Substrate transfer device and substrate transfer method

Abstract

To prevent occurrence of abnormality regarding transfer of a substrate and processing of the substrate at a transfer destination when transferring the substrate.SOLUTION: A device comprises: a support part supporting a substrate; a move mechanism for moving the support part in a lateral direction in order to transfer the substrate from a first mounting part to a second mounting part for respectively mounting the substrate therein; and an ultrasonic sensor provided in the support part in order to detect the substrate mounted in the first mounting part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate transfer device and a substrate transfer method.

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer), which is a substrate, is stored in a transfer container and transferred within a factory. Then, in a substrate processing apparatus at the transfer destination, the substrate is taken out from the above transfer container by a transfer mechanism and processed. Patent Document 1 describes a transfer mechanism (transfer arm) including a substrate holding member and a height sensor provided on the lower surface of the substrate holding member. And it is shown that by using the height sensor, the position of a support ring that surrounds a table for supporting the substrate for processing and is disposed below the substrate holding member is detected.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technology capable of preventing the occurrence of abnormalities in the transfer of a substrate and the processing of the substrate at the transfer destination when transferring the substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The substrate transfer device of the present disclosure includes a support portion that supports a substrate, a moving mechanism that moves the support portion in a lateral direction to transfer the substrate from a first placement portion on which the substrate is placed to a second placement portion, an ultrasonic sensor provided on the support portion to detect the substrate placed on the first placement portion, and is provided with 、 The ultrasonic sensor irradiates ultrasonic waves upward, The ultrasonic sensor is provided on the support portion to detect the distance to the substrate placed on the first placement portion, The support portion is moved by the moving mechanism so that ultrasonic waves are irradiated to different positions of the substrate placed on the first placement portion, A conveyance determination unit is provided to determine whether to convey the substrate from the first placement portion based on the distances detected from the respective positions where the ultrasonic waves are irradiated, The moving mechanism operates so that a first step is performed in which the support portion moves from the conveyance region outside the substrate to a position overlapping the substrate in plan view below the substrate while ultrasonic waves are being irradiated from the ultrasonic sensor, The conveyance determination unit determines whether to convey the substrate from the first placement portion based on the distance detected in the first step, When the moving direction of the support portion in the first step is taken as the front, the ultrasonic sensor includes a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor provided on the left side and the right side of the support portion, respectively, The conveyance determination unit acquires the position of the center of the substrate based on the peripheral edge position of the substrate detected in the first step, In plan view, a step of moving the support portion so that the first ultrasonic sensor moves along a first arc forming the left side of a circle centered on the center of the substrate, and the distance to the peripheral edge portion of the substrate is acquired by the first ultrasonic sensor, and a step of moving the support portion so that the second ultrasonic sensor moves along a second arc forming the right side of the circle in plan view and the distance to the peripheral edge portion of the substrate is acquired by the second ultrasonic sensor. One of them is the second step, and the other is the third step following the second step, The conveyance determination unit determines whether to convey the substrate from the first placement portion based on the distances acquired in the second step and the third step.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, when transporting a substrate, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of abnormalities in the transportation of the substrate and the processing of the substrate at the transport destination.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] A substrate processing apparatus 1 including a substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a loader module 2, an alignment module 20, load lock modules 5A and 5B, a vacuum transfer module 6, and four processing modules 7, and processes a wafer W which is a circular substrate.

[0009] The loader module 2 is a module called an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module), and has a role of taking out the wafer W from a transfer container C called a FOUP (Front Open Unified Pod) that stores the wafer W and taking it into the substrate processing apparatus 1. The loader module 2 of the present embodiment is horizontally long, and the inside is an air atmosphere and an atmospheric pressure atmosphere. Hereinafter, the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with the length direction of the loader module 2 in the horizontal direction as the X direction and the direction orthogonal to the X direction as the Y direction. Also, one side and the other side in the X direction are described as the +X side and the -X side, respectively, and one side and the other side in the Y direction are described as the +Y side and the -Y side, respectively.

[0010] An alignment module 20 is connected to the -X side of the loader module 2. The alignment module 20 is provided with a rotatable stage, and light is irradiated onto the periphery of the wafer W placed and rotated on the stage, so that the position thereof is detected. According to the center position of the wafer W obtained from the detected position of the periphery, the transfer mechanism 3 described later receives the wafer W. Note that the transfer mechanism 3 is an embodiment of a substrate transfer device.

[0011] Load lock modules 5A and 5B are provided on the -Y side of the loader module 2, and the load lock modules 5A and 5B are separated from each other in the X direction. The load lock modules 5A and 5B are configured such that their internal space 50 can be switched between, for example, a normal pressure atmosphere of N2 (nitrogen) gas atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere in order to transfer the wafer W between the loader module 2 and the vacuum transfer module 6 described later.

[0012] The load lock modules 5A and 5B have the same configuration, and a stage 51 is provided in each internal space 50. The stage 51 is provided with three lifting pins 52 whose upper surfaces can protrude and retract, and the wafer W is transferred between the transfer mechanisms 3 and 61 described later and the stage 51 via the lifting pins 52. A gate valve G1 is interposed between the load lock modules 5A and 5B and the loader module 2.

[0013] On the -Y side of the load lock modules 5A and 5B, a vacuum transfer module 6 with an internal vacuum atmosphere is provided, and the vacuum transfer module 6 includes a transfer mechanism 61. Four processing modules 7 are arranged so as to surround the vacuum transfer module 6, and a gate valve G2 is interposed between the processing module 7 and the vacuum transfer module 6. The processing module 7 is a device for processing the wafer W in a vacuum state, and in this embodiment, it is configured as a film forming module. The processing module 7 includes a stage for placing and heating the wafer W. And the stage includes, for example, an electrostatic chuck, and the wafer W is adsorbed to the electrostatic chuck. A processing gas is supplied to the wafer W adsorbed in such a manner, and a film is formed on the surface of the wafer W.

[0014] The wafer W taken into the loader module 2 from the transfer container C is transferred and processed in the order of the alignment module 20 → loader module 2 → load lock module 5A → vacuum transfer module 6 → processing module 7. Then, the processed wafer W is transferred in the order of the processing module 7 → vacuum transfer module 6 → load lock module 5B → loader module 2 → transfer container C. The transfer of the wafer W between the load lock modules 5A and 5B, the vacuum transfer module 6, and the processing module 7 is performed by the transfer mechanism 61 of the vacuum transfer module 6 described above. The transfer of the wafer W between the transfer container C, the alignment module 20, the loader module 2, and the load lock modules 5A and 5B is performed by a transfer mechanism 3 provided in the loader module 2, which will be described later. Also, when transferring along the above-described path, the gate valves G1 and G2 are each opened only when necessary, and both are closed during the pressure switching in the load lock modules 5A and 5B.

[0015] Next, while also referring to the longitudinal side view of FIG. 2, the loader module 2 will be described in detail. The loader module 2 includes a housing 21. The interior of the housing 21 is configured as a transfer area 29 for the wafer W, and this transfer area 29 is maintained at normal pressure and in an air atmosphere as described above. On the +Y side surface of the housing 21, a base 22 is provided so as to protrude from the side surface in the +Y direction. The bases 22 are provided, for example, three at intervals in the X direction. A stage 23 is provided on each base 22, and the transfer container C is placed thereon.

[0016] The transfer container C will be described below. Each direction during the description is the direction in the state of being placed on the stage 23. The transfer container C includes a container body 11 and a lid 13 that closes an opening 12 provided on the -Y side surface of the container body 11. A large number of support portions 14 that support the edge portions of the back surface (lower surface) of the wafer W are provided at intervals in the vertical direction on the -X side and +X side inside the container body 11. Therefore, a large number of wafers W, for example, 25 wafers W, are supported at intervals in the vertical direction inside the container body 11 and arranged in a shelf shape. The area where each wafer W is supported inside the container body 11 is referred to as a slot, and in some cases, it may be numbered as slot 1, slot 2, slot 3,... in order from the top.

[0017] On the +Y side surface of the housing 21 of the loader module 2, three wafer W loading / unloading ports 24 are provided at intervals in the X direction, and a door 25 that closes the loading / unloading port 24 from the inside of the housing 21 is provided. The door 25 is connected to a door moving mechanism 26. The loading / unloading port 24 is opened so as to overlap the opening 12 of the transfer container C placed on the stage 23. And the door 25 can be retracted to a position below the loading / unloading port 24 inside the housing 21 by the door moving mechanism 26 while holding the lid 13 of the transfer container C. Therefore, the door 25 opens and closes the loading / unloading port 24 and also opens and closes the opening 12 of the transfer container C. When both the opening 12 and the loading / unloading port 24 are open, the wafer W can be transferred between the loader module 2 and the transfer container C.

[0018] A transfer mechanism 3 is provided inside the housing 21. The transfer mechanism 3 is composed of a lifting mechanism 31 configured to be movable in the X direction, a multi-joint arm 32, and an ultrasonic sensor 4, and the multi-joint arm 32 can be lifted by the lifting mechanism 31. This multi-joint arm 32 is composed of a horizontal first arm 33, a horizontal second arm 34, and a support portion 35. The base end portion of the first arm 33 is provided on the lifting mechanism 31 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis, and the base end portion of the second arm 34 is provided on the tip end portion of the first arm 33 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis.

[0019] The lifting mechanism 31, the first arm 33, and the second arm 34 are configured as a moving mechanism 30 that moves the support portion 35 to an arbitrary position in the lateral direction and the height direction. In order for the support portion 35 to receive the wafer W in the module or the transfer container C and support it from below, it moves laterally downward toward the wafer W. In the following description, the traveling direction of the support portion 35 will be described as the front. Also, for the description, reference is also made to FIG. 3 which is a side view of the support portion 35.

[0020] The support portion 35 is a horizontal plate-like member, and the rear portion (base end portion) of the support portion 35 is provided on the tip end portion of the second arm 34 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. And the left side and the right side of the front portion (tip end portion) of the support portion 35 each extend forward to form a front protruding portion 36. Therefore, the support portion 35 is formed in a two-fork shape. A pad 41 is provided on the tip end portion of the front protruding portion 36, and the upper surface on the rear portion side of the pad 41 forms a mounting surface 42 for the wafer W. The front side of the mounting surface 42 in the pad 41 bulges and is configured as a claw portion 43. And a recess is provided on the lower surface of the front end portion of each front protruding portion 36, and the ultrasonic sensor 4 is embedded in this recess.

[0021] Each ultrasonic sensor 4 irradiates ultrasonic waves vertically upward through a through hole (not shown) formed in the claw portion 43 in the vertical direction, toward the upper side of the claw portion 43. In FIG. 3, the ultrasonic waves are indicated by dotted arrows. When the ultrasonic waves collide with a solid detection object located on the claw portion 43 and a reflected wave is generated, the ultrasonic sensor 4 receives the reflected wave and transmits data on the distance between the ultrasonic sensor 4 and the above-described detection object to a control unit 100 described later. Thereby, the control unit 100 can acquire the distance. When viewed from the rear to the front, the left and right ultrasonic sensors 4 may be denoted as 4A and 4B, respectively. 4A is the first ultrasonic sensor and 4B is the second ultrasonic sensor. These ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B are provided at the same height.

[0022] Also, pads 44 are provided on the left and right of the rear side of the support portion 35, and the upper surface of the pad 44 is formed as a mounting surface 45 for the wafer W. The peripheral portion of the wafer W is placed on the mounting surfaces 42 and 45 of the pads 41 and 44, and the wafer W is horizontally supported by the support portion 35. The side surface on the rear side of the claw portion 43 forms an opposing surface 46 that opposes the side surface of the wafer W supported in this way.

[0023] Furthermore, two rollers 47 rotatable around a vertical axis and a roller moving mechanism 48 for moving each roller 47 back and forth are provided at the rear of the support portion 35. The rollers 47 are provided apart from each other left and right and are configured to be rotatable around a vertical axis, and the side surfaces of the respective rollers 47 oppose the side surfaces of the wafer W placed on the mounting surfaces 42 and 45. During the conveyance of the wafer W by the conveyance mechanism 3, the rollers 47 press the rear side surface of the wafer W forward, so that the front side surface of the wafer W abuts against the opposing surface 46. Therefore, as shown by the chain line in FIG. 3, the wafer W is gripped by the roller 47 which is a pressing portion and the claw portion 43 which is an opposing portion, and the position of the wafer W on the support portion 35 is fixed. Thereby, displacement of the wafer W on the support portion 35 during conveyance is prevented, and the wafer W is conveyed to an appropriate position at the conveyance destination.

[0024] In some cases, the above-described moving mechanism 30 (lifting mechanism 31, first arm 33, and second arm 34) and the support portion 35 are described as the transport device main body 39. As described above, the ultrasonic sensor 4 is provided on the transport device main body 39. The transport device main body 39 is a target for detecting abnormalities using the ultrasonic sensor 4 as will be described later. Therefore, when simply described as the transport device main body 39, the ultrasonic sensor 4 is not included. Thus, the transport device main body 39 is a constituent member obtained by removing the ultrasonic sensor 4 from the transport mechanism 3. The reason for providing the ultrasonic sensor 4 will be explained. There are cases where the wafer W stored in the transport container C and transported to the substrate processing apparatus 1 is warped. Depending on the state of this warp, abnormal processing may be performed in the processing module 7. To give a specific example, assume that the wafer W is warped such that the central portion is positioned above the peripheral portion, that is, in an upside-down bowl shape, and the warp is relatively large. In that case, when the wafer W is transported to the processing module 7, there is a possibility that the central portion of the wafer W is not adsorbed onto the stage of the processing module 7. If it is not adsorbed in such a manner, an abnormality occurs in which the processing gas circulates from the front surface to the back surface of the wafer W, and unnecessary film formation is performed on the back surface. Further, the processing module 7 may be configured as a module that forms and processes plasma on the front surface of the wafer W. In that case, if the wafer W is not adsorbed to the stage, there is also a possibility that discharge occurs between the stage and the back surface of the wafer W, damaging the back surface of the wafer W.

[0025] In addition, the processing in the processing module 7 may cause the wafer W to warp or the warp may become large. Therefore, even if the wafer W can be normally transferred from the transfer container C to the load lock module 5A, an abnormality may occur when the wafer W is transferred from the load lock module 5B to the transfer container C. An example of an abnormality caused by the warp of the wafer W in the load lock module 5B will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The wafer W shown in FIG. 4 is warped so that the peripheral portion is located higher than the center portion, that is, the wafer W is warped in a bowl shape, and the warp is relatively large. In this case, after the support portion 35 receives the wafer W, the rollers 45 move forward to fix the wafer W, and the rollers 45 go under the back surface of the wafer W. The rollers 45 then bounce the wafer W off the support portion 35, and the wafer W may fall to the floor of the load lock module 5B and be broken.

[0026] Although the examples of the case where the wafer W in the transfer container C is warped into an inverted bowl shape and the wafer W in the load lock module 5B is warped into a bowl shape have been given, even if the wafer W does not have such a shape, if the warp is large, the support part 35 may not be able to receive the wafer W, or the wafer W may be transferred to an inappropriate position at the transfer destination. In order to prevent the above-mentioned abnormalities in the transfer and processing of the wafer W, the ultrasonic sensor 4 is provided on the support part 35 in the substrate processing apparatus 1, and the support part 35 scans the back surface of the wafer W from below the wafer W to inspect the state of warping (= height distribution) of the wafer W. Then, for the wafer W determined to be abnormal as a result of the inspection, the transfer is stopped, thereby preventing the above-mentioned problems in the transfer of the wafer W and the inappropriate processing of the wafer W.

[0027] In this way, the ultrasonic sensor 4 irradiates ultrasonic waves onto the back surface of the wafer W. The reason for irradiating ultrasonic waves onto the back surface in this manner is to raise the support portion 35 and promptly receive the wafer W when there is no abnormality in the warping state of the wafer W. To elaborate, if the ultrasonic sensor 4 is provided to irradiate ultrasonic waves downward onto the support portion 35 and the surface (upper surface) of the wafer W is scanned from above the wafer W to inspect the warping state. In that case, after the scan, the support portion 35 is retracted from above the wafer W, and then it is raised after being positioned below the wafer W to receive the wafer W. Therefore, the movement amount of the support portion 35 until it receives the wafer W becomes relatively large. By adopting the configuration of irradiating ultrasonic waves onto the back surface of the wafer W as described in FIG. 3, an increase in the movement amount required to receive the wafer W is prevented, and a decrease in the throughput of the apparatus is suppressed.

[0028] Incidentally, as a sensor for detecting the distance to a detection object, an optical sensor is known that irradiates light onto the detection object and detects the distance by receiving the reflected light from the detection object. However, the back surface of the wafer W can be various, such as being a mirror surface or having a film formed thereon. When using an optical sensor, the direction of the above-mentioned reflected light is easily affected by the state of the back surface of the wafer W. Depending on the state of the back surface, it may be necessary to provide the light projecting portion and the light receiving portion constituting the sensor at separate positions, which may require time and effort for the setting of the arrangement. In addition, there is a possibility that the sensor may become large-sized due to the large separation between the light projecting portion and the light receiving portion, and it may be considered difficult to arrange it on the support portion 35. However, the detection by the ultrasonic sensor 4 is less affected by the state of the back surface of the above-mentioned wafer W. Therefore, the ultrasonic sensor 4 has the advantages of being prevented from becoming large-sized and being easily arranged on the support portion 35.

[0029] In addition, the conveyance abnormality of the wafer W is not limited to being caused by the warpage of the wafer W, and it is also conceivable that it may be caused by an abnormality in the conveyance mechanism 3. Regarding the substrate processing apparatus 1, the ultrasonic sensor 4 is configured to inspect for an abnormality in the conveyance mechanism 3 by acquiring the distance to a determination member 81 (see FIG. 1) provided in the conveyance area 29 of the loader module 2, for example. Therefore, in addition to the wafer W, the determination member 81 corresponds to the detection target of the ultrasonic sensor 4 in the substrate processing apparatus 1. Details of the determination member 81 will be described later together with the description of the abnormality inspection of the conveyance mechanism 3.

[0030] Also, when the support portion 35 receives the wafer W from each of the slots 1 to 25 of the transport container C and the load lock modules 5A and 5B, as described above, it moves forward toward the wafer W to be received, and thus moves to a set position (referred to as a receiving position) below the wafer W. Then, the support portion 35 rises by a predetermined amount from this receiving position and receives the wafer W by scooping it up, and the wafer W is placed on the placement surfaces 42 and 45 as described above. Supplementary to the receiving position, the position in the X direction, the position in the Y direction, and the position in the height direction are each preset, and information corresponding to the positions in these respective directions is stored in the control unit 100. The control unit 100 operates the movement mechanism 30 according to the information and positions the support portion 35 at the receiving position. In this substrate processing apparatus 1, the information is updated by detecting the wafer W using the ultrasonic sensor 4. That is, it is configured to perform so-called teaching, which is an operation instruction for the conveyance mechanism 3.

[0031] Figure 1 shows the control unit 100. This control unit 100 is constituted by a computer, and includes a conveyance determination unit that determines whether to perform conveyance based on the distances acquired from each ultrasonic sensor 4, and an abnormality determination unit that determines the presence or absence of an abnormality in the conveyance device main body 39. The control unit 100 is provided with a program. This program is composed of a group of steps so that it can output control signals to each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and control the operations of these parts in order to perform the above-described conveyance, processing of the wafer W, and each operation described later. Also, various calculations, determinations, and decisions described later are executed by this program. In addition, in order to perform the calculations, determinations, and decisions, the control unit 100 is configured to be able to grasp the position of the support unit 35 by using, for example, the encoder output of the motor incorporated in the conveyance mechanism 3. The above program is stored in the control unit 100 in a state of being stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk, a compact disk, a DVD, a memory card, etc.

[0032] Also, the control unit 100 includes a memory 101. In this memory 101, the information of the receiving position described above is stored, and the information is appropriately updated by teaching. Therefore, the control unit 100 forms an update unit that updates the information of this memory 101. Furthermore, data for determining an abnormality of the conveyance mechanism 3 using the determination member 81 and the like are also stored in the memory 101. Also, the control unit 100 includes an alarm output unit. This alarm output unit is a screen or a speaker, and when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the inspection result of the warpage state described later or when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the inspection result of the conveyance mechanism 3, it outputs an alarm as a screen display or a sound.

[0033] [First Inspection Method for Warpage State of Wafer W] This substrate processing apparatus 1 can inspect the warpage state (= height distribution) of the wafer W in different modes. Taking the case of transporting the wafer W from the slot 1 of the transport container C as an example for one of those modes, a first inspection method, it will be described with reference to the schematic side view of FIG. 5 and the schematic plan views of FIGS. 6 to 11. Incidentally, when transporting the wafer W from the transport container C in this way, the support portion 14 of the transport container C is the first placement portion, and the alignment module 20 and the load lock module 5A, which are the transport destinations of the wafer W, correspond to the second placement portion.

[0034] First, in the transport region 29 of the loader module 2, the front side of the support portion 35 of the transport mechanism 3 faces the transport container C and moves to the height of the receiving position of the wafer W in the slot 1 (FIG. 6). Subsequently, when ultrasonic waves are irradiated from each ultrasonic sensor 4 and acquisition of distance data is started, the support portion 35 moves forward, and as shown in FIG. 5, the ultrasonic sensor 4 enters the container body 11 of the transport container C. In accordance with the movement of the support portion 35, ultrasonic waves are irradiated on the peripheral edge on the rear side of the wafer W, and the irradiation position moves forward toward the back surface of the wafer W. Accordingly, the support portion 35 moves from the outer transport region 29 of the wafer W to a position that overlaps the wafer W in plan view below the wafer W. Then, the irradiation position of the ultrasonic waves moves to the peripheral edge on the front side of the wafer W, and further movement of the support portion 35 causes it to deviate from the wafer W. And as shown by the solid line in FIG. 7, for example, when the support portion 35 is positioned at the receiving position, the forward movement of the support portion 35 stops and the irradiation of ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic sensor 4 stops (step S1).

[0035] Based on the distance data obtained from each ultrasonic sensor 4 in step S1, for the four points P1 at the periphery of the wafer W in plan view, the positions in the X direction and the Y direction are detected. To further describe this detection, as described above, in step S1 (the first step), the ultrasonic sensors 4 (4A, 4B) are moved so that the irradiation position of the ultrasonic wave straddles the wafer W back and forth. Since the distance data cannot be obtained when the distance from the ultrasonic sensor 4 to the object to be detected is relatively far, in the above step S1, the distance data of objects other than the wafer W in the container body 11, such as the inner wall of the container body 11, is not obtained, and only the distance data for the wafer W is obtained. Also, as described above, since the control unit 100 can grasp the position of the support unit 35, the position of the point P1 can be specified from the distance data obtained in step S1 as described above. Then, from the four obtained points P1, the positions in the X direction and the Y direction of the point P2, which is the center of the circle passing through all four points P1, are calculated. That is, based on the position of the point P1, the position of the point P2, which is the center of the wafer W, is estimated.

[0036] Subsequently, the support unit 35 moves so that the ultrasonic sensor 4A is separated from the point P2 by a predetermined amount forward and a predetermined amount to the left in plan view. The support unit 35 moved in this way is shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 8, and the ultrasonic sensor 4A is positioned overlapping the wafer W in plan view. Subsequently, ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B. Then, the support unit 35 moves backward, for example, while keeping its direction forward, so that the ultrasonic sensor 4A moves counterclockwise along a circle R1 centered on the point P2 in plan view. The support unit 35 during such movement is shown by a solid line in FIG. 8 and a two-dot chain line in FIG. 9, respectively. By this movement of the support unit 35, ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B are irradiated onto the peripheral portion and the central portion of the wafer W, respectively. When the ultrasonic sensor 4A moves to a position separated from the point P2 by a predetermined amount backward and a predetermined amount to the left in plan view, the irradiation of the ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B stops (step S2). The support unit 35 in the state of having moved to such a position is shown by a solid line in FIG. 9.

[0037] Thereafter, the support portion 35 moves such that the ultrasonic sensor 4B moves a predetermined amount rearward and a predetermined amount rightward with respect to point P2 in a plan view. The support portion 35 that has moved in this manner is shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 10, and the ultrasonic sensor 4B is positioned overlapping the wafer W in a plan view. Subsequently, ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B. Then, the support portion 35 moves forward while, for example, keeping its orientation forward so that the ultrasonic sensor 4B moves clockwise along the circle R1 in a plan view. The support portion 35 during such movement is shown by a solid line in FIG. 10 and a two-dot chain line in FIG. 11, respectively. By this movement of the support portion 35, ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensors 4B and 4A to the peripheral portion and the central portion of the wafer W, respectively. When the ultrasonic sensor 4B moves to a position a predetermined amount forward and a predetermined amount rightward with respect to point P2 in a plan view, the irradiation of ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B stops (step S3). The support portion 35 in the state of having moved to such a position is shown by a solid line in FIG. 11.

[0038] Note that the above-mentioned circle R1 is a circle slightly smaller than the circle passing through the four points P1 centered on point P2, and is set to an appropriate size so that ultrasonic waves are irradiated to the peripheral portion of the wafer W even when the wafer W is not a perfect circle in a plan view due to warping. Note that the height of the support portion 35 during the execution of steps S1 to S3 is constant.

[0039] FIG. 12 shows dots in the region on the back surface of the wafer W where ultrasonic waves were irradiated and distance data was acquired in steps S1 to S3. It means that the height distribution (= warping state) of the region with these dots was acquired on the back surface of the wafer W. Based on the warping state thus acquired, an abnormality determination is made (step S4).

[0040] Regarding the determination of this abnormality, it can be performed by setting arbitrary methods and criteria. For example, compare the heights of a plurality of preset points in the central part and the heights of a plurality of preset points in the peripheral part within the plane of the wafer W, and if there is any difference that exceeds the allowable range, it may be determined that there is an abnormality. As described above, if the reverse bowl-shaped warpage of the wafer W is large, an abnormality in processing will occur in the processing module 7. Therefore, for example, when the distance obtained at a preset position on the central part side of the wafer W - the distance obtained at a preset position on the peripheral part side of the wafer W exceeds the allowable range, it is determined that there is an abnormality.

[0041] In addition, for the locations within the plane of the wafer W where distance data has not been acquired, by estimating the distance from the distances at the measured locations around them using a predetermined algorithm, for example, the height distribution of the entire plane of the wafer W can be acquired, and the abnormality determination in step S4 can be made. Therefore, the distance used for the abnormality determination is not limited to the distance in the area directly irradiated with ultrasonic waves and acquired. Also, as described above, the left and right peripheries of the wafer W are supported by the support portions 14 of the container body 11. Even if a part of the ultrasonic irradiation area overlaps with the support portion 14 that supports the wafer W, the support portion 14 can be identified from the difference in the distance between the wafer W and the ultrasonic sensor 4. Therefore, for the distance data obtained from this support portion 14, for example, it is excluded and the abnormality determination is made. Also, the distance data acquired in step S1 may be used only for the detection of the above points P1 and P2, and the determination in step S4 may be made using only the distance data acquired in steps S2 and S3.

[0042] When the determination result in step S4 is normal, from the position where the irradiation of ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic sensor 4 was stopped in step S3 above, the support portion 35 is returned to the receiving position, and then raised to receive the wafer W and convey it to the alignment module 20. When the determination result is abnormal, it is determined that the wafer W in slot 1 is not conveyed, the support portion 35 retreats from the container body 11 without receiving the wafer W, and returns to the conveyance area 29 of the loader module 2.

[0043] In this inspection method, due to the movement of the support portion 35 in step S2 described above, the ultrasonic sensor 4A disposed on the left side of the support portion 35 moves along the left arc (the first arc) forming the circle R1 in a plan view. Then, due to the movement of the support portion 35 in step S3, the ultrasonic sensor 4B disposed on the right side of the support portion 35 moves along the right arc (the second arc) forming the circle R1 in a plan view. Therefore, the arc trajectories of the ultrasonic sensor 4A in step S2 and the arc trajectory of the ultrasonic sensor 4B in step S3 are different from each other. By scanning different parts of the peripheral portion of the wafer W with the separate ultrasonic sensors 4 in this way, distance data is acquired in a wide range at the peripheral portion of the wafer W in a state where the movement of the support portion 35 is restricted within the container body 11. And, by using an ultrasonic sensor 4 different from the ultrasonic sensor 4 used for scanning the peripheral portion of the wafer W in this way, scanning is also performed at a position closer to the center of the wafer W than the peripheral portion, so that scanning of a wide area is performed promptly. Therefore, in this method, the inspection is performed so that distance data of a wide area can be used while suppressing a decrease in the throughput of the apparatus and the accuracy is improved. Note that although it has been described that step S2 is performed first out of step S2 and step S3, step S3 may be performed first. Of step S2 and S3, the step performed first is the second step, and the step performed later is the third step.

[0044] [Second inspection method for the warping state of wafer W] Next, similar to the first inspection method, a case where the wafer W is transported from the slot 1 of the transport container C will be described as an example for the second inspection method for the warpage state of the wafer W. In this second inspection method, only the operation of step S1 is performed among the operations of the support portion 35 described as steps S1 to S3 in the first inspection method. Therefore, as described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, the support portion 35 is caused to enter the container body 11, and distance data for a linear region from the front end to the rear end of the wafer W is acquired by the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B. On the upper side of FIG. 13, dots are marked in the region where ultrasonic waves are irradiated within the plane of the wafer W, similar to FIG. 12. On the lower side of FIG. 13, the correspondence between the distance acquired from each of the two scanned linear regions and the position where the distance is acquired (i.e., the height distribution of the wafer W) is illustrated as a graph. Note that the illustrated graph is obtained when the wafer W is warped in an upside-down bowl shape.

[0045] Based on the distance acquired in step S1 above, the presence or absence of an abnormality is determined (step S5). If there is no abnormality, the support portion 35 located at the receiving position is raised by executing step S1 to receive and transport the wafer W. Regarding the determination of the abnormality in step S5 above, similar to the determination in step S4, any method and criteria can be set. In order to prevent defects in the processing in the processing module 7 described above, for example, when the distance acquired at a preset position on the central portion side - the distance acquired at a preset position on the peripheral portion side exceeds the allowable range, a determination that an abnormality has occurred is made. If it is determined that there is an abnormality in step S5, similar to the case where it is determined that there is an abnormality in step S4 of the first inspection method, the support portion 35 retreats from within the container body 11 without transporting the wafer W in the slot 1.

[0046] [Third Inspection Method for Warpage State of Wafer W] Although it has been described that either the first inspection method or the second inspection method is to be performed, a third inspection method combining these inspection methods can be performed. First, for the wafer W in slot 1, steps S1 and S5 described as the second inspection method are executed. If it is determined in step S5 that there is no abnormality, the wafer W is transported. On the other hand, the decision not to transport the wafer W even if it is determined in this step S5 that there is an abnormality is postponed, and steps S2 to S4 described in the first inspection method are executed. If it is determined in step S4 that there is no abnormality, the wafer W is transported, and if it is determined in step S4 that there is an abnormality, the wafer W is not transported.

[0047] Therefore, when this third inspection method is outlined, distance data obtained by performing the operation for the support portion 35 to receive the wafer W (the operation in step S1) is used to determine the possibility of warpage state abnormality as step S5. Then, based on the distance obtained in this step S1, it is determined whether to perform steps S2 and S3. That is, steps S2 and S3 are executed only when there is a possibility of abnormality to obtain distance data from a wide range within the plane of the wafer W, and based on this, the presence or absence of abnormality is determined (step S4), and it is determined whether to transport the wafer W. Therefore, in this third inspection method, it is possible to more surely suppress a decrease in the throughput of the apparatus by suppressing the movement of the support portion 35 for making this determination while accurately determining the abnormality of the warpage state.

[0048] In explaining the first to third inspection methods, the case of transporting the wafer W in the slot 1 of the transport container C was described as a representative example. However, when transporting the wafer W in other slots or when transporting the wafer W in the load lock module 5B, the support portion 35 operates in the same manner as in the previously described examples. As shown in FIG. 14, when inspecting the wafer W in the load lock module 5B, the wafer W is supported on the lifting pins 52 and lifted from the surface of the stage 51, and the support portion 35 operates in steps S1 to S3. Therefore, when transporting the wafer W from the load lock module 5B in this manner, the lifting pins 52 are the first placement portion, and the support portion 14 of the transport container C at the transport destination is the second placement portion. Regarding the determination in steps S4 and S5, as described with reference to FIG. 4, it can be determined as abnormal when the warpage of the wafer W in the bowl shape becomes relatively large. For this purpose, for example, when the distance obtained at a preset position on the peripheral edge side of the wafer W - the distance obtained at a preset position on the center side exceeds the allowable range, it is determined as abnormal. And, similar to the inspection of the wafer W in the transport container C, the abnormal wafer W is not transported.

[0049] By the way, regarding the wafer W in the load lock module 5B, for example, assume that the first or third inspection method is performed. And assume that in step S4, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the warpage state of the wafer W and it is decided not to transport the wafer W. After a preset time has elapsed since the determination in step S4 was made, the support portion 35 may receive the wafer W and transport the wafer W. Alternatively, after the preset time has elapsed after the determination in step S4, the first or third inspection method may be performed again, and according to the determination in step S4, it may be decided whether or not to transport the wafer W.

[0050] After such a set time has elapsed, the transfer is performed according to the result of the transfer or reinspection because, although the warp of the wafer W is relatively large immediately after being carried into the load lock module 5B by the heat treatment in the processing module 7, the warp may be relaxed by heat dissipation. By performing the transfer according to the transfer or reinspection after such a set time has elapsed, it is possible to prevent the wasteful operation of the operator collecting the wafer W in the load lock module 5B that could originally be transferred by the transfer mechanism 3, and improve the operation efficiency of the apparatus. For the sake of convenience, the case of performing the first or third inspection method has been described as an example, but the same transfer control may be performed for the case of performing the second inspection method. That is, if the determination result in step S5 is abnormal, the transfer or reinspection of the wafer W may be performed after the set time has elapsed.

[0051] [First Abnormality Inspection of Transfer Device Main Body 39] Subsequently, the abnormality inspection of the transfer device main body 39 will be described. This inspection includes a first abnormality inspection and a second abnormality inspection. Hereinafter, the first abnormality inspection will be described with reference to FIG. 15. The support portion 35 constituting the transfer mechanism 3 is provided horizontally as shown by the chain line in FIG. 15, but an abnormality may occur in which the tip sags as shown by the solid line in FIG. 15 due to the influence of gravity or the like. As the first abnormality inspection, this sagging abnormality is inspected.

[0052] As described above, the determination member 81 of the loader module 2 is used for the inspection. The determination member 81 will be described with reference to FIG. 16, which is a bottom view. The determination member 81 is, for example, a plate-like body. The lower surface of the determination member 81 forms a horizontal plane, and a linear groove 82 is formed. On the lower surface, the outside of the groove 82 is a flat portion 83.

[0053] In performing the first abnormality inspection, the support portion 35 is arranged at a first inspection position below the determination member 81. This first inspection position is a position preset for each of the X direction, Y direction, and height direction, and ultrasonic waves are set to be irradiated from each ultrasonic sensor 4 of the support portion 35 arranged at the first inspection position onto the flat portion 83 of the determination member 81. When the support portion 35 is horizontal, the distance (reference distance) obtained from each ultrasonic sensor 4 arranged at the above-mentioned first inspection position is stored in the memory 101 of the control unit 100.

[0054] In the first abnormality inspection, the support portion 35 is arranged at the first inspection position, and a difference value between the distance obtained by each ultrasonic sensor 4 and the reference distance is obtained. As shown in FIG. 15, when the sag of the support portion 35 increases, the distance between the ultrasonic sensor 4 and the determination member 81 obtained increases. Therefore, if the obtained difference value exceeds the allowable value, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred as if the above-mentioned sag has occurred.

[0055] [Second Abnormality Inspection of the Conveyor Device Main Body 39] Subsequently, the second abnormality inspection of the conveyor device main body 39 will be described. This second abnormality inspection checks whether the support portion 35 is arranged and moved to the set position as set by the moving mechanism 30 constituting the conveyor device main body 39. Therefore, this inspection is an inspection for confirming whether the wafer W is normally conveyed to the set position at the conveyance destination.

[0056] In this second abnormality inspection, the support portion 35 is advanced horizontally along the groove 82 from the second inspection position below the determination member 81 to the third inspection position, and the distance is acquired by the ultrasonic sensor 4B during this advancement. The second inspection position and the third inspection position are positions preset for each of the X direction, Y direction, and height direction, similar to the first inspection position, but are set such that ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensor 4B to the bottom of the groove 82. Therefore, during the forward movement of the support portion 35 described above, the second and third inspection positions are set so that only the distance to the bottom of the groove 82 is acquired and the distance to the flat portion 83 is not acquired. In FIG. 16, the support portion 35 at the second inspection position is shown by a solid line, and the support portion 35 at the third inspection position is shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0057] An abnormality determination is made from the distance acquired during the movement of the support portion 35 from the second inspection position to the third inspection position described above. Specifically, for example, the distance is acquired periodically, and the acquired distance is stored in the memory 101. Then, the newly acquired distance is compared with the distance acquired in the past in the memory 101. If the newly acquired distance is smaller than the distance acquired in the past, it is determined that the flat portion 83 has been detected and that the normal arrangement and movement of the support portion 35 have not been made, and thus it is determined as an abnormality. Also, if a change occurs in the distance acquired during the movement of the support portion 35, it is determined as an abnormality on the assumption that the flat portion 83 has been detected because the support portion 35 has not moved straight normally.

[0058] Incidentally, the first to third inspection positions of the support portion 35 described above can be arbitrarily set, and the determination member 81 may be installed according to the position. Therefore, the determination member 81 is a member whose positional relationship is determined with respect to the support portion 35 at an arbitrary position. Also, if the positional relationship between the support portion 35 and the determination member 81 during inspection is determined, the distance can be measured by the ultrasonic sensor 4 as described above, and the distance can be compared with the normal distance acquired in advance to detect an abnormality. Therefore, the determination member 81 is not limited to the shape described above, and can have an arbitrary shape. For example, instead of providing the groove 82, the determination member may be configured to have a protrusion, and the first and second abnormal inspections of the transfer device main body 39 may be performed by measuring the distance from the protrusion or checking whether the protrusion is detected when moving straight. Further, the determination member 81 is not limited to being provided in the loader module 2, and can be provided in an area accessible by the support portion 35, such as the load lock modules 5A and 5B. Also, the determination member 81 is not limited to being permanently installed in the substrate processing apparatus 1, and may be provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1 only during the execution of the inspection.

[0059] [Teaching of the transfer mechanism 3] Subsequently, the teaching of the transfer mechanism 3 performed using the ultrasonic sensor 4 will be described by taking as an example the case of updating the receiving position of the wafer W in the slot 1. With the container main body 11 of the transfer container C storing the wafer W placed on the stage 23 of the loader module 2, the support portion 35 is located behind the receiving position of this slot 1 in the transfer region 29. Note that as the wafer W stored in the container main body 11, a wafer without warpage is prepared.

[0060] While irradiating ultrasonic waves from each ultrasonic sensor 4, the support unit 35 is advanced until four points P1 at the periphery of the wafer W are detected by the inspection method for the warpage state of the wafer W as described above. Then, as described with reference to FIG. 7, the positions of the point P2 at the center of the wafer W in the X and Y directions are calculated from the positions of each point P1 in the X and Y directions. As described above, since the control unit 100 can grasp the position of the support unit 35, detecting each point of the wafer W in this way means that the positional relationship between the support unit 35 and the wafer W is grasped.

[0061] For the point P2 calculated as described above, the ultrasonic sensors 4A and 4B are positioned at equal distances to the left and right with respect to the point P2, and corrections in the X and Y directions for the receiving position are made so as to be separated from the point P2 by a predetermined distance on the front side. Further, when the distance from the wafer W acquired during the advancement of the support unit 35 described above deviates from the set distance, a correction in the height direction is also made for the receiving position so that the deviation is corrected. This correction of the receiving position is performed by the control unit 100 updating the data in the memory 101. Thereby, when the support unit 35 next receives the wafer W in slot 1, it moves to the updated receiving position. Note that the above operations of the support unit 35 and the update of the data in the memory 101 are automatically performed by the control unit 100.

[0062] The receiving positions of the other slots of the transport container C are updated in the same procedure. Also, for the load lock module 5B, the receiving position can be updated by performing the procedure described above while the wafer W is supported by the lift pins 52. As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is automatically taught. Therefore, for example, compared to the case where an operator manually changes the position of the support unit 35 to determine the receiving position while adjusting the distances between the inner walls and the wafer W in the container body 11 and the load lock module 5B and the support unit 35, the labor is reduced and the working time is shortened.

[0063] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the warpage state of the wafer W can be inspected by obtaining the distance to the wafer W using the ultrasonic sensor 4 provided in the support portion 3 that supports the wafer W in the transfer mechanism 3. By inspecting this warpage state, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of transfer abnormalities of the wafer W and the occurrence of processing abnormalities of the wafer W. Furthermore, by obtaining the distance to the determination member 81 using the ultrasonic sensor 4, it is possible to inspect for abnormalities in the transfer mechanism 3. By performing this inspection, the occurrence of transfer abnormalities of the wafer W is also prevented. In addition, as described above, the burden on the operator when performing teaching using the ultrasonic sensor 4 can be reduced.

[0064] [Detection of Scratches and Particles] Supplementing the inspections that can be performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1, by using the ultrasonic sensor 4, it is possible to detect scratches formed on the back surface of the wafer W and / or particles adhering to the back surface of the wafer W. The support portion 35 is moved at a relatively low speed while irradiating ultrasonic waves to scan the back surface of the wafer W. In the region where the distance data is directly obtained in this way, the distance obtained from the position where scratches or particles are present is relatively different from the distance obtained from the positions in the vicinity, so these scratches and particles can be detected. The detection of these scratches and particles may be performed, for example, using the data obtained in steps S1 to S3 for inspecting the warpage state, and may be performed in parallel with the inspection of the warpage state. Alternatively, the support portion 35 may be scanned separately from the operations described in steps S1 to S3 to detect scratches and particles. Then, threshold values may be set for the number and size, and the control unit 100 may be configured to determine not to perform transfer if the threshold values are exceeded.

[0065] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the load lock module is separately provided as 4A for the forward path and 4B for the return path with respect to the processing module 7. However, only one load lock module may be provided, and it may be configured to serve both as the forward path and the return path for the processing module 7. Further, the processing module 7 is not limited to being connected to the load lock module via the vacuum transfer module 6, and it may be directly connected to the load lock module without passing through the vacuum transfer module 6. Furthermore, the processing module 7 is not limited to the film forming module, and it may be, for example, an etching module or a module for performing heat treatment (annealing treatment) in an inert gas atmosphere.

[0066] [Correction of the receiving position of the wafer W] Incidentally, the substrate processing apparatus may be configured without the alignment module 20. In that case, it is preferable that the support portion 35 receives the wafer W according to the position of the wafer W acquired in step S1 by the inspection method of the warping state of the wafer W described above. Specifically, as described with reference to FIG. 7, when the support portion 35 enters the container body 11, the ultrasonic sensor 4 detects the peripheral point P1 of the wafer W, and further calculates the central point P2 of the wafer W.

[0067] Then, according to the position of this point P2, the support portion 35 is laterally displaced from the receiving position. That is, the positions of the support portion 35 in the X direction and the Y direction are adjusted so that the point P2 and the support portion 35 have a predetermined relative position in a plan view. Then, after the adjustment, the support portion 35 is raised to receive the wafer W. Note that the lateral adjustment (positioning) of the raising position of the support portion 35 is performed by the control unit 100 which is a positioning unit. Since the wafer W is supported at a predetermined position of the support portion 35 by this position adjustment, the wafer W can be accurately transported to a desired position of the load lock module 5A. Regarding the correction of the receiving position described above, unlike the above teaching in which the support portion 35 moves to a predetermined position to receive the wafer W until the next data update after the data update, the alignment of the support portion 35 is performed each time the wafer W is received. As described above, the position of the wafer W on the support portion 35 is corrected by the pressing by the roller 47, but by performing the correction of the receiving position, the wafer W can be more reliably positioned at a desired position on the support portion 35. Note that the roller 47 may not be provided, and in that case, it is more effective to perform the correction of the receiving position.

[0068] Incidentally, regarding the correction of the receiving position of the wafer W, it is only necessary to be able to detect the position of the point P1 on the peripheral edge of the wafer W in the XY direction. That is, the ultrasonic sensor 4 only needs to be able to detect the presence or absence of the wafer W at the upper position, and it is not necessary to measure the distance from the ultrasonic sensor 4 to the wafer W. Further, regarding the second abnormality inspection of the transfer device main body 39 described with reference to FIG. 16, whether or not there is an abnormality in the transfer device main body 39 may be determined depending on whether or not the determination member is detected by the ultrasonic sensor 4 when the support portion 35 is arranged at a predetermined position. That is, the abnormality inspection may be performed without measuring the distance to the determination member. Therefore, when only such correction of the receiving position of the wafer W and inspection of the abnormality of the transfer device main body 39 are performed, it is not essential to acquire the distance to the object by the ultrasonic sensor 4, and a device configuration in which only the detection of the object is performed and the acquisition of the distance is not performed may be used.

[0069] Incidentally, the transfer mechanism 3 is not limited to being provided in the above-described loader module 2, and can be provided in an environment where the ultrasonic sensor 4 can be used by transmitting ultrasonic waves. Specifically, for example, it is not limited to the above-described atmospheric atmosphere, and can be provided in an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas. Therefore, the inside of the above-described loader module 2 may also have an inert gas atmosphere similar to that inside the load lock modules 5A and 5B. And the transfer mechanism is not limited to being configured as an articulated arm. For example, it may be configured to include a base that is rotatable, vertically movable, and laterally movable around the vertical axis, and a support portion 35 advances and retreats on this base. And the object to be transferred is not limited to the wafer W which is a circular substrate, and for example, a rectangular substrate may be used. Although it may be configured to irradiate ultrasonic waves from above downward to detect the distance to the object, as described above, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which ultrasonic waves are irradiated from below upward.

[0070] In order for the support portion 35 to scan the back surface of the wafer W, as the first placement portion of the wafer W at the transfer source, it is made possible to locally place the back surface of the wafer W, such as the support portion 14 of the above-described transfer container C and the lifting pin 52 of the load lock module 5B. Note that the center portion of the wafer W is locally placed on the stage of the above-described alignment module 20. Therefore, although it has been described that various inspections are performed on the wafer W in the transfer container C when transferring the wafer W to the processing module 7, they may be performed on the wafer W of the alignment module 20. That is, the alignment module 20 can be used as the first placement portion. However, in order to prevent transfer abnormalities between the transfer container C and the alignment module 20, it is preferable to perform inspections on the wafer W in the transfer container C. Incidentally, for the sake of convenience in explaining this transfer container C, slot numbers are assigned from top to bottom, but the wafer W is not necessarily transferred in this order, and the wafer W may be unloaded in order from below.

[0071] The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The above embodiments may be omitted, substituted, changed, and / or combined in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Explanation of Signs

[0072] C Carrier container W Wafer 30 Moving mechanism 35 Support part 39 Main body of the transfer device 4 Ultrasonic sensor 5A, 5B Load lock module 81 Determination member

Claims

1. A support part for supporting a substrate; A moving mechanism for moving the support part in a lateral direction to convey the substrate from a first placement part to a second placement part where the substrates are respectively placed; An ultrasonic sensor provided on the support part for detecting the substrate placed on the first placement part; Comprising; The ultrasonic sensor irradiates ultrasonic waves upward; The ultrasonic sensor is provided on the support part for detecting the distance to the substrate placed on the first placement part; The support part is moved by the moving mechanism so that ultrasonic waves are irradiated to different positions of the substrate placed on the first placement part; A conveyance determination part is provided for determining whether or not to convey the substrate from the first placement part based on the distances detected from the respective positions where the ultrasonic waves are irradiated; The moving mechanism operates so that a first step is performed in which the support part moves from a conveyance area outside the substrate to a position overlapping the substrate in plan view below the substrate in a state where ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the ultrasonic sensor; The conveyance determination part determines whether or not to convey the substrate from the first placement part based on the distance detected in the first step; Assuming that the moving direction of the support part in the first step is forward, the ultrasonic sensor includes a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor respectively provided on the left side and the right side of the support part; The conveyance determination part acquires the position of the center of the substrate based on the peripheral edge position of the substrate detected in the first step; In plan view, a step of moving the support part along a first arc that forms the left side of a circle centered on the center of the substrate by the first ultrasonic sensor so that the distance to the peripheral edge of the substrate is acquired by the first ultrasonic sensor, and a step of moving the support part along a second arc that forms the right side of the circle by the second ultrasonic sensor so that the distance to the peripheral edge of the substrate is acquired by the second ultrasonic sensor, one of which is the second step and the other is the third step following the second step; A substrate conveyance device in which the conveyance determination part determines whether or not to convey the substrate from the first placement part based on the distances acquired in the second step and the third step.

2. In the second step, on the substrate, the distance at a position closer to the center than the position where the distance is acquired by the first ultrasonic sensor is acquired by the second ultrasonic sensor. In the third step, on the substrate, the distance at a position closer to the center than the position where the distance is acquired by the second ultrasonic sensor is acquired by the first ultrasonic sensor. The substrate transfer device according to claim 1.

3. The transfer determination unit determines whether to perform the second step and the third step based on the distances of the substrate with respect to the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor acquired in the first step. The substrate transfer device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. For the substrate determined not to be transferred from the first placement unit, the transfer determination unit determines whether to perform the transfer after a preset time has elapsed, or re-determines whether to transfer the substrate from the first placement unit based on the distances detected by irradiating ultrasonic waves to different positions again. The substrate transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The second placement unit is constituted by a transfer container for storing the substrate. The first placement unit is constituted by a load lock module. The load lock module is connected to a processing module that processes the substrate in a vacuum atmosphere. The substrate transfer device according to claim 4.

6. The first placement unit is constituted by a transfer container for storing the substrate. The second placement unit is constituted by a load lock module. The load lock module is connected to a processing module that processes the substrate in a vacuum atmosphere. The substrate transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. On the support part, a facing part facing the side surface of the substrate supported by the support part, and a pressing part for pressing the substrate from the side toward the facing part to fix the position of the substrate with respect to the support part. The substrate transfer device according to claim 6 is provided.

8. The moving mechanism includes a lifting mechanism for lifting the support part from a preset position below the substrate to receive the substrate on the support part. a memory for storing information about the preset position. An update unit that updates the information in the memory based on the position of the peripheral edge of the substrate detected and the height of the substrate while the support unit moves horizontally below the substrate with ultrasonic waves irradiated from the ultrasonic sensor; The substrate transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the substrate transfer device is provided.

9. The moving mechanism includes a lifting mechanism for lifting the support unit from below the substrate to receive the substrate on the support unit. A positioning unit is provided that determines a horizontal position at which the support unit rises to receive the substrate based on the position of the peripheral edge of the substrate detected while the support unit moves horizontally below the substrate with ultrasonic waves irradiated from the ultrasonic sensor. The substrate transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The ultrasonic sensor is provided with a positional relationship with respect to the support unit determined at an arbitrary position, and detects a determination member for determining an abnormality of the support unit or the moving mechanism. The substrate transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The ultrasonic sensor is provided on the support unit to detect a distance to the determination member. An abnormality determination unit is provided that determines the presence or absence of an abnormality in the support unit or the moving mechanism based on the detected distance. The substrate transfer device according to claim 10.

12. A step of supporting the substrate by the support unit; A step of moving the support unit horizontally by a moving mechanism to transfer the substrate from a first placement unit to a second placement unit on which the substrate is placed respectively; A step of detecting the substrate placed on the first placement unit by an ultrasonic sensor provided on the support unit and irradiating ultrasonic waves upward, and detecting a distance to the substrate; A step of moving the support unit by the moving mechanism so that ultrasonic waves are irradiated at different positions of the substrate placed on the first placement unit; A determination step of determining whether or not to transfer the substrate from the first placement unit based on the distances detected from the respective positions where the ultrasonic waves are irradiated by a transfer determination unit; A step including a first step in which the support unit moves from a conveyance area outside the substrate to a position overlapping the substrate in plan view below the substrate with ultrasonic waves irradiated from the ultrasonic sensor by the moving mechanism. Assuming that the moving direction of the support portion in the first step is forward, the ultrasonic sensor includes a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor respectively provided on the left side and the right side of the support portion. A step of obtaining the position of the center of the substrate based on the peripheral position of the substrate detected in the first step by the conveyance determination unit. In a plan view, a step of moving the support portion such that the first ultrasonic sensor moves along a first arc forming the left side of a circle centered on the center of the substrate, and the distance to the peripheral portion of the substrate is obtained by the first ultrasonic sensor, and in a plan view, a step of moving the support portion such that the second ultrasonic sensor moves along a second arc forming the right side of the circle, and the distance to the peripheral portion of the substrate is obtained by the second ultrasonic sensor. One of these steps is taken as the second step, and the other is taken as the third step following the second step. The determination step is a substrate conveyance method that determines whether the conveyance determination unit conveys the substrate from the first placement unit based on the distances obtained in the first step, the second step, and the third step.

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