Substrate Processing Method, Substrate Processing Apparatus, and Program

Abstract

To provide technology that allows for more appropriate anomaly handling.SOLUTION: A substrate processing method has a setting process, a substrate processing process, a detection process S1, and a first abnormality processing process S4. In the setting process, one of the multiple processing contents is set as a jump destination for each of the multiple processing contents that define a series of processing for the substrate. In the substrate processing process, a series of processing is started on the substrate. In the detection process S1, an abnormality is detected. In the first abnormality processing process S4, when an abnormality is detected, a series of processing is performed from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content, which is the processing content being performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing method, a substrate processing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). The substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of processing units and a transfer robot that transfers the substrate to each processing unit. Each processing unit rotates the substrate in a horizontal posture and sequentially supplies various processing liquids to the substrate. Thereby, processing corresponding to the processing liquid can be sequentially performed on the substrate. For example, the processing unit performs chemical liquid processing, rinsing processing, and drying processing on the substrate in this order.

[0003] When an abnormality is detected in this substrate processing apparatus, the processing unit stops the processing on the substrate and executes a predetermined abnormality process. Specifically, the processing unit performs rinsing processing and drying processing as the abnormality process.

[0004] According to this, even when the processing unit is executing chemical liquid processing at the time of occurrence of an abnormality, the substrate can be dried after replacing the chemical liquid adhering to the substrate with a rinsing liquid. Therefore, it is possible to suppress damage to the substrate caused by leaving the chemical liquid on the substrate as it is.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, depending on the timing when an abnormality occurs, it may not be desirable to perform abnormality processing. For example, if an abnormality is detected during the execution of a drying process, if the processing unit performs the rinsing process and the drying process again as abnormality processing, unnecessary rinsing processes will be performed.

[0007] Also, it is not always optimal to adopt predetermined processing as abnormality processing.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique capable of performing more appropriate abnormality processing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] A first aspect of the substrate processing method is The input unit a setting step of setting one of the plurality of processing contents as a jump destination corresponding to at least one of the plurality of processing contents defining a series of processes for the substrate receives an input from an operator to set the jump destination, and based on the input of the input unit, causes the storage unit to store setting information that defines the jump destination. a substrate processing step of starting the series of processes for the substrate, a detection step of detecting an abnormality, and when the abnormality is detected, Based on the setting information, a first abnormality processing step of performing the series of processes on the substrate from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed.

[0010] A second aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method according to the first aspect, further comprising a second abnormality processing step of performing a preset second abnormality processing that does not depend on the execution content when the jump destination corresponding to the execution content when the abnormality is detected is not set, or when the abnormality is detected during the execution of the first abnormality processing step.

[0011] A third aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method according to the first or second aspect, wherein in the setting step, the plurality of processing contents and the jump destination are displayed on a display unit.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a continuous processing step of continuously performing the chemical solution treatment before the first abnormal processing step when the execution content is a chemical solution treatment of supplying a chemical solution to the substrate.

[0013] A fifth aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method according to the fourth aspect, wherein in the continuous processing step, when the remaining time until the end time of the chemical solution treatment is equal to or less than a threshold value, the chemical solution treatment is continuously performed, and when the remaining time is greater than the threshold value, the chemical solution treatment is stopped.

[0014] An aspect of the substrate processing apparatus a first is a substrate processing apparatus, comprising a processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate, a sensor that detects an abnormality, an input unit that receives an input from an operator to set one of the plurality of processing contents that define the series of processes as the jump destination, a storage unit, and based on the input of the input unit, causes the storage unit to store setting information that defines the jump destination causing the processing unit to start the series of processes on the substrate, and when the sensor detects the abnormality, causing the processing unit to Based on the setting information, perform the series of processes on the substrate from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed, and a control unit.

[0015] A first aspect of the program is a program for controlling a substrate processing apparatus including a processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate and a sensor that detects an abnormality, causing a computer to receive, by an input unit, an input of an operator that sets, corresponding to at least one of a plurality of processing contents defining the series of processes on the substrate, one of the plurality of processing contents as a jump destination, storing, in a storage unit, setting information defining the jump destination based on the input of the input unit, a substrate processing step of causing the processing unit to start the series of processes on the substrate, a detection step of detecting the abnormality, and a first abnormal processing step of, when the abnormality is detected, causing the processing unit to perform the series of processes on the substrate from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed based on the setting information. The sixth aspect of the substrate processing method includes a setting step of setting one of the plurality of processing contents as a jump destination corresponding to each of the plurality of processing contents that define a series of processes for the substrate, a substrate processing step of starting the series of processes for the substrate, a detection step of detecting an abnormality, and when the abnormality is detected, a first abnormality processing step of performing the series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed, and a second abnormality processing step of performing a preset second abnormality processing that does not depend on the execution content when the jump destination corresponding to the execution content at the time of detecting the abnormality is not set, or when the abnormality is detected during the execution of the first abnormality processing step. The seventh aspect of the substrate processing method includes a setting step of setting one of the plurality of processing contents as a jump destination corresponding to each of the plurality of processing contents that define a series of processes for the substrate, a substrate processing step of starting the series of processes for the substrate, a detection step of detecting an abnormality, and when the abnormality is detected, a first abnormality processing step of performing the series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed, and a continuation processing step of continuing the chemical solution treatment before the first abnormality processing step when the execution content is a chemical solution treatment of supplying a chemical solution to the substrate. The second aspect of the substrate processing apparatus is a substrate processing apparatus, including a processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate, a sensor that detects an abnormality, and a control unit that sets one of the plurality of processing contents as a jump destination corresponding to each of the plurality of processing contents that define the series of processes, causes the processing unit to start the series of processes on the substrate, and when the sensor detects the abnormality, causes the processing unit to perform the series of processes a first abnormal processing step to be performed from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed. The control unit performs a preset second abnormality processing that does not depend on the execution content when the jump destination corresponding to the execution content at the time of detecting the abnormality is not set, or when the abnormality is detected during the execution of the first abnormality processing step. A third aspect of the substrate processing apparatus is a substrate processing apparatus, including a processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate, a sensor that detects an abnormality, and a jump destination is set to one of the plurality of process contents corresponding to each of the plurality of process contents that define the series of processes. The processing unit is caused to start the series of processes on the substrate, and when the sensor detects the abnormality, the processing unit is caused to perform the series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the process content being executed. a first abnormal processing step to be performed The control unit further includes a control unit, and when the execution content is a chemical solution process of supplying a chemical solution to the substrate, the chemical solution process is continuously performed before the first abnormality processing step. A second aspect of the program is a program for controlling a substrate processing apparatus including a processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate and a sensor that detects an abnormality. The program causes a computer to execute a setting step of setting a jump destination to one of the plurality of process contents corresponding to each of the plurality of process contents that define the series of processes, a substrate processing step of causing the processing unit to start the series of processes on the substrate, a detection step of detecting the abnormality, a first abnormality processing step of causing the processing unit to perform the series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the process content being executed when the abnormality is detected, and a second abnormality processing step of performing a preset second abnormality processing that does not depend on the execution content when the jump destination corresponding to the execution content at the time of detecting the abnormality is not set, or when the abnormality is detected during the execution of the first abnormality processing step. A third aspect of the program is a program for controlling a substrate processing apparatus including a processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate and a sensor that detects an abnormality, causing a computer to execute a setting step of setting one of the plurality of processing contents that define the series of processes as a jump destination for each of the plurality of processing contents, a substrate processing step of causing the processing unit to start the series of processes on the substrate, a detection step of detecting the abnormality, and a first abnormality processing step of causing the processing unit to perform the series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed when the abnormality is detected, and a continuation processing step of continuously performing the chemical solution processing before the first abnormality processing step when the execution content is a chemical solution processing of supplying a chemical solution to the substrate.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the first aspect of the substrate processing method, the aspect of the substrate processing apparatus, and the aspect of the program, a part of an appropriate series of processes on the substrate can be performed as the first abnormality processing. Therefore, more appropriate first abnormality processing can be performed on the substrate. a first aspect, the possibility of saving the substrate can be improved. a first According to the second aspect of the substrate processing method, the possibility of saving the substrate can be improved.

[0017] According to the third aspect of the substrate processing method, the user can easily confirm the content of the first abnormality processing while setting the jump destination. a second aspect of the substrate processing apparatus and a second aspect of the program According to the fourth aspect of the substrate processing method, when the chemical solution processing on the substrate is completed, since there is no need to perform processing on the substrate after the abnormality processing, the substrate can be directly advanced to the next manufacturing process.

[0018] According to the third aspect of the substrate processing method, the user can easily confirm the content of the first abnormality processing while setting the jump destination.

[0019] According to the fourth aspect of the substrate processing method, when the chemical solution processing on the substrate is completed, since there is no need to perform processing on the substrate after the abnormality processing, the substrate can be directly advanced to the next manufacturing process. a third aspect of the substrate processing apparatus and a third aspect of the program According to the fifth aspect of the substrate processing method, the time required for the abnormality processing can be shortened.

[0020] According to the fifth aspect of the substrate processing method, the time required for the abnormality processing can be shortened.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the components described in this embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure only to them. In the drawings, for ease of understanding, the dimensions or numbers of each part may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary.

[0023] Expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (e.g., "in one direction", "along one direction", "parallel", "orthogonal", "center", "concentric", "coaxial", etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only represent the positional relationship precisely, but also represent a state in which the angle or distance is displaced relatively within a tolerance range or a range where the same function can be obtained. Expressions indicating an equal state (e.g., "identical", "equal", "homogeneous", etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only represent a quantitatively precise equal state, but also represent a state in which there is a difference within a tolerance range or a range where the same function can be obtained. Expressions indicating a shape (e.g., "quadrangular shape" or "cylindrical shape", etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only represent the shape geometrically precisely, but also represent a shape having, for example, unevenness or chamfers within a range where the same effect can be obtained. The expressions "comprising", "including", "having", "equipped with", or "provided with" for one component are not exclusive expressions excluding the existence of other components. The expression "at least any one of A, B, and C" includes only A, only B, only C, any two of A, B, and C, and all of A, B, and C.

[0024] <First Embodiment> <Overall Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus> FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a load port 101, an indexer robot 110, a center robot 120, at least one processing unit 130 (four processing units in FIG. 1), and a control unit 90.

[0025] Each processing unit 130 is a single-wafer type apparatus that processes one substrate W at a time. The processing unit 130 can have a chamber 1. In that case, by controlling the atmosphere in the chamber 1 by the control unit 90, the processing unit 130 can perform substrate processing in a desired atmosphere.

[0026] The control unit 90 can control the operations of various components of the substrate processing apparatus 100. The carrier C is a container for accommodating the substrate W. Also, the load port 101 is a container holding mechanism for holding a plurality of carriers C. The index robot 110 can transfer the substrate W between the load port 101 and the substrate placement unit 140. The center robot CR can transfer the substrate W between the substrate placement unit 140 and the processing unit 130.

[0027] With the above configuration, the index robot 110, the substrate placement unit 140, and the center robot 120 function as transfer mechanisms for transferring the substrate W between their respective processing units 130 and the load port 101.

[0028] The unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the carrier C by the index robot 110. Then, the unprocessed substrate W is delivered to the center robot 120 via the substrate placement unit 140. The center robot 120 loads the unprocessed substrate W into the processing unit 130. Then, the processing unit 130 performs processing on the substrate W.

[0029] The substrate W that has been processed in the processing unit 130 is taken out from the processing unit 130 by the center robot 120. Then, the processed substrate W is delivered to the index robot 110 via the substrate placement unit 140 after passing through other processing units 130 as necessary. The index robot 110 loads the processed substrate W into the carrier C. Thus, the processing on the substrate W is performed.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the control unit 90. The control unit 90 may be configured by a general computer having an electric circuit. Specifically, the control unit 90 includes, for example, an arithmetic processing unit 91 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a non-temporary storage unit 92 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a temporary storage unit 93 such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage device 94, an input unit 96, a display unit 97, a communication unit 98, and a bus line 95 that interconnects these components.

[0031] The storage unit 92 stores a basic program. The storage unit 93 is used as a work area when the arithmetic processing unit 91 performs a predetermined process. The storage device 94 is configured by a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory and a hard disk device. The input unit 96 includes various switches such as a mouse and a keyboard or a touch panel, and receives input of various information such as a process recipe from an operator. The display unit 97 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display device and a lamp, and displays various information under the control of the arithmetic processing unit 91. The communication unit 98 has a data communication function via a communication network such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0032] The storage device 94 stores, for example, a processing program 94P. By executing the processing program 94P by the arithmetic processing unit 91, each component of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is controlled. Note that the processing program 94P may be stored in a portable storage medium such as an optical disk. By using this storage medium, the processing program 94P can be installed in the control unit 90. Further, part or all of the functions executed by the control unit 90 do not necessarily have to be realized by software, and may be realized by hardware such as a dedicated logic circuit.

[0033] <Processing Unit> FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the processing unit 130. The processing unit 130 illustrated in FIG. 3 is an apparatus capable of performing various processes on the substrate W. Hereinafter, a series of processes performed by the processing unit 130 on the substrate W is referred to as a series of processes. This series of processes may also be called a flow recipe. The series of processes includes, for example, chemical solution processing, rinse processing, and drying processing. Here, as an example, pretreatment such as predispensing processing performed before these processes, and post-treatment such as cleaning processing within the processing unit 130 performed after these processes are not included in the series of processes.

[0034] In the example of FIG. 3, the processing unit 130 includes a chamber 1, a substrate holding unit 2, a nozzle 31, and a sensor 10.

[0035] The internal space of the chamber 1 corresponds to a processing space for processing the substrate W. A transfer port (not shown) for transferring the center robot 120 and the substrate W and a shutter (not shown) for opening and closing the transfer port are provided on the side wall of the chamber 1.

[0036] The substrate holding unit 2 is provided in the chamber 1 and holds the substrate W in a horizontal posture. The horizontal posture here means a posture in which the thickness direction of the substrate W is along the vertical direction. In the example of FIG. 3, the substrate holding unit 2 includes a stage 21 and a plurality of chuck pins 22. The stage 21 has a disc shape and is provided vertically below the substrate W. The stage 21 is provided in a posture in which its thickness direction is along the vertical direction. The plurality of chuck pins 22 are erected on the upper surface of the stage 21 and grip the periphery of the substrate W. Note that the substrate holding unit 2 does not necessarily have to have the chuck pins 22. For example, the substrate holding unit 2 may suck the lower surface of the substrate W to adsorb the substrate W.

[0037] In the example of FIG. 3, the substrate holding unit 2 further includes a rotation mechanism 23 that rotates the substrate W around the rotation axis Q1. The rotation axis Q1 passes through the central portion of the substrate W and is an axis along the vertical direction. The rotation mechanism 23 includes, for example, a shaft 24 and a motor 25. The upper end of the shaft 24 is connected to the lower surface of the stage 21 and extends along the rotation axis Q1 from the lower surface of the stage 21. The motor 25 rotates the shaft 24 around the rotation axis Q1 to rotate the stage 21. As a result, the substrate W held by the plurality of chuck pins 22 rotates around the rotation axis Q1. Such a substrate holding unit 2 may also be called a spin chuck.

[0038] Hereinafter, the radial direction with respect to the rotation axis Q1 will simply be referred to as the radial direction.

[0039] The nozzle 31 is provided in the chamber 1. The nozzle 31 is used for supplying the processing liquid to the substrate W. In the example of FIG. 1, the nozzle 31 is connected to a processing liquid supply source (not shown) via a liquid supply pipe 32. That is, the downstream end of the liquid supply pipe 32 is connected to the nozzle 31, and the upstream end of the liquid supply pipe 32 is connected to the processing liquid supply source. The processing liquid supply source includes, for example, a tank (not shown) for storing the processing liquid and supplies the processing liquid to the liquid supply pipe 32. The processing liquid includes, for example, at least one of a chemical solution such as an etching solution for removing an object on the substrate W, a rinse solution such as pure water for washing away the chemical solution, and a charge removal solution for removing the charge of the substrate W.

[0040] A valve 33 is provided in the liquid supply pipe 32. When the valve 33 performs an opening operation, the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply source through the liquid supply pipe 32 to the nozzle 31 and discharged from the nozzle 31. When the valve 33 performs a closing operation, the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle 31 ends.

[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the processing unit 130 may include a plurality of nozzles 31. Different types of processing liquids may be supplied to each nozzle 31.

[0042] In the example of FIG. 3, the nozzle 31 is movably provided in the chamber 1 by the nozzle moving mechanism 4. The nozzle moving mechanism 4 moves the nozzle 31 between a processing position and a standby position. The processing position is a position where the nozzle 31 supplies a processing liquid to the substrate W. For example, it is a position facing the central portion of the substrate W in the vertical direction. The standby position is a position where the nozzle 31 does not supply a processing liquid to the substrate W. For example, it is a position radially outside the substrate holding portion 2. In a state where the nozzle 31 is located at the standby position, the nozzle 31 does not interfere with the conveyance path of the substrate W between the substrate holding portion 2 and the center robot 120.

[0043] In the example of FIG. 3, the nozzle moving mechanism 4 includes an arm 41, a support column 42, and a rotation mechanism 43. The arm 41 has a rod-like shape extending along the horizontal direction, and its tip is coupled to the nozzle 31. The proximal end of the arm 41 is coupled to the support column 42. The support column 42 is provided radially outside the guard 7 described later and extends along the vertical direction. The rotation mechanism 43 rotates the support column 42 around its central axis Q2. The rotation mechanism 43 includes, for example, a motor. By the rotation mechanism 43 rotating the support column 42, the arm 41 and the nozzle 31 pivot around the central axis Q2. The support column 42 is provided at a predetermined position in the chamber 1 such that the processing position and the standby position are located on the movement path of the nozzle 31.

[0044] In FIG. 3, a plurality of nozzle moving mechanisms 4 are provided, and each nozzle moving mechanism 4 moves one or more nozzles 31. In the example of FIG. 3, a plurality (here, two) of nozzles 31 are coupled to one arm 41. Therefore, when the arm 41 pivots by the rotation mechanism 43, the plurality of nozzles 31 attached to the arm 41 move integrally. In the example of FIG. 3, although two nozzle moving mechanisms 4 are provided, three or more nozzle moving mechanisms 4 may be provided. Also, the number of nozzles 31 moved by each nozzle moving mechanism 4 can be appropriately changed. In other words, the number of nozzles 31 coupled to the arm 41 can be appropriately changed.

[0045] The processing unit 130 can sequentially perform processes (chemical solution process and rinse process) based on each processing liquid by sequentially discharging the processing liquid from each nozzle 31 toward the rotating substrate W. For example, when performing a chemical solution process, the processing unit 130 moves the nozzle 31 capable of discharging the chemical solution to the processing position by the nozzle moving mechanism 4, and opens the valve 33 corresponding to the nozzle 31 to supply the chemical solution to the rotating substrate W. Thereby, a chemical solution process can be performed on the substrate W.

[0046] In the example of FIG. 3, a fixed nozzle 51 is also provided in the chamber 1. The fixed nozzle 51 is fixed in the chamber 1 and is used for supplying the rinse liquid to the substrate W. In the example of FIG. 3, the fixed nozzle 51 is provided radially outside the substrate holding portion 2 and discharges the rinse liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate W. In the example of FIG. 3, the discharge port of the fixed nozzle 51 faces the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W. Therefore, the rinse liquid discharged from the fixed nozzle 51 adheres to the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0047] The fixed nozzle 51 is connected to a rinse liquid supply source (not shown) through a liquid supply pipe 52. That is, the downstream end of the liquid supply pipe 52 is connected to the fixed nozzle 51, and the upstream end of the liquid supply pipe 52 is connected to the rinse liquid supply source. The rinse liquid supply source includes, for example, a tank (not shown) for storing the rinse liquid and supplies the rinse liquid to the liquid supply pipe 52. The rinse liquid is, for example, pure water or isopropyl alcohol.

[0048] A valve 53 is provided in the liquid supply pipe 52. When the valve 53 performs an opening operation, the rinse liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply source through the liquid supply pipe 52 to the fixed nozzle 51 and discharged from the fixed nozzle 51. When the valve 53 performs a closing operation, the discharge of the rinse liquid from the fixed nozzle 51 ends.

[0049] The processing unit 130 can perform a rinse process on the substrate W by discharging the rinse liquid from the fixed nozzle 51 toward the rotating substrate W. Since the fixed nozzle 51 is not displaced by a driving mechanism such as the nozzle moving mechanism 4, no abnormality occurs in the driving system and the reliability is high.

[0050] In the example of FIG. 3, a shutter plate 6 is also provided in the chamber 1. The shutter plate 6 is provided vertically above the substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 2 and faces the substrate W in the vertical direction. The shutter plate 6 is a disc-shaped member having a diameter substantially the same as or slightly larger than the diameter of the substrate W. The shutter plate 6 is provided in a horizontal posture vertically above the substrate holding portion 2 so that its central axis coincides with the rotation axis Q1. The lower surface of the shutter plate 6 is formed flat and faces the substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 2.

[0051] Further, a through hole penetrating the shutter plate 6 in the vertical direction is formed in the central portion of the shutter plate 6. The lower end of the through hole opens at the central portion of the lower surface of the shutter plate 6. A support shaft 60 is attached to the upper surface of the shutter plate 6. The support shaft 60 is hollow, and its internal space communicates with the through hole. A liquid supply pipe 61 is inserted into the hollow portion of the support shaft 60 in a non-contact state. The lower end of the liquid supply pipe 61 reaches the through hole of the shutter plate 6.

[0052] A nozzle 61b having a discharge port 61a for discharging the processing liquid toward the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W is formed at the lower end of the liquid supply pipe 61. The downstream end of a liquid supply pipe 62 is connected to the upstream end of the liquid supply pipe 61, and the processing liquid (chemical solution or rinse solution) from a processing liquid supply source (not shown) is supplied through this liquid supply pipe 62. The processing liquid supplied to the liquid supply pipe 61 is discharged downward from the discharge port 61a of the nozzle 61b. A valve 63 for switching the supply and stop of the processing liquid to the liquid supply pipe 61 is provided in the liquid supply pipe 62.

[0053] Also, an air supply passage 64 surrounding the liquid supply pipe 61 is formed between the support shaft 60 and the liquid supply pipe 61. An air supply pipe 65 is connected to the air supply passage 64. Gas from a gas supply source (not shown) is supplied to the air supply passage 64 via the air supply pipe 65. The gas supplied to the air supply passage 64 flows downward in the air supply passage 64 and is discharged downward through the through-hole of the shielding plate 6. The space between the inner peripheral surface of the shielding plate 6 (the surface partitioning the through-hole) and the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 61b serves as a gas discharge port 66 for discharging the gas from the air supply passage 64. As the gas supplied to the air supply passage 64, for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is used. Further, a valve 67 for switching the supply and stop of the gas to the air supply passage 64 is provided in the air supply pipe 65.

[0054] Also, a lifting mechanism 68 and a rotation mechanism 69 are coupled to the support shaft 60. When the driving force of the lifting mechanism 68 is input to the support shaft 60, the support shaft 60 and the shielding plate 6 integrally move up and down between a proximity position where the lower surface of the shielding plate 6 is close to the upper surface of the substrate W and a standby position vertically above the proximity position. The lifting mechanism 68 has, for example, a ball screw mechanism or an air cylinder mechanism including a motor. FIG. 2 shows a state where the support shaft 60 and the shielding plate 6 are stopped at the standby position.

[0055] When the driving force of the rotation mechanism 69 is input to the support shaft 60, the support shaft 60 and the shielding plate 6 are integrally rotated around the rotation axis Q1. The rotation mechanism 69 includes, for example, a motor.

[0056] In a state where the shielding plate 6 is lowered to the proximity position, the volume of the space between the shielding plate 6 and the substrate W can be reduced. Therefore, it is easy to control the atmosphere in the space. For example, if the valve 67 is opened and nitrogen gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 66, the proportion of nitrogen gas in the space can be increased and the proportion of oxygen gas can be reduced. Then, while controlling the atmosphere in the space, the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle 61b by opening the valve 63, so that the substrate W can be processed under a predetermined atmosphere.

[0057] Alternatively, the shutter plate 6 can also be utilized for the drying process. For example, with the shutter plate 6 lowered to a proximity position, while discharging nitrogen gas from the gas discharge port 66, the substrate holding unit 2 rotates the substrate W at high speed (spin-dry). According to this, the treatment liquid can be pressed by the nitrogen gas and moved toward the periphery of the substrate W, or the evaporation of the treatment liquid can be promoted, so that the substrate W can be dried more effectively.

[0058] As described above, since the processing unit 130 according to the above example includes the nozzle 31, the fixed nozzle 51, and the nozzle 61b, various processes can be performed. Note that in a series of processes (flow recipe) for the substrate W, it is not always necessary to use all the nozzles. Since the series of processes for the substrate W differ according to the type and manufacturing stage of the substrate W, only the nozzles necessary for the series of processes need to be used.

[0059] Also, in the example of FIG. 3, a guard 7 is also provided in the chamber 1. The guard 7 has a cylindrical shape surrounding the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 2. The guard 7 receives the treatment liquid scattered from the periphery of the substrate W.

[0060] In the example of FIG. 3, a plurality (three in the figure) of guards 7 are provided. Hereinafter, the three guards 7 may be referred to as guard 71, guard 72, and guard 73 as necessary. The plurality of guards 7 are arranged concentrically. In the example of FIG. 3, the guards 71, 72, and 73 are provided in this order from the radially inner side to the radially outer side. Also, each guard 7 is provided so as to be movable up and down by an elevating mechanism 74. The elevating mechanism 74 has, for example, a ball screw mechanism including a motor or an air cylinder mechanism.

[0061] When the lifting mechanism 74 raises all the guards 7 to the upper position, the inner guard 71 receives the processing liquid scattered from the substrate W and guides the processing liquid to the recovery pipe 81. When the lifting mechanism 74 lowers only the inner guard 71 to the lower position, the guard 72 receives the processing liquid and guides the processing liquid to the recovery pipe 82. When the lifting mechanism 74 raises only the outer guard 73 to the upper position, the guard 73 receives the processing liquid and guides the processing liquid to the recovery pipe 83.

[0062] In this way, by raising and lowering each guard 7 according to the type of the processing liquid by the lifting mechanism 74, the processing liquid can be guided to the recovery pipe corresponding to the type of the processing liquid among the recovery pipes 81 to 83. The supply destination of each recovery pipe may be a tank of a processing liquid supply source corresponding to the type of the processing liquid, or may be an external waste liquid section.

[0063] The sensor 10 detects various abnormalities in the processing unit 130. For example, the sensor 10 includes at least one of a sensor that detects an abnormality in the rotation mechanism 23 of the substrate holding unit 2, a sensor that detects a liquid leakage abnormality of each processing liquid, a sensor that detects an abnormality in the nozzle moving mechanism 4, a sensor that detects an abnormality in the lifting mechanism 74, a sensor that detects an abnormality in the lifting mechanism 68, and a sensor that detects an abnormality in the rotation mechanism 69.

[0064] Note that the abnormalities detected by the sensor 10 are not limited to those described above, and may be other types of abnormalities. For example, when an exhaust mechanism (not shown) for exhausting the gas in the chamber 1 is provided, the sensor 10 may detect an abnormality in the exhaust mechanism. Further, when a detachable cover (not shown) for maintenance is provided on the chamber 1, the sensor 10 may detect the attachment and detachment of the detachable cover. Since the detachable cover is removed during maintenance and the maintenance inside the chamber 1 is performed by the user, when the detachable cover comes off during substrate processing, the sensor 10 detects the removal of the detachable cover as an abnormality.

[0065] <Substrate Processing and Abnormality Processing> Next, an example of the substrate processing (a series of processes) and the abnormality processing executed by each processing unit 130 will be described. The abnormality processing referred to here is a process for rescuing the substrate W when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0066] <Substrate Processing> The content of the series of processes for the substrate can be set by the user as described later. Here, as an example, it is assumed that the series of processes are set so that the chemical solution treatment, the rinse treatment, and the drying treatment are executed in this order. Also, here, as an example, it is assumed that the nozzle 61b and the fixed nozzle 51 are not used.

[0067] As described later, processes such as the chemical solution treatment, the rinse treatment, and the drying treatment (that is, the process recipe) are defined by more detailed treatment contents (hereinafter referred to as recipe steps). That is, the series of processes are defined by a plurality of process recipes, and each process recipe is defined by a plurality of recipe steps.

[0068] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of a series of processes for each recipe step. The first column of the table shown in FIG. 4 indicates the execution order of the recipe steps, and the second column indicates the content of the recipe steps. In the example of FIG. 4, "Chemical Solution Treatment Preparation" is set as the first recipe step. In this recipe step, a process for preparing the chemical solution treatment is defined. For example, the movement of the arm 41 and the guard 7 is defined. Here, in the chemical solution treatment, it is assumed that the chemical solution is discharged from the nozzle 31 of a certain arm 41, and the chemical solution scattered from the substrate W is received by the guard 72. In this case, in this recipe step, the movement of the arm 41 to the processing position and the raising of the guards 72 and 73 to the upper position are defined.

[0069] In the example of FIG. 4, "chemical solution treatment start" is set as the second recipe step. Although not shown, "chemical solution treatment" is set as the third and fourth recipe steps, and "chemical solution treatment end" is set as the fifth recipe step. In these recipe steps, for example, the rotation speed of the substrate W, the flow rate of the chemical solution, and the required time are defined. When a plurality of nozzles 31 are coupled to the arm 41, the nozzles among the nozzles 31 that discharge the chemical solution are also defined. The required time is the time required for each recipe step. Further, in the recipe step corresponding to "chemical solution treatment end", the movement of the arm 41 to the standby position is defined as necessary. Specifically, in the next process recipe (here, the rinse process), when the rinse solution is discharged from the nozzle 31 of the same arm 41, the movement of the arm 41 to the standby position is not defined, and when the rinse solution is discharged from the nozzle 31 of another arm 41, the movement of the arm 41 to the standby position is defined. Here, it is assumed that the nozzle 31 of the same arm 41 discharges the rinse solution.

[0070] In the example of FIG. 4, "rinse process start" is set as the sixth recipe step. Here, in the rinse process, it is assumed that the rinse solution scattered from the substrate W is received by the guard 71. In this case, in the recipe step of "rinse process start", the raising of the guards 71 to 73 to the upper position is defined. Although not shown, "rinse process" is set as the seventh recipe step, and "rinse process end" is set as the eighth recipe step. In these recipe steps, for example, the rotation speed of the substrate W, the nozzles among the nozzles 31 that discharge the rinse solution, the flow rate of the rinse solution, and the required time are defined. Further, in the recipe step of "rinse process end", the movement of the arm 41 to the standby position is defined as necessary.

[0071] In the example of FIG. 4, "Start of drying process" is set as the ninth recipe step. Although not shown, "Drying process" is set as the tenth and eleventh recipe steps, and "End of drying process" is set as the twelfth recipe step. In these recipe steps, for example, the rotation speed and required time of the substrate W are defined. The rotation speed of this recipe step is set to a value higher than the rotation speed in the chemical solution treatment and rinse treatment. In addition, in the recipe step of "End of drying process", the lowering to the lower position of the guard 7 is defined as necessary.

[0072] In the example of FIG. 4, "End of recipe process" is set as the thirteenth recipe step. In this recipe step, the movement to the home position of various configurations is defined as necessary.

[0073] The information defining such a series of processing flows is stored in the storage device 94 as the setting information D1. Hereinafter, the information defining the series of processing flows is also referred to as flow recipe information. The control unit 90 controls the operations of various configurations of the substrate processing apparatus 100 based on the setting information D1. Thereby, the substrate processing apparatus 100 can perform a series of processes on the substrate W.

[0074] <Abnormal processing> <First abnormal processing> When any sensor 10 detects an abnormality during the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 90 causes each processing unit 130 to perform a first abnormal process corresponding to the processing content (corresponding to the execution content) being executed. Specifically, as the first abnormal process, the control unit 90 causes the processing unit 130 to execute a series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the processing content being executed.

[0075] In the example of FIG. 4, in the third column of the table, the jump destinations corresponding to each recipe step are shown. As a specific example, the 13th recipe step is set as the jump destination corresponding to the first recipe step. That is, in this example, when an abnormality is detected during the execution of the recipe step of "chemical solution treatment preparation", the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes from the recipe step of "recipe process end" as the first abnormality processing.

[0076] According to this, when an abnormality is detected during the execution of "chemical solution treatment preparation" in which the treatment using the treatment liquid has not yet been performed on the substrate W, without performing the treatment using the treatment liquid (chemical solution treatment and rinse treatment), the recipe step of "recipe process end" after the drying treatment is executed. Therefore, the consumption amount of the treatment liquid can be reduced. In addition, since the drying treatment is not performed either, the power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can also be reduced.

[0077] In the example of FIG. 4, the 6th recipe step is set as the jump destination corresponding to the 2nd to 5th recipe steps. In this example, when an abnormality is detected during the execution of the chemical solution treatment, the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes from the recipe step of "rinse treatment start" as the first abnormality processing. That is, the processing unit 130 sequentially executes the recipe steps from "rinse treatment start" to the last "recipe process end".

[0078] According to this, in the first abnormality processing, the processing unit 130 can wash away the chemical solution on the substrate W by the chemical solution treatment with the rinse treatment and dry the substrate W by the drying treatment. Therefore, damage to the substrate W by the chemical solution can be suppressed.

[0079] Also, in the example of FIG. 4, the jump destination corresponding to the 6th to 8th recipe steps is set to the 6th recipe step. In this example, when an abnormality is detected during the execution of the rinse process, as the first abnormal process, the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes from the recipe step of "start of rinse process". That is, the processing unit 130 sequentially executes the recipe steps from "start of rinse process" to the last "end of recipe process".

[0080] According to this, in the first abnormal process, the processing unit 130 restarts the rinse process for the substrate W from the beginning, so that the rinse process for the substrate W can be more reliably completed. Therefore, the residue of the chemical solution on the substrate W can be appropriately suppressed.

[0081] Also, in the example of FIG. 4, the jump destination corresponding to the 9th to 12th recipe steps is set to the 9th recipe step. In this example, when an abnormality is detected during the execution of the drying process, as the abnormal process, the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes from the recipe step of "start of drying process". That is, the processing unit 130 sequentially executes the recipe steps from "start of drying process" to the last "end of recipe process".

[0082] According to this, in the first abnormal process, since the processing unit 130 does not perform the rinse process, the consumption amount of the rinse liquid can be reduced. Also, in the first abnormal process, since the processing unit 130 restarts the drying process for the substrate W from the beginning, the drying process for the substrate W can be more reliably completed. Therefore, the residue of the rinse liquid on the substrate W can be appropriately suppressed.

[0083] Also, in the example of FIG. 4, the jump destination corresponding to the 13th recipe step is set to the 13th recipe step. In this example, when an abnormality is detected during the execution of the process related to "end of recipe process", as the first abnormal process, the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes from the recipe step of "end of recipe process".

[0084] When an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus 100, the plurality of processing units 130 execute a first abnormality process. For example, when the abnormality occurs in one of the processing units 130, the plurality of processing units 130 execute the first abnormality process in response to the detection of the abnormality.

[0085] However, it is highly possible that the same abnormality may occur during the execution of the first abnormality process in the one processing unit 130. When an abnormality occurs during the execution of the first abnormality process, the one processing unit 130 may end its operation without re-executing the first abnormality process. Alternatively, the one processing unit 130 may execute a second abnormality process different from the first abnormality process. The second abnormality process will be described in detail later.

[0086] On the other hand, it is highly possible that the other processing units 130 can complete the first abnormality process. Therefore, the other processing units 130 can appropriately salvage the substrate W.

[0087] In response to the detection of an abnormality in the substrate processing apparatus 100 in this way, since all the processing units 130 execute the first abnormality process and stop operating, the user can quickly take measures against the abnormality.

[0088] <Method for Setting the First Abnormality Process> Next, an example of a method for setting a jump destination will be described. For example, the user inputs to the input unit 96 to instruct the display of the setting screen SS1. In response to the input, the control unit 90 causes the display unit 97 to display the setting screen SS1.

[0089] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the setting screen SS1. The setting screen SS1 illustrated in FIG. 5 includes a table ST1 showing the processing contents (here, recipe steps) in the order of their execution. In the first column of the table ST1, numbers for identifying the processing contents of each row are shown, and the numbers in this first column indicate the execution order of the processing contents.

[0090] In the second column to the (N-1)th column of Table ST1, the recipe steps defined for each row are shown. As a specific example, the recipe steps include items "AP1" to "AP3". "AP1" to "AP3" are symbols for identifying arm 41. That is, here, the processing unit 130 includes three nozzle movement mechanisms 4.

[0091] The items "AP1" to "AP3" indicate the arm state. The arm state includes, for example, the position of arm 41 and states such as the ejection state from each nozzle 31 of arm 41. The recipe steps may appropriately include information such as the position of guard 7, the rotation speed of substrate W, and the flow rate of the processing liquid.

[0092] The user makes an input to the input unit 96 to define each processing content. As a more specific example, the user inputs the various information in the second column to the (N-1)th column for each row (that is, for each recipe step) to the input unit 96. In response to the input, the control unit 90 sets a series of processes to be executed by the processing unit 130 and causes the display unit 97 to display the content. The display unit 97 displays each recipe step in Table ST1 on the setting screen SS1.

[0093] Furthermore, the user makes an input to the input unit 96 to specify the jump destination corresponding to each recipe step. In response to the input, the control unit 90 sets the jump destination corresponding to each recipe step and causes the display unit 97 to display the content. The display unit 97 displays the jump destination in Table ST1 on the setting screen SS1. In the example of FIG. 5, the item "RSC" in the Nth column is the item indicating the jump destination.

[0094] The control unit 90 stores the flow recipe information indicating the series of processes set by the user and the jump destination information indicating the jump destination in the storage device 94 as the setting information D1. In the example of FIG. 5, a "Save" button B1 is displayed on the setting screen SS1, and the user operates the input unit 96 to select (click) the button B1. In response to the input, the control unit 90 stores the setting information D1 in the storage device 94.

[0095] When the sensor 10 detects an abnormality in the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 90 specifies a jump destination according to the processing content being executed based on the setting information D1. Then, as a first abnormality process, the control unit 90 causes the processing unit 130 to perform a series of processes from the processing content of the specified jump destination.

[0096] <Second Abnormality Process> Next, the second abnormality process will be described. The second abnormality process is executed when an abnormality is detected during the execution of the first abnormality process. The procedure of this second abnormality process is determined in advance and does not depend on the processing content being executed when the abnormality is detected. However, the processing conditions (for example, the flow rate of the processing liquid and the rotation speed of the substrate W) in the second abnormality process can be arbitrarily changed by the user. In other words, the input unit 96 receives the input of the processing conditions of the second abnormality process.

[0097] The second abnormality process includes, for example, a rinse process using a predetermined nozzle and a drying process. As a specific example, the rinse process of the second abnormality process is a rinse process using the fixed nozzle 51.

[0098] According to this, even when the processing unit 130 cannot complete the first abnormality process, there may be a case where the second abnormality process can be completed. For example, in one processing unit 130, when an abnormality occurs regarding the processing liquid using the nozzle 31, the same abnormality may occur during the execution of the first abnormality process in the one processing unit 130. However, since the nozzle 31 is not used in the second abnormality process, the same abnormality does not occur during the execution of the second abnormality process. Therefore, the one processing unit 130 can complete the second abnormality process.

[0099] According to this, even when the first abnormality process cannot be executed, the second abnormality process can replace the chemical solution on the substrate W with a rinse solution, so that damage to the substrate W caused by the chemical solution can be suppressed.

[0100] <Flag> The control unit 90 may store a first flag F1 for setting the enable and disable of the first abnormality process in the storage device 94. For example, the input unit 96 receives an input for designating the enable or disable of the first abnormality process. The control unit 90 raises or lowers the first flag F1 in response to the input. Here, when the first flag F1 is raised, the first abnormality process is set to be enabled, and when the first flag F1 is lowered, the first abnormality process is set to be disabled.

[0101] The enable / disable of the first abnormality process may be set for each processing unit 130, or may be set commonly for two or more processing units 130.

[0102] The control unit 90 may store a second flag F2 for setting the enable and disable of the second abnormality process in the storage device 94. For example, the input unit 96 receives an input for designating the enable or disable of the second abnormality process. The control unit 90 raises or lowers the second flag F2 in response to the input. Here, when the second flag F2 is raised, the second abnormality process is set to be enabled, and when the second flag F2 is lowered, the second abnormality process is set to be disabled.

[0103] The enable / disable of the second abnormality process may be set for each processing unit 130, or may be set commonly for two or more processing units 130.

[0104] <An example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100> FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the substrate processing apparatus 100. First, the user sets various information (step S10: setting step). Specifically, the user inputs to the input unit 96 an input specifying the content of a series of processes and the jump destination. As a specific example, in this setting step, as described above, the display unit 97 displays the recipe step and the jump destination. While checking the display unit 97, the user inputs the series of processes and the jump destination to the input unit 96. By this setting step, setting information D1 including flow recipe information and jump destination information is stored in the storage device 94. By the display unit 97 displaying the recipe step and the jump destination, the user can easily check the content of the first abnormality process and set the jump destination.

[0105] Also, in the setting step, the user inputs to the input unit 96 the validity / invalidity of the first abnormality process and the validity / invalidity of the second abnormality process. In response to the input, the control unit 90 stores a first flag F1 and a second flag F2 in the storage device 94.

[0106] Next, the substrate processing apparatus 100 performs processing on the substrate W (step S11: substrate processing step). Specifically, the control unit 90 controls each component of the substrate processing apparatus 100 based on the setting information D1. As a result, the substrate W in the carrier C is sequentially transported to the processing unit 130, and a series of processes are performed in each processing unit 130. When all the substrates W are processed by the processing unit 130 and transported to the carrier C without any abnormality occurring in the substrate processing apparatus 100, the substrate processing apparatus 100 ends the processing.

[0107] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus 100. FIG. 7 shows the flow of processing for one processing unit 130. Hereinafter, the one processing unit 130 is also referred to as the self-processing unit 130. First, any sensor 10 of the substrate processing apparatus 100 detects an abnormality and outputs the detection result to the control unit 90 (step S1: detection step). The abnormality here refers to an abnormality in which the guard 7 does not move to a predetermined position, an abnormality in which the substrate holding unit 2 does not rotate, an abnormality in which the detachable cover is removed from the chamber 1 during processing of the substrate W, an abnormality in which a leakage of the processing liquid occurs in the path where the processing liquid reaches each nozzle 31, an abnormality in which the exhaust pressure from the processing unit 130 is outside a predetermined range, and the like.

[0108] When an abnormality is detected, the control unit 90 determines whether the first abnormality process is valid or invalid (step S2). Specifically, the control unit 90 determines whether the first flag F1 stored in the storage device 94 is set.

[0109] When the first flag F1 is set, the control unit 90 determines whether a jump destination corresponding to the processing content being executed is set based on the setting information D1 (step S3). Specifically, the control unit 90 checks the setting information D1 stored in the storage device 94. The case where the jump destination is not set here includes the case where the information of the jump destination itself is not set and the case where information such as a symbol irrelevant to the jump destination is set.

[0110] When the jump destination is set, the control unit 90 causes the self-processing unit 130 to execute a series of processes from the processing content of the jump destination (step S4: first abnormality processing step). That is, the self-processing unit 130 does not continue the series of processes as they are, but executes a series of processes (first abnormality process) from the processing content of the jump destination.

[0111] Next, during the execution of the first abnormal process, the control unit 90 determines whether the sensor 10 within its own processing unit 130 has detected an abnormality (step S5). That is, the control unit 90 determines whether an abnormality that inhibits the execution of the first abnormal process has been detected. The control unit 90 continues the abnormality monitoring by this sensor 10 until at least the completion of the first abnormal process. When no abnormality occurs, the self-processing unit 130 can complete the first abnormal process. For example, when the abnormality in step S1 occurs in another processing unit 130, the self-processing unit 130 can complete a more appropriate first abnormal process.

[0112] On the other hand, if an abnormality is detected by the sensor 10 during the execution of the first abnormal process, the control unit 90 determines whether the second abnormal process is effective (step S6). Specifically, the control unit 90 determines whether the second flag F2 stored in the storage device 94 is set.

[0113] When the second flag F2 is set, the control unit 90 causes the self-processing unit 130 to execute the second abnormal process (step S7: second abnormal process step). The second abnormal process includes, for example, a rinsing process of discharging a rinse liquid from the fixed nozzle 51 and a drying process after the rinsing process. According to this, even if a chemical solution exists on the substrate W, the substrate W can be dried after replacing the chemical solution with the rinse liquid. Therefore, damage to the substrate W caused by the chemical solution can be suppressed.

[0114] In addition, if an abnormality occurs in the self-processing unit 130 even during the execution of the second abnormal process, the control unit 90 may terminate the second abnormal process in the middle in the self-processing unit 130. Alternatively, the control unit 90 may cause the self-processing unit 130 to retry the second abnormal process a predetermined number of times. The control unit 90 may terminate the second abnormal process in the middle in the self-processing unit 130 when an abnormality occurs in all the retried second abnormal processes from the beginning.

[0115] When the first abnormality process is set to invalid (step S2: NO), the control unit 90 determines whether the second abnormality process is valid (step S6). Also, when no jump destination corresponding to the processing content being executed is set (step S3: NO), the control unit 90 also determines whether the second abnormality process is valid (step S6).

[0116] When the second abnormality process is set to invalid (step S6: NO), the control unit 90 stops the operation of the self - processing unit 130. That is, the self - processing unit 130 stops operating without performing the abnormality process on the substrate W.

[0117] <Processing example> Hereinafter, specific processing examples will be described. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, jump destinations are set corresponding to all recipe steps, and the first abnormality process and the second abnormality process are set to be valid.

[0118] <Abnormality of the exhaust mechanism> The case where an abnormality occurs in the exhaust mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described. When such an abnormality occurs, the pressure in the chamber 1 may fluctuate. However, even if the pressure in the chamber 1 changes, each drive mechanism of each processing unit 130 can operate normally, so the first abnormality process can be performed.

[0119] Therefore, when such an abnormality occurs during the execution of a series of processes, each processing unit 130 can complete the first abnormality process (steps S1 to S5). Although an abnormality in the exhaust mechanism may be detected during the execution of the first abnormality process, since the control unit 90 has no trouble continuing the first abnormality process, the first abnormality process is continued.

[0120] <Abnormality of the processing unit 130> Next, the case where an abnormality occurs in one processing unit 130 will be described. The abnormality is, for example, an abnormality in the drive system of the nozzle movement mechanism 4.

[0121] Such an abnormality also occurs during the execution of the first abnormality process by the one processing unit 130. Therefore, the one processing unit 130 will perform a second abnormality process in response to the detection of the abnormality (from step S1 to step S7).

[0122] On the other hand, since no abnormality occurs in the other processing units 130, the other processing units 130 can complete the first abnormality process (from step S1 to step S5).

[0123] <Unset jump destination> Also, there may be a case where the jump destination is not appropriately set corresponding to some of the processing contents of the series of processes. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of substrate processing and the jump destination. In the example of FIG. 8, the jump destination corresponding to the processing content of the chemical solution processing is not set. Specifically, the jump destinations corresponding to the second to fifth recipe steps are not set.

[0124] In this case, when an abnormality occurs during the execution of the chemical solution processing, the processing unit 130 performs the second abnormality process without performing the first abnormality process (from step S1 to step S3, step S6, and step S7).

[0125] <Effect of the first embodiment> As described above, when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus 100, each processing unit 130 does not continue the series of processes as it is, but performs the first abnormality process (step S4). Specifically, each processing unit 130 performs the series of processes from the jump destination corresponding to the processing content being executed when the abnormality occurred as the first abnormality process. That is, the first abnormality process corresponds to a part of the series of processes. Since the series of processes is defined by appropriate processing contents for the substrate W, the first abnormality process is also an appropriate process for the substrate W.

[0126] For example, in a series of processes, in the rinse process executed after the chemical solution treatment, a rinse solution of a type suitable for the chemical solution is adopted, and the flow rate and treatment time of the rinse solution are also appropriately set. Thereby, in the series of processes, the chemical solution on the substrate W can be appropriately replaced with the rinse solution. And according to the present embodiment, when an abnormality occurs during the execution of the chemical solution treatment, in the first abnormal treatment, the same rinse treatment as the series of processes is performed. Therefore, also in the first abnormal treatment, the chemical solution on the substrate W can be appropriately replaced with the rinse solution.

[0127] Also, for example, for a substrate W whose pattern is likely to collapse due to drying, the treatment is performed so that the pattern does not collapse in the series of processes. As a specific example, the processing unit 130 performs a chemical solution treatment, a first rinse treatment, a hydrophobization treatment, a second rinse treatment, and a drying treatment in this order as a series of processes. The hydrophobization treatment is a treatment in which a hydrophobizing solution is supplied to the substrate W to form a hydrophobized film on the surface of the pattern of the substrate W, and the second rinse treatment is a treatment in which the hydrophobizing solution on the substrate W is replaced with a rinse solution. By performing the hydrophobization treatment in this way, it is possible to suppress the pattern collapse in the drying treatment.

[0128] In this case, the user may set a recipe step corresponding to the start of the first rinse treatment as the jump destination corresponding to the chemical solution treatment. According to this, when an abnormality occurs during the execution of the chemical solution treatment, the processing unit 130 executes the series of processes starting from the first rinse treatment as the first abnormal treatment. That is, the processing unit 130 performs the first rinse treatment, the hydrophobization treatment, the second rinse treatment, and the drying treatment in this order as the first abnormal treatment. Therefore, also in the first abnormal treatment, it is possible to more reliably suppress the pattern collapse.

[0129] As described above, since the first abnormal treatment is the same as a part of the series of processes, it is possible to perform a more appropriate abnormal treatment for the substrate W. Therefore, various problems that may occur to the substrate W can be suppressed or avoided.

[0130] In addition, since the input unit 96 accepts the input of the jump destination corresponding to each processing content of the series of processes, the user can set a more appropriate first abnormal process. For example, the user may set the processing content of the drying process as the jump destination corresponding to the processing content of the drying process (see also FIG. 4). In this case, when an abnormality occurs during the execution of the drying process, the processing unit 130 performs a series of processes from the drying process as the first abnormal process. In other words, the processing unit 130 does not perform the rinsing process in the first abnormal process. Therefore, the consumption amount of the rinsing liquid and the power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be reduced.

[0131] Also, for example, the user may set the processing content after the drying process (for example, "recipe process end") as the jump destination corresponding to the processing content (for example, "chemical solution processing preparation") in a situation where the processing liquid has not been discharged yet and the processing liquid is not attached to the substrate W (see also FIG. 4). In this case, when an abnormality occurs during the execution of the processing content before the discharge of the processing liquid, the processing unit 130 performs a series of processes from the processing content after the drying process. In other words, the processing unit 130 does not perform the rinsing process and the drying process in the first abnormal process. Therefore, the consumption amount of the rinsing liquid can be reduced, and the power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be further reduced.

[0132] Also, in the above example, when an abnormality occurs during the execution of the first abnormal process in the processing unit 130, the processing unit 130 in which the abnormality has occurred does not re-perform the first abnormal process, but performs a second abnormal process different from the first abnormal process (steps S5 and S6). In the second abnormal process, a rinsing process using a preset nozzle (for example, the fixed nozzle 51) and a drying process after the rinsing process are performed.

[0133] If no abnormality occurs in the second abnormality process, the processing unit 130 can complete the second abnormality process. For example, even if a drive abnormality of the nozzle movement mechanism 4 occurs in the first abnormality process, in the second abnormality process, a rinse process using the fixed nozzle 51 can be performed. Therefore, even if the first abnormality process cannot be performed, the processing liquid on the substrate W can be removed and dried by the second abnormality process. Thus, damage to the substrate W caused by the chemical solution can be suppressed.

[0134] Also, in the above example, a first flag F1 indicating the distinction between valid and invalid of the first abnormality process is set. According to this, the usability can be improved.

[0135] Also, in the above example, a second flag F2 indicating the distinction between valid and invalid of the second abnormality process is set. By this also, the usability can be improved.

[0136] <Another setting example of the jump destination> In the above example, the jump destination corresponding to the recipe step of "chemical solution treatment preparation" was the recipe step of "recipe process end" (see FIG. 4). However, the user may set the recipe step of "chemical solution treatment preparation" as the jump destination corresponding to the recipe step of "chemical solution treatment preparation". According to this, if an abnormality occurs during the execution of the recipe step of "chemical solution treatment preparation", the processing unit 130 executes a series of processes from the recipe step of "chemical solution treatment preparation" as the first abnormality process.

[0137] In this case, although the recipe step of "chemical solution treatment preparation" can be performed repeatedly, since this recipe step does not supply the chemical solution to the substrate W, there is no problem even if a duplicate operation occurs. Then, the processing unit 130 performs the chemical solution treatment, the rinse treatment, and the drying treatment in this order as the first abnormality process. Therefore, if no abnormality occurs in the first abnormality process, the processing unit 130 can complete a substantial series of processes. Thus, it is not necessary to discard the substrate W and it can be salvaged, and the substrate W can be directly advanced to the next manufacturing process.

[0138] On the other hand, if an abnormality occurs during the execution of the first abnormality process, the processing unit 130 performs the second abnormality process. Thereby, damage to the substrate W by the chemical solution can be suppressed.

[0139] Also, in the above example, the shutter 6 is not used in a series of processes, but the shutter 6 may be used. For example, the shutter 6 may stop at a proximity position during the chemical solution process and the drying process. In this case, in the recipe step of "preparation for chemical solution process", the lowering of the shutter 6 to the proximity position is defined, and in the recipe step of "end of recipe process", the raising of the shutter 6 to the home position is defined.

[0140] Also in this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the recipe step of "end of recipe process" may be set as the jump destination corresponding to the recipe step of "preparation for chemical solution process". When an abnormality occurs during the execution of the "preparation for chemical solution process", since the processing unit 130 performs a series of processes from the recipe step of "end of recipe process", the shutter 6 can be raised to the home position. Also in this case, since the rinse process and the drying process are not performed, the consumption amount of the processing liquid and the power consumption can be reduced.

[0141] <Automatic setting of jump destination> In the above example, the user sets all the jump destinations. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. The control unit 90 may automatically set the jump destinations for some or all of the recipe steps of a series of processes.

[0142] For example, the control unit 90 may automatically set the jump destination corresponding to the recipe step of the processing content before supplying the processing liquid (for example, "preparation for chemical solution process") to the recipe step after the drying process (for example, "end of recipe process"). The recipe steps after this recipe step after the drying process include the recipe steps in which various drive mechanisms (the nozzle movement mechanism 4, the elevating mechanism 68, and the elevating mechanism 74) are moved to the standby position.

[0143] When the user inputs a jump destination to the input unit 96, the control unit 90 may update the jump destination in response to the input. That is, the control unit 90 may update the automatically set jump destination to the jump destination input by the user.

[0144] According to this, since the user can set the jump destination more easily, the usability can be further improved.

[0145] <Second Embodiment> The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment.

[0146] In the second embodiment, when the first abnormality process is valid (step S2: YES), the control unit 90 performs a continuation process (step S8: continuation process step). FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the continuation process. First, the control unit 90 determines whether the processing content being executed when an abnormality occurs is the processing content defined in the process recipe (step S81). When the processing content being executed is not the processing content defined in the process recipe, the control unit 90 ends the continuation process. When the processing content being executed is the processing content defined in the process recipe, the control unit 90 determines whether the processing content being executed is a chemical solution process (step S82). When the processing content being executed is not a chemical solution process, the control unit 90 ends the continuation process.

[0147] When the processing content being executed is a chemical solution process, the control unit 90 continues the chemical solution process (step S83). Note that when an abnormality occurs during the continuation of the chemical solution process and the chemical solution process cannot be continued, the control unit 90 may end the chemical solution process.

[0148] Next, after the continuation process (step S8), the control unit 90 executes the steps after step S3 in the same manner as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 9).

[0149] As described above, in the second embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing apparatus 100 during the execution of the chemical solution treatment by the processing unit 130, the processing unit 130 continues the chemical solution treatment. Therefore, for example, when an abnormality occurs in another processing unit 130, the processing unit 130 can complete the chemical solution treatment.

[0150] After the completion of the chemical solution treatment, the processing unit 130 performs the first abnormality processing or the second abnormality processing in the same manner as in the first embodiment. According to this, even when the jump destination does not have the chemical solution treatment set in the first abnormality processing, the chemical solution treatment can be completed. In addition, if the chemical solution treatment is also performed in the first abnormality processing, the chemical solution treatment will be performed repeatedly. Therefore, the continuous processing may be performed only when the jump destination does not have the chemical solution treatment set.

[0151] As described above, in the second embodiment, when an abnormality occurs during the execution of the chemical solution treatment, the chemical solution treatment is continued in the continuous processing (step S83). If the chemical solution treatment can be completed without an abnormality occurring during the continuation of this chemical solution treatment, the substrate W after the abnormality processing can be directly advanced to the next manufacturing process.

[0152] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing another example of the continuous processing. In the example of FIG. 11, when the processing content being executed at the time of the occurrence of the abnormality is the chemical solution treatment (step S82: YES), the control unit 90 acquires the remaining time of the chemical solution treatment (step S84). The remaining time is the remaining time from the current time to the end time of the chemical solution treatment. Specifically, the control unit 90 calculates the remaining time based on the treatment time of the chemical solution treatment defined in the flow recipe information and the elapsed time since the start of the chemical solution treatment. The elapsed time is measured by, for example, a timer circuit.

[0153] Next, the control unit 90 determines whether the remaining time is less than or equal to a threshold value (step S85). The threshold value is set in advance, for example, and stored in the storage device 94. When the remaining time is less than or equal to the threshold value, since the chemical solution treatment can be completed in a short time, the control unit 90 continues the chemical solution treatment (step S83). On the other hand, when the remaining time is greater than the threshold value, the control unit 90 stops the chemical solution treatment and ends the continuous treatment.

[0154] In the above example, the control unit 90 continues the chemical solution treatment when the remaining time of the chemical solution treatment is short, and does not continue the chemical solution treatment when the remaining time of the chemical solution treatment is long. According to this, it is possible to avoid the time required for the first abnormality process when an abnormality occurs from becoming too long. That is, the abnormality process can be ended in a shorter time.

[0155] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 100 has been described in detail. However, the above description is illustrative in all aspects, and the substrate processing apparatus 100 and the substrate processing method are not limited thereto. It is understood that countless modifications not illustrated can be assumed without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The respective configurations described in the above embodiments and respective modifications can be appropriately combined or omitted as long as they do not conflict with each other.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0156] 10 Sensor 90 Control Unit 100 Substrate Processing Apparatus 130 Processing Unit 97 Display Unit S1 Detection Step (Step) S10 Setting Step (Step) S11 Substrate Processing Step (Step) S4 First Abnormality Processing Step (Step) S7 Second Abnormality Processing Step (Step) S8 Continuous Processing Step (Step) W Substrate

Claims

1. A setting step of receiving an input of an operator that sets one of the plurality of processing contents as a jump destination corresponding to at least one of the plurality of processing contents that define a series of processes for a substrate, and storing, in a storage unit, setting information that defines the jump destination based on the input of the input unit; A substrate processing step of starting the series of processes on the substrate; A detection step of detecting an abnormality; A first abnormality processing step of performing the series of processes on the substrate from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content, which is the processing content being executed, based on the setting information when the abnormality is detected; A substrate processing method comprising the above.

2. The substrate processing method according to Claim 1, further comprising: A second abnormality processing step of performing a preset second abnormality processing that does not depend on the execution content when the jump destination corresponding to the execution content when the abnormality is detected is not set, or when the abnormality is detected during the execution of the first abnormality processing step.

3. The substrate processing method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein: In the setting step, the plurality of processing contents and the jump destination are displayed on a display unit.

4. The substrate processing method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, further comprising: A continuous processing step of continuously performing the chemical solution treatment before the first abnormality processing step when the execution content is a chemical solution treatment of supplying a chemical solution to the substrate.

5. The substrate processing method according to Claim 4, wherein: In the continuous processing step, when the remaining time until the end time of the chemical solution treatment is less than or equal to a threshold value, the chemical solution treatment is continuously performed, and when the remaining time is greater than the threshold value, the chemical solution treatment is stopped.

6. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: A processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate; A sensor that detects an abnormality; An input unit that receives an input of an operator that sets one of the plurality of processing contents as a jump destination corresponding to at least one of the plurality of processing contents that define the series of processes; A storage unit; Based on the input of the input unit, the storage unit stores setting information that defines the jump destination, and causes the processing unit to start the series of processes on the substrate. When the sensor detects the abnormality, the control unit causes the processing unit to perform the series of processes on the substrate from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed, based on the setting information. A substrate processing apparatus comprising the same.

7. A program for controlling a substrate processing apparatus including a processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate and a sensor that detects an abnormality, causing a computer to execute a setting step in which an input unit receives an operator's input that sets one of the plurality of processing contents as a jump destination corresponding to at least one of the plurality of processing contents that define a series of processes on the substrate, and based on the input of the input unit, stores setting information that defines the jump destination in a storage unit; a substrate processing step of causing the processing unit to start the series of processes on the substrate; a detection step of detecting the abnormality; and a first abnormality processing step of, when the abnormality is detected, causing the processing unit to perform the series of processes on the substrate from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed, based on the setting information. A program for causing the above to be executed.

8. A setting step of setting one of the plurality of processing contents as a jump destination corresponding to each of the plurality of processing contents that define a series of processes on the substrate; a substrate processing step of starting the series of processes on the substrate; a detection step of detecting an abnormality; a first abnormality processing step of performing the series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed when the abnormality is detected; and a second abnormality processing step of performing a preset second abnormality process that does not depend on the execution content when the jump destination corresponding to the execution content at the time of detecting the abnormality is not set, or when the abnormality is detected during the execution of the first abnormality processing step. A substrate processing method comprising the same.

9. A setting step of setting one of the plurality of processing contents as a jump destination corresponding to each of the plurality of processing contents that define a series of processes on the substrate; a substrate processing step of starting the series of processes on the substrate; a detection step of detecting an abnormality; When the abnormality is detected, a first abnormality processing step of performing the series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the content of the process being executed; When the execution content is a chemical solution process of supplying a chemical solution to the substrate, a continuation processing step of continuously performing the chemical solution process before the first abnormality processing step; A substrate processing method comprising the above.

10. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: A processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate; A sensor that detects an abnormality; For each of a plurality of process contents defining the series of processes, one of the plurality of process contents is set as a jump destination, the processing unit is caused to start the series of processes on the substrate, and when the sensor detects the abnormality, the processing unit is caused to perform a first abnormality processing step of performing the series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the content of the process being executed; Comprising: When the jump destination corresponding to the execution content at the time of detecting the abnormality is not set, or when the abnormality is detected during the execution of the first abnormality processing step, the control unit performs a preset second abnormality processing independent of the execution content. A substrate processing apparatus.

11. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: A processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate; A sensor that detects an abnormality; For each of a plurality of process contents defining the series of processes, one of the plurality of process contents is set as a jump destination, the processing unit is caused to start the series of processes on the substrate, and when the sensor detects the abnormality, the processing unit is caused to perform a first abnormality processing step of performing the series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the content of the process being executed; Comprising: When the execution content is a chemical solution process of supplying a chemical solution to the substrate, the control unit continuously performs the chemical solution process before the first abnormality processing step. A substrate processing apparatus.

12. A program for controlling a substrate processing apparatus including a processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate and a sensor that detects an abnormality, the program causing a computer to: To: A setting step of setting, for each of a plurality of process contents defining the series of processes, one of the plurality of process contents as a jump destination; A substrate processing step of causing the processing unit to start the series of processes on the substrate; A detection step of detecting the abnormality; When the abnormality is detected, a first abnormality processing step of causing the processing unit to perform the series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed; When the jump destination corresponding to the execution content at the time of detecting the abnormality is not set, or when the abnormality is detected during the execution of the first abnormality processing step, a second abnormality processing step of performing a preset second abnormality processing independent of the execution content A program for causing the above to be executed.

13. A program for controlling a substrate processing apparatus including a processing unit that performs a series of processes on a substrate and a sensor that detects an abnormality, Causing a computer to A setting step of setting one of the plurality of processing contents as a jump destination corresponding to each of the plurality of processing contents defining the series of processes; A substrate processing step of causing the processing unit to start the series of processes on the substrate; A detection step of detecting the abnormality; When the abnormality is detected, a first abnormality processing step of causing the processing unit to perform the series of processes from the jump destination set corresponding to the execution content which is the processing content being executed; When the execution content is a chemical solution processing for supplying a chemical solution to the substrate, a continuation processing step of continuously performing the chemical solution processing before the first abnormality processing step A program for causing the above to be executed.

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