Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment

Abstract

To correctly identify the size and shape of a substrate to avoid damage to a substrate holder and wasteful disposal of the substrate.SOLUTION: A semiconductor manufacturing device processes a rectangular substrate. The semiconductor manufacturing device includes: a pair of first sensors for measuring a first length along a first line of the rectangular substrate, and including a sensor configured to detect a position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the first line, and a sensor configured to detect a position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the first line; and a pair of second sensors for measuring a second length along a second line of the rectangular substrate, and including a sensor configured to detect a position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the second line, and a sensor configured to detect a position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the second line. Thereby, the semiconductor manufacturing device identifies size or a shape of the rectangular substrate on the basis of the first length and the second length.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Semiconductor manufacturing equipment handles a variety of substrates of different sizes, and it is necessary to use a substrate holder that matches the substrate size (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Combining an inappropriate substrate and substrate holder can damage the substrate holder or scratch the substrate, which can require the substrate to be discarded. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4846201 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is important to properly identify the size and shape of the substrate to avoid damage to the substrate holder and unnecessary waste of the substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] [Form 1] According to Form 1, there is provided a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing rectangular substrates, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: a first sensor pair for measuring a first length along a first line of the rectangular substrate, the first sensor pair consisting of a sensor configured to detect a position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the first line and a sensor configured to detect a position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the first line; a second sensor pair for measuring a second length along a second line of the rectangular substrate, the second sensor pair consisting of a sensor configured to detect the position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the second line and a sensor configured to detect the position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the second line; and one or more processors, the processor being configured to calculate the first length based on positions of the one end and the other end of the rectangular substrate on the first line detected by the first sensor pair, calculate the second length based on positions of the one end and the other end of the rectangular substrate on the second line detected by the second sensor pair, and identify a size or shape of the rectangular substrate based on the calculated first and second lengths.

[0006] [Mode 2] According to mode 2, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of mode 1, the first sensor pair and the second sensor pair are arranged so that the first line and the second line correspond to the horizontal and vertical directions of the rectangular substrate, respectively.

[0007] [Form 3] According to Form 3, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of Form 2 further includes a third sensor pair for measuring a third length along a third line parallel to the first or second line of the rectangular substrate, the third sensor pair consisting of a sensor configured to detect the position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the third line and a sensor configured to detect the position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the third line, and the processor is further configured to calculate the third length based on the positions of the one end and the other end of the rectangular substrate on the third line detected by the third sensor pair, and to identify a deviation of the shape of the rectangular substrate from a square or rectangle based on the calculated first or second length and the third length.

[0008] [Mode 4] According to mode 4, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of mode 1, the first sensor pair and the second sensor pair are arranged such that two diagonal lines of the rectangular substrate become the first line and the second line, respectively.

[0009] [Form 5] According to form 5, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of form 4, the processor is further configured to identify deviations of the shape of the rectangular substrate from a square or rectangle based on the calculated first length and second length.

[0010] [Form 6] According to Form 6, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of any one of Forms 1 to 3, the two sensors of each sensor pair each include a light-emitting unit that emits a band-shaped measurement light toward the rectangular substrate, and a light-receiving unit that receives a portion of the band-shaped measurement light, where the portion of the band-shaped measurement light is light that is not blocked by the rectangular substrate, and detection of each of the positions of the rectangular substrate is based on the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit of each sensor.

[0011] [Form 7] According to form 7, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of form 4 or 5, the two sensors each of the sensor pairs are cameras positioned to capture an image of one of the four corners of the rectangular substrate, the detection of the position by each of the sensors is detection of a vertex of the rectangular substrate based on edge detection in an image captured by each of the cameras, and the calculation of the first and second lengths is calculation of the length of a diagonal of the rectangular substrate based on the detected vertex.

[0012] [Form 8] According to form 8, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of any one of forms 1 to 7, a substrate holder for holding a rectangular substrate is further provided, the substrate holder accommodation section accommodating a plurality of types of substrate holders corresponding to rectangular substrates of different sizes or shapes, and the processor is further configured to select a substrate holder from the substrate holder accommodation section according to the identified size or shape of the rectangular substrate.

[0013] [Form 9] According to Form 9, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of any one of Forms 1 to 8, the sensor for detecting warpage of the rectangular substrate further comprises: a light-emitting unit that emits a band-shaped measurement light in a direction parallel to the rectangular substrate; and a light-receiving unit that receives a portion of the band-shaped measurement light, the portion of the band-shaped measurement light being light that is not blocked by the rectangular substrate; and the processor is further configured to identify warpage of the rectangular substrate based on the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit of the sensor.

[0014] [Form 10] According to form 10, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of any one of forms 1 to 9, the processor is further configured to perform at least one of (i) stopping or interrupting processing of the rectangular substrate, and (ii) sounding an alarm, when the identified size, shape, or warpage of the rectangular substrate is inappropriate according to predetermined criteria. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1]1 is an overall layout diagram of a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing a plurality of sensors provided in a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a substrate being measured using the plurality of sensors. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a sensor configuration and its method of operation. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing a plurality of sensors provided in a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a substrate being measured using the plurality of sensors. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing a plurality of sensors provided in a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a substrate being measured using the plurality of sensors. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram showing a plurality of sensors provided in a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a substrate being measured using the plurality of sensors. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing a plurality of sensors provided in a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a substrate being measured using the plurality of sensors. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing a plurality of sensors provided in a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a substrate being measured using the plurality of sensors. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 illustrates how the sensor operates. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 illustrates how the sensor operates. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary control system for controlling the operation of a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the plating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted.

[0017] 1 is an overall layout diagram of a plating apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The plating apparatus 100 is an example of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the plating apparatus 100, but the present invention is not limited to plating apparatuses and can be applied to semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses other than plating apparatuses (e.g., CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) apparatuses, etc.) without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0018] 1, the plating apparatus 100 is broadly divided into a load / unload module 110 for loading and unloading substrates onto and from a substrate holder (not shown), a processing module 120 for processing substrates, and a cleaning module 50a. The processing module 120 further includes a pre-processing / post-processing module 120A for performing pre-processing and post-processing of the substrate, and a plating module 120B for performing plating processing on the substrate.

[0019] The load / unload module 110 has a handling stage 26, a substrate transport device 27, and a fixing station 29. As an example, in this embodiment, the load / unload module 110 has two handling stages 26, a handling stage 26A for loading that handles substrates before processing, and a handling stage 26B for unloading that handles substrates after processing. In this embodiment, the handling stage 26A for loading and the handling stage 26B for unloading have the same configuration, and are arranged in a direction 180° different from each other. Note that the handling stage 26 is not limited to one provided with the handling stages 26A and 26B for loading and unloading, and may be used without being distinguished as being for loading and unloading. In this embodiment, the load / unload module 110 has two fixing stations 29. The two fixing stations 29 are the same mechanism, and the one that is free (the one not handling substrates) is used. Depending on the space available in the plating apparatus 100, one handling stage 26 and three or more fixing stations 29 may be provided.

[0020] Substrates are transported from a plurality of cassette tables 25 (three in FIG. 1 as an example) to the handling stage 26 (handling stage 26A for loading) by the robot 24. The cassette table 25 is provided with a cassette 25a in which the substrates are accommodated. The cassette is, for example, a FOUP. The handling stage 26 determines the position and orientation of the substrate placed thereon. The fixing station 29 is configured to adjust (align) the substrate 22 and the substrate 23. A substrate transport device 27 is disposed between the handling stage 26 and the fixing station 29 to transport the substrate therebetween. The substrate transport device 27 is configured to transport the substrate between the handling stage 26, the fixing station 29, and the cleaning module 50a. A stocker 30 for accommodating substrate holders is provided near the fixing station 29.

[0021] The cleaning module 50a has a cleaning device 50 that cleans and dries the substrate after plating. The substrate transport device 27 is configured to transport the substrate after plating to the cleaning device 50 and remove the cleaned substrate from the cleaning device 50. Then, the cleaned substrate is delivered to the handling stage 26 (handling stage 26B for unloading) by the substrate transport device 27 and returned to the cassette 25a via the robot 24.

[0022] The pre-treatment / post-treatment module 120A includes a pre-wet tank 32, a pre-soak tank 33, a pre-rinse tank 34, a blow tank 35, and a rinse tank 36. In the pre-wet tank 32, the substrate is immersed in pure water. In the pre-soak tank 33, an oxide film on the surface of a conductive layer such as a seed layer formed on the surface of the substrate is etched away. In the pre-rinse tank 34, the substrate after pre-soaking is washed with a cleaning liquid (pure water, etc.) together with the substrate holder. In the blow tank 35, the substrate after washing is drained. In the rinse tank 36, the substrate after plating is washed with a cleaning liquid together with the substrate holder. Note that the configuration of the pre-treatment / post-treatment module 120A of the plating apparatus 100 is merely an example, and the configuration of the pre-treatment / post-treatment module 120A of the plating apparatus 100 is not limited, and other configurations may be adopted.

[0023] The plating module 120B is configured, for example, by housing a plurality of plating tanks 39 inside an overflow tank 38. Each plating tank 39 is configured to house one substrate therein and to perform plating such as copper plating on the substrate surface by immersing the substrate in the plating solution held therein.

[0024] The plating apparatus 100 has a transporter 37, which is located to the side of the pre-treatment / post-treatment module 120A and the plating module 120B and transports the substrate holder together with the substrate, and which employs, for example, a linear motor system. The transporter 37 is configured to transport the substrate holder among the fixing station 29, the stocker 30, the pre-wet tank 32, the pre-soak tank 33, the pre-rinse tank 34, the blow tank 35, the rinse tank 36, and the plating tank 39.

[0025] An example of a series of plating processes performed by the plating apparatus 100 will be described. First, the robot 24 takes out one substrate from the cassette 25a mounted on the cassette table 25, and transports the substrate to the handling stage 26 (handling stage 26A for loading). The handling stage 26 adjusts the position and orientation of the transported substrate to a predetermined position and orientation. The substrate whose position and orientation have been adjusted on the handling stage 26 is transported to the fixing station 29 by the substrate transport device 27.

[0026] Meanwhile, the substrate holder housed in the stocker 30 is transported by the transporter 37 to the fixing station 29 and placed horizontally on the fixing station 29. Then, the substrate transported by the substrate transport device 27 is placed on the substrate holder in this state, and the substrate and the substrate holder are connected.

[0027] Next, the substrate holder holding the substrate is held by the transporter 37 and stored in the pre-wet tank 32. Next, the substrate holder holding the substrate processed in the pre-wet tank 32 is transported by the transporter 37 to the pre-soak tank 33, where the oxide film on the substrate is etched. Subsequently, the substrate holder holding the substrate is transferred to a pre-rinse tank 34, and the surface of the substrate is rinsed with pure water contained in the pre-rinse tank 34.

[0028] The substrate holder holding the substrate after the water rinsing is transported by the transporter 37 from the pre-rinse tank 34 to the plating module 120B and stored in the plating tank 39 filled with plating solution. The transporter 37 sequentially repeats the above procedure to sequentially store the substrate holders holding the substrate in each plating tank 39 of the plating module 120B.

[0029] In each plating tank 39, plating voltage is applied between an anode (not shown) in the plating tank 39 and the substrate, thereby plating the surface of the substrate.

[0030] After plating is completed, the substrate holder holding the plated substrate is grasped by the transporter 37 and transported to the rinse tank 36, where the substrate surface is washed with the pure water by immersing it in the pure water contained in the rinse tank 36. Next, the substrate holder is transported by the transporter 37 to the blow tank 35, where water droplets adhering to the substrate holder are removed by blowing air or the like. Thereafter, the substrate holder is transported by the transporter 37 to the fixing station 29.

[0031] In the fixing station 29, the processed substrate is removed from the substrate holder by the substrate transport device 27 and transported to the cleaning device 50 in the cleaning module 50a. The cleaning device 50 cleans and dries the substrate after plating. The dried substrate is transferred to the handling stage 26 (handling stage 26B for unloading) by the substrate transport device 27 and returned to the cassette 25a by the robot 24.

[0032] Thus, in the plating apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the substrate is removed from the cassette 25a mounted on the cassette table 25 and carried to the fixing station 29 for connection with the substrate holder. The plating apparatus 100 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of sensors (not shown in FIG. 1) that measure the size and shape of the substrate prior to connection with the substrate holder. The measurement of the substrate in the plating apparatus 100 will be further described below.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a plurality of sensors 200 provided in the plating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, and a substrate 210 being measured using the plurality of sensors 200. In the plating apparatus 100, the plurality of sensors 200 are disposed on a path along which the substrate 210 taken out of the cassette 25a is conveyed to the fixing station 29. The size and shape of the substrate 210 are measured by the plurality of sensors 200 on the conveying path from the cassette 25a to the fixing station 29. The arrangement location of the plurality of sensors 200 may be any location on the conveying path. For example, the plurality of sensors 200 may be provided on the handling stage 26. The size and shape of the substrate 210 are measured by the plurality of sensors 200 when the substrate 210 is aligned by the handling stage 26. Alternatively, the plating apparatus 100 may be provided with a stage for measuring the substrate 210 on the conveying path from the cassette 25a to the fixing station 29, and the plurality of sensors 200 may be provided on the measuring stage. The substrate 210 is temporarily placed on this measurement stage by the robot 24 or the substrate transport device 27 , where it is measured by the multiple sensors 200 .

[0034] The substrate 210 handled by the plating apparatus 100 according to this embodiment is a rectangular substrate. In this embodiment, a rectangular substrate refers to a substrate whose substrate surface to be plated by the plating apparatus 100 (or whose substrate surface to be processed by another type of semiconductor manufacturing apparatus) has a square or rectangular shape. For example, the rectangular substrate 210 may be a printed circuit board or a glass substrate having such a shape. As will be described later, the plating apparatus 100 can also be used for substrates having a square or rectangular shape. The function of determining whether 210 has a properly square or rectangular substrate surface is therefore provided. Therefore, in the following, when referring to a "rectangular substrate 210", it ideally means a substrate whose substrate surface is strictly shaped in a square or rectangular form, but it may also mean a substrate whose substrate surface is somewhat deviated from a square or rectangular form.

[0035] In the example of FIG. 2, the multiple sensors 200 include four sensors 200A, 200B, 200C, and 200D. The sensors 200A and 200C are arranged along a first line (horizontal line in FIG. 2) that crosses two opposing sides of the rectangular substrate 210 and is perpendicular to the two sides, forming a first sensor pair 200-1. The sensors 200B and 200D are arranged along a second line (vertical line in FIG. 2) that crosses another two opposing sides of the rectangular substrate 210 and is perpendicular to the two sides, forming a second sensor pair 200-2. The first sensor pair 200-1 measures a length L1 along the first line of the rectangular substrate 210 (i.e., the horizontal length of the rectangular substrate 210), and the second sensor pair 200-2 measures a length L2 along the second line of the rectangular substrate 210 (i.e., the vertical length of the rectangular substrate 210).

[0036] Each of the sensors 200A, 200B, 200C, and 200D is configured to detect the position of the edge of each side of the rectangular substrate 210. Specifically, the sensor 200A detects the position P of one edge on the first line of the rectangular substrate 210. A The sensor 200C detects the position P of the other edge of the rectangular substrate 210 on the first line. C Detect the positions P of both edges. A and P C From this, the length L1 along the first line of the rectangular substrate 210 can be obtained. Also, the sensor 200B detects the position P B The sensor 200D detects the position P of the other edge of the rectangular substrate 210 on the second line. D Detect the positions P of both edges. B and P D From this, it is possible to obtain the length L2 along the second line of the rectangular substrate 210. The detection of the position of the edge of the rectangular substrate 210 in each sensor 200 can be based on, for example, a measurement of how much of the strip-shaped measurement light 220 (e.g., laser light) is blocked by the rectangular substrate 210.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of one sensor 200 (e.g., sensor 200A) and its operation method. This diagram shows the sensor 200A as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2, for example. As shown in FIG. 3, the sensor 200 includes a light emitting unit 202 and a light receiving unit 204. The light emitting unit 202 is disposed on one side of the rectangular substrate 210, and the light receiving unit 204 is disposed on the opposite side of the rectangular substrate 210 from the light emitting unit 202. The light emitting unit 202 is configured and disposed to emit a strip-shaped measurement light 220 toward the rectangular substrate 210 (e.g., in a direction perpendicular to the rectangular substrate 210). For example, the measurement light 220 has a width W1 in a direction perpendicular to its traveling direction. A part of the measurement light 220 in the width direction is blocked by the rectangular substrate 210, and the remainder of the measurement light 220 travels beyond the rectangular substrate 210 toward the light receiving unit 204. The width W2 of the measurement light 220 traveling toward the light receiving unit 204 is determined by the position P of the edge of the rectangular substrate 210 (for example, the position P in FIG. 2). A ). The light receiving unit 204 is constructed and arranged so as to be able to receive the measurement light 220 having this width W2. Therefore, the position P of the edge of the rectangular substrate 210 can be detected based on the amount of the measurement light 220 received by the light receiving unit 204 (or the ratio of the amount of the measurement light 220 received by the light receiving unit 204 to the amount of the measurement light 220 emitted from the light emitting unit 202).

[0038] In this manner, the position of the edge of the rectangular substrate 210 is detected by each of the sensors 200A, 200B, 200C, and 200D included in the plating apparatus 100. As a result, the first sensor pair 200-1 detects the edge position P A and P C The horizontal length L1 of the rectangular substrate 210 is measured based on the B and P D Based on this, the vertical length L2 of the rectangular substrate 210 is measured. In this way, the plating apparatus 100 can obtain information on the size of the substrate (i.e. L1 and L2) can be obtained.

[0039] 4 is a diagram showing a plurality of sensors 200 provided in the plating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment and a substrate 210 being measured using the plurality of sensors 200, showing an example different from that of FIG. 2. In the example of FIG. 4, the plurality of sensors 200 includes eight sensors 200A, 200B, 200C, 200D, 200E, 200F, 200G, and 200H. Among them, the sensors 200A, 200B, 200C, and 200D constitute a first sensor pair 200-1 and a second sensor pair 200-2, similar to the example of FIG. 2. In addition to the first sensor pair 200-1 and the second sensor pair 200-2, the sensors 200E and 200G constitute a third sensor pair 200-3, and the sensors 200F and 200H constitute a fourth sensor pair 200-4. The third sensor pair 200-3 (i.e., sensors 200E and 200G) is arranged along a third line that is parallel to the first line of the first sensor pair 200-1 and that traverses the rectangular substrate 210, and the fourth sensor pair 200-4 (i.e., sensors 200F and 200H) is arranged along a fourth line that is parallel to the second line of the second sensor pair 200-2 and that traverses the rectangular substrate 210.

[0040] As described above with reference to FIG. 2, the first sensor pair 200-1 and the second sensor pair 200-2 measure the length L1 along the first line and the length L2 along the second line of the rectangular substrate 210, respectively. In the example of FIG. 4, the third sensor pair 200-3 measures the length L3 along the third line of the rectangular substrate 210, similar to the first sensor pair 200-1, and the fourth sensor pair 200-4 measures the length L4 along the fourth line of the rectangular substrate 210, similar to the second sensor pair 200-2. Thus, in the example of FIG. 4, the horizontal length of the rectangular substrate 210 is measured at two points, the first line and the third line (lengths L1 and L3), and the vertical length of the rectangular substrate 210 is measured at two points, the second line and the fourth line (lengths L2 and L4).

[0041] The method of measuring the length L3 in the third sensor pair 200-3 and the length L4 in the fourth sensor pair 200-4 is the same as the method described above for the first sensor pair 200-1 and the second sensor pair 200-2. E (see FIG. 3; the same applies below), and the position P of the other edge of the rectangular substrate 210 on the third line by the sensor 200G. G Based on the detection of the position P of one edge of the rectangular substrate 210 on the fourth line, the length L3 of the rectangular substrate 210 along the third line can be obtained. F and the position P of the other edge of the rectangular substrate 210 on the fourth line by the sensor 200H. H Based on the detection, the length L4 of the rectangular substrate 210 along the fourth line can be determined.

[0042] In the example of FIG. 4, not only information on the size of the substrate (i.e., L1, L2, L3, and L4) but also information on the shape of the substrate can be obtained. For example, if L1=L3 and L2=L4, it can be determined that the substrate 210 has a square or rectangular shape, and if not, it can be determined that the shape of the substrate 210 is not properly square or rectangular (distorted). As an example, as shown in FIG. 5, if the length L2 measured by the second sensor pair 200-2 and the length L4 measured by the fourth sensor pair 200-4 are equal (i.e., L2=L4), but the length L1 measured by the first sensor pair 200-1 and the length L3 measured by the third sensor pair 200-3 are not equal (i.e., L1≠L3), it can be determined that the shape of the substrate 210 is trapezoidal.

[0043] 6 is a diagram showing a plurality of sensors 200 provided in the plating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment and a substrate 210 being measured using the plurality of sensors 200, and shows an example different from that shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of sensors 200 includes four sensors 200A, two The sensors 200A and 200C include sensors 200B, 200C, and 200D. The sensors 200A and 200C are arranged along one diagonal (first line) of the rectangular substrate 210, and constitute a first sensor pair 200-1. The sensors 200B and 200D are arranged along the other diagonal (second line) of the rectangular substrate 210, and constitute a second sensor pair 200-2. The first sensor pair 200-1 measures a length L1 along the first line of the rectangular substrate 210 (i.e., the length of one diagonal of the rectangular substrate 210), and the second sensor pair 200-2 measures a length L2 along the second line of the rectangular substrate 210 (i.e., the length of the other diagonal of the rectangular substrate 210).

[0044] Each of the sensors 200A, 200B, 200C, and 200D is configured to detect the position of each vertex of the rectangular substrate 210. Specifically, the sensor 200A detects the position P of one vertex on the first diagonal line (first line) of the rectangular substrate 210. A The sensor 200C detects the position P of the other vertex on the first diagonal line of the rectangular substrate 210. C The positions P of these two vertices are detected. A and P C From this, the length L1 of the first diagonal of the rectangular substrate 210 can be obtained. Similarly, the sensor 200B detects the position P of one vertex on the second diagonal (second line) of the rectangular substrate 210. B , and the sensor 200D detects the position P of the other vertex on the second diagonal line of the rectangular substrate 210. D The positions P of these two vertices are detected. B and P D From this, the length L2 of the second diagonal of the rectangular substrate 210 can be obtained. Each sensor 200 may be, for example, a camera arranged in the vicinity of each vertex of the rectangular substrate 210. In the example of Fig. 6, the detection of the position of each vertex of the rectangular substrate 210 can be based on image processing (e.g., edge detection) of images captured by cameras (sensors 200) arranged at the four corners of the rectangular substrate 210.

[0045] In this way, in the example of FIG. 6, the detection position P A and P CThe length L1 of the first diagonal of the rectangular substrate 210 is measured based on the above, and the detection position P of the apex is detected by the second sensor pair 200-2. B and P D Based on this, the length L2 of the second diagonal of the rectangular substrate 210 is measured. In this way, the plating apparatus 100 can obtain information on the size of the substrate (i.e., L1 and L2) before connecting the rectangular substrate 210 to the substrate holder. Furthermore, information on the shape of the substrate can also be obtained. For example, if L1=L2, it can be determined that the substrate 210 has a square or rectangular shape, and if not, it can be determined that the shape of the substrate 210 is not properly square or rectangular (distorted). As an example, as shown in FIG. 7, if the length L1 measured by the first sensor pair 200-1 and the length L2 measured by the second sensor pair 200-2 are not equal (i.e., L1≠L2), it can be determined that the shape of the substrate 210 is a parallelogram.

[0046] 8 is a diagram showing a plurality of sensors 200 provided in the plating apparatus 100 according to this embodiment and a substrate 210 being measured using the plurality of sensors 200, and shows yet another example different from the above-mentioned FIGS. 2, 4, and 6. In the example of FIG. 8, the plurality of sensors 200 includes two sensors 200I and 200J. The sensors 200I and 200J each include a light-emitting unit 202 and a light-receiving unit 204. The light-emitting unit 202 and the light-receiving unit 204 of the sensor 200I are arranged along one diagonal of the rectangular substrate 210, and the light-emitting unit 202 and the light-receiving unit 204 of the sensor 200J are arranged along the other diagonal of the rectangular substrate 210.

[0047] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a method of operation of one sensor 200 (e.g., sensor 200I) in the example of FIG. 8. For example, FIG. 9 shows the substrate 210 and sensor 200I as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 9, the light-emitting unit 202 of sensor 200I is disposed at one end of a diagonal of the rectangular substrate 210, and the light-receiving unit 204 of sensor 200I is disposed at the other end of the diagonal of the rectangular substrate 210. The light-emitting unit 202 is constructed and arranged to emit a band-shaped measurement light 220 parallel to the rectangular substrate 210 (i.e., along the surface of the rectangular substrate 210). For example, the measurement light 220 is incident perpendicular to its traveling direction and on the surface of the substrate 210. It has a width W1 in a direction perpendicular to the surface. When the substrate 210 is flat, the measurement light 220 reaches the light receiving unit 204 without being blocked by the substrate 210. Therefore, the light receiving unit 204 receives the measurement light 220 with the width W1 intact.

[0048] 10 shows the measurement light 220 when the rectangular substrate 210 is warped or wavy. In this case, a portion of the measurement light 220 in the width direction is blocked by the warped or wavy portion of the rectangular substrate 210, and the remainder is received by the light receiving unit 204. The width W2 of the measurement light 220 received by the light receiving unit 204 depends on the magnitude of the warp or wavy portion of the rectangular substrate 210. Therefore, the presence or absence of warp or wavy in the rectangular substrate 210, or the magnitude of the warp or wavy portion can be identified based on the amount of the measurement light 220 received by the light receiving unit 204 (or the ratio of the amount of the measurement light 220 received by the light receiving unit 204 to the amount of the measurement light 220 emitted from the light emitting unit 202).

[0049] Generally, warping or waviness of a substrate may exist only along one specific direction of the substrate plane. For example, a rectangular substrate 210 may have warping in the horizontal direction of the substrate, but no warping in the vertical direction. In the arrangement of sensors shown in FIG. 8, the sensor 200I can detect warping or waviness of the substrate in one diagonal direction of the rectangular substrate 210, and the sensor 200J can detect warping or waviness in another direction, i.e., in the other diagonal direction of the rectangular substrate 210. Therefore, by using the sensors 200I and 200J arranged along these two different directions, warping or waviness that may exist in the substrate 210 can be reliably detected without being overlooked.

[0050] The arrangement direction of the sensors 200I and 200J is not limited to the diagonal direction of the rectangular substrate 210. For example, the light emitting unit 202 and the light receiving unit 204 of the sensor 200I may be arranged along a horizontal line of the rectangular substrate 210 (i.e., similar to the first sensor pair 200-1 in FIG. 2), and the light emitting unit 202 and the light receiving unit 204 of the sensor 200J may be arranged along a vertical line of the rectangular substrate 210 (i.e., similar to the second sensor pair 200-2 in FIG. 2).

[0051] 11 is a block diagram of an exemplary control system 300 for controlling the operation of the plating apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The control system 300 includes a controller 310, an operation computer 320, and a scheduler computer 330. The controller 310, the operation computer 320, and the scheduler computer 330 are communicatively connected to one another. Some or all of the controller 310, the operation computer 320, and the scheduler computer 330 may be incorporated into the plating apparatus 100 as part of the components of the plating apparatus 100. Although the operation computer 320 and the scheduler computer 330 are shown as separate computers, they may be configured as a single computer.

[0052] The control device 310 is connected to the robot 24, the substrate transfer device 27, and the transporter 37 described with reference to FIG. 1, and to the multiple sensors 200 described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 10. The control device 310 sends out operation instructions to the robot 24, the substrate transfer device 27, and the transporter 37, and also acquires information on the measurement results for the rectangular substrate 210 from the sensor 200. For example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) can be preferably used as the control device 310, but the control device 310 may be another type of computer. The operation computer 320 and the scheduler computer 330 can be configured by incorporating a predetermined application software (program) into a general-purpose computer. The control device 310, the operation computer 320, and the scheduler computer 330 each include a processor (311, 321, 331) and a memory (312, 322, 332). A predetermined program is stored in each memory, and each processor The functions of the control device 310, the operation computer 320, and the scheduler computer 330 are realized by the processors reading and executing programs from the memories.

[0053] 12 is a flow chart showing the operation of the plating apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the plating apparatus 100 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0054] First, in step S401, an operator of plating apparatus 100 inputs an instruction to start operation of plating apparatus 100 to operation computer 320. The instruction to start operation can be input, for example, by inputting information specifying cassette 25a storing rectangular substrate 210, or information specifying details of plating process to be performed on substrate 210 (e.g., plating type, plating film thickness, plating time, etc.).

[0055] Next, in step S402, scheduler computer 330 creates a timetable based on the operation start instruction. The timetable includes a substrate transfer schedule for removing rectangular substrate 210 from cassette 25a and transferring it to fixing station 29, and a substrate holder transfer schedule for removing substrate holder from stocker 30 and transferring it to fixing station 29. In plating apparatus 100 in which stocker 30 contains multiple types of substrate holders (multiple types of substrate holders each designed for substrates of a specific size and shape), in step S402, the timetable is created assuming that a default substrate holder is used.

[0056] Next, in step S403, the control device 310 causes the robot 24 and the substrate transport device 27 to operate according to the time table. As a result, the rectangular substrate 210 is taken out of the cassette 25a and transported to a measurement area where a plurality of sensors 200 are provided. As described above, the measurement area may be, for example, the handling stage 26, or a measurement stage provided midway along the transport path from the cassette 25a to the fixing station 29.

[0057] When the rectangular substrate 210 is transported to the measurement area, the control device 310 then instructs each sensor 200 in the measurement area to start measuring the substrate in step S404. Upon receiving this instruction, each sensor 200 measures the rectangular substrate 210 in step S405, and then transmits the measurement result data to the control device 310 in step S406. The details of the measurement of the rectangular substrate 210 have already been described with reference to Figs. 2 to 10. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 2, each of the sensors 200A, 200B, 200C, and 200D detects the edge position P of the rectangular substrate 210. A , P B , P C , P D(Step S405), and transmits data indicating their respective positions to the control device 310 (Step S406). Steps S405 and S406 are performed in the same manner for the examples of the sensor 200 shown in the other figures.

[0058] Next, in step S407, the control device 310 calculates the size of the rectangular substrate 210 based on the data of the measurement results obtained from each sensor 200. For example, in the example of FIG. A and P C The horizontal length L1 of the rectangular substrate 210 is calculated from the data, and the edge position P B and P D The vertical length L2 is calculated from the data. In addition to calculating the size of the substrate, the control device 310 may also identify the shape of the rectangular substrate 210 (whether it is square, rectangular, or other) as described above with reference to the examples of Figures 4 and 6, and may also detect warping or waviness of the rectangular substrate 210 as described with reference to the example of Figure 8.

[0059] Next, in step S408, the control device 310 determines the size, shape, and orientation of the rectangular substrate 210. , and warpage or waviness, the controller 310 judges the compatibility of the rectangular substrate 210 with the substrate holder housed in the stocker 30. For example, when the stocker 30 has a plurality of types of substrate holders, the controller 310 compares the measured substrate size with the substrate size corresponding to each substrate holder stored in advance, thereby selecting a substrate holder suitable for the size of the rectangular substrate 210 from the plurality of types. In addition, for example, the controller 310 may judge that the rectangular substrate 210 is an unsuitable (abnormal) substrate when (i) the stocker 30 does not have a substrate holder suitable for the size of the rectangular substrate 210, (ii) the deviation of the shape of the rectangular substrate 210 from a square or rectangular shape is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, or (iii) the magnitude of the warpage or waviness of the rectangular substrate 210 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. In the above (ii) and (iii), the predetermined threshold for judging the rectangular substrate 210 to be abnormal may be changeable, for example, by an operator of the plating apparatus 100 using the operation computer 320.

[0060] Next, in step S409, the scheduler computer 330 obtains information on the compatibility of the rectangular substrate 210 with the substrate holder from the control device 310, and updates the timetable based on the information. For example, the scheduler computer 330 replaces the default substrate holder in the timetable created in the above-mentioned step S402 with the substrate holder selected by the control device 310 in step S408 (i.e., a substrate holder compatible with the size of the rectangular substrate 210). Furthermore, if the rectangular substrate 210 is an incompatible (abnormal) substrate, the scheduler computer 330 rewrites the timetable so that the rectangular substrate 210 is not used (i.e., is excluded from the processing target of the plating device 100).

[0061] If the substrate holder in the timetable has been replaced with a substrate holder that is compatible with the size of the rectangular substrate 210, then steps S410 and S411 are performed. On the other hand, if the timetable has been rewritten to exclude the rectangular substrate 210 from the processing target, then step S413 is performed.

[0062] In step S410, the control device 310 causes the transporter 37 to operate according to the updated time table. As a result, a substrate holder suitable for the size of the rectangular substrate 210 is selected from the stocker 30, taken out, and transported to the fixing station 29. In addition, in step S411, the control device 310 causes the substrate transport device 27 (or both the robot 24 and the substrate transport device 27) to perform normal processing operations after substrate measurement according to the time table. As a result, the rectangular substrate 210 after measurement is transported from the measurement area to the fixing station 29. Next, in step S412, the control device 310 operates the substrate transport device 27 to connect the substrate holder transported to the fixing station 29 with the rectangular substrate 210 (i.e., the rectangular substrate 210 is held by the substrate holder).

[0063] Meanwhile, in step S413, the control device 310 causes the robot 24 to perform an abnormality processing operation after the substrate measurement. The abnormality processing operation includes at least one of an operation in which the robot 24 returns the rectangular substrate 210 to the cassette 25a as an unsuitable substrate, and an operation in which an alarm device provided on the robot 24 or elsewhere is activated to notify an operator of an alarm. After the alarm is issued, the operator may manually return the rectangular substrate 210 to the cassette 25a.

[0064] In this manner, according to the plating apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the size of the rectangular substrate 210 is measured using the multiple sensors 200, and a substrate holder suitable for the size of the rectangular substrate 210 is selected based on the measurement results. This allows the correct substrate holder and rectangular substrate 210 to be connected, thereby preventing damage to the substrate holder and rejection of the rectangular substrate 210 due to size mismatch. If the substrate 210 does not fit the substrate holder, abnormality handling operations such as stopping substrate transport and issuing an alarm are performed. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the substrate holder and rejection of the rectangular substrate 210 caused by connecting or attempting to connect an incompatible rectangular substrate 210 to the substrate holder.

[0065] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above based on several examples, the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention naturally includes its equivalents. Furthermore, any combination or omission of each component described in the claims and specification is possible within the scope of solving at least a part of the above-mentioned problems or achieving at least a part of the effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 24 Robot 25 Cassette Table 25a cassette 26 Handling Stage 27 Substrate transport device 29 Fixing Station 30 Stocker 32 Pre-wet tank 33 Presoak tank 34 Pre-rinse tank 35 Blow tank 36 Rinse tank 37 Transporter 38 Overflow tank 39 Plating tank 50 Cleaning Equipment 50a Cleaning Module 100 Plating equipment 110 Load / Unload Module 120 Processing Module 120A Pre-treatment / Post-treatment Module 120B Plating Module 200(200A~200J) Sensor 200-1 1st sensor pair 200-2 2nd sensor pair 200-3 3rd sensor pair 200-4 4th sensor pair 202 Light emitting part 204 Light receiving part 210 Substrate 220 Measurement Light 300 Control System 310 Control device 311 Processor 312 Memory 320 Operational Computer 321 Processor 322 Memory 330 Scheduler Computer 331 processor 332 Memory

Claims

1. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing rectangular substrates, a first sensor pair for measuring a first length along a first line of the rectangular substrate, the first sensor pair comprising a sensor configured to detect a position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the first line, and a sensor configured to detect a position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the first line; a second sensor pair for measuring a second length along a second line of the rectangular substrate, the second sensor pair comprising a sensor configured to detect the position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the second line, and a sensor configured to detect the position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the second line; a third sensor pair for measuring a third length along a third line of the rectangular substrate parallel to the first or second line, the third sensor pair comprising a sensor configured to detect the position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the third line, and a sensor configured to detect the position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the third line; one or more processors; the first sensor pair and the second sensor pair are arranged such that the first line and the second line correspond to a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of the rectangular substrate, respectively; The processor, calculating the first length based on the positions of one end and the other end of the rectangular substrate on the first line detected by the first sensor pair; calculating the second length based on the positions of one end and the other end of the rectangular substrate on the second line detected by the second sensor pair; calculating the third length based on the positions of one end and the other end of the rectangular substrate on the third line detected by the third sensor pair; Identifying a size or shape of the rectangular substrate based on the calculated first length and second length; Based on the calculated first or second length and the third length, the normal of the shape of the rectangular substrate is calculated. Identifying deviations from a square or rectangular shape The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is configured as follows.

2. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a rectangular substrate, comprising: a first sensor pair for measuring a first length along a first line of the rectangular substrate, the first sensor pair comprising a sensor configured to detect a position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the first line, and a sensor configured to detect a position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the first line; a second sensor pair for measuring a second length along a second line of the rectangular substrate, the second sensor pair comprising a sensor configured to detect the position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the second line, and a sensor configured to detect the position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the second line; one or more processors; the first sensor pair and the second sensor pair are arranged such that two diagonal lines of the rectangular substrate correspond to the first line and the second line, respectively; The processor, calculating the first length based on the positions of one end and the other end of the rectangular substrate on the first line detected by the first sensor pair; calculating the second length based on the positions of one end and the other end of the rectangular substrate on the second line detected by the second sensor pair; Identifying a size or shape of the rectangular substrate based on the calculated first and second lengths. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is configured as follows.

3. The processor, Identifying a deviation of the shape of the rectangular substrate from a square or rectangular shape based on the calculated first length and second length. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 , further configured as follows.

4. 4. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the two sensors of each sensor pair each include a light-emitting unit that emits a band-shaped measurement light toward the rectangular substrate, and a light-receiving unit that receives a portion of the band-shaped measurement light, the portion of the band-shaped measurement light being light that is not blocked by the rectangular substrate, and the detection of each position of the rectangular substrate is based on the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit of each sensor.

5. 4. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 2 or 3, wherein the two sensors each of the sensor pairs are cameras arranged to capture one of the four corners of the rectangular substrate, the detection of the position by each of the sensors is detection of a vertex of the rectangular substrate based on edge detection in an image captured by each of the cameras, and the calculation of the first and second lengths is calculation of a diagonal length of the rectangular substrate based on the detected vertex.

6. The substrate holder for holding a rectangular substrate further includes a substrate holder accommodation portion for accommodating a plurality of types of substrate holders corresponding to rectangular substrates of different sizes or shapes; The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to select a substrate holder from the substrate holder accommodation portion according to the identified size or shape of the rectangular substrate.

7. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a rectangular substrate, comprising: a first sensor pair for measuring a first length along a first line of the rectangular substrate, a first sensor pair including a sensor configured to detect the position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the first line and a sensor configured to detect the position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the first line; a second sensor pair for measuring a second length along a second line of the rectangular substrate, the second sensor pair comprising a sensor configured to detect the position of one end of the rectangular substrate on the second line, and a sensor configured to detect the position of the other end of the rectangular substrate on the second line; one or more processors; wherein the processor: calculating the first length based on the positions of one end and the other end of the rectangular substrate on the first line detected by the first sensor pair; calculating the second length based on the positions of one end and the other end of the rectangular substrate on the second line detected by the second sensor pair; Identifying a size or shape of the rectangular substrate based on the calculated first and second lengths. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is configured as follows: A sensor for detecting warpage of the rectangular substrate, a light emitting unit that emits a band-shaped measurement light in a direction parallel to the rectangular substrate; a light receiving unit that receives a portion of the band-shaped measurement light, the portion of the band-shaped measurement light being light that is not blocked by the rectangular substrate; and and a sensor comprising: The processor is further configured to identify a warpage of the rectangular substrate based on an amount of light received at the light receiving portion of the sensor. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

8. If the identified size, shape, or warpage of the rectangular substrate is inappropriate according to a predetermined criterion, the processor: The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further configured to perform at least one of (i) stopping or suspending processing of the rectangular substrate, and (ii) issuing an alarm.

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