MEASUREMENT TOOL, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE MANUFACTURING METHOD

Abstract

To provide a measurement tool, a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate manufacturing method, capable of facilitating measurement of a load of a holding member for holding a substrate.SOLUTION: A measurement tool is structured so that a measurement unit 12 has a plurality of holding members 32 provided at a table 20a of a substrate processing apparatus processing a rotating substrate, which includes a base substrate 11 having a plurality of contact parts 111 coming into contact at a position in contact with the substrate, a contact member 121 movably supported against the base substrate 11 and connecting / disconnecting with / from the holding member 32, and a load sensor 122 for measuring a load applied to the contact member 121.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a measurement tool, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate manufacturing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In a process of forming a semiconductor device on a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, the substrate is held in a dedicated processing chamber and various processes are performed using a special atmosphere and processing liquid. In such processes, if the processing liquid itself, substances such as residues generated during the process, and contact marks from holding the substrate remain on the surface of the substrate, this leads to a decrease in the quality of the substrate. In addition, it is not preferable for the processing liquid, substances, contact marks, etc. to remain not only on the surface of the substrate but also on the back surface of the substrate, as this will affect the surface of the substrate. For this reason, the processing is performed while the outer periphery of the substrate is held by multiple holding members, rather than on the front or back surface. As such holding members, for example, multiple chuck pins that move in a direction toward and away from the outer periphery of the substrate are used.

[0003] In order to improve the uniformity of processing, it is common to process the substrate while rotating it. For example, at the end of the cleaning process, the cleaning solution is shaken off and the substrate is dried by rotating at high speed. For this reason, a rotation mechanism is required to rotate the substrate while holding the outer edge with chuck pins. In this case, if the load (gripping force) of the multiple chuck pins is not uniform, the substrate may shift in position or come off the chuck when the centrifugal force caused by the rotation acts on the substrate. In addition, if there is a difference in the load of the multiple chuck pins, the centrifugal force of the substrate increases in proportion to the square of the distance it is displaced, so high speed rotation increases the possibility of increased vibration and come off the chuck.

[0004] For this reason, when holding and rotating the outer edge of a substrate, it is necessary that the load (gripping force) applied to the periphery of the substrate from the multiple chuck pins is uniform. Furthermore, in order to hold the substrate so that its center coincides with the rotation center of the rotation mechanism, it is necessary that the force acting on the substrate at the final gripping position is uniform. Therefore, a method for accurately measuring the value of the chuck pin load is required. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4327304 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The quality of gripping by multiple chuck pins was judged by visually checking the gap between the outer edge of the substrate and each chuck pin while the multiple chuck pins were gripping the substrate, and by rotating the substrate while gripping it to confirm that it did not slip. However, the method of checking by visual inspection or slippage does not accurately indicate the degree of misalignment, and does not measure the load of each chuck pin, so it is insufficient for use in adjusting the mechanism.

[0007] The present invention has been proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a measurement tool, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate manufacturing method that can easily measure the load (gripping force) of a holding member that holds a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The measurement tool of the present invention has a base having contact portions that contact a plurality of holding members provided in a substrate processing apparatus that processes a rotating substrate at positions where the holding members contact the substrate, a measurement unit including a contact member that is movably supported relative to the base and moves toward and away from the holding members, and a load sensor that measures the load (gripping force) applied to the contact member.

[0009] The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a rotating substrate, and includes a rotating body having a plurality of holding members and a table for rotating the substrate held by the holding members, a supply unit for processing the substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate rotated by the rotating body, a transport robot for transporting the substrate to and from the table, and a control device for controlling the rotating body, the supply unit and the transport robot, wherein the control device causes the transport robot to transport a measuring tool described in any one of claims 1 to 9 to the table, and the measuring tool transported by the transport robot and held by the holding members measures the load from the holding members.

[0010] The substrate manufacturing method of the present invention produces a processed substrate by measuring the load from a holding member using the measuring tool, adjusting the position of the holding member based on the measurement results by the measuring tool, and supplying a processing liquid to the substrate by a supply unit while rotating a rotating body having the holding member that holds the substrate. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The present invention can provide a measurement tool, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate manufacturing method that can easily measure the load of a holding member that holds a substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a configuration of a measuring tool according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a measurement unit of the measurement tool of FIG. 1; [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus in which the measuring tool of FIG. 1 is used. [Figure 4] 4 is a plan view showing the operation of a holding unit of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 3 is a perspective view of the measurement unit of FIG. 2 with a portion thereof not shown. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a mode of load detection by a load sensor; [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment in which three measurement units are arranged. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment in which eight measurement units are arranged. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a side view showing a modified example of the support portion. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a manner of load detection by a load sensor that detects tension. [Figure 11] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another mode of load detection by the load sensor that detects tension. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing another example of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [overview] 1 and 2 is a tool that measures the load (gripping force) applied to a substrate W by a holding member 32 of a substrate processing apparatus 1 (see FIG. 3). The substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that processes the substrate W while holding and rotating the substrate W by the holding member 32. The substrate W to be processed is, for example, a circular semiconductor wafer made of silicon. The processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1 is, for example, a wet processing in which a processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W while rotating it. The wet processing in this embodiment includes an etching process using a chemical liquid and a cleaning process using a cleaning liquid.

[0014] The measurement tool 10 has a base 11 and a measurement unit 12. The base 11 has contact portions 111 that come into contact with a plurality of holding members 32 provided on a table 20a of a substrate processing apparatus 1 that processes a rotating substrate W at positions where the holding members 32 come into contact with the substrate W. The table 20a is configured as a rotating body 20. The positions where the holding members 32 come into contact with the substrate W when holding the substrate W, and since these positions change depending on the position of the substrate W that has been carried in and the state of the substrate W, such as warping and distortion, they are not necessarily fixed positions and have a certain range.

[0015] The base 11 in this embodiment is a circular plate having the same diameter as the substrate W that is actually to be processed, and simulates the shape of the substrate W. The contact portion 111 is formed by the outer periphery of the base 11. Furthermore, two measurement units 12 in this embodiment are disposed at positions facing each other across the center of the base 11. That is, a pair of measurement units 12 are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center of rotation of the substrate W.

[0016] The measurement unit 12 has a contact member 121 and a load sensor 122. The contact member 121 is movably supported with respect to the base 11, and moves toward and away from the holding member 32. At the location where the measurement unit 12 is provided, the contact member 121 comes into contact with the holding member 32 in place of the contact portion 111 of the base 11. The load sensor 122 measures the load applied to the contact member 121.

[0017] 2, the measuring tool 10 is provided with a support portion 13 that supports the base 11 on the substrate processing apparatus 1 so as to reduce the difference between the weight applied to the holding member 32 due to contact with the substrate W and the weight applied to the holding member 32 due to contact with the contact member 121. In this embodiment, the weight of the measuring tool 10 is set to be equal to the weight of the substrate W by the support portion 13.

[0018] [Substrate processing equipment] Next, the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described. In the following description, the direction against gravity is referred to as up, and the direction according to gravity is referred to as down, but this does not limit the installation direction of the substrate processing apparatus 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that processes the front surface of the substrate W by supplying a processing liquid from a supply unit 40 to one surface (hereinafter referred to as the front surface) of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W together with a rotor 20 about a rotation axis A.

[0019] (rotating body) The rotating body 20 has a flat table 20a that faces, with a gap therebetween, the substrate W held by the holding member 32, and is provided rotatably together with the holding member 32. The rotating body 20 has a cylindrical shape with one end closed by the table 20a. The table 20a has a circular surface with a larger diameter than the substrate W. A circular through-hole 20b is formed in the center of the table 20a (see FIG. 4).

[0020] A drain port 20c, which is a through hole for discharging the treatment liquid, is formed on a side surface of the rotor 20. The rotor 20 is provided on a fixed base 21 fixed to an installation surface (not shown) or a stand installed on the installation surface, so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis A by a rotation mechanism 23 having a motor 22.

[0021] (holding part) The holding parts 30 are parallel to the table 20a and spaced apart from each other, and hold the substrate W. Six holding parts 30 are provided at equal intervals along the periphery of the table 20a. Each holding part 30 has a rotating member 31, a holding member 32, and a driving mechanism 33. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotating members 31 are cylindrical members that are arranged at equal intervals along the periphery of the substrate W. The rotating members 31 are provided rotatably about an axis that is parallel to the rotation axis A of the rotating body 20. The top surface of the rotating member 31 is exposed from the table 20a.

[0022] The holding members 32 are provided at positions eccentric to the center of rotation of the top surface of each rotating member 31 so as to protrude upward. Six holding members 32 are provided, the same number as the number of rotating members 31. Each holding member 32 has an inclined surface 32a and a chuck pin 32b. The inclined surface 32a is a surface that is inclined so as to become higher from the center side of the rotating body 20 toward the outer periphery, and comes into contact with the edge of the substrate W as the rotating members 31 rotate.

[0023] The chuck pin 32b is the top of the holding member 32 and is a cylindrical protrusion provided on the upper end of the inclined surface 32a. The side surface of the chuck pin 32b has a recess into which the edge of the substrate W fits. In accordance with the rotation of the rotating member 31, the holding member 32 moves between a holding position (see FIG. 4(A)) where the holding member 32 contacts the edge of the substrate W to hold the substrate W, and a release position (see FIG. 4(B)) where the holding member 32 moves away from the edge of the substrate W to release the substrate W. In this embodiment, the six chuck pins 32b finally contact the edge of the substrate W to grip the substrate W.

[0024] The drive mechanism 33 moves the holding member 32 between the holding position and the release position by rotating the rotating member 31. The drive mechanism 33 has a drive shaft 331, a small gear 332, and a large gear 333. The drive shaft 331 is a cylindrical member provided on the opposite side to the top surface of the rotating member 31, coaxially with the axis of rotation of the rotating member 31.

[0025] Small gear 332 is a sector gear provided at the end of drive shaft 331 opposite to rotating member 31. Large gear 333 is a gear in which gear grooves are intermittently formed corresponding to small gear 332. Large gear 333 is provided coaxially with rotor 20 so as to be freely rotatable by rotation mechanism 23 that rotates rotor 20. Large gear 333 has six protrusions formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction at intervals corresponding to small gear 332, and a gear groove that meshes with small gear 332 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tip of each protrusion.

[0026] The large gear 333 is biased in the rotational direction (counterclockwise direction) indicated by the arrow α in Fig. 4(A) by a biasing member such as a spring (not shown). As a result, the small gear 332 is biased in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow β1, so that the rotating member 31 is linked to the rotation of the small gear 332, and the chuck pin 32b moves toward the center of the rotating body 20 and is maintained in a holding position in contact with the substrate W. During substrate processing, the rotating member 31, the drive shaft 331, the chuck pin 32b, the small gear 332, and the large gear 333 rotate together with the rotating body 20 while maintaining this holding position.

[0027] Furthermore, the large gear 333 is prevented from rotating by a stopper mechanism (not shown). When the rotating body 20 is rotated in the direction of the arrow γ as shown in Fig. 4(B) with the rotation of the large gear 333 prevented, the small gear 332 meshing with the large gear 333 whose rotation is prevented rotates in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the arrow β2. This causes the rotating member 31 to rotate, so that the chuck pin 32b moves in a direction away from the edge of the substrate W and reaches the open position.

[0028] (Supply Department) 3, the supply unit 40 supplies the treatment liquid to a surface of the substrate W, that is, to a surface of the substrate W held by the holder 30 opposite to the table 20a. The supply unit 40 includes a treatment liquid supply mechanism 41, a treatment liquid holder 42, a lifting mechanism 43, and a heating unit 44.

[0029] The processing liquid supply mechanism 41 is a mechanism for supplying a plurality of types of processing liquid. In this embodiment, for example, pure water (H2O), an aqueous solution containing phosphoric acid (H3PO4) (hereinafter referred to as phosphoric acid solution), and an aqueous solution containing hydrogen fluoride (HF) (hereinafter referred to as hydrofluoric acid solution) are supplied as processing liquids. The processing liquid supply mechanism 41 has processing liquid tanks 41a for storing the respective processing liquids.

[0030] Individual feed pipes 41b are connected in parallel from each processing liquid tank 41a to a processing liquid supply pipe 41c. The tip of the processing liquid supply pipe 41c faces the substrate W held in the holder 30. Thus, the processing liquid from each processing liquid tank 41a is supplied to the surface of the substrate W via the individual feed pipe 41b and the processing liquid supply pipe 41c. Each individual feed pipe 41b is provided with a flow rate adjustment valve 41d and a flow meter 41e.

[0031] The processing liquid holding unit 42 is circular and has a diameter larger than that of the substrate W, and has a tray shape with a wall formed on its periphery that rises on the side opposite the rotor 20. The outer bottom surface of the processing liquid holding unit 42 faces the substrate W. The processing liquid holding unit 42 has a discharge port 42a through which the tip of the processing liquid supply pipe 41c is inserted and which is exposed on the substrate W side.

[0032] The lifting mechanism 43 is a mechanism that moves the processing liquid holding part 42 in a direction toward and away from the substrate W. As the lifting mechanism 43, various mechanisms that move the processing liquid holding part 42 in a direction parallel to the axis of the rotor 20, such as a cylinder or a ball screw mechanism, can be applied, but details will be omitted.

[0033] The heating unit 44 heats the processing liquid supplied by the supply unit 40. The heating unit 44 has a heater 441 provided on a surface of the processing liquid holding unit 42 opposite to the surface facing the substrate W. The heater 441 has a circular sheet shape. The heater 441 has a through hole 441a formed therein, through which the processing liquid supply pipe 41c is inserted.

[0034] The control device 60 controls each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control device 60 has a processor that executes a program to realize various functions of the substrate processing apparatus 1, a memory that stores various information such as the program and operating conditions, and a drive circuit that drives each element. In other words, the control device 60 controls the rotation mechanism 23, the processing liquid supply mechanism 41, the lifting mechanism 43, the heating unit 44, etc. The control device 60 also has an input device for inputting information and a display device for displaying information.

[0035] [Measurement tool] The configuration of the measurement tool 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5 in addition to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Note that FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 are views showing the base 11 through which the base 11 is seen. Also, FIG. 5 is a view in which the illustration of the support portion 13 is omitted. As described above, the base 11 having a shape simulating the substrate W is preferably formed of the same material as the substrate W. For example, it may be silicon, which is the same as that of a semiconductor wafer. This makes the frictional force when the contact portion 111 of the base 11, i.e., the outer periphery and the holding member 32 come into contact with each other and move, the same as that of the substrate W.

[0036] Furthermore, the contact portion 111 of the base 11 has the outer peripheral shape of the substrate W, and is therefore similar to the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W. For example, the outer peripheral edge of the base 11 is beveled so as to have the outer peripheral shape of a semiconductor wafer. In other words, the corners are chamfered by grinding. As a result, the area and angle of the surface with which the contact portion 111 comes into contact are similar to those of the substrate W. Such a base 11 may be created by processing an actual substrate W. For example, it may be formed by processing a semiconductor wafer made of silicon.

[0037] A cutout 112 is formed in a portion of the base 11 where the measurement unit 12 is provided. The cutout 112 has a pair of linear inner edges parallel to the radial direction of the base 11. As shown in FIG. 5, a slide member 123 is inserted into the cutout 112. The slide member 123 is a rectangular parallelepiped block, and linear grooves 123a are formed on a pair of opposing side surfaces thereof. By inserting the pair of inner edges of the cutout 112 into these grooves 123a, the slide member 123 is supported on the base 11 so as to be slidable in the radial direction.

[0038] A contact member 121 is fixed to a surface of the slide member 123 facing the holding member 32. The contact member 121 is a rectangular plate material. An edge 121a of the contact member 121 facing the holding member 32 has a partially circular shape constituting a part of a circle forming the outer periphery of the base 11, and is located on a curved line continuing with the outer periphery of the base 11. In other words, the edge 121a of the contact member 121 is at the same height as the edge of the base 11. In addition, the contact member 121 is formed of the same material as the base 11, and the edge 121a of the contact member 121 preferably has a common shape with the outer periphery of the base 11, that is, the contact portion 111. For example, the contact member 121 is made of silicon and has the outer periphery shape of a semiconductor wafer.

[0039] The load sensor 122 is, for example, a one-axis load cell that measures a pressing force against the detection axis 122a. However, the load sensor 122 is not limited to a load cell. For example, a force gauge may be used. The load sensor 122 is supported on the base 11 via a fixing plate 124. That is, the fixing plate 124 is fixed to the base 11 from the front side of the base 11 by a screw 124a while being in contact with the back side of the base 11. The notch 112 of the base 11 has an extension portion that is extended toward the center side of the base 11 so as to have a shape surrounding the load sensor 122. The load sensor 122 is inserted from the back side of the base 11 so that the load sensor 122 protrudes upward from the extension portion of the notch 112, and is fixed to the fixing plate 124 from the back side by a screw 124b. Due to this fixation, the detection axis 122a of the load sensor 122 is at the same height as the contact member 121. The contact member 121 is formed so as to penetrate the slide member 123, and is fixed to the detection shaft 122a in the radial direction of the base 11 by a screw 121b and a nut 121c.

[0040] With this configuration, the slide member 123 can only move in the load detection direction by the detection axis 122a, and the detection axis 122a can detect a load in a direction perpendicular to the tangent of the edge 121a of the contact member 121. Therefore, by setting the base 11 on the table 20a of the rotor 20 so that the contact position of the holding member 32 with the contact member 121 is on an extension of the detection axis 122a, it is possible to measure the load in the direction in which the holding member 32 contacts the substrate W, i.e., in the direction in which the holding member 32 contacts the contact member 121.

[0041] The support portion 13 has a mounting plate 131, a shaft 132, and an elastic member 133. The mounting plate 131 is a rectangular plate material, and is fixed to the upper surface of the slide member 123 in a direction parallel to the tangent of the edge portion 121a of the contact member 121 by a screw 131a and a nut 131b. The shaft 132 is a pair of rod-shaped members in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the base body 11. The pair of shafts 132 are provided at positions facing each other across the slide member 123 so as to penetrate the base body 11. The upper end of the shaft 132 penetrates the mounting plate 131. The diameter of the through hole through which the shaft 132 penetrates the base body 11 and the mounting plate 131 is larger than the diameter of the shaft 132, and the base body 11 and the mounting plate 131 can move up and down. The gap between the through hole and the shaft 132 allows the slide member 123 to move when a load is applied from the contact member 121. The lower end of the shaft 132 has an expanded diameter, forming a mounting portion 132a that is placed on the table 20a.

[0042] The elastic member 133 is a compression spring disposed between the back surface of the base 11 of the shaft 132 and the mounting portion 132a. The elastic member 133 is selected to have an elastic force that elastically supports the base 11 so that the weight applied from the contact member 121 to the holding member 32 is equivalent to that of the substrate W. This makes it possible to approximate the frictional force generated when the contact member 121 and the inclined surface 32a of the holding member 32 come into contact with each other and move to that of the substrate W.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the measurement units 12 are arranged at two positions on the base 11 in a direction in which the edge 121a of each contact member 121 faces the holding member 32. The load sensor 122 is connected to a display device (not shown) via a connection cord 122b. The display device displays the load of each holding member 32 measured by the load sensor 122 and the change in the load over time in numerical values, graphs, etc. The worker can make adjustments while looking at the display screen of the display device. The worker holds the measurement tool 10 and the display device directly, and places the measurement tool 10 on the table 20a of the measurement target to perform measurement. The display device may be placed near the table 20a, or may be carried or worn by the worker himself.

[0044] [measurement] The load measuring operation by the measuring tool 10 of this embodiment as described above will be described with reference to the explanatory diagram of FIG. 6 in addition to the above-mentioned FIGS. 1 to 5. This measuring operation is performed, for example, when starting up the substrate processing apparatus 1 or during maintenance. Note that the measuring method for measuring the load and the substrate manufacturing method for manufacturing a processed substrate as described below are also aspects of this embodiment.

[0045] First, before measurement, the holding member 32 is in the open position shown in Fig. 4(B). Then, as shown in Fig. 1, an operator places the mounting portion 132a of the measuring tool 10 on the table 20a. At this time, the positions of the pair of holding members 32 facing each other across the axis of rotation of the rotating body 20 are adjusted so that the chuck pins 32b face the centers of the pair of contact members 121 when the pair of holding members 32 reach the holding positions.

[0046] Then, by moving the holding member 32 to the holding position, the holding member 32 comes into contact with the contact portion 111 of the base 11 to grip the base 11. The inclined surface 32a of the holding member 32 moves while being in contact with the contact portion 111 of the base 11, and stops with the chuck pin 32b in contact with the contact member 121. Similarly, the holding member 32 corresponding to the measurement unit 12 moves while its inclined surface 32a comes into contact with the edge portion 121a of the contact member 121, and stops with the chuck pin 32b in contact with the contact member 121.

[0047] In this manner, the load applied to the contact member 121 from when the holding member 32 comes into contact with the contact member 121 until it hits the chuck pin 32b and stops is detected by the load sensor 122, and the detected value is displayed on the display device. For example, as shown in Fig. 6(A), when a gripping force is applied at a constant load P, that is, when the chuck pin 32b is stopped in contact with the contact member 121, the load P applied to the contact member 121 is as shown in Fig. 6(B). This is the constant load P when the substrate W is gripped.

[0048] However, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6(C), the contact member 121 hits the inclined surface 32a and rises to P1 once, then hits the chuck pin 32b and further rises to P2. Therefore, if there is a difference between the timing at which the contact member 121 of one measuring unit 12 hits the inclined surface 32a of the holding member 32 and the timing at which the contact member 121 of the other measuring unit 12 hits the inclined surface 32a of the holding member 32, a difference in the timing at which P1 is reached will occur. Furthermore, if there is a difference in the timing at which the contact member 121 hits the chuck pin 32b, a difference in the timing at which P2 is reached will occur. The difference in the final load of the holding member 32 is measured as a difference in the magnitude of P2.

[0049] After the measurement has been completed as described above, the measuring tool 10 is released from the holding member 32 holding the base body 11, and then the measuring tool 10 is taken out by the operator.

[0050] In this embodiment, as described above, the load applied to the contact member 121 can be measured when the two diagonal holding members 32 move from the release position to the holding position. That is, the change in the load can be measured from when the holding members 32 start moving to the holding position until they come into contact with the edge of the substrate W and are stopped. In this stopped state, each chuck pin 32b stops in contact with the periphery of the substrate W, the chuck pin 32b cannot move any further, and each chuck pin holds the substrate W. The operator looks at the detection value displayed on the display device and adjusts the position of one of the pair of holding members 32 when there is a difference in the timing at which one of the pair of holding members 32 becomes P1 compared to the other, when there is a difference in the timing at which P2 becomes P2, when the load of P2 is large, etc. More specifically, the position of the chuck pin 32b can be adjusted when the holding member 32 is in the holding position.

[0051] For example, the load P2 (FIG. 6C) of all the chuck pins 32b is adjusted to be the same as the load P, that is, P=P2. However, this load P is within a predetermined allowable range P MIN (Minimum)~P MAX In other words, the measured load value (P2) of the chuck pin 32b or the adjusted load value (P2) of the chuck pin 32b is within a predetermined allowable range of the load P. MIN ≦P2≦P MAX If so, the adjustment is complete.

[0052] In addition, when the substrate W is actually gripped by the chuck pins 32b, the center of the substrate W is not necessarily aligned with the rotation axis A, which is the rotation center of the table 20a. Even in this state, the center of the substrate W can be aligned with the rotation axis A by the gripping operation, and the gripping forces of all the chuck pins 32b can be made substantially equal, that is, P MIN ≦P2≦P MAX This will be the adjustment.

[0053] Therefore, if a difference occurs between the load P and the load P2 when the measuring tool 10 is set on the table 20a at a position shifted from the rotation axis A, the difference in the gripping force can be corrected by adjusting the position of the chuck pin 32b with the smaller measured gripping force. When six chuck pins 32b are measured using the measuring tool 10 that measures two diagonal chuck pins 32b as in this embodiment, the operator must make the above-mentioned adjustment every three times.

[0054] If the load applied to the contact member 121 by any of the holding members 32 is too large or too small, this leads to tilting or distortion of the substrate W, which causes the flow of the processing liquid to become uneven and impairs the uniformity of the processing. For this reason, the processing uniformity is improved by correcting such differences in load and adjusting the position of the chuck pins 32b. For example, the etching rate can be made uniform. Furthermore, since the state in which no load is applied from the holding member 32 finally occurs when the holding member 32 is disengaged from the contact member 121, the position of the holding member 32 can be adjusted to prevent disengagement from the chuck.

[0055] [Substrate processing] Next, a description will be given of substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1. The substrate W mounted on the robot hand of the transport robot is carried in between the processing liquid holding part 42 and the rotating body 20, and similarly to the above-mentioned base 11, its edge is supported by a plurality of chuck pins 32b, so that it is held on the table 20a of the rotating body 20. At this time, as a result of the above-mentioned adjustment, the substrate W is positioned so that its center coincides with the axis of rotation of the rotating body 20.

[0056] Next, the rotor 20 rotates at a relatively slow predetermined speed (for example, about 50 rpm). As a result, the substrate W rotates together with the holder 30 at the predetermined speed. Then, an etching solution is supplied from the discharge port 42a of the processing solution holder 42 to a gap between the processing solution holder 42 and the surface of the substrate W. When the hydrofluoric acid solution is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, the etching solution moves sequentially toward the outer periphery of the substrate W, so that the surface of the substrate W is etched and the oxide film and organic matter are removed. The processing solution flowing out toward the outer periphery of the substrate W is discharged to the outside through the gaps of the chuck pins 32b.

[0057] Next, the processing liquid holding unit 42 stops supplying the etching liquid, and supplies pure water from the discharge port 42a into the gap between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the surface of the substrate W. When the pure water is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, the pure water moves sequentially toward the outer periphery of the substrate W, thereby washing away the hydrofluoric acid on the surface of the substrate W. Then, the processing liquid holding unit 42 stops supplying the pure water.

[0058] The processing liquid holding part 42 is lowered to bring the heater 441 closer to the substrate W, and phosphoric acid is supplied to the gap between the processing liquid holding part 42 and the surface of the substrate W. In this manner, the phosphoric acid solution supplied between the processing liquid holding part 42 and the surface of the substrate W is heated to a high temperature by the processing liquid holding part 42 which is heated by the heater 441.

[0059] In this state, when the phosphoric acid solution is continuously supplied from the outlet 42a of the processing liquid holding section 42, the phosphoric acid solution moves sequentially toward the outer periphery of the substrate W, whereby the pure water on the surface of the substrate W is replaced by phosphoric acid, and the nitride film is removed by etching.

[0060] Next, the processing solution holding unit 42 stops supplying the phosphoric acid solution, and supplies pure water from the discharge port 42a into the gap between the processing solution holding unit 42 and the surface of the substrate W. When the pure water is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, the pure water moves sequentially toward the outer periphery of the substrate W, thereby washing away the phosphoric acid on the surface of the substrate W. Then, when a predetermined cleaning time has elapsed, the processing solution holding unit 42 stops supplying the pure water.

[0061] Thereafter, the processing liquid holder 42 is raised, the robot hand of the transport robot is inserted under the substrate W, the substrate W is released from the holder 30, and the substrate W is removed by the robot hand of the transport robot.

[0062] [effect] (1) The measuring tool 10 of this embodiment as described above has a base 11 having a plurality of contact portions 111 that contact the substrate W at positions where a plurality of holding members 32 provided on a table 20a of a substrate processing apparatus 1 that processes a rotating substrate W contact the substrate W, a measuring unit 12 including a contact member 121 that is movably supported relative to the base 11 and moves toward and away from the holding members 32, and a load sensor 122 that measures the load applied to the contact member 121.

[0063] Therefore, when the holding member 32 performs an operation of contacting the contact portion 111 and the contact member 121 to hold the base 11, the load applied from the holding member 32 to the contact member 121 can be measured by the load sensor 122 in a state similar to that in which the substrate W is held. This makes it possible to easily detect the load applied to the contact member 121 by the holding member 32 in a state approximating the load applied to the substrate W when the substrate W is held, and makes it possible to improve the accuracy of adjustment of the holding member 32 based on the measurement result.

[0064] That is, by reproducing the state in which the holding members 32 hold the substrate W, it is possible to measure a load similar to the load applied to the substrate W by the holding members 32, and by making adjustments based on the measured load, it is possible to prevent gripping errors (chucking errors) when the substrate W is loaded and the substrate W coming off the holding members 32 during high speed rotation. Also, since there is no need to add sensors to the substrate processing apparatus 1, costs can be reduced, and since measurements can be performed according to the same loading and unloading procedures as for the substrate W, the measurement work is simplified.

[0065] (2) This embodiment has a support portion 13 that supports the base 11 on the table 20a so as to reduce the difference between the weight applied to the holding member 32 due to contact with the substrate W and the weight applied to the holding member 32 due to contact with the contact portion 111 and the contact member 121. Therefore, the frictional force generated when the holding member 32 moves in contact with the contact portion 111 can be approximated to that of the substrate W, so that the slippage of the contact portion becomes similar to that of the substrate W, and the manner in which the measured load changes can be approximated to that of the substrate W.

[0066] (3) The contact points of the contact portion 111 and the contact member 121 with the holding member 32 are in the outer circumferential shape of the substrate W. Therefore, the area and angle of the contact portion 111 with the holding member 32 can be approximated to those of the substrate W, and the load to be measured can be approximated to those of the substrate W.

[0067] (4) A plurality of measuring units 12 are arranged symmetrically about the center of rotation of the substrate W. This allows the load applied to the substrate W by the plurality of holding members 32 that sandwich and hold the substrate W to be measured all at once, so that the difference or variation in the load of the plurality of holding members 32 in the event of a misalignment with the center of rotation can be confirmed and the position of the holding members 32 can be adjusted to correct the misalignment.

[0068] (5) A pair of measuring units 12 are disposed at opposing positions. This allows the measurement of changes in load, including the operation from when the opposing holding members 32 approach each other to grip the substrate W until the position of the substrate W stabilizes. When there are more than one pair of holding members 32 at opposing positions, for example, four, six, or eight holding members 32, the loads of the two opposing holding members 32 are measured multiple times by changing the holding members 32, thereby allowing the loads of all holding members 32 to be measured.

[0069] (6) The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of holding members 32 that hold the measuring tool 10 or the substrate W, a rotating body 20 on which the holding members 32 are provided and that rotates the substrate W held by the holding members 32, and a supply unit 40 that produces a processed substrate W by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate W rotated by the rotating body 20. Therefore, there is no need to incorporate a special mechanism for measuring the load, and the load can be easily measured by loading the base 11 in the same manner as the substrate W.

[0070] [Variations] (1) This embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned aspect. For example, the number of measurement units 12 provided on the base 11 is not limited to two. There may be only one measurement unit 12. Even with one measurement unit 12, the angle of the base 11 can be changed and the load applied to the contact member 121 by each holding member 32 can be measured multiple times. In this case, too, the contact parts 111 other than the measurement unit 12 contact the holding member 32 in the same way as the substrate W, so that the measured load value does not deviate significantly from that of the substrate W.

[0071] 7, the measurement units 12 may be disposed at three positions on the base 11 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. This allows the load applied to the contact members 121 by the holding members 32 that contribute to holding the substrate W to be measured even when the holding members 32 are not positioned opposite each other, such as when there are three holding members 32. The six holding members 32 can be measured twice. In addition, as an operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1, the holding members 32 may hold the substrate W every other one in order to suppress the influence of the heat of the holding members 32 on the processing of the substrate W. For example, during processing, the holding members 32 that hold the substrate W and the holding members 32 that release the substrate W are alternately arranged among the six holding members 32, and are alternately arranged during processing, so that the substrate W is contacted at three positions alternately. In the case of the substrate processing apparatus 1 that performs such an operation, it is necessary that there is no difference in the load for each of the three positions that are simultaneously held. Therefore, at the time of start-up or maintenance, the load can be adjusted by measuring the load at each of the three locations twice using the measuring tool 10 in which the measuring units 12 are arranged at three locations.

[0072] 8, by providing the same number of measurement units 12 as the holding members 32, the loads applied to the contact members 121 by all the holding members 32 can be measured all at once. Therefore, the variation in the loads applied to the substrate W by all the holding members 32 caused by differences in centering operations depending on the positions at which the substrate W is placed can be measured all at once, and information such as the degree of slippage of the substrate W relative to all the holding members 32 can be obtained from the measured load. Therefore, a short measurement can be used to investigate and identify the cause of actual chucking errors of the substrate W and to make further improvements.

[0073] (2) In order to approximate the weight of the substrate W, a tension spring supporting the base 11 from above may be used as the elastic body used for the support 13. For example, the base 11 may be hoisted by a tension spring disposed between the upper end of the shaft 132 and the surface of the base 11 to approximate the weight of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. 9, instead of providing the support 13 on the periphery of the measurement unit 12, the support 13 may be provided in the center of the base 11 to support the entire weight so as to approximate the weight of the substrate W. Note that the measurement tool 10 may be configured without the support 13 as long as the weight is not excessively large.

[0074] (3) In the above embodiment, the load sensor 122 uses a one-axis load cell, but any other sensor that can convert the load into an electrical signal and measure it may be used. The load sensor 122 may be a sensor that measures a force in a compressive direction or a force in a tensile direction with respect to the load on the detection axis 122a.

[0075] In the case of a sensor that measures a force in the tensile direction, a conversion mechanism that converts the direction of the load from the holding member 32 into a direction detectable by the load sensor 122 is provided between the contact member 121 and the load sensor 122. This conversion mechanism is, for example, as shown in Fig. 10(A), configured with an L-shaped rotating body 14 that converts the load P from the holding member 32 into a tensile force F to the detection shaft 122a of the load sensor 122 by rotating about a fulcrum. This makes it possible to detect the load P as shown in Fig. 10(B).

[0076] Also, a biasing mechanism may be provided that biases the detection shaft 122a of the load sensor 122 in the direction opposite to the direction of the load from the holding member 32. For example, as shown in Fig. 11(A), this biasing mechanism constantly biases the detection shaft 122a with a constant force against the load P by a biasing member such as a tension spring as indicated by the dotted arrow in the figure, so that a constant tensile force F is applied to the detection shaft 122a as shown in Fig. 11(B). Then, when the load P from the holding member 32 is applied to the contact member 121, the load P is detected as a value that reduces the tensile force F.

[0077] In the method of FIG. 10, the initial state position of the rotating body 14, that is, the position where the load P is 0 (the detection axis 122a is in the initial state position (F0)) cannot always be maintained due to the frictional force at the fulcrum of the rotating body 14, and the initial state position of the rotating body 14 may be shifted. For example, if the rotating body 14 stops in a state where the detection axis 122a is biased by the frictional force of the fulcrum, the initial state position is shifted, and it becomes impossible to measure the change in the load P from the start of contact to the completion of holding. In the method of FIG. 11, when the load P is not applied, the rotating body 14 returns to the initial state by the tensile force F, so that the initial state position can be prevented from being shifted and the change in the load P can be accurately measured, which is more preferable. As a more specific configuration example, a structure in which the rotating body 14 rotated by the tension spring 15 biases the detection axis 122a in the tension direction can be considered, as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13.

[0078] (4) The base 11 and the contact member 121 may be formed of a material other than the substrate W, as long as the contact state between the actual substrate W and the holding member 32 is not significantly different. For example, they may be formed of resin or metal. The portion of the contact portion 111 and / or the contact member 121 that contacts the holding member 32 may not necessarily have the outer peripheral shape of the substrate W. The shape of the base 11 does not necessarily have to be circular like the substrate W, as long as it has the contact portion 111 that can be held by the holding member 32. For example, when there are three holding members 32, the base 11 may be Y-shaped, when there are four holding members 32, the base 11 may be cross-shaped, and when there are six or eight holding members 32, the base 11 may be star-shaped or polygonal. Furthermore, the base 11 may be ring-shaped. By adopting such a shape, the weight of the base 11 can be reduced, and the overall weight of the measurement tool 10 can be brought closer to the substrate W.

[0079] (5) A function for coordinating the rotational movements of the measuring tool 10, the transport robot, and the table 20a may also be employed. For example, an operator causes the robot hand of the transport robot to hold the measuring tool 10, and the transport robot then holds the measuring tool 10. The robot hand carries the measuring tool 10 onto the table 20a. In other words, the measuring tool is placed on the table 20a. Note that the position of the contact member 121 of the measuring tool 10 held by the robot hand and the position of the chuck pin 32b are adjusted in advance so that they match. When adjusting the position, the table 20a is rotated to fine-tune the position of the chuck pin 32b.

[0080] Then, when the measuring tool 10 is placed on the table 20a by the robot hand, the substrate processing apparatus 1 rotates the chuck pins 32b to grip the measuring tool 10. During this operation, the load sensors 122 of the measuring tool 10 measure the load. If the number of the load sensors 122 is the same as the number of the chuck pins 32b, the measurement is completed in one go.

[0081] If the number of load sensors 122 of the measuring tool 10 is less than the number of chuck pins 32b, after one measurement, the measuring tool 10 is lifted by the robot hand and the table 20a is rotated by the angle of the chuck pin 32b to be measured. Then, the measuring tool 10 is placed on the table 20a again by the robot hand, and measurement is started. This operation is repeated until the measurement of the loads of all the chuck pins 32b is completed. At this time, an adjustment is made to align the positions of the chuck pins 32b with the positions of the contact members 121 of the measuring tool 10.

[0082] When the control device 60 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 recognizes that the measurement by the measuring tool 10 has been completed, the robot hand performs an operation of lifting and carrying out the measuring tool 10. The control device 60 recognizes this by transmitting the measurement result and a signal indicating that the measurement has been completed from a display device connected to the measuring tool 10 to the control device 60, or by transmitting the signal to a terminal carried by an operator.

[0083] Various methods can be considered for adjusting the positions of the chuck pin 32b and the contact member 121 of the measuring tool 10. For example, an operator may hold and operate a terminal connected to the control device 60 and operating the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform visual alignment. In other words, the operator may control the rotation of the table 20a.

[0084] After the measurement by the measuring tool 10, when aligning the contact member 121 with the chuck pin 32b to be the next measurement target, the operator may rotate the table 20a by operating the terminal as described above. However, the table 20a may be rotated according to a preset rotation amount. That is, the control device 60 stores in advance the rotation amount for the chuck pin 32b to be the next measurement target from the position of the chuck pin 32b measured previously. The control device 60 then stores the position of the chuck pin 32b measured previously, and rotates the table 20a from that position by the preset rotation amount to align the contact member 121 with the next chuck pin 32b.

[0085] (6) The connection between the measurement tool 10 and the display device, and the connection between the control device 60 and the terminal do not have to be wired and may be wireless. When the measurement tool 10 is loaded onto and unloaded from the table 20a by the transport robot, the connection between the measurement tool 10 and the display device may be wired as described above, but a wireless connection is preferable since it places no restrictions on operation.

[0086] [Other embodiments] Although the embodiment of the present invention and the modified examples of each part have been described above, these embodiments and the modified examples of each part are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1. Substrate Processing Equipment 10. Measurement Tools 11 Base 12 Measurement Units 13 Support part 14 Rotating Body 20 Rotating Body 20a Table 20b Through hole 20c outlet 21 Fixed base 22 Motor 23 Rotation mechanism 30 Holding part 31 Rotating member 32 Retaining member 32a Slope 32b Zipper pin 33 Drive mechanism 40 Supply section 41 Processing liquid supply mechanism 41a Processing liquid tank 41b Individual conveyance pipe 41c Processing liquid supply pipe 41d Flow control valve 41e flow meter 42 Processing liquid holding section 42a Discharge port 43 Lifting mechanism 44 Heating section 60 Control device 111 Contact part 112 Notch 121 Contact member 121a Edge 121b Screw 121c Nut 122 Load Sensor 122a Detection axis 122b connection code 123 Slide member 123a Groove 124 Fixed plate 124a, 124b screws 131 Mounting plate 131a Screw 131b Nut 132 Shaft 132a Placement part 133 Elastic Members 331 Drive shaft 332 Small gear 333 Large Gear 441 Heater 441a Through hole

Claims

1. a base having contact portions that come into contact with a plurality of holding members provided on a table of a substrate processing apparatus for processing a rotating substrate at positions where the holding members come into contact with the substrate; a measurement unit including a contact member supported movably on the base and adapted to come into contact with and separate from the holding member, and a load sensor adapted to measure a load applied to the contact member; 13. A measuring tool comprising:

2. 2. The measurement tool according to claim 1, further comprising a support portion that supports the substrate on the table so as to reduce a difference between a weight applied to the holding member due to contact with the substrate and a weight applied to the holding member due to contact with the contact portion and the contact member.

3. 3. The measuring tool according to claim 1, wherein a contact portion of at least one of the contact portion and the contact member with the holding member has an outer periphery shape of the substrate.

4. 4. The measuring tool according to claim 1, further comprising a conversion mechanism between the contact member and the load sensor for converting the direction of the load from the holding member into a direction detectable by the load sensor.

5. 4. The measuring tool according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing mechanism for biasing the detection axis of the load sensor in a direction opposite to the direction of the load from the holding member.

6. 6. The measuring tool according to claim 1, wherein the measuring units are arranged in a pair at positions facing each other across the center of the base body.

7. 6. The measuring tool according to claim 1, wherein the measuring units are disposed at three locations at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the base body.

8. The measuring tool according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the measuring units is equal to the number of the holding members.

9. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a rotating substrate, a rotating body provided with a plurality of holding members and having a table for rotating the substrate held by the holding members; a supply unit for supplying a processing liquid to the substrate rotated by the rotor to process the substrate; a transfer robot that transfers the substrate to and from the table; A control device that controls the rotating body, the supply unit, and the transport robot; having The control device causes the transport robot to transport the measuring tool according to any one of claims 1 to 8 onto the table, a measuring tool that is carried in by the transfer robot and held by the holding member, the measuring tool measuring a load from the holding member.

10. A method for measuring a load from a holding member using the measuring tool according to any one of claims 1 to 8, adjusting a position of the holding member based on a measurement result by the measuring tool; A substrate manufacturing method comprising: supplying a processing liquid to the substrate by a supply unit while rotating a rotor having the holding member that holds the substrate, thereby manufacturing a processed substrate.

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