Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method.

Abstract

To make it possible to apply more various kinds of liquids to a substrate processing device for optically detecting foreign matters in a supply channel through which the liquid to be supplied to a substrate flows.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device includes: a supply channel through which a liquid to be supplied to a substrate flows; and a foreign substance detecting unit which can detect a foreign substance in the liquid based on a signal obtained when light, which is near-infrared light, is radiated toward a flow path forming unit constituting a part of the supply channel by a light projector so that light is emitted from the flow path forming unit, and a light receiver receives the light emitted from the flow path forming unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, various processing liquids are supplied to a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer), which is a circular substrate, for processing. It has been considered to suppress the occurrence of defects in the wafer by detecting foreign matter in the processing liquid. Patent Document 1 describes a liquid processing apparatus that includes a pipe for supplying resist to the wafer and a sensor unit that is a liquid-borne particle counter interposed in the pipe. Patent document 2 also describes an apparatus that irradiates a flow path through which a fluid flows with laser light, provides a light detection unit on the light path that passes through the flow path, and includes a foreign object detection unit that detects foreign objects based on the intensity of the received light. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-251328 [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-220712 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that enables a substrate processing apparatus that optically detects foreign matter in a supply path through which liquid supplied to a substrate flows to be applicable to a greater variety of liquids. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a supply passage through which a liquid supplied to a substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with 、 The reflecting portion includes an anti-reflection film, Light from the light source is irradiated toward the anti-reflection film. . Another substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a supply passage through which a liquid supplied to a substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with 、 The flow path forming portion is provided with an anti-reflection film through which light traveling from the reflecting portion to the flow path forming portion passes. Another substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a supply passage through which a liquid supplied to a substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with 、 The flow path forming portion is provided with an anti-reflection film through which light reflected by the reflecting portion and passing through the flow path forming portion passes. Another substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a supply passage through which a liquid supplied to a substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with 、 A camera is provided that captures an image of the light reflected by the reflecting portion and passing through the flow path forming portion. Another substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a supply passage through which a liquid supplied to a substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with 、 the light projecting section and the light receiving section in the foreign object detection unit are provided in regions that do not face each other among upper, lower, left, right, front and rear regions based on the flow path forming section such that the light receiving section receives scattered light as light emitted from the flow path forming section, a downstream side optical path forming section is provided which forms an optical path for transmitted light that is transmitted through a reaction region in which light irradiated from the light projecting section is condensed in the flow channel forming section to generate the scattered light, The rear-stage optical path forming portion includes an anti-reflection film. Another substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a supply passage through which a liquid supplied to a substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with the light projecting section and the light receiving section in the foreign object detection unit are provided in regions that do not face each other among upper, lower, left, right, front and rear regions based on the flow path forming section such that the light receiving section receives scattered light as light emitted from the flow path forming section, a light-receiving-side optical path forming section that guides the light emitted from the flow path forming section to the light-receiving section; The light-receiving side optical path forming section includes a bandpass filter, and the passband of the bandpass filter includes the peak wavelength of the light irradiated from the light projecting section. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, a substrate processing apparatus that optically detects foreign matter in a supply path through which liquid supplied to a substrate flows can be applied to a greater variety of liquids. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an SOC coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the SOC coating apparatus. [Diagram 3] 3 is a vertical sectional side view of a foreign matter detection unit incorporated in the SOC coating apparatus. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional rear view of the foreign object detection unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the foreign object detection unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the foreign object detection unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the foreign object detection unit. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the SOC coating apparatus. [Figure 9] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship between each part of the foreign object detection unit; FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a vertical sectional side view showing a modified example of a flow path forming portion provided in the foreign object detection unit. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a rear view of the flow path forming portion of the modified example. [Figure 12] 4 is a schematic side view showing a mechanism for detecting laser light provided in the foreign object detection unit; FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a schematic side view showing a modified example of a detection optical system provided in the foreign object detection unit. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a schematic side view showing still another modified example of the detection optical system provided in the foreign object detection unit. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a top view showing a modified example of the foreign object detection unit. [Figure 16] 13 is a perspective view showing a light receiving portion provided in another modified example of the foreign object detection unit. FIG. [Figure 17] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of another modified example of the foreign object detection unit. [Figure 18] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of another modified example of the foreign object detection unit. [Figure 19] 13 is a perspective view showing a light receiving portion provided in still another modified example of the foreign object detection unit. FIG. [Figure 20] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of another modified example of the foreign object detection unit. [Figure 21] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of another modified example of the foreign object detection unit. [Figure 22] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of another modified example of the foreign object detection unit. [Figure 23] 2 is a plan view of a coating and developing apparatus in which the SOC coating apparatus is incorporated. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the coating and developing apparatus. [Diagram 25] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of a foreign matter detection unit in the coating and developing apparatus; FIG. [Figure 26] 1 is a graph showing the results of a verification test. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] A SOC (Spin On Carbon) coating apparatus 1, which is an embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure, will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. 1. The SOC coating apparatus 1 supplies a coating liquid for forming a coating film as a processing liquid to a wafer W, which is a substrate, and forms an SOC film mainly composed of carbon as the coating film. The SOC coating apparatus 1 includes, for example, 12 nozzles 11 (11A to 11L), and 11 of the nozzles 11A to 11K discharge the coating liquid for forming an SOC film on the wafer W. The nozzle 11L discharges a thinner onto the wafer W. The thinner is a pre-wetting processing liquid that is supplied to the wafer W before the coating liquid for forming the SOC film is supplied to increase wettability with the coating liquid. The SOC coating apparatus 1 includes a foreign matter detection unit 2 for optically detecting foreign matters in the coating liquid for forming the SOC film and the thinner. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the term "coating liquid" refers to the coating liquid for forming the SOC film.

[0009] The downstream ends of processing liquid supply pipes 12 (12A to 12L) that form supply paths through which the processing liquid flows are connected to the nozzles 11A to 11L. The upstream ends of the processing liquid supply pipes 12A to 12K are connected to processing liquid supply units 13A to 13K via valves V1, respectively. The processing liquid supply units 13 (13A to 13K) each include a bottle that stores a coating liquid, and a pump that pressure-feeds the coating liquid from the bottle to the nozzles 11A to 11K, respectively. The types of coating liquid stored in the processing liquid supply units 13A to 13K are different from one another, and one type of coating liquid selected from the eleven types of coating liquid is supplied to the wafer W.

[0010] The downstream end of a processing liquid supply pipe 12L is connected to the nozzle 11L, and the upstream end of the processing liquid supply pipe 12L is connected to a processing liquid supply unit 13L via a valve V1. The processing liquid supply unit 13L is configured similarly to the processing liquid supply units 13A to 13K, except that the above-mentioned thinner is stored instead of the coating liquid. A flow path forming unit 14 (14A to 14L) is interposed between the nozzles 11A to 11L and the valve V1 in the processing liquid supply pipes 12A to 12L. Therefore, the flow path forming unit 14 forms a part of a supply path through which the liquid supplied to the wafer W flows.

[0011] The plan view of Fig. 2 shows an example of a more detailed configuration of the SOC coating apparatus 1. In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes a spin chuck, which serves as a substrate mounting portion that horizontally holds the center of the back surface of a wafer W by suction. The spin chuck 21 is connected to a rotation mechanism 22 (not shown in Fig. 2) and rotates while holding the wafer W so that a coating liquid can be spin-coated. In the figure, reference numeral 23 denotes a cup that surrounds the side of the wafer W to prevent the treatment liquid from scattering. In this example, a set of the spin chuck 21, the rotation mechanism 22, and the cup 23 is arranged in the horizontal direction.

[0012] In the figure, reference numeral 24 denotes an arm that supports nozzles 11A-11L at its tip. In the figure, reference numeral 25 denotes a moving mechanism to which the base end of arm 24 is connected, and is engaged with guide rails 26 extending along the arrangement direction of cups 23. As moving mechanism 25 moves, each of nozzles 11A-11L moves to a position where it can eject processing liquid to the center of wafer W held by spin chuck 21. Guide rails 26 are provided on the rear side of each cup 23, and a rectangular, horizontally elongated housing 31 is provided further rearward of guide rails 26.

[0013] The description will be continued with reference to Fig. 3, which is a vertical side view showing the inside of the housing 31, Fig. 4, which is a vertical rear view, and Fig. 5, which is a perspective view. In the description, the length direction of the housing 31 is defined as the left-right direction. The housing 31 is composed of a main body 32, an upper cover 33, and a side cover 34. The upper cover 33 and the side cover 34 are attached to the main body 32 by fasteners such as screws, and are therefore detachable from the main body 32. As will be described in detail later, the flow path forming parts 14 are provided in a row in the left-right direction within the housing 31. The upper cover 33 forms a wall located above the row of the flow path forming parts 14, i.e., in the vertical direction, and the side cover 34 forms a wall located behind the row of the flow path forming parts 14.

[0014] The foreign object detection unit 2 is composed of the flow path forming section 14, the optical path forming section 4, the light source 51, the illumination optical system 52, and the counting section 53, which are provided in the housing 31, and the housing 31. To give an overview of this foreign object detection unit 2, it is configured so that light is irradiated toward a selected one of the flow path forming sections 14A-14L, and the light emitted from the selected flow path forming section 14 is received by a light receiving element. Then, by receiving this light, foreign objects in the treatment liquid, which is the liquid flowing through the flow path forming section 14 that emitted the light, are detected.

[0015] The left side and the right side used in the following description of the inside of the housing 31 are respectively the left side and the right side when viewed from the front to the rear. Therefore, what is arranged on the right side in FIG. 4, which is a rear view, is arranged on the left side. As described above, the flow path forming parts 14A to 14L are arranged in a linear row on the left and right sides at a position closer to the front and the right side in the housing 31. The flow path forming parts 14A to 14L are arranged at slight intervals from each other and are each fixed to the main body part 32 of the housing 31. The flow path forming parts 14A to 14L are each configured in the same way, and the flow path forming part 14A shown in FIG. 3 will be described as a representative example. The flow path forming part 14A is formed in a square hexahedral block shape and is made of quartz or sapphire so that a laser light described later can pass through in order to optically detect foreign matter.

[0016] A flow path 15 is formed in the flow path forming section 14A. The flow paths 15 are connected in order toward the downstream side, and are composed of a first flow path 16, a second flow path 17, and a third flow path 18 formed along the sides of the flow path forming section 14A. The first flow path 16 extends horizontally toward the rear on the downstream side, the second flow path 17 extends vertically toward the upper side on the downstream side, and the third flow path 18 extends horizontally so that the downstream side faces forward. The upstream end of the first flow path 16 forms an inlet 16A for the treatment liquid to the flow path forming section 14A, and the downstream end of the third flow path 18 forms an outlet 18A for the treatment liquid from the flow path forming section 14A. Therefore, the first flow path 16 and the second flow path 17 are perpendicular to each other, and the third flow path 18 is configured to connect the second flow path 17 and the outlet 18A.

[0017] The inlet 16A and the outlet 18A both open to the front end surface of the flow path forming part 14A, and are therefore provided on the same surface. If the first flow path 16, the second flow path 17, and the third flow path 18 included in the flow path forming part 14A are each considered to be partial flow paths, then the partial flow paths intersect with each other. An anti-reflection film 9 is provided on the lower and upper surfaces of the flow path forming part 14A on the optical path of the laser light irradiated in the vertical direction, as described later.

[0018] The downstream end of a pipe 55 is connected to the inlet 16A of the first flow path 16, and the upstream end of a pipe 54 is connected to the outlet 18A of the third flow path 18, and the treatment liquid flows from the pipe 55 to the pipe 54 via the flow path 15 of the flow path forming part 14A. These pipes 54, 55 constitute the treatment liquid supply pipe 12A described in Fig. 1, and differ from the flow path forming part 14A in that they are flexible and do not transmit laser light. The upstream side of the pipe 55 and the downstream side of the pipe 54 penetrate the front wall of the housing 31 and are drawn out to the outside of the housing 31.

[0019] Incidentally, the flow paths 15 of the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L may be indicated as 15A to 15L. As described above, the flow path forming portions 14A to 14L are arranged in a row from left to right, and therefore the flow paths 15A to 15L are also arranged in a row from left to right. Although not shown in FIG. 5, the flow path forming portions 14B to 14L are also connected to pipes 54, 55 in the same manner as the flow path forming portion 14A. The processing liquid supply pipes 12B to 12L shown in FIG. 1 are constituted by the respective pipes 54, 55 connected to the flow path forming portions 14B to 14L in this manner.

[0020] An illumination optical system 52 and a light source 51 are provided in this order toward the left side (the right side in the illustration of FIG. 4) of the row of the flow path forming parts 14A to 14L. The light source 51 irradiates laser light, which is near-infrared light for detecting foreign matter, toward the illumination optical system 52 along the row direction of the flow path forming parts 14A to 14L. In this specification, near-infrared light is light having a wavelength of 750 nm to 1.4 μm, and irradiating near-infrared light means irradiating light whose peak wavelength is included in this wavelength range. As will be described later as a verification test, it is preferable that the light source 51 irradiates near-infrared light having a peak wavelength of 830 nm or more, and more preferably 940 nm or more. In this embodiment, the peak wavelength is 940 nm. Hereinafter, the description of the wavelength of the irradiated light refers to the peak wavelength unless otherwise specified.

[0021] The illumination optical system 52 includes, for example, a plurality of collimators. In Fig. 4 and Fig. 7 described later, the configuration inside the illumination optical system 52 is shown in a simplified manner, and only some of the lenses 521 and 522 constituting the collimators are shown. The cross section of the laser light irradiated from the light source 51 is shaped by the illumination optical system 52 and the laser light is further irradiated to the right and then irradiated to a reflecting section 44 described later. For example, an anti-reflection film 9 is provided on each of the light incident surface and the irradiation surface of the lenses 521 and 522.

[0022] Furthermore, for example, the illumination optical system 52 includes a shutter that opens and closes the optical path toward the reflector 44. The shutter blocks the laser light when foreign matter detection is not being performed, and light is not irradiated onto the flow path forming parts 14A to 14L. Note that when foreign matter detection is not being performed, the output for generating the laser from the light source 51 may be reduced. By controlling the output to the minimum required in this manner, the amount of heat generated from the light source 51 is reduced to suppress the thermal impact on the surroundings, while also suppressing performance degradation of the light source 51, enabling long-term use.

[0023] Next, the optical path forming section 4 will be described. The optical path forming section 4 includes a slide base 41, a guide rail 42, a moving mechanism 43, a reflecting section 44, a condensing lens 45, a supporting section 46, a detection optical system 47, a light receiving section 48, and a light absorbing section 56, which are configured as an integrated unit. The slide base 41 has a rear end located rearward of the row of the flow path forming sections 14A to 14L, and a front end located below the row of the flow path forming sections 14A to 14L. The slide base 41 is engaged with a guide rail 42 provided below the slide base 41, and the guide rail 42 extends left and right. A moving mechanism 43 is provided behind the guide rail 42, and the slide base 41 is connected to the moving mechanism 43. The moving mechanism 43 moves the slide base 41 along the length direction of the guide rail 42, i.e., the left and right direction. A reflecting section 44 constituting a first light projecting section and a condensing lens 45 are provided on the front end of the slide base 41, and the condensing lens 45 is located above the reflecting section 44. Note that the condensing lens 45 is not shown in Fig. 5. The reflecting section 44, the condensing lens 45 and the illumination optical system 52 described above form a front-stage optical path forming section.

[0024] A vertical support section 46 is formed to extend upward from the rear end on the slide base 41. A detection optical system 47 constituting a light-receiving side optical path forming section and a light-receiving section 48 which is a light-receiving element are provided in this order on the support section 46 toward the rear. The detection optical system 47 includes a lens and a BPF (band pass filter) 49, and as described below, light incident on the detection optical system 47 is collected and passes through the BPF 49 before being irradiated onto the light-receiving section 48. The BPF 49 will be described in detail later. In addition, an upper end of the support section 46 extends forward to form an arm 57, and a light-absorbing section 56 which is a beam damper is provided at the tip of the arm 57.

[0025] The movement mechanism 43 moves the slide table 41, the reflecting unit 44, the condenser lens 45, the detection optical system 47, the light receiving unit 48 and the light absorbing unit 56 as a unit along the arrangement direction (left-right direction) of the flow path forming units 14A-14L. When the detection optical system 47 and the light receiving unit 48 move in this manner, they are disposed at a height facing each of the flow paths 16 of each of the flow path forming units 14A-14L. The light absorbing unit 56 is disposed to face the reflecting unit 44 across the flow path forming unit 14 that is irradiated with light among the flow path forming units 14A-14L.

[0026] Although not shown, the moving mechanism 43 may be configured to change the distance between the flow path forming section 14 and the light receiving section 48 to adjust the light receiving distance from the flow path forming section 14 to the light receiving section 48 receiving the light. More specifically, a mechanism may be provided that can move at least the detection optical system 47 and the light receiving section 48 relative to the flow path forming section 14 in a direction different from the arrangement direction of the flow path forming sections 14. That is, the light receiving distance is set for each of the flow path forming sections 14A to 14L, and the positions of the detection optical system 47 and the light receiving section 48 are adjusted so that the light receiving distance becomes the light receiving distance set for one flow path forming section 14 when light is projected onto that flow path forming section 14. As a result, even if the focal points of the light directed from each flow path forming section 14 to the light receiving section 48 are not aligned in the arrangement direction due to the variation in shape and position of the multiple flow path forming sections 14 due to the manufacturing and assembly, the light receiving distance can be adjusted to match the focal points of each flow path forming section 14. This enables more accurate detection of foreign matter.

[0027] Returning to the explanation of the illustrated foreign object detection unit 2, as described above, foreign object detection is performed in a selected one of the flow path forming portions 14A-14L. When detecting foreign objects, the reflecting portion 44 and the condenser lens 45 are positioned vertically below the selected flow path forming portion 14, which is a position corresponding to the selected flow path forming portion 14. The detection optical system 47 and the light receiving portion 48 are positioned behind the flow path forming portion 14, which is a position corresponding to the selected flow path forming portion 14. The light absorbing portion 56 is positioned vertically above the flow path forming portion 14. Note that FIGS. 3 and 4 show the arrangement of the various portions when the flow path forming portion 14A is the selected flow path forming portion 14.

[0028] The dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 3 indicates the optical path. The following description will be given with reference to the schematic diagrams of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, which also show the optical path with dashed-dotted arrows. The laser light irradiated from the light source 51 via the illumination optical system 52 is reflected by the reflector 44 and directed upward, i.e., vertically, and passes through the condenser lens 45. The laser light then passes through the anti-reflection film 9 formed on the lower surface of the flow path forming part 14A and enters the first flow path 16 perpendicular to the flow direction of the treatment liquid in the first flow path 16, and the reaction region 40, which is a focused spot with relatively high energy, is formed in the first flow path 16. The optical axis of the laser light reflected by the reflector 44 and passing through the reaction region 40 in this way is directed obliquely upward when viewed from the front-rear direction, and is formed so as not to pass through any flow paths other than the first flow path 16, i.e., the second flow path 17 and the third flow path 18. The laser light thus transmitted through flow path forming section 14A passes through anti-reflection film 9 on the upper surface of flow path forming section 14A, and is irradiated to and absorbed by light absorbing section 56 (see FIGS. 3 and 7). While the coating liquid flows through flow path forming section 14A, a light path is thus formed, and reaction region 40 is formed. When foreign matter P enters reaction region 40 along with the flow of the coating liquid, scattered light is generated.

[0029] Then, the scattered light that enters the detection optical system 47 passes through the BPF 49 and is irradiated to the light receiving unit 48. That is, the light receiving unit 48 is irradiated with side scattered light from the first flow path 16 of the flow path forming unit 14 toward the second flow path 17 side (rear side), and in FIG. 6, this side scattered light is indicated by a two-dot chain line. In this way, the intensity of the scattered light irradiated to the light receiving unit 48 corresponds to the size (particle diameter) of the foreign matter P, and the light receiving unit 48 performs photoelectric conversion and outputs an electrical signal of an intensity according to the intensity of the received side scattered light. Note that, although the case where the selected flow path forming unit 14 is 14A has been shown, a light path is formed in the same manner and the scattered light is irradiated to the light receiving unit 48 even when other flow path forming units 14B to 14L are selected.

[0030] The anti-reflection films 9 provided on the optical path of the laser light from the light source 51 to the reaction region 40 of the flow channel forming section 14 reduce the generation of stray light at the site where the laser light hits, thereby suppressing attenuation of the laser light. In other words, the intensity of the light in the transmission direction of each lens and the regular reflection direction of the reflecting section (mirror) can be increased. For reasons described below, near-infrared light is used as the laser light, and therefore the energy of the laser light is relatively low. Therefore, suppressing energy loss using the anti-reflection films 9 in this way is effective in ensuring sufficient intensity of the scattered light generated in the reaction region 40 and increasing measurement accuracy.

[0031] An anti-reflection film 9 is also provided on the upper surface of flow path forming section 14 forming the rear-stage optical path forming section, i.e., on the optical path of the laser light from reaction region 40 to light absorption section 56. This anti-reflection film 9 and the other anti-reflection films 9 on the optical path up to reaction region 40 prevent light diffused by each member forming the optical path of the laser light from being guided to light receiving section 48 as stray light and generating noise in the detection signal output from light receiving section 48. Therefore, each anti-reflection film 9 is provided to improve the measurement accuracy. The method for forming anti-reflection film 9 on each member is arbitrary, but it is formed by surface treatment such as vapor deposition, for example.

[0032] The BPF 49 includes a passband having the same wavelength (940 nm in this case) as the wavelength of the laser light irradiated from the light source 51. Therefore, the scattered light irradiated to the light receiving unit 48 is Rayleigh scattered light. The BPF 49 prevents noise from being generated in the detection signal by cutting long wavelength components having lower energy than the wavelength of the laser light, such as fluorescence generated in the reaction region 40. In other words, the BPF 49 increases the SN ratio (signal-to-noise ratio) and increases the difference between the peak of the signal indicating the detection of a foreign substance and the background signal, thereby enabling reliable detection of foreign substances. For example, the BPF 49 is a narrow band filter with a full width at half maximum of 10 nm or less, and its center wavelength is the same as the wavelength of the laser light, i.e., 940 nm.

[0033] Returning to the description of the inside of the housing 31 using Figs. 3 to 5, a counting unit 53 is provided in front of the illumination optical system 52 and the light source 51. The counting unit 53 includes a board on which, for example, a CPU and the like are mounted. For example, the counting unit 53 is connected to the light receiving unit 48 by a cable (not shown), receives the above-mentioned electric signal from the light receiving unit 48, and detects foreign matter based on the electric signal. This detection of foreign matter includes, for example, counting and classifying the foreign matter, and the counting unit 53 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the detection result to the control unit 100 constituting the SOC coating apparatus 1. The above-mentioned classification is to count the foreign matter for each predetermined size range.

[0034] Next, the control unit 100 constituting the SOC coating apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 will be described. The control unit 100 is composed of a computer, and for example, the counting unit 53 is connected to the control unit 100. The control unit 100 has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores a program in which commands (step groups) are written to form a resist film on the wafer W and detect foreign matter. The program causes the control unit 100 to output control signals to each unit of the SOC coating apparatus 1, thereby performing each operation described below. The program is stored in the program storage unit in a state where it is stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk, a compact disk, a magnet optical disk, a memory card, or a DVD.

[0035] Next, the processing of the wafer W and the detection of foreign matter performed in the SOC coating apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the timing chart of Fig. 8. This timing chart shows the timing at which the pump pressure in one of the processing liquid supply parts 13 among 13A to 13L is stabilized, and the timing at which the valve V1 of the processing liquid supply pipe 12 corresponding to one of the processing liquid supply parts 13 among 12A to 12L is opened and closed. This timing chart also shows the timing at which the shutter of the illumination optical system 52 opens and the laser light is irradiated onto the optical path forming part 4, the timing at which each part constituting the optical path forming part 4 moves, and the timing at which the counter 53 receives a signal obtained from the light receiving part 48 and detects foreign matter.

[0036] First, a wafer W is transferred onto the spin chuck 21 by a substrate transfer mechanism (not shown), and while the wafer W is held on the spin chuck 21, the nozzle 11L is transferred onto the wafer W, and the pump of the processing liquid supply unit 13L sucks thinner, and the pump starts to settle to a predetermined pressure (time t1). For example, in parallel with the movement of the nozzle 11L and the operation of the pump, the slide table 41 of the optical path forming unit 4 moves. The reflecting unit 44 and the condenser lens 45 are located below the flow path forming unit 14L, the detection optical system 47 and the light receiving unit 48 are located behind the flow path forming unit 14L, and the light absorbing unit 56 is located above the flow path forming unit 14L.

[0037] Next, nozzle 11L comes to a stop over wafer W (time t2). Next, valve V1 of processing liquid supply pipe 12L is opened, and thinner is pumped from the pump toward nozzle 11L. As thinner is pumped, laser light is irradiated from light source 51 toward reflector 44, and this laser light is reflected by reflector 44 and directed upward as described in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, and reaction region 40 is formed in flow path forming section 14L (time t3). When a foreign object enters reaction region 40 formed in flow path forming section 14L, scattered light is generated, and this scattered light is irradiated to light receiving section 48 via detection optical system 47.

[0038] Meanwhile, the thinner pumped through the flow path 15 of the flow path forming portion 14L is discharged from the nozzle 11L to the center of the wafer W. When the opening of the valve V1 reaches a predetermined opening, the increase in the opening of the valve V1 stops (time t4). After that, when the liquid flow in the flow path 15 stabilizes, the counter 53 starts to acquire a signal from the light receiving portion 48, and foreign matter is detected. Next, the counter 53 stops acquiring the signal from the light receiving portion 48 (time t6), the light irradiation from the light source 51 stops, and the valve V1 of the processing liquid supply pipe 12L is closed (time t7), and the discharge of the thinner to the wafer W stops. The wafer W rotates, and the discharged thinner is spread by centrifugal force to the peripheral portion of the wafer W, thereby performing pre-wetting.

[0039] Next, the coating liquid stored in any one of the processing liquid supply units 13A to 13K is supplied to the wafer W. Here, it is assumed that the coating liquid from the processing liquid supply unit 13A is supplied to the wafer W. When the coating liquid from the processing liquid supply unit 13A is supplied to the wafer W in this manner, the nozzle 11A is positioned above the wafer W instead of the nozzle 11L, and instead of thinner being supplied to the nozzle from the processing liquid supply unit 13L, the coating liquid is supplied to the nozzle from the processing liquid supply unit 13A. Also, instead of the valve V1 of the processing liquid supply pipe 12L, the valve V1 of the processing liquid supply pipe 12A opens and closes. Furthermore, each part constituting the optical path forming unit 4 moves to a position corresponding to the flow path forming unit 14A instead of moving to a position corresponding to the flow path forming unit 14L, and an optical path is formed in the flow path forming unit 14A.

[0040] Except for these differences, each unit operates according to the timing chart of Fig. 8 in the same manner as when thinner is supplied to the wafer W. Thus, detection of foreign matter in the coating liquid is performed in parallel with the supply of the coating liquid to the wafer W. Then, the coating liquid supplied to the wafer W by the rotation of the wafer W is spin-coated on the surface of the wafer W to form an SOC film. Thereafter, the wafer W is transported from the spin chuck 21 by the substrate transport mechanism.

[0041] Incidentally, problems with the prior art will be described before explaining why the light source 51 irradiates near-infrared light in the above-mentioned SOC coating apparatus 1. As described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, a device that optically detects foreign matter in a fluid by irradiating light into the fluid flow path is known. As the light to be irradiated onto the fluid in this way, it is considered to use visible light because it is visible and easy to handle.

[0042] However, the present applicant has confirmed that when performing detection by irradiating visible light in this manner, there is a risk that foreign matter cannot be detected with sufficient accuracy for colored liquids such as the above-mentioned coating liquid. This is because visible light is absorbed by colored liquids, i.e., liquids with relatively high light absorption. To explain in more detail, if detection is performed by irradiating visible light to the flow path forming portion 14 in the SOC coating device 1, the visible light is absorbed by the coating liquid for forming the SOC film. As a result, there is a risk that the intensity of the scattered light generated in the flow path forming portion 14 will also be weakened, resulting in a decrease in detection accuracy.

[0043] Therefore, in the SOC coating device 1, near-infrared rays are irradiated as described above. Although the experimental results will be shown later, the absorption of near-infrared rays is relatively low even if the liquid is colored. Therefore, in the SOC coating device 1, when detecting foreign matter in the above-mentioned coating liquid, the intensity of the scattered light generated in the flow path forming part 14 is ensured, and foreign matter can be detected with high accuracy. Note that the thinner used in the SOC coating device 1 is colorless, but foreign matter can be detected in such a colorless liquid by irradiating near-infrared rays in the same way as in a colored liquid such as the coating liquid. Therefore, the SOC coating device 1 is configured to be able to detect foreign matter in more types of liquid. Note that the longer the wavelength of the laser light irradiated to the flow path forming part 14, the more the absorption by the liquid is suppressed, but since the intensity of the scattered light is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the wavelength of the excitation light, if the wavelength of the laser light is too long, the intensity of the scattered light is weakened, and the detection accuracy decreases. Therefore, it is preferable to use the near-infrared rays as the laser light, rather than using mid-infrared rays or the like that have a longer wavelength than the near-infrared rays.

[0044] Furthermore, the greater the amount of laser light absorbed by the liquid, the greater the amount of heat generated, which may cause damage to the inner surface of the flow path forming section 14. Suppressing absorption by the coating liquid by irradiating near-infrared light as the laser light as described above can suppress the heat generation and prevent damage to the flow path forming section 14. Furthermore, suppressing the heat generation can prevent deterioration of the coating liquid.

[0045] In addition, a light absorbing section 56 is provided at a position facing the reflecting section 44 across the flow path forming section 14. This prevents the laser light transmitted through the flow path forming section 14 from being irradiated onto the wall surface of the housing 31 and the reflected light from being incident on the light receiving section 48, thereby further reducing noise in the output signal of the light receiving section 48 and improving the detection accuracy of foreign matter. The light absorbing section 56 may be provided for each flow path forming section 14 in the housing 31, but it is preferable to configure the light absorbing section 56 to move along the row of flow path forming sections 14 as described above and to be shared by each flow path forming section 14, since this configuration reduces manufacturing costs. Instead of providing the light absorbing section 56, for example, the ceiling surface of the housing 31 (the lower surface of the upper cover 33) may be configured to absorb laser light. Specifically, the ceiling surface may be configured to be coated with a paint that absorbs laser light. In this case, in order to prevent the temperature of the upper cover 33 that absorbs light from increasing, the upper cover 33 may be provided with, for example, heat dissipation fins that protrude to the outside of the housing 31 as a cooling member.

[0046] Incidentally, the housing 31 may be laid on its side or upside down. That is, the positions of the various parts with respect to the flow path forming part 14 are not limited to the above positions. Specifically, the light receiving part 48 may be positioned vertically and the reflecting part 44 may be positioned horizontally with respect to the flow path forming part 14, or the flow path forming parts 14 may be arranged vertically.

[0047] Furthermore, when detecting foreign matter by receiving scattered light, the positional relationship between the flow path forming section 14, the light projecting section, and the light receiving section 48 is not limited to the specific example shown in each figure. With reference to FIG. 9 showing three-dimensional coordinates, this positional relationship will be explained in more detail. The origin of the coordinate axes in FIG. 9 is the above-mentioned reaction area 40 formed in the flow path 15 of the flow path forming section 14. Therefore, the axial direction of the X-axis of the coordinates indicates the left and right as seen from the reaction area 40, the axial direction of the Y-axis indicates the front and rear as seen from the reaction area 40, and the axial direction of the Z-axis indicates the upper and lower as seen from the reaction area 40. As described above, the light projecting section and the light receiving section 48 are provided in areas that do not face each other among the areas above, below, left, right, front and rear with respect to the flow path forming section 14. That is, when light is irradiated from the reflecting section 44, which is the light projecting section, toward this reaction area 40 to form an optical axis L, the light receiving section 48 is not provided in the extension direction of this optical axis L that passes through the origin.

[0048] Since the light receiving section 48 is not provided in this way, it is possible to prevent the foreign body detection unit 2 from becoming large due to the configuration in which the light projecting section and the light receiving section sandwich the flow path forming section as described above. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the optical axis L (indicated by a dashed arrow) is formed by the reflecting section 44 along the Z axis. Therefore, it is sufficient that the light receiving section 48 is not provided on this Z axis. Similarly, for example, when the optical axis L is formed by the reflecting section 44 along the X axis, the light receiving section 48 is not provided on this X axis. Note that in the explanation of FIG. 10, the light projecting section is described as the reflecting section 44, but the light projecting section here is a member that projects light so as to determine the direction of the optical path that ultimately leads to the reaction region. Therefore, for example, the light source 51 may be mounted on the slide table 41, and the light source 51 may directly irradiate and project laser light onto the flow path forming section 14 without passing through the reflecting section 44, in which case the light projecting section is the light source 51.

[0049] In addition, the position of irradiation of the laser light on the flow path forming part 14 is not limited to the example described above. However, if the flow path direction of the treatment liquid in the reaction area 40 formed by irradiation of the laser light and this irradiation direction are parallel, the light will continue to be irradiated onto the foreign matter flowing through the flow path and accurate detection will not be possible, so the light is irradiated so that these directions are not parallel but intersect with each other. Note that the intersecting here includes both perpendicular and diagonal bracing. In the configuration example described above, the treatment liquid is supplied from the bottom to the top in the flow path forming part 14, but the supply direction is not limited to this.

[0050] Another example of the configuration of the flow path forming part 14 is shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11, which are a vertical side view and a rear view of the flow path forming part 14, respectively. In this example, as in the example described in Fig. 3, the flow path 15 of the flow path forming part 14 is composed of a first flow path 16, a second flow path 17, and a third flow path 18. The lower end of this flow path 15 protrudes backward to form a spherical lens part 19 that bulges to form a convex lens shape when viewed from the second flow path 17. In addition, intersections 201 and 202 where partial flow paths constituting the flow path 15 intersect with each other are configured to have a curvature. More specifically, in the example shown in Fig. 11, the left and right corners of the upper end and lower end of the second flow path 17 viewed toward the front are rounded, so that the upper end and lower end are approximately semicircular, and are formed as intersections 201 and 202 having the curvature described above.

[0051] The intersections 201 and 202 having such curvature are provided in order to prevent the flow of the processing liquid from stagnating at the bent portion of the flow path 15. If foreign matter is retained in the reaction region 40 due to the stagnation, there is a risk of particles being generated due to the retention, but by providing the intersections 201 and 202, it is possible to more reliably prevent such a problem from occurring. In addition, the lower end of the rear end surface of the flow path forming portion 14 protrudes backward to form a convex lens portion 27. The center of the intersection 19 and the center of the convex lens portion 27 are aligned with each other when viewed from the front and rear. The convex lens portion 27 and the spherical lens portion 19 are provided in order to more reliably guide the side scattered light irradiated from the reaction region 40 to the detection optical system 47 and improve the detection accuracy.

[0052] However, the laser light irradiated to the flow path forming portion 14 is, for example, near infrared light with a wavelength of 940 nm, and therefore cannot be seen with the naked eye. Therefore, a mechanism for detecting whether the laser light is irradiated normally or not may be provided, so that the irradiation position of the laser light in the flow path forming portion 14 and the inclination of the laser light can be easily adjusted. FIG. 12 shows a configuration example of a foreign body detection unit 2 equipped with such a mechanism, and the differences from the configuration described in FIG. 3 and the like will be mainly described. In the configuration example of FIG. 12, a half mirror 58 is provided as a rear-stage side optical path forming portion above the row of flow path forming portions 14, and is fixed to an arm 57 via a support portion not shown. In addition, a camera 59 capable of capturing near infrared light is fixed to the arm 57. Therefore, the half mirror 58 and the camera 59 can be moved along the row of flow path forming portions 14 together with the light receiving portion 48 and the like by the moving mechanism 4.

[0053] The laser light transmitted through the reaction region 40 of the flow path forming section 14 is guided to the light absorbing section 56 and the camera 59 by the half mirror 58. When the laser light is irradiated, an image is captured by the camera 59, and image data is acquired. The user of the device determines whether or not there is an abnormality based on the position of the laser light in the image (i.e., the position of the laser light in the field of view of the camera), and if there is an abnormality, adjusts each part constituting the light path forming section 4. The image data acquired by the camera 59 is transmitted to the control section 100, and the control section 100 determines whether or not there is an abnormality based on the image data, and the user may be notified of the abnormality by an alarm or other notifier connected to the control section 100.

[0054] The camera 59 can be placed at any position where the light guided to the camera 59 is unlikely to be affected by the measurement of foreign matter, and a member for forming an optical path is provided according to the position. In other words, the position of the camera 59 is not limited to the above-mentioned position, and the member for guiding light to the camera 59 is not limited to the half mirror 58. The transmitted light detection unit is not limited to being composed of the camera 59, and for example, a large number of light receiving elements may be arranged in a row instead of the camera 59, and information on the position of the laser light may be obtained by detecting which light receiving element outputs a detection signal when the flow path forming unit 14 is irradiated. Note that the light absorbing unit 56 may not be provided, and all of the transmitted light from the flow path forming unit 14 may be directed toward the camera 59.

[0055] When the reaction area 40 is irradiated with laser light, scattered light is generated from each of the foreign matter P and the liquid flowing through the reaction area 40. More specifically, scattered light is also generated from the solvents constituting the above-mentioned coating liquids and the polymers dissolved in the solvents. If the intensity of the scattered light generated from the components of the coating liquid is high, the difference between the signal level of the foreign matter P and the signal level of the liquid becomes small. In other words, the signal-to-noise ratio becomes small, and there is a risk of the sensitivity to the foreign matter P decreasing. The configuration example shown in FIG. 13 suppresses the influence of scattered light from the components of the coating liquid.

[0056] Regarding the configuration example in Fig. 13, differences from the configuration described in Fig. 3 and the like will be mainly described. According to the configuration in Fig. 13, a plurality of light receiving parts 48 are arranged in an area irradiated with light by the detection optical system 47. The detection optical system 47 is configured such that the scattered light generated from the foreign matter P in the reaction area 40 is selectively collected on one of the light receiving parts 48 (shown as 481 in the figure) by a lens 470 constituting the detection optical system 47, and the scattered light from the liquid in the flow channel 15 is irradiated to each light receiving element. The light receiving parts other than the light receiving part 481 are shown as 482.

[0057] The control unit 100 detects the foreign matter P based on the time series data of the signal level acquired by the light receiving unit 481. The control unit 100, which is a foreign matter detection unit, calculates the difference between the time series data of the signal level acquired from the light receiving unit 481 and the time series data of the signal level acquired from, for example, any one of the light receiving units 482, and detects the foreign matter P based on the time series data of the obtained difference. The time series data of the difference is free of the influence of scattered light due to the constituents of the coating liquid, so that the SN ratio is high and the foreign matter P can be detected with high accuracy. Note that the time series data from each light receiving unit 48 is not limited to the detection of the foreign matter P by performing the above-mentioned comparison operation. For example, the time series data of the light receiving unit 482 may be subjected to FFT (fast Fourier transform) to identify the waveform of the frequency component caused by the polymer, and then the waveform of the frequency component may be compared with the waveform of the signal level for one of the light receiving units 481 to detect the foreign matter P. The time series data of the signal level acquired from the light receiving unit 48 in this way may be processed (data processed) as desired and used.

[0058] With regard to yet another configuration example of the foreign object detection unit 2, differences from the configuration of Fig. 3 etc. will be described with reference to Fig. 14. In the configuration example of Fig. 14, a spectroscope 403 is provided, and the optical path of the scattered light emitted from the flow path forming part 14 is branched to the light receiving part 28 and the spectroscope 403. A half mirror 401 is provided in the detection optical system 47, and part of the scattered light passes through the half mirror 401 and is irradiated onto the light receiving part 48, while another part of the scattered light is reflected by the half mirror 401 and enters an optical fiber 402 and is guided to the spectroscope 403, and a spectrum is obtained. The half mirror 401 and the optical fiber 402 form a branched optical path forming part.

[0059] For example, when the concentration of the coating liquid flowing through the flow path forming unit 14 falls outside the reference range, the acquired spectrum also changes. Therefore, by monitoring the spectrum, it is possible to monitor the presence or absence of an abnormality in the concentration. In addition, for example, it is assumed that the flow path upstream of the flow path forming unit 14 is branched, and the liquid supplied to the flow path forming unit 14 is freely switched between the coating liquid for forming the SOC film and another processing liquid. In such a configuration, it is possible to monitor whether the switching of the liquid is performed normally by monitoring the spectrum. These spectra may be monitored by a user, or, for example, the spectrum data may be transmitted from the spectroscope 403 to the control unit 100, and the control unit 100 may compare the spectrum data with the reference spectrum data to determine the presence or absence of an abnormality.

[0060] Incidentally, the foreign object detection unit 2 may be configured to selectively irradiate the flow path forming section 14 with a first light and a second light, at least one of which is near-infrared light, with the first light and the second light having different wavelengths. FIG. 15 shows an example of such a configuration. In this example, a set (first measurement set) 400A of a laser light source 51, an illumination optical system 52, and an optical path forming section 4, and a set (second measurement set) 400B of a laser light source 51, an illumination optical system 52, and an optical path forming section 4 are provided for the flow path forming sections 14A to 14L. Hereinafter, each component belonging to the first measurement set 400A will be indicated by adding "A" after the numeral sign, and each component belonging to the second measurement set 400B will be indicated by adding "B" after the numeral sign.

[0061] The light source 51A is configured in the same manner as the light source 51 described in FIG. 3 and the like, and emits a laser beam having a wavelength of 940 nm. The light source 51B emits visible light having a wavelength of, for example, 532 nm as a laser beam. The light source 51A and the illumination optical system 52A are provided on one end side of the guide rail 42, and the light source 51B and the illumination optical system 52B are provided on the other end side of the guide rail 42, and the light sources 51A and 51B emit laser beams in opposite directions. The moving mechanism 43 moves the optical path forming part 4A of the first measurement set 400A and the optical path forming part 4B of the second measurement set 400B independently in the column direction of the flow path forming part 14. The anti-reflection film 9 and the BPF 49 provided on the optical path forming part 4A and the anti-reflection film 9 and the BPF 49 provided on the optical path forming part 4B correspond to the wavelength of the laser beam of the light source 51A and the wavelength of the laser beam of the light source 51B, respectively.

[0062] Each flow path forming section 14 in FIG. 15 is supplied with liquid from the upstream side, for example, either a transparent resist or a coating liquid for forming an SOC film, and the liquid to be supplied can be freely switched. The first measurement set 400A is a set for detecting foreign matter in the coating liquid, and the second measurement set 400B is a set for detecting foreign matter in the resist. Then, depending on the type of liquid supplied to the flow path forming section 14 in which foreign matter is to be detected, the optical path forming section 4A and the optical path forming section 4B move to a position where the above-mentioned measurement of foreign matter is performed, and the measurement is performed. Note that, for example, while one of the optical path forming section 4A and the optical path forming section 4B moves along the row of the flow path forming sections 14, the other waits at a position off to the left or right of the row of the flow path forming sections 14 so as not to interfere with the movement. The waiting position of the optical path forming section 4B is shown by a dotted line in the figure, and the state in which the optical path forming section 4A waits at the waiting position is shown.

[0063] As described above, the resist used in this embodiment is transparent, and therefore has low absorption of the laser light even if the wavelength of the irradiated laser light is low. Furthermore, if the wavelength is low, the intensity of the scattered light can be increased, and the accuracy of foreign matter detection can be improved. In other words, according to this embodiment, the wavelength of the irradiated laser light is changed depending on the type of liquid, so that the accuracy of foreign matter detection can be improved for both the coating liquid and the resist.

[0064] As described later, a common foreign matter detection unit 2 may be provided for a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses that use different chemicals. In that case, substrate processing may be performed in parallel in each substrate processing apparatus. However, even in such a case, by providing a plurality of measurement sets as shown in FIG. 15, detection can be performed independently for one flow path forming portion 14 and another flow path forming portion 14. Therefore, in the foreign matter detection unit 2, foreign matter can be detected by irradiating light simultaneously to two flow path forming portions 14. Also, light can be irradiated continuously between the two flow path forming portions 14, that is, light irradiation to one flow path forming portion 14 can be stopped and light irradiation to the other flow path forming portion 14 can be started at the same time, so that foreign matter can be detected in each flow path forming portion 14. It is to be noted that three or more measurement sets may be provided.

[0065] Further, a foreign object detection unit 2 having another configuration will be described. This foreign object detection unit 2 is configured to be able to detect foreign objects in both the coating liquid and the resist, similar to the configuration described in FIG. 15. The light source 51 in this foreign object detection unit 2 is configured as a variable wavelength light source capable of changing the wavelength of the laser light, and irradiates laser light of the wavelengths described above when detecting foreign objects in the coating liquid and when detecting foreign objects in the resist. As in FIG. 3 and the like, only one optical path forming section 4 and one illumination optical system 52 are provided. The anti-reflection films 9 provided in the optical path forming section 4, the illumination optical system 52, and the flow path forming section 15 are to be used that correspond to a relatively wide wavelength band.

[0066] In this embodiment, the BPF 49 includes a first BPF 49A corresponding to the laser light when detecting foreign matter in the coating liquid, and a second BPF 49B corresponding to the laser light when detecting foreign matter in the resist, and is configured to be used by switching between them. The first BPF 49A and the second BPF 49B overlap the light receiving area of ​​the light receiving unit 48 as shown in FIG. 16, and are arranged side by side in the left-right direction (the direction along the row of the flow path forming units 14A to 14L). As in each of the above-mentioned examples, the relative positions of the light receiving unit 48 and the detection optical system 47 are fixed. That is, the first BPF 49A and the second BPF 49B are moved together with the light receiving unit 48 by the moving mechanism 43.

[0067] The first BPF 49A has the same configuration as the BPF 49 provided in the foreign object detection unit 2 described with reference to FIG. 3 and the like. The passband of the second BPF 49B is different from that of the first BPF 49A and includes 532 nm, which is the wavelength of the laser light used to detect foreign objects in the resist. In other words, the second BPF 49B is configured to pass Rayleigh scattered light. For example, the second BPF 49B is a narrow-band filter with a full width at half maximum of 10 nm or less, and its central wavelength is the same as the wavelength of the laser light used to detect foreign objects in the resist, i.e., 532 nm.

[0068] By providing the first BPF 49A and the second BPF 49B as described above, the light receiving unit 48 receives the scattered light at one or the other of the left and right sides. A specific description will be given with reference to Figs. 17 and 18. When a laser light having a wavelength of 940 nm is used to detect foreign matter in a coating liquid, the detection optical system 47 and the light receiving unit 48 are positioned so that the first BPF 49A is located behind the flow path forming unit 14 where the detection is performed, as shown in Fig. 17. As a result, the scattered light generated in the flow path forming unit 14 passes through the first BPF 49A and is irradiated to the right side of the light receiving unit 48 for detection. When a laser light having a wavelength of 532 nm is used to detect foreign matter in a resist, the detection optical system 47 and the light receiving unit 48 are positioned so that the second BPF 49B is located behind the flow path forming unit 14 where the detection is performed, as shown in Fig. 18. As a result, the scattered light generated in the flow path forming unit 14 passes through the second BPF 49B and is irradiated to the left side of the light receiving unit 48 for detection.

[0069] In addition, in the foreign matter detection unit 2, the irradiation position of the laser light in the flow channel forming section 14, i.e., the position of the reaction region 40, also moves with the movement of the detection optical system 47 and the light receiving section 48. In other words, the positional relationship between the reaction region 40, the detection optical system 47, and the light receiving section 48 does not change. For this reason, the flow channel forming section 14 is configured as a lens that collects and irradiates the scattered light generated in the reaction region 40. Then, for example, the flow channel forming section 14 is designed so that, depending on the movement of the position of the reaction region 40 in the flow channel forming section 14, whether the scattered light is collected and irradiated on the first BPF 49A side or the second BPF 49B side changes.

[0070] In the embodiment shown in Figs. 16 to 18, when the first BPF 49A and the second BPF 49B are switched to detect foreign matter in different types of liquids, the movement mechanism 43 that moves each component of the optical path forming unit 4 is used as a filter switching mechanism. In other words, even if a dedicated mechanism for switching filters is not provided, the switching is performed by moving the relative positions of the flow path forming unit 14 and the first and second BPFs 49A and 49B using the movement mechanism 43 (first relative position movement mechanism). By eliminating the need for a dedicated mechanism for switching in this way, it is possible to suppress the manufacturing cost of the device and reduce the maintenance work. However, a dedicated movement mechanism for moving the relative positions may be provided.

[0071] When a liquid is irradiated with a laser beam, the intensity of the scattered light generated from the particles is theoretically proportional to the sixth power of the particle diameter. Therefore, when the difference in size of the particles contained in the liquid is large, the level of the detection signal output from the light receiving unit 48 changes greatly. However, the counting unit 53 that receives the signal from the light receiving unit 48 has a fixed range of measurable signal levels, and when the signal level falls outside this measurable range, it is necessary to provide an amplifier or attenuator to adjust the signal level input to the counting unit 53 to the measurable range. When the difference in the intensity of the scattered light is too large, it is necessary to provide a plurality of amplifiers and attenuators for adjusting the detection signal to the measurable range of the counting unit 53 for each range of the intensity of the scattered light, which may result in an increase in the size of the circuitry incorporated in the foreign object detection unit 2.

[0072] In order to prevent such an increase in circuit scale, the example shown in Fig. 19 is configured such that first to third neutral density filters 491 to 493 with different light attenuation rates are provided so as to overlap the light receiving unit 48, and the neutral density filters 491 to 493 through which scattered light toward the light receiving unit 48 passes are switched according to the size of the particle to be detected. More specifically, instead of the first and second BPFs 49A and 49B shown in Figs. 16 to 18, first to third neutral density filters 491 to 493 are provided and arranged in order from left to right. Regarding the light attenuation rate, the first neutral density filter 491<the second neutral density filter 492<the third neutral density filter 493.

[0073] When detecting a large particle of foreign matter P, scattered light with high intensity is emitted, and therefore the third light-attenuating filter 493 is positioned behind the flow path forming section 14 where the measurement is performed so that the scattered light passes through the third light-attenuating filter 493 (FIG. 20). When detecting a medium-sized particle of foreign matter P, scattered light with medium intensity is emitted, and therefore the third light-attenuating filter 492 is positioned behind the flow path forming section 14 where the measurement is performed so that the scattered light passes through the second light-attenuating filter 492 (FIG. 21). When detecting a small particle of foreign matter P, scattered light with low intensity is emitted, and therefore the first light-attenuating filter 491 is positioned behind the flow path forming section 14 where the measurement is performed so that the scattered light passes through the first light-attenuating filter 491 (FIG. 22).

[0074] In this way, the light-attenuating filters 491-493 through which the scattered light generated from the foreign object P passes are switched according to the size of the foreign object P to be detected. In other words, the attenuation rate of the scattered light is switched. This causes the signal level of the foreign object to be detected to fall within the measurable range of the counting unit 53 described above. Therefore, as described above, it is possible to suppress an increase in the circuit scale.

[0075] The device of the embodiment described in Figures 19 to 21 may measure the scattered light passing through each of the neutral density filters 491 to 493 and detect foreign matter P from small to large, or the size of the target foreign matter P may be determined and measurement may be performed by passing the scattered light only through the neutral density filters 491 to 493 corresponding to the size of the foreign matter P.

[0076] In this embodiment, when switching the neutral density filter to be used, a movement mechanism 43 that moves each component of the optical path forming section 4 is used as a filter switching mechanism. Therefore, even if a mechanism dedicated to switching filters is not provided, the relative positions of the flow path forming section 14 and the neutral density filters 491 to 493 are moved by the movement mechanism 43 (second relative position movement mechanism), and this switching is performed. By thus eliminating the need for a mechanism dedicated to switching, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing costs of the device and the maintenance work. However, a mechanism dedicated to switching may be provided.

[0077] Although an example in which a neutral density filter is provided to cover the entire light receiving unit 48 has been shown, a configuration in which only a portion of the light receiving unit 48 is covered and switching is made between receiving and detecting light that has passed through the neutral density filter and detecting light that has not passed through the neutral density filter. In addition, in combination with the embodiment shown in Figs. 16 to 18, a bandpass filter and a neutral density filter may be provided overlapping the light receiving unit 48.

[0078] 19 to 22, the configuration for switching the neutral density filters 491 to 493 that transmit scattered light may be applied to the foreign object detection unit 2 that uses laser light of a wavelength other than near-infrared light. In such a device, the range of the detection signal detected by the light receiving unit 48 can be narrowed. Therefore, the number of amplifiers and attenuators that match the detection signal to the measurement range of the counting unit 53 can be reduced, and the increase in circuit scale described above can be suppressed. Even when the neutral density filters are provided in this manner, the flow path forming section 14 is configured in the same manner as when the BPFs 49A and 49B are provided. That is, the flow path forming section 14 is configured so that the irradiation direction of the collected light changes depending on the position of the reaction region 40.

[0079] 15 to 22, the liquid supplied to the flow path forming portion 14 is switched between the coating liquid and the resist liquid, but the present invention is not limited to such switching. For example, the coating liquid is supplied to some of the flow path forming portions 14, and the resist liquid is supplied to the other flow path forming portions 14. The wavelength, BPF, etc. of the laser light to be used may be selected according to the flow path forming portion 14.

[0080] Although the configuration example for detecting foreign objects using scattered light has been described, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and foreign objects may be detected using transmitted light. In this case, the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged opposite each other with the flow path forming unit 14 in between, and the laser light transmitted through the flow path forming unit 14 (i.e., the light emitted from the flow path forming unit 14 when light is irradiated onto the flow path forming unit 14) is received, and foreign objects are detected based on the transmitted light.

[0081] Next, a coating / developing apparatus 7, which is an example of a substrate processing system including the SOC coating apparatus 1, will be described with reference to the plan view of FIG. 23 and the vertical cross-sectional side view of FIG. 24. The coating / developing apparatus 7 forms an SOC film by applying a coating liquid to the surface of the wafer W, forms a resist film by applying a resist, and forms a resist pattern by developing the resist film after exposure. The apparatus is configured by connecting a carrier block B1, an inspection block B2, a multipurpose block B3, a processing block B4, and an interface block B5 in a horizontal linear manner. Each of these blocks B1 to B5 has a housing and is separated from each other. In the figure, B6 is an exposure apparatus, which is connected to the interface block B5.

[0082] Wafers W in carriers C placed on mounting tables 71 of carrier block B1 are transferred between carriers C and inspection block B2 by a transport mechanism 73. In the figure, 72 denotes an opening / closing section that opens and closes a partition of carrier block B1 and a lid of carrier C. Inspection block B2 includes an inspection module 74 that inspects wafers W after resist patterns are formed thereon, and a transfer module TRS for transferring wafers W between multipurpose block B3 and processing block B4.

[0083] The multipurpose block B3 includes a number of transfer modules TRS for transferring wafers W between each of the unit blocks E1-E6 constituting the processing block B4 and the inspection block B2. These transfer modules TRS are stacked on top of each other to form a tower T1. A transfer mechanism 70 that can be raised and lowered is provided to transfer wafers W to and from each module constituting the tower T1.

[0084] The processing block B4 is configured by stacking unit blocks E1 to E6 in order from the bottom, which perform liquid processing on the wafer W, and the unit blocks E1 to E6 transfer and process the wafer W in parallel with each other. The unit blocks E1 and E2, E3 and E4, and E5 and E6 are configured similarly to each other. FIG. 23 shows the unit block E1, and the unit block E1 will be described as a representative. The unit block E1 is provided with a transfer area 76 that extends from the multipurpose block B3 side to the interface block B5 side. In this transfer area 76, a transfer mechanism F1 that transfers the wafer W to each module constituting the tower T1 and each module constituting the processing block B4 is provided. When viewed in the length direction of the transfer area 76, a heating module 79 is provided on one of the left and right sides, and installation areas 77 and 78 of the SOC coating device 1 are provided on the other left and right sides. Note that the left and right in this case do not necessarily match the left and right used in the description of the foreign object detection unit 2.

[0085] The installation areas 77 and 78 are arranged along the length of the transfer area 76. The installation areas 77 and 78 are respectively provided with the above-mentioned two cups 23, two spin chucks 21, the arm 24 supporting the nozzles 11A to 11L, the moving mechanism 25, and the housing 31 constituting the foreign matter detection unit 2. That is, the unit block E1 is provided with a plurality of pairs of a substrate placement part and a nozzle. The above-mentioned cups 23 are arranged in a row along the length of the transfer area 76. The housing 31 is provided on the opposite side of the transfer area 76 as viewed from the row of cups 23. The processing liquid supply pipes 12A to 12L and processing liquid supply units 13A to 13L connected to the nozzles 11A to 11L are routed from the installation areas 77 and 78 to the multipurpose block B3 and are connected to a pump constituting the processing liquid supply unit 13 provided in the multipurpose block B3.

[0086] The unit blocks E3 and E4 are configured similarly to the unit blocks E1 and E2, except that a resist module that supplies resist to the installation areas 77 and 78 to form a resist film is installed in each of the unit blocks E3 and E4. The resist module (resist coating device) is configured similarly to the SOC coating device 1, except that it supplies resist liquid to the wafer W, and that the wavelength of the inspection laser light corresponds to the resist liquid as described above. The unit blocks E5 and E6 are configured similarly to the unit blocks E1 and E2, except that a developer module that supplies developer to the installation areas 77 and 78 to perform development is installed in each of the unit blocks E5 and E6. In addition, in FIG. 24, the transport mechanisms in the unit blocks E2 to E6 that correspond to the transport mechanism F1 of the unit block E1 are shown as F2 to F6.

[0087] The interface block B5 includes towers T2, T3, and T4 that extend vertically across the unit blocks E1 to E6. The tower T2 includes transfer modules TRS provided at heights corresponding to the unit blocks E1 to E6, and the transfer mechanisms F1 to F6 transfer the wafer W to the transfer modules TRS at the corresponding heights. The interface block B5 also includes a transfer mechanism 81 that can be raised and lowered to transfer the wafer W between the towers T2 and T3, a transfer mechanism 82 that can be raised and lowered to transfer the wafer W between the towers T2 and T4, and a transfer mechanism 83 that can transfer the wafer W between the tower T2 and the exposure device B6. Modules provided in the towers T3 and T4 will not be described.

[0088] The following describes the transfer path of the wafer W in the coating and developing apparatus 7. The wafer W is transferred from the carrier C to a transfer module TRS in the inspection block B2 by a transfer mechanism 73, and then transferred to a transfer module TRS0 in the tower T1 in the multipurpose block B3 via a transfer mechanism 75. From here, the wafer W is sorted and transferred to unit blocks E1 and E2 by a transfer mechanism 70.

[0089] The assigned wafers W are transferred to the cups 23 of the SOC coating devices 1 of the unit blocks E1-E2 through the transfer modules TRS1-TRS2, and undergo pre-wetting and SOC coating processes. In parallel with these processes, the detection of foreign matter described with reference to FIG. 8 is performed. The wafers W are then transferred to the heating module 79 and heated, and then transferred to the transfer modules TRS3 and TRS4 of the tower T1, and are assigned to and transferred to the unit blocks E3 and E4. Then, in the resist module, the wafers W undergo pre-wetting and resist coating processes. In parallel with these processes, the detection of foreign matter described with reference to FIG. 8 is performed. The wafers W are then transferred to the heating module 79 and heated, and then transferred to the transfer modules TRS13 and TRS41 of the tower T2, and then transferred by the transfer mechanisms 82 and 83 to the exposure device B6 through the tower T2, where the resist film is exposed.

[0090] After the exposure, the wafer W is transferred between the towers T2 and T4 by the transfer mechanisms 83 and 82, and transferred to the transfer modules TRS51 and TRS61 of the tower T2 corresponding to the unit blocks E5 to E6, respectively. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the heating module 79 where a post-exposure bake is performed. The wafer W is then transferred to the developing module where a developer is supplied and a resist pattern is formed. The wafer W is then transferred to the transfer modules TRS4 to TRS6 of the tower T1 and the transfer mechanism 75 to the inspection module 74 of the inspection block B2, where it is inspected, and then returned to the carrier C via the transfer mechanism 73.

[0091] In the coating and developing apparatus 7, the housing 31 is provided near the cup 23. More specifically, the foreign matter detection unit 2 is provided in the same unit block E as the unit block E in which the cup 23 is provided. With this arrangement, the length of the flow path from the flow path forming parts 14A-14L to the nozzles 11A-11L can be made relatively short. Considering that foreign matter may be generated from the processing liquid supply pipes 12A-12L, the short length of the flow path reduces the difference in the amount of foreign matter between the flow path forming parts 14A-14L and the nozzles 11A-11L. Therefore, the cleanliness of the processing liquid supplied to the wafer W can be monitored with high accuracy.

[0092] However, each housing 31 is not limited to be installed near the cup 23 of the unit blocks E1 to E3, and may be installed in the inspection block B2 or the multipurpose block B3, which are relatively far away from the cup 23. 85 and 86 in FIG. 23 show an example of a housing installation area in the inspection block B2 and the multipurpose block B3, and for example, a plurality of housings 31 can be installed in these housing installation areas 85 or 86. That is, the foreign object detection unit 2 can be installed in a block partitioned from the carrier block B1 and the processing block B4, and the processing liquid can be supplied to the nozzles 11A to 11L of each unit block E1 to E4 from the flow path forming part 14 of the foreign object detection unit 2 thus arranged. In order to reduce the occupied space, each housing 31 installed in the housing installation areas 85 and 86 is, for example, stacked on top of each other.

[0093] In the above example, foreign matter detection is performed for all the processing liquids discharged from the nozzles 11A-11L, but the detection is not limited to all the processing liquids, and detection may be performed only for processing liquids that require high cleanliness. Fig. 25 shows a configuration example in which foreign matter detection is performed only for the flow path forming portion 14A connected to the nozzle 11A of the SOC coating device 1 provided in the installation areas 77, 78 of the unit blocks E1-E2 and the resist coating device provided in the installation areas 77, 78 of the unit blocks E3-E4.

[0094] The housing 31 shown in FIG. 25 is provided in, for example, the housing installation area 85 or 86. Instead of storing the flow path forming parts 14A-14L in the housing 31, the flow path forming part 14A corresponding to the nozzle 11A provided in each installation area 77, 78 is stored. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 25, four SOC coating devices 1 and four resist coating devices share one foreign matter detection unit 2. The foreign matter detection unit 2 according to the present disclosure can detect foreign matter in many processing liquids and can be shared by the SOC coating devices 1 and the resist coating devices. With such a configuration, the manufacturing cost and the operating cost of the coating and developing device 7 can be reduced.

[0095] In this way, when the foreign matter detection unit 2 is shared between the equipment 1 using different processing liquids, for example, the SOC coating equipment 1 and the resist coating equipment, the processing of the SOC coating equipment 1 and the resist coating equipment may be performed in parallel. For this reason, it is effective to provide a configuration with multiple measurement sets as described in FIG.

[0096] The processing liquid to be inspected for foreign substances may be, for example, a developing liquid, a cleaning liquid for cleaning the wafer W, a chemical liquid for forming an anti-reflection film, a chemical liquid for forming an insulating film, an adhesive for bonding the wafer W, etc. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus may be a developing apparatus, a cleaning apparatus, etc.

[0097] In addition, the processing liquid supply pipes 12A-12K are configured to supply, for example, a coating liquid and a cleaning liquid from the upstream side in a switching manner, and the thinner is discharged from the nozzle 11 to a location other than the wafer W. The thinner is a cleaning liquid for the processing liquid supply pipes 12A-12K, and the cleaning liquid may be detected for foreign matter while flowing through the processing liquid supply pipes 12A-12K in the same manner as the coating liquid. When detecting foreign matter in the cleaning liquid, cleaning can be terminated at an appropriate timing based on the detection result, and the processing liquid used for cleaning can be prevented from being wasted. The cleaning of the processing liquid supply pipes 12A-12K may be automatically performed based on the detection result of foreign matter in the coating liquid. In this way, the present disclosure can be applied to a case where foreign matter in a liquid flowing through a flow path through which the processing liquid flows is detected, and is not limited to detecting foreign matter contained in the processing liquid supplied to the wafer W.

[0098] Also, for example, in a developing device, a gas nozzle may be provided to supply an inert gas to the wafer W in order to dry the wafer W after development. Then, the above-mentioned foreign matter may be detected in a flow path connected to the upstream side of the gas nozzle. In other words, the detection of foreign matter performed by this technology is not limited to liquid, and may be detection of foreign matter that is a gas.

[0099] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be 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.

[0100] [Verification test] In order to detect the effect of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, Sample 1 and Sample 2, which are coating solutions for forming SOC films with different components, were irradiated with laser light having wavelengths of 670 nm, 830 nm, and 940 nm, respectively, and the transmittance (transmittance = (amount of incident light - absorption loss - scattering loss) / amount of incident light) was measured. Each sample was colored.

[0101] FIG. 26 shows the results, and the values ​​on the vertical axis show the transmittance values ​​measured in each of Samples 1 and 2 as a percentage of the transmittance value of the thinner measured with laser light of the same wavelength. As shown in the graph, the transmittance exceeded 90% in Samples 1 and 2 when the wavelengths were 830 nm and 940 nm. In addition, in order to detect foreign matter in a liquid, it is preferable that the transmittance of the chemical solution is 90% or more relative to the transmittance of the thinner, and the graph confirms that the transmittance is 90% or more for both Samples 1 and 2 at wavelengths of 750 nm or more. Since it is clearly shown that the transmittance is 90% or more at 830 nm, it is preferable to set the wavelength to 750 nm or more, and more preferably 830 nm or more. Therefore, as mentioned above, it has been shown that it is preferable to irradiate the liquid with near-infrared light when performing the measurement.

[0102] In addition, we investigated the damage to the flow paths through which Samples 1 and 2 flowed when laser light of each wavelength was irradiated onto Samples 1 and 2, and the presence or absence of fluorescence when laser light was irradiated onto Samples 1 and 2. Confirmation of damage to the flow paths and fluorescence serves as an index of the tendency of laser light absorption in the samples.

[0103] In both samples 1 and 2, no damage to the flow path was observed when laser light of any wavelength was irradiated. In addition, in both samples 1 and 2, fluorescence was observed when laser light of 670 nm wavelength was irradiated. In other words, absorption of the laser light occurred. Furthermore, fluorescence was observed in both samples 1 and 2 with laser light of 830 nm wavelength, but in sample 1, fluorescence was very slight, and no fluorescence was observed in either sample 1 or 2 with laser light of 940 nm wavelength. Therefore, in view of the tendency of fluorescence and damage to the flow path, it is estimated that absorption by the coating liquid can be suppressed by using laser light of about 750 nm or more. It was also confirmed that a wavelength of 830 nm or more is more preferable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] W wafer 1 SOC Coating Equipment 12 Processing liquid supply pipe 2 Foreign object detection unit 14 Flow path forming section 44 Light projector 48 Light receiving section 53 Counting Department

Claims

1. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with The reflecting portion includes an anti-reflection film, The substrate processing apparatus is configured to irradiate the anti-reflection film with light from the light source.

2. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the flow path forming section is provided with an anti-reflection film through which light traveling from the reflecting section to the flow path forming section passes.

3. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the flow path forming section is provided with an anti-reflection film through which light reflected by the reflecting section and passing through the flow path forming section passes.

4. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with The substrate processing apparatus is provided with a camera that captures an image of the light reflected by the reflecting section and passing through the flow path forming section.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a control unit for determining an abnormality based on image data captured by the camera.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising an alarm that notifies an abnormality in accordance with the determination by the control unit.

7. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with the light projecting section and the light receiving section in the foreign object detection unit are provided in regions that do not face each other among upper, lower, left, right, front and rear regions based on the flow path forming section such that the light receiving section receives scattered light as light emitted from the flow path forming section, a downstream side optical path forming section is provided which forms an optical path for transmitted light that is transmitted through a reaction region in which light irradiated from the light projecting section is condensed in the flow channel forming section to generate the scattered light, The rear-stage optical path forming section is a substrate processing apparatus having an anti-reflection film.

8. 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the downstream optical path forming section guides the transmitted light to a transmitted light detecting section for detecting the transmitted light or to a light absorbing section for absorbing the transmitted light.

9. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light-receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being emitted from the flow path forming portion by a light-projecting unit that is a part of the supply path, and A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; a reflecting section that is provided in the upstream optical path forming section and serves as the light projecting section, and that reflects light from the light source; Equipped with the light projecting section and the light receiving section in the foreign object detection unit are provided in regions that do not face each other among upper, lower, left, right, front and rear regions based on the flow path forming section such that the light receiving section receives scattered light as light emitted from the flow path forming section, a light-receiving-side optical path forming section that guides the light emitted from the flow path forming section to the light-receiving section; The light receiving side optical path forming section includes a bandpass filter, and the passband of the bandpass filter includes a peak wavelength of the light irradiated from the light projecting section.

10. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming unit as a result of a light projecting unit forming near-infrared light toward the flow path forming unit that constitutes a part of the supply path and the light projected from the flow path forming unit is emitted from the flow path forming unit; A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; A substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a step of reflecting light from the light source by a reflecting section provided in the upstream-side optical path forming section, forming light directed toward the flow path forming section; a step of receiving light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being directed toward the flow path forming portion with a light receiving portion; detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained by receiving light by the light receiving unit; irradiating light from the light source toward an anti-reflection film provided on the reflection portion; A substrate processing method comprising:

11. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming unit as a result of a light projecting unit forming near-infrared light toward the flow path forming unit that constitutes a part of the supply path and the light projected from the flow path forming unit is emitted from the flow path forming unit; A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; A substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a step of reflecting light from the light source by a reflecting section provided in the upstream-side optical path forming section, forming light directed toward the flow path forming section; a step of receiving light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being directed toward the flow path forming portion with a light receiving portion; detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained by receiving light by the light receiving unit; a step of passing light from the reflecting portion toward the flow path forming portion through an anti-reflection film provided on the flow path forming portion; A substrate processing method comprising:

12. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming unit as a result of a light projecting unit forming near-infrared light toward the flow path forming unit that constitutes a part of the supply path and the light projected from the flow path forming unit is emitted from the flow path forming unit; A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; A substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a step of reflecting light from the light source by a reflecting section provided in the upstream-side optical path forming section, forming light directed toward the flow path forming section; a step of receiving light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being directed toward the flow path forming portion with a light receiving portion; detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained by receiving light by the light receiving unit; allowing the light reflected by the reflecting portion and passing through the flow path forming portion to pass through an anti-reflection film provided on the flow path forming portion.

13. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming unit as a result of a light projecting unit forming near-infrared light toward the flow path forming unit that constitutes a part of the supply path and the light projected from the flow path forming unit is emitted from the flow path forming unit; A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; A substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a step of reflecting light from the light source by a reflecting section provided in the upstream-side optical path forming section, forming light directed toward the flow path forming section; a step of receiving light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being directed toward the flow path forming portion with a light receiving portion; detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained by receiving light by the light receiving unit; capturing an image of the light reflected by the reflecting portion and passing through the flow path forming portion with a camera; A substrate processing method comprising:

14. The substrate processing method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of: determining, by a control unit, whether or not there is an abnormality based on image data captured by the camera.

15. The substrate processing method according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of: notifying an abnormality by an alarm in accordance with the determination by the control unit.

16. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming unit as a result of a light projecting unit forming near-infrared light toward the flow path forming unit that constitutes a part of the supply path and the light projected from the flow path forming unit is emitted from the flow path forming unit; A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; A substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a step of reflecting light from the light source by a reflecting section provided in the upstream-side optical path forming section, forming light directed toward the flow path forming section; a step of receiving light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being directed toward the flow path forming portion with a light receiving portion; detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained by receiving light by the light receiving unit; the light-projecting portion and the light-receiving portion of the foreign object detection unit are provided in regions that do not face each other among upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear regions based on the flow path forming portion, a step of causing the light receiving unit to receive scattered light as light emitted from the flow path forming unit; and passing the transmitted light, which is transmitted through a reaction region in the flow channel forming section where light irradiated from the light projecting section is condensed to generate the scattered light, through a rear-stage optical path forming section that forms an optical path for the transmitted light, The substrate processing method, wherein the step of passing the transmitted light through a rear-stage optical path forming portion includes the step of passing the transmitted light through an anti-reflection film provided on the rear-stage optical path forming portion.

17. 17. The substrate processing method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of guiding the transmitted light to a transmitted light detection section for detecting the transmitted light or to a light absorption section for absorbing the transmitted light by the downstream optical path formation section.

18. a supply path through which a liquid to be supplied to the substrate flows; a foreign object detection unit capable of detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained when a light receiving unit receives the light emitted from the flow path forming unit as a result of a light projecting unit forming near-infrared light toward the flow path forming unit that constitutes a part of the supply path and the light projected from the flow path forming unit is emitted from the flow path forming unit; A light source; a front-stage optical path forming unit that forms an optical path from the light source to the flow path forming unit; A substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a step of reflecting light from the light source by a reflecting section provided in the upstream-side optical path forming section, forming light directed toward the flow path forming section; a step of receiving light emitted from the flow path forming portion as a result of the light being directed toward the flow path forming portion with a light receiving portion; detecting a foreign object in the liquid based on a signal obtained by receiving light by the light receiving unit; the light-projecting portion and the light-receiving portion of the foreign object detection unit are provided in regions that do not face each other among upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear regions based on the flow path forming portion, a step of causing the light receiving unit to receive scattered light as light emitted from the flow path forming unit; and guiding the light emitted from the flow path forming portion to the light receiving portion via a light receiving side optical path forming portion, The substrate processing method includes a step of passing the light emitted from the flow path forming portion through a bandpass filter that is included in the light receiving side optical path forming portion and has a peak wavelength of the light irradiated from the light projecting portion as a passband.

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