the chuck driving mechanism 111. The chuck driving mechanism 111 is controlled by the control unit 6.

[0040] A cup 112 is provided around the spin chuck 110 to receive and collect liquid scattered or dropped from the wafer W. A discharge pipe 113 for discharging the collected liquid and an exhaust pipe 114 for evacuating the atmosphere inside the cup 112 are connected to the bottom surface of the cup 112.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 6, a rail 120 extending along the Y direction (left and right direction in Fig. 6) is formed on the negative X direction side (downward in Fig. 6) of cup 112. Rail 120 is formed, for example, from the outside of cup 112 on the negative Y direction side (left direction in Fig. 6) to the outside of cup 112 on the positive Y direction side (right direction in Fig. 6). An arm 121 is attached to rail 120.

[0042] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the arm 121 supports a coating nozzle 122 that supplies a resist liquid onto the wafer W. The arm 121 is movable on the rail 120 by a nozzle driving unit 123 shown in Fig. 6. This allows the coating nozzle 122 to move from a waiting unit 124 installed outside the cup 112 on the positive Y-direction side to above the center of the wafer W in the cup 112, and further move on the wafer W in the radial direction of the wafer W. The arm 121 is also movable up and down by the nozzle driving unit 123, and the height of the coating nozzle 122 can be adjusted. A supply unit (not shown) that supplies the resist liquid to the coating nozzle 122 is connected to the coating nozzle 122.

[0043] The configuration of the developing treatment device 30 is similar to the configuration of the above-mentioned resist coating device 31. However, the processing liquid supplied from the coating nozzle of the developing treatment device 30 and the resist coating device 31 is different.

[0044] <Resist coating process> Here, a description will be given of an example of a resist film forming process in the resist coating apparatus 31. The following process is performed under the control of the control unit 6.

[0045] First, the spin chuck 110 is raised to a transfer position for transferring the wafer W between the spin chuck 110 and the transfer device 70. Next, the transfer arm 70a of the transfer device 70 holding the wafer W is inserted into the processing vessel 100 and moved to a transfer start position above the spin chuck 110. Next, the transfer arm 70a is lowered to a transfer completion position, and the wafer W is transferred from the transfer arm 70a to the spin chuck 110. The transfer completion position is determined based on a reference height position adjusted during a fork position adjustment process described later, and is spaced downward by a predetermined distance from the reference height position. Thereafter, the transfer arm 70a is pulled out of the processing vessel 100, and the wafer W is attracted to the spin chuck 110 and the spin chuck 110 is lowered to a processing position.

[0046] Next, the coating nozzle 122 is moved to a processing position where the discharge is performed (for example, a position above the center of the wafer W). Next, the spin chuck 110 is rotated, which rotates the wafer W, and during this rotation, the resist liquid is continuously discharged from the coating nozzle 122 onto the wafer W. The discharged resist liquid is spread over the entire surface of the wafer W by the rotation of the wafer W.

[0047] Thereafter, the discharge of the resist liquid is stopped, and the coating nozzle 122 is retreated to the waiting section 124. The rotation of the spin chuck 110 is continued, that is, the rotation of the wafer W is continued, and the resist liquid on the wafer W is dried. As a result, a resist film is formed on the wafer W.

[0048] Thereafter, the wafer W on which the resist film has been formed is unloaded from the processing vessel 100 in the reverse order of the loading procedure into the processing vessel 100. This completes a series of resist film forming processes.

[0049] <Heat treatment device 40> Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the heat treatment apparatus 40. Figures 7 and 8 are a vertical cross-sectional view and a horizontal cross-sectional view, respectively, showing the outline of the configuration of the heat treatment apparatus 40.

[0050] 7, for example, heat treatment apparatus 40 includes, in a housing 130, a heating section 131 for heating a wafer W and a cooling section 132 for cooling the wafer W. A loading / unloading port (not shown) for loading and unloading the wafer W is formed on a side surface of housing 130 near cooling section 132.

[0051] The heating section 131 is provided with a lid 140 located on the upper side and capable of moving up and down, and a hot plate housing section 141 located on the lower side and forming a processing chamber S together with the lid 140 .

[0052] The lid 140 has a generally cylindrical shape with an open bottom surface, and covers the top surface, which is the surface to be processed, of the wafer W placed on a heat plate 142 described below. An exhaust section 140a is provided at the center of the top surface of the lid 140. The atmosphere in the processing chamber S is exhausted from the exhaust section 140a.

[0053] A wafer W is placed in the center of the hot plate housing part 141, and a hot plate 142 is provided for heating the placed wafer W. The hot plate 142 has a thick, approximately disk-like shape, and a heater 150 is provided inside the hot plate 142 for heating the upper surface of the hot plate 142, i.e., the mounting surface for the wafer W. As the heater 150, for example, an electric heater is used.

[0054] The hot plate accommodation unit 141 is provided with lift pins 151 penetrating the hot plate 142 in the thickness direction. The lift pins 151 are connected to a lift drive mechanism 152. The lift drive mechanism 152 is provided with a lift drive source such as a cylinder, and the lift pins 151 can be moved up and down by the lift drive mechanism 152. By moving up and down, the lift pins 151 protrude from the upper surface of the hot plate 142 to transfer the wafer W between the lift pins 151 and the cooling plate 170 described later. The lift drive mechanism 152 is controlled by the control unit 6.

[0055] The hot plate accommodating portion 141 has, for example, an annular holding member 160 that accommodates the hot plate 142 and holds the outer periphery of the hot plate 142 , and a substantially cylindrical support ring 161 that surrounds the outer periphery of the holding member 160 .

[0056] The cooling section 132 adjacent to the heating section 131 is provided with a cooling plate 170 on which, for example, a wafer W is placed and cooled. The cooling plate 170 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, for example, as shown in Fig. 8, and the end face on the heating section 131 side is curved in an arc shape. A cooling member (not shown), for example, a Peltier element, etc. is built into the cooling plate 170, and the cooling plate 170 can be adjusted to a predetermined set temperature.

[0057] 7, the cooling plate 170 is supported by a support arm 171, which is attached to a rail 172 extending in the X direction on the heating unit 131 side. The cooling plate 170 can be moved on the rail 172 by a drive mechanism 173 attached to the support arm 171. This allows the cooling plate 170 to move to above the hot plate 142 on the heating unit 131 side.

[0058] 8. The slits 174 are formed from the end surface of the cooling plate 170 on the heating unit 131 side to near the center of the cooling plate 170. The slits 174 prevent interference between the cooling plate 170, which has moved to the heating unit 131 side, and the lifting pins 151 on the heat plate 142.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 7, below the cooling plate 170 located in the cooling section 132, lift pins 175 are provided as a substrate placement section. The lift pins 175 are connected to a lift drive mechanism 176. The lift drive mechanism 176 is provided with a lift drive source such as a cylinder, and the lift pins 175 can be moved up and down by the lift drive mechanism 176. By moving up and down, the lift pins 175 rise from below the cooling plate 170, pass through the slits 174, and protrude above the cooling plate 170, and can transfer the wafer W between the lift pins 175 and the transfer device 70 that enters the inside of the housing 130 from the aforementioned loading / unloading port, for example. The lift drive mechanism 176 is controlled by the control section 6.

[0060] <Heat treatment> Here, a description will be given of an example of heat treatment in the heat treatment device 40. The following process is performed under the control of the control unit 6.

[0061] First, the lift pins 175 are raised to a transfer position for transferring the wafer W to and from the transfer device 70. Next, the transfer arm 70a of the transfer device 70 holding the wafer W is inserted into the housing 130 and moved to a transfer start position above the lift pins 175. Next, the transfer arm 70a is lowered to a transfer completion position, and the wafer W is transferred from the transfer arm 70a to the lift pins 175. Thereafter, the transfer arm 70a is extracted from inside the housing 130, and the lift pins 175 are lowered, and the wafer W is transferred from the lift pins 175 to the cooling plate 170.

[0062] Subsequently, the cooling plate 170 is moved above the heating plate 142. Next, the lifting pins 151 are raised, and the wafer W on the cooling plate 170 is transferred to the lifting pins 151. Thereafter, the cooling plate 170 is withdrawn from above the heating plate 142, and the lifting pins 151 are lowered, and the wafer W is transferred onto the heating plate 142. In addition, the lid 140 is lowered to form the processing chamber S, and the heating process of the wafer W is started.

[0063] After the wafer W has been heated for a predetermined time, the lid 140 is lifted, the lift pins 151 are lifted, and the wafer W is moved above the heating plate 142. The cooling plate 170 is moved to a position between the wafer W and the heating plate 142. The lift pins 151 are then lowered, and the wafer W is transferred to the cooling plate 170. The cooling plate 170 is then moved to the cooling section 132. The wafer W transferred to the cooling plate 170 is cooled to room temperature, for example, in the cooling section 132, and then transferred out of the housing 130 in the reverse order of the procedure of carrying it in to the housing 130. This completes a series of heat treatments.

[0064] <Transportation device 70> Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the transfer device 70. Fig. 9 is a side view of the transfer device 70. Fig. 10 is a top view of the transfer arm 70a, and a frame, which will be described later, is omitted from the illustration.

[0065] The transfer device 70 has a transfer arm 70a that transfers the wafer W along a guide 301 that extends in the Y direction, which is the length direction of the transfer region D, as shown in FIG.

[0066] The transport arm 70a has a frame 302 that moves along a guide 301, a lifting body 303 that moves up and down along the frame 302, a rotating body 304 that rotates on the lifting body 303, and a fork 305 as a substrate holding part that moves back and forth on the rotating body 304.

[0067] 10, for example, the fork 305 is formed in a substantially C-shape with a diameter slightly larger than the wafer W. On the inside of the fork 305, claws 310 are provided at multiple locations, which protrude inward and support the outer periphery of the wafer W. Each of the claws 310 is provided with a suction hole (not shown) for suction-holding the wafer W.

[0068] 9, the transport device 70 has an arm drive mechanism 320. The arm drive mechanism 320 has a drive source (not shown) such as a cylinder that generates a drive force for raising and lowering the lifting body 303. The arm drive mechanism 320 similarly has a drive source (not shown) such as a motor that generates a drive force for rotating the rotating body 304, and a drive source (not shown) such as a motor that generates a drive force for the body of the fork 305. The arm drive mechanism 320 is controlled by the control unit 6.

[0069] Furthermore, the transfer device 70 has a detection unit 330 for detecting the horizontal position of the wafer W on the forks 305. The detection unit 330 has a plurality of light receiving and emitting units 331 for detecting the edge of the wafer W on the forks 305.

[0070] Each light receiving and emitting unit 331 has a light receiving sensor 332 and a light source 333. One of the light receiving sensor 332 and the light source 333 is disposed above the fork 305 retracted toward the base end side, and the other is disposed below. In this example, the light receiving sensor 332 is disposed above.

[0071] The light receiving sensor 332 is, for example, a CCD line sensor, and is provided so as to cross the edge of the wafer W supported by the fork 305 . In each light receiving and emitting unit 331, light source 333 is provided to face the light receiving sensor. Each light source 333 is composed of LEDs arranged in a line, for example.

[0072] Each light receiving sensor 332 and light source 333 are fixed to the rotating body 304. Specifically, for example, the light receiving sensor 332 is supported by the rotating body 304 via a support member (not shown), and the light source 333 is disposed on the upper surface of the rotating body 304. Therefore, when the fork 305 advances or retreats, the light receiving sensor 332 and the light source 333 do not move. The detection result by the light receiving sensor 332 is output to the control unit 6. In addition, the light source 333 is controlled by the control unit 6.

[0073] <Position adjustment process example 1> Next, an example of the adjustment process of the reference height position of the fork 305 in this embodiment will be described taking the reference height position relative to the spin chuck 110 of the resist coating apparatus 31 as an example. The adjustment process of the reference height position is performed, for example, when starting up the coating and developing treatment system 1 or during maintenance. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the adjustment process of the reference height position of the fork 305. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the state of the transfer arm 70a and the resist coating apparatus 31 during the above adjustment process, and parts other than those related to the adjustment process are omitted. The following process is performed under the control of the control unit 6.

[0074] (Step S1) 11, first, the wafer W is supported by the fork 305. The wafer W used here is not a jig wafer provided with a sensor or the like, but is, for example, a bare wafer.

[0075] (Step S2) Next, the fork 305 supporting the wafer W is moved to above the spin chuck 110.

[0076] (Step S2a) Specifically, first, the detection unit 330 detects the horizontal position of the wafer W on the fork 305 supporting the wafer W. More specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 12(a), when the fork 305 supporting the wafer W is retracted toward the base end and positioned outside the processing vessel 100, light is emitted from the light source 333, and the horizontal position of the wafer W on the fork 305 is calculated, i.e., detected, by the control unit 6 based on the light reception result by the light receiving sensor 332.

[0077] (Step S2b) After the detection, for example, the fork 305 supporting the wafer W is moved horizontally to above the spin chuck 110 which has been raised to the transfer position. More specifically, the fork 305 supporting the wafer W is raised to the insertion height position and then moved horizontally forward, thereby inserting the wafer W into the processing vessel 100 and moving it to above the spin chuck 110, as shown in FIG. 12(b).

[0078] (Step S3) Following step S2, the fork 305 supporting the wafer W is lowered to the currently set reference height position. Specifically, the forks 305 supporting the wafer W are lowered to the currently set reference height without adsorbing the wafer W, as shown in FIG. 12(c). As described later, in the position adjustment process according to this embodiment, steps S2 to S5 including step S3 can be repeatedly performed. In the first step S3 when starting up the coating and developing process system 1, the fork 305 supporting the wafer W is lowered to an initially set reference height position. If the currently set reference height is sufficiently low, the wafer W is transferred from the forks 305 to the spin chuck 110 and placed thereon after completion of this step S3. However, if the reference height is not sufficiently low, the wafer W remains supported by the forks 305. The forks 305 are lowered in step S3 at a speed slower than the speed at which the forks 305 are lowered during the resist film forming process. Moreover, the initially set reference height position is set to, for example, a position higher than the design value of the reference height position.

[0079] (Step S4) Following step S3, the fork 305 is moved to the detector 330, and the wafer W on the fork 305 is detected by the detector 330.

[0080] (Step S4a) Specifically, first, the fork 305 is moved forward or backward horizontally at the currently set reference height position by a predetermined distance L (for example, 1 mm) as shown in FIG. 12(d). Here, it is assumed that the fork 305 is advanced forward. The predetermined distance L is set to a small value so that the wafer W is appropriately transferred from the spin chuck 110 to the fork 305 when the fork 305 that has not supported the wafer W is raised in step S4b described later.

[0081] (Step S4b) Next, the fork 305 is raised above the spin chuck 110 . For example, the forks 305 are raised, for example, to the insertion height position previously described. As a result, if the reference height position currently being set in step S3 is sufficiently low and the wafer W has been placed on the spin chuck 110 from the forks 305, the wafer W is returned to the forks 305 and supported again. When the wafer W is returned in this manner, the forks 305 are horizontally moved in step S4a, and therefore the horizontal position of the wafer W on the forks 305 changes before and after the wafer W is returned to the forks 305, i.e., before step S4 and after step S4b. On the other hand, if the reference height currently being set in step S3 is high and the wafer W has not been transferred from the fork 305 to the spin chuck 110, the wafer W continues to be supported by the fork 305 in step S4, and the horizontal position of the wafer W on the fork 305 does not change between before step S4 and after step S4b.

[0082] (Step S4c) Next, the horizontal position of the wafer W on the fork 305 supporting the wafer W is detected by the detection unit 330 . More specifically, for example, the fork 305 supporting the wafer W is retracted toward the base end and moved outside the processing vessel 100, and then light is emitted from the light source 333, and the horizontal position of the wafer W on the fork 305 is calculated, i.e., detected, by the control unit 6 based on the light reception result by the light receiving sensor 332.

[0083] (Step S5) Following step S4, the controller 6 determines whether or not the wafer W has been placed on the spin chuck 110 from the fork 305 in step S3, based on the detection result in step S4.

[0084] Specifically, based on the detection results of the horizontal position of the wafer W on the fork 305 in step S2a and the detection results in step S4c, the control unit 6 determines whether or not the wafer W has been placed from the fork 305 onto the spin chuck 110 in step S3. More specifically, for example, the determination is made based on whether or not the difference (AB) between the detection result (A mm) in step S2a and the detection result (B mm) in step S4c of the horizontal position of the wafer W on the fork 305 is less than a threshold value (e.g., 0.1 mm when L=1 mm in S4b). If it is less than the threshold value, it is determined in step S3 that the wafer W is not placed on the spin chuck 110, and if it is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it is determined that the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 110.

[0085] (Step S6) Then, if it is determined in step S3 that the wafer W is not placed on the spin chuck 110 (step S5, No), the control unit 6 corrects the reference height position downward by a predetermined distance H (for example, 2 mm). After the above-mentioned correction, steps S2 to S5 are carried out again.

[0086] If it is determined again in step S5 that the wafer W is not placed on the spin chuck 110 in step S3, the control unit 6 further corrects the reference height position downward by a predetermined distance H (for example, 2 mm). That is, steps S2 to S5 are repeated until it is determined in step S5 that the wafer W has been placed on the spin chuck 110 in step S3, and the reference height position is corrected downward by the predetermined distance H each time steps S2 to S5 are repeated.

[0087] When steps S2 to S5 are repeatedly performed, step S2a may be omitted from the second time onwards, and step S5 may be performed as follows: That is, it may be determined whether or not the wafer W has been placed on the spin chuck 110 from the fork 305 in step S3 based on the detection result B by the detection unit 330 in the immediately preceding step S4 and the detection result B' by the detection unit 330 in the previous step S4. Specifically, in the nth (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) step S5, it may be determined whether or not the wafer W was placed in step S3 based on whether or not the difference between the detection result B by the detection unit 330 in the nth step S4 and the detection result B' by the detection unit 330 in the n-1th step S4 is less than a threshold value.

[0088] In step S5, if it is determined in step S3 that the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 110 (YES), the currently set reference height position is set as the actual reference height position, or a precise adjustment process described later is performed. Note that, hereinafter, the adjustment process of the reference height position described with reference to FIG. 11 is referred to as a coarse adjustment process.

[0089] <Example of strict adjustment processing> 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the strict adjustment process. This process is also performed under the control of the control unit 6.

[0090] (Step S11) In the strict adjustment process, first, the control unit 6 corrects the currently set reference height position upward by a distance shorter than the above-mentioned predetermined distance H. The distance shorter than the predetermined distance H is, for example, 1 / 2 of the predetermined distance H, that is, H / 2.

[0091] (Step S12) Then, steps S2 to S5 are performed again in order. At this time, when the fork 305 is moved horizontally at the reference height position in step S4a, it may be moved to the opposite side (opposite side) from the rough adjustment process. This makes it possible to prevent accumulation of horizontal deviation of the wafer W on the fork 305, and to prevent problems caused by the accumulation of deviation (for example, the wafer W falling off the fork 305, etc.).

[0092] (Step S13) If it is determined in step S5 of steps S2 to S5, which are performed again in sequence, that the wafer W has been placed on the spin chuck 110 in step S3, the control unit 6 corrects the currently set reference height position upward by an even shorter distance than the above-mentioned short distance. The shorter distance is, for example, 1 / 4 of the predetermined distance H, that is, H / 4.

[0093] (Step S14) Furthermore, in step S5 of steps S2 to S5 which are performed again in sequence, if it is not determined in step S3 that the wafer W has been placed on the spin chuck 110, the control unit 6 corrects the currently set reference height position downward by an even shorter distance than the above-mentioned short distance.

[0094] (Step S15) After step S13 or step S14, steps S2 to S5 are performed again in sequence. Thereafter, the currently set reference height position is corrected based on the determination results in the most recent step S5, such as in step S13 and step S14, and steps S2 to S5 are repeated, such as in step S15, until a predetermined condition is satisfied. At that time, the correction amount of the reference height position is gradually reduced.

[0095] In other words, after it is determined in step S5 that the workpiece is placed on the spin chuck 110 from the fork 305 in step S3, When it is determined in step S3 that the workpiece has been placed on the spin chuck 110 from the fork 305 in the last step S5, the currently set reference height position is corrected upward, and steps S2 to S5 are performed again in order. When it is determined in step S3 that the workpiece is not placed on the spin chuck 110 by the fork 305 in the last performed step S5, the currently set reference height position is corrected downward, and steps S2 to S5 are performed again in order. The amount of correction of the reference height position is gradually reduced and is repeated until a predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0096] For example, the amount of modification is halved each time a modification is made. Furthermore, the above-mentioned specified condition is, for example, a condition that the accuracy of the reference height position is within a desired range, that is, a condition that the gradual correction of the currently set reference height position and the repetition of steps S2 to S5 are repeated a predetermined number of times.

[0097] When step S4a is performed again in step S15, the fork 305 may be moved horizontally in the opposite direction to that in the previous step S4a. As described above, this is to prevent accumulation of horizontal deviation of the wafer W on the fork 305. For example, in step S4a after the currently set reference height position is corrected downward, the fork 305 may be moved forward horizontally, and in step S4a after the currently set reference height position is corrected downward, the fork 305 may be moved backward horizontally.

[0098] <Example 2 of rough adjustment processing> 14 is a flowchart showing another example of the process of roughly adjusting the reference height position of the fork 305. This process is also performed under the control of the control unit 6.

[0099] (Step S1) As shown in the figure, in this example, as in the above-mentioned example 1 of the coarse adjustment process, first, the wafer W is supported by the fork 305.

[0100] (Step S2´) Next, the fork 305 supporting the wafer W is moved to above the spin chuck 110.

[0101] (Step S2b) However, in this example, unlike the above-described example 1 of the coarse adjustment process, step S2a is omitted and step S2b is performed. That is, for example, the fork 305 supporting the wafer W is moved horizontally to above the spin chuck 110 that has been raised to the delivery position.

[0102] (Step S3´) Next, similarly to step S3 in the above-described example 1 of the coarse adjustment process, the fork 305 supporting the wafer W is lowered to the currently set reference height position. If the currently set reference height is sufficiently low, the wafer W is transferred from the forks 305 to the spin chuck 110 and placed thereon after completion of this step S3. However, if the reference height is not sufficiently low, the wafer W remains supported by the forks 305.

[0103] (Step S4´) Next, the fork 305 is moved to the detector 330 , and the wafer W on the fork 305 is detected by the detector 330 .

[0104] (Step S4c´) Specifically, unlike the above Example 1, steps S4a and S4b are not performed and are omitted. First, the fork 305 is horizontally moved backward at the currently set reference height position, and then moved outside the processing vessel 100. Then, light is emitted from the light source 333, and the presence or absence of the wafer W on the fork 305 is determined, i.e., detected, by the control unit 6 based on the light reception result by the light receiving sensor 332.

[0105] (Step S5´) Following step S4', the controller 6 determines, ie, detects, based on the detection result in step S4', whether or not the wafer W has been placed from the fork 305 onto the spin chuck 110 in step S3'.

[0106] Specifically, if it is determined in step S4c that a wafer W is present on the fork 305, it is determined in step S3' that the wafer W is not placed on the spin chuck 110, and if it is determined in step S4c that a wafer W is not present, it is determined in step S3' that the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 110.

[0107] (Step S6) Then, if it is determined in step S3' that the wafer W is not placed on the spin chuck 110 (No in step S5'), the control unit 6 corrects the reference height position downward by a predetermined distance H (for example, 2 mm). After the above-mentioned correction, steps S2' to S5' are carried out again.

[0108] In step S5', if it is determined in step S3' that the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 110 (YES), the currently set reference height position is set as the actual reference height position, or a precise adjustment process is performed.

[0109] In the case where the precise adjustment process involves re-execution of steps S2' to S5' as in the case of the coarse adjustment process example 2, if it is determined in step S4c that the wafer W is not on the fork 305 and it is determined in step S5' that the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 110 in step S3', steps S2' to S5' are performed again as follows. That is, after the wafer W on the spin chuck 110 is retrieved by the fork 305, steps S2' to S5' are performed again. In the precise adjustment process of the above example, such an operation of retrieving the wafer W by the fork 305 is not necessary, and therefore the reference height position can be adjusted at a higher speed.

[0110] As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 6 (a) The transfer device 70 is controlled to horizontally move the fork 305 supporting the wafer W to above the spin chuck 110, (b) Controlling the transfer device 70 to lower the fork 305 supporting the wafer W to the currently set reference height position, (c) controlling the transfer device 70 and the detector 330 to move the fork 305 to the detector 330 and detect the wafer on the fork 305 with the detector 300; (d) determining whether the substrate is placed on the fork 305 or the spin chuck 110 in (b) based on the detection result in (c) above; Until it is determined in step (b) that the sample has been placed on the spin chuck 110 by the fork 305, steps (a) to (d) are repeated in order, and the currently set reference height position is corrected downward by a predetermined distance each time the step is repeated. As described above, in this embodiment, the detection result of the suction force used by the forks 305 to hold the wafer W is not used to set the reference height position of the forks 305. Therefore, the reference height position of the forks 305 can be appropriately adjusted without being affected by the decrease in the suction force.

[0111] As described above, since the reference height position of the fork 305 can be appropriately adjusted, the lowering speed of the fork 305 can be reduced only at the moment when the wafer W is transferred from the fork 305 to the spin chuck 110, rather than being reduced uniformly. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the spin chuck 110 from applying an impact to the wafer W without reducing the throughput.

[0112] In addition, the detector 330 used in this embodiment for setting the reference height position of the fork 305 detects the horizontal position of the wafer W on the fork 305, and is also used for setting the horizontal reference position of the fork 305 with respect to the spin chuck 110. That is, in this embodiment, a common detector 330 is used for setting the reference height position of the fork 305 and for setting the horizontal reference position of the fork 305, and therefore it is possible to prevent an increase in costs compared to the case where separate units are used for both settings.

[0113] In the above-described example 1 of the rough adjustment process and the example of the precise adjustment process, there is no large horizontal movement of the fork 305 when the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 110. Therefore, when the fork 305 moves horizontally, it is possible to prevent the fork 305 from coming into contact with the wafer W placed on the spin chuck 110.

[0114] In the above, the reference height position of the fork 305 of the transport device 70 is adjusted relative to the spin chuck 110. However, the technology according to the present disclosure can also be applied to a case where the reference height position of the fork 305 of the transport device 70 is adjusted relative to the lift pins 175 of the heat treatment device 40, or a case where the reference height position of the transport arm of the transport device 20 is adjusted relative to the shelf C11 of the cassette C on the mounting plate 13, etc.

[0115] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 1 Coating and developing processing system 6. Control Unit 20. Conveyor 70 Transport Equipment 72 Transport Equipment 73 Transport Equipment 110 Spin Chuck 175 Lifting pin 305 Fork 330 Detection Unit C11 Shelf H Predetermined distance W wafer

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a position of a substrate holder of a substrate transport device, comprising: (A) horizontally moving the substrate holder supporting the substrate to above a substrate placement part on which the substrate is to be placed; (B) lowering the substrate holder supporting the substrate to a currently set reference height position; (C) moving the substrate holding part to a detection part for detecting a horizontal position of the substrate on the substrate holding part, and detecting the substrate on the substrate holding part with the detection part; (D) determining whether or not the substrate has been placed on the substrate placement part from the substrate holding part in the (B) step based on a detection result in the (C) step, A method for adjusting the position of a substrate holding part, comprising repeating steps (A) to (D) in order until it is determined in step (D) that the substrate has been placed on the substrate placement part from the substrate holding part in step (B), and correcting the reference height position downward by a predetermined distance each time steps (A) to (D) are performed.

2. 2. The position adjustment method of claim 1, wherein, when it is determined for the first time in step (D) that the substrate has been placed on the substrate placement part from the substrate holding part in step (B), the reference height position is corrected upward by a distance shorter than the predetermined distance, and steps (A) to (D) are then performed again in order.

3. After it is determined for the first time in step (B) that the substrate has been placed on the substrate placement part from the substrate holder, when it is determined in the last step (D) that the substrate has been placed on the substrate placement part from the substrate holding part in the step (B), the reference height position is corrected upward, and the steps (A) to (D) are performed again in order; When it is determined in the last step (D) that the substrate has not been placed on the substrate placement part from the substrate holder in the step (B), the reference height position is corrected downward, and the steps (A) to (D) are performed again in order.

3. The method for adjusting a position of a substrate holder according to claim 2, further comprising the step of repeating the correction amount of the reference height position while gradually decreasing the amount of correction until a predetermined condition is satisfied.

4. The step (A) includes, at least in a first step, detecting, by the detection unit, a horizontal position of the substrate on the substrate holder supporting the substrate; The step (C) is moving the substrate holder forward or backward horizontally by another predetermined distance at the currently set reference height position; subsequently, raising the substrate holder to above the substrate placement part, Then, the horizontal position of the substrate on the substrate holder is detected by the detector. The position adjustment method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the (D) step, at least for the first time, it is determined whether or not the substrate has been placed on the substrate placement section from the substrate holding section in the (B) step, based on the detection result by the detection section in the immediately preceding (A) step and the detection result by the detection section in the immediately preceding (C) step.

5. 5. The position adjustment method of claim 4, wherein in the (D) step, from the second time onwards, it is determined whether or not the substrate has been placed on the substrate placement portion from the substrate holding portion in the (B) step based on the detection result by the detection unit in the immediately preceding (C) step and the detection result by the detection unit in the (C) step one step before.

6. 6. The position adjustment method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein when steps (A) to (D) are performed multiple times in sequence, the step (C) includes a step in which the horizontal movement direction at the currently set reference height position is opposite to that of the previous step.

7. The position adjustment method according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is provided in the substrate transport device.

8. A readable computer storage medium storing a program that runs on a computer of a control unit that controls a substrate processing system so as to cause the substrate processing system to execute the position adjusting method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A substrate processing system for processing a substrate, comprising: a substrate transport device having a substrate holding unit configured to be able to hold a substrate, the substrate being transported by the movement of the substrate holding unit; a substrate placement section on which a substrate is placed; a detection unit for detecting a horizontal position of the substrate on the substrate holder; A control unit, The control unit is (a) controlling the substrate transport device to horizontally move the substrate holder supporting the substrate to above the substrate placement part; (b) controlling the substrate transport device to lower the substrate holder supporting the substrate to a currently set reference height position; (c) controlling the substrate transport device and the detection unit to move the substrate holding unit to the detection unit and detect the substrate on the substrate holding unit with the detection unit; (d) determining whether or not the substrate has been placed on the substrate placement part from the substrate holder in (b) based on a detection result in (c); the substrate processing system repeats steps (a) to (d) in order until it is determined in step (b) that the substrate has been placed on the substrate placement part from the substrate placement part, and corrects the reference height position downward by a predetermined distance each time the steps are repeated.

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