Coating processing method, storage medium, and coating processing apparatus

Abstract

This coating treatment method includes: acquiring, individually, surface images of a plurality of substrates each having on a surface thereof mutually different films formed by feeding a treatment liquid having mutually different discharge quantities; obtaining a plurality of polar coordinate transformed images by subjecting the surface images of each of the plurality of substrates to polar coordinate transformation; displaying one or more of the polar coordinate transformed images included in the plurality of polar coordinate transformed images on a screen in a state corresponding to information specifying the discharge quantity of the treatment liquid on the substrate imaged in the image; and determining the discharge quantity of the treated liquid on the substrate when the film of the treatment liquid forms, on the basis of an instruction by a user with respect to the display content on the screen.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a coating processing method, a storage medium, and a coating processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses that the application conditions for applying a treatment liquid to a substrate can be automatically adjusted. Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses that the application speed and supply period of the treatment liquid can be adjusted as the application conditions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-44500 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that can determine the amount of treatment liquid to be discharged that can form an appropriate coating on the substrate surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A coating processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes individually acquiring surface images of a plurality of substrates, each having a different coating formed on its surface by supplying a different amount of treatment liquid to the substrate; polar-coordinate converting the surface images of the plurality of substrates to obtain a plurality of polar-coordinate converted images; displaying one or more of the polar-coordinate converted images included in the plurality of polar-coordinate converted images on a screen in association with information specifying the amount of treatment liquid to be discharged onto the substrate from which the image was captured; and determining the amount of treatment liquid to be discharged onto the substrate when forming the treatment liquid coating, based on a user's instructions regarding the content displayed on the screen. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, a technique is provided that can determine the amount of treatment liquid to be discharged that can form an appropriate coating on the substrate surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the general configuration of the application unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the control unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the control unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for creating and capturing an image of a condition determination sample. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for determining the discharge amount based on an image. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of display content on the display unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of display content on the display unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for creating and capturing an image of a confirmation sample. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for checking the discharge amount based on an image. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Various exemplary embodiments are described below.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment, there is provided a coating processing method including: acquiring surface images of a plurality of substrates, each substrate having a different coating formed thereon by supplying a different amount of treatment liquid; polar-coordinate-converting the surface images of the plurality of substrates to obtain a plurality of polar-coordinate-converted images; displaying one or more of the polar-coordinate-converted images on a screen in association with information specifying the amount of treatment liquid dispensed onto the substrate from which the image was captured; and determining the amount of treatment liquid dispensed onto the substrate when forming the treatment liquid coating, based on a user's instruction in response to the display on the screen.

[0010] According to the liquid application processing method, polar coordinate converted images are created from surface images of multiple substrates on which coatings have been formed with different amounts of treatment liquid, and one or more polar coordinate converted images are displayed on a screen. Therefore, a user can determine the amount of treatment liquid to be dispensed onto a substrate while referring to the polar coordinate converted images displayed on the screen. Thus, according to the liquid application processing method, a user can determine the amount of treatment liquid to be dispensed after viewing the polar coordinate converted images and understanding the changes in the coating resulting from differences in the amount of treatment liquid to be dispensed.

[0011] In the displaying, an image of the surface of the substrate before the polar coordinate conversion may be displayed together with the polar coordinate converted image.

[0012] As described above, by displaying the surface image of the substrate before polar coordinate conversion together with the polar coordinate converted image, the user can determine the amount of processing liquid to be discharged onto the substrate while checking the actual state of the substrate surface in addition to the polar coordinate converted image.

[0013] In the displaying, the contrast of the image displayed on the screen may be adjustable.

[0014] As described above, by making it possible to adjust the contrast of the image displayed on the screen, the user can obtain more information from the image, and therefore the user can more appropriately determine the ejection amount.

[0015] In the displaying, an auxiliary line indicating the distance from the periphery or center of the substrate may be added to the polar coordinate converted image.

[0016] As described above, by adding and displaying auxiliary lines indicating the distance from the edge or center of the substrate to the polar coordinate conversion image, it becomes easier for the user to understand what changes are occurring and at what distance from the edge of the substrate.

[0017] In the displaying, information specifying the substrate from which the image was captured may be displayed in association with the one or more polar coordinate converted images.

[0018] As described above, by displaying information that identifies the board from which the image was captured in association with the polar coordinate converted image, the user can easily intuitively grasp which board the image represents.

[0019] In the displaying, two or more polar coordinate transformed images included in the plurality of polar coordinate transformed images may be displayed on the screen in a state where they are associated with information specifying the amount of the processing liquid discharged onto the substrate from which the image was captured, and where they are arranged in order of the amount of the processing liquid discharged.

[0020] As described above, when two or more polar coordinate converted images included in a plurality of polar coordinate converted images are displayed on the screen in the order of the amount of processing liquid discharged, the user can easily understand the change in the surface condition of the substrate due to the change in the amount of processing liquid discharged.

[0021] In the displaying, a specific area of ​​the image may be enlarged and displayed based on an instruction from the user.

[0022] As described above, by configuring the image so that specific areas can be enlarged, the user can check in detail, for example, areas that concern them, allowing the user to more appropriately determine the ejection amount from the image information.

[0023] The method may further include supplying the processing liquid at the amount determined in determining the discharge amount to each of the plurality of substrates, thereby individually acquiring surface images of the plurality of substrates on whose surfaces a coating is formed, thereby obtaining a plurality of confirmation images, displaying the plurality of confirmation images on a screen, and determining the discharge amount of the processing liquid under the substrate processing conditions based on a user's instructions regarding the display content on the screen.

[0024] In the above configuration, a determined amount of treatment liquid is supplied to multiple substrates to form a coating, and surface images of the substrates on which the coating is formed are captured. Furthermore, the amount of treatment liquid discharged under the substrate processing conditions is determined based on a user's instruction with reference to the surface image. This configuration makes it possible to confirm, for example, whether the state of the substrate surface when the image used to determine the amount of treatment liquid is accidental or steady. Therefore, the substrate processing conditions determined in the determination process are suitable for processing a large number of substrates.

[0025] In one exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a program for causing an apparatus to execute the coating method. In this case, the same effects as those of the coating method are achieved.

[0026] In one exemplary embodiment, a coating processing apparatus is provided, including: an image acquisition unit that acquires surface images of a plurality of substrates, each having a different coating formed on its surface by supplying a different amount of a processing liquid; an image conversion unit that polar-coordinate-converts each of the surface images of the plurality of substrates acquired by the image acquisition unit to obtain a plurality of polar-coordinate-converted images; a display unit that displays one or more of the polar-coordinate-converted images on a screen in association with information specifying the amount of the processing liquid dispensed onto the substrate from which the image was captured; and a discharge amount determination unit that determines the amount of the processing liquid dispensed onto the substrate when forming the coating of the processing liquid based on a user's instruction on the display content on the screen.

[0027] According to the liquid coating processing apparatus, polar coordinate converted images are created from surface images of multiple substrates on which coatings have been formed with different amounts of treatment liquid, and one or more polar coordinate converted images are displayed on a screen. Therefore, a user can determine the amount of treatment liquid to be discharged onto a substrate while referring to the polar coordinate converted images displayed on the screen. Thus, according to the liquid coating processing method, a user can determine the amount of treatment liquid to be discharged after viewing the polar coordinate converted images and understanding the changes in the coating resulting from differences in the amount of treatment liquid to be discharged.

[0028] Illustrative Embodiments Various exemplary embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings, in which the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0029] [Substrate processing system] As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate processing system 1 is a system that performs processes of forming a photosensitive film on a substrate, exposing the photosensitive film, and developing the photosensitive film.

[0030] The workpiece W (substrate) to be processed is, for example, a semiconductor substrate. One example of a substrate is a silicon wafer. The workpiece W may be formed in a circular shape. The workpiece W to be processed may also be a glass substrate, a mask substrate, an FPD (Flat Panel Display), or the like. The workpiece W may have a cutout portion where a portion is cut out. The cutout portion may be, for example, a notch (a U-shaped, V-shaped groove, or the like) or a linear portion extending linearly (a so-called orientation flat). The photosensitive coating is, for example, a resist film.

[0031] The substrate processing system 1 includes a coating / developing apparatus 2 and an exposure apparatus 3. The exposure apparatus 3 performs an exposure process on a resist film (photosensitive coating) formed on a workpiece W (substrate). Specifically, it irradiates an energy beam onto the portion of the resist film to be exposed by a method such as immersion exposure. The coating / developing apparatus 2 performs a process of forming a resist film on the surface of the workpiece W before the exposure process by the exposure apparatus 3, and then performs a development process on the resist film after the exposure process.

[0032] [Liquid treatment equipment] The configuration of the coating and developing apparatus 2 will be described below as an example of a liquid processing apparatus. The coating and developing apparatus 2 includes a carrier block 4, a processing block 5, an interface block 6, and a control unit 100. A display unit 210 and an input unit 220 are also connected to the control unit 100.

[0033] The carrier block 4 introduces the workpiece W into the coating and developing device 2 and removes the workpiece W from the coating and developing device 2. For example, the carrier block 4 can support a plurality of carriers C for the workpiece W and has a built-in transfer arm A1. The carrier C accommodates, for example, a plurality of circular workpieces W. The transfer arm A1 removes the workpiece W from the carrier C and transfers it to the processing block 5, and receives the workpiece W from the processing block 5 and returns it to the carrier C.

[0034] The processing block 5 has a plurality of processing modules 11, 12, 13, and 14. Each of the processing modules 11, 12, and 13 incorporates a coating unit U1, a heat treatment unit U2, and a transport arm A3 that transports the workpiece W to these units.

[0035] The processing module 11 uses a coating unit U1 and a heat treatment unit U2 to form an underlayer film on the surface of the workpiece W. The coating unit U1 of the processing module 11 applies a film forming liquid for forming the underlayer film onto the workpiece W. The heat treatment unit U2 of the processing module 11 performs various heat treatments associated with the formation of the underlayer film.

[0036] The processing module 12 forms a resist film on the underlying film using a coating unit U1 and a thermal processing unit U2. The coating unit U1 of the processing module 12 applies a film-forming liquid for forming a resist film (hereinafter referred to as "resist liquid") onto the underlying film. The thermal processing unit U2 of the processing module 12 performs various thermal processes associated with the formation of the resist film.

[0037] The processing module 12 may further include a substrate cooling unit 91 and a surface inspection unit 92. The substrate cooling unit 91 cools the workpiece W before the coating unit U1 applies the resist liquid to the workpiece W. The surface inspection unit 92 acquires the state of the resist film formed on the surface Wa of the workpiece W as an image. The surface inspection unit 92 acquires pixel values ​​in the captured image of the surface Wa of the workpiece W. The pixel value is a numerical value that indicates the state of each pixel that constitutes the image. For example, the pixel value is a numerical value that indicates the shading level of the color of the pixel (for example, the gray level in a black and white image). Note that in the captured image of the surface Wa, the pixel value correlates with the height of the imaged portion corresponding to the pixel. In other words, the pixel value also correlates with the thickness of the resist film in the imaged portion.

[0038] The processing module 13 forms an upper layer film on the resist film using a coating unit U1 and a thermal processing unit U2. The coating unit U1 of the processing module 13 applies a film forming solution for forming the upper layer film onto the resist film. The thermal processing unit U2 of the processing module 13 performs various thermal processes associated with the formation of the upper layer film.

[0039] The processing module 14 incorporates a developing unit U3, a thermal processing unit U4, and a transport arm A3 that transports the workpiece W to these units. The processing module 14 uses the developing unit U3 and the thermal processing unit U4 to perform development processing on the resist film after exposure. The developing unit U3 applies a developer to the surface of the exposed workpiece W and then rinses it away with a rinse liquid, thereby developing the resist film. The thermal processing unit U4 performs various thermal processes associated with the development processing. Specific examples of thermal processing include a baking process before the development processing (PEB: Post Exposure Bake) and a baking process after the development processing (PB: Post Bake).

[0040] A shelf unit U10 is provided on the carrier block 4 side within the processing block 5. The shelf unit U10 is divided into multiple cells arranged in the vertical direction. A lift arm A7 is provided near the shelf unit U10. The lift arm A7 raises and lowers the workpiece W between the cells of the shelf unit U10.

[0041] A shelf unit U11 is provided on the interface block 6 side in the processing block 5. The shelf unit U11 is divided into a plurality of cells arranged in the vertical direction.

[0042] The interface block 6 transfers the workpiece W to and from the exposure apparatus 3. For example, the interface block 6 has a built-in transfer arm A8, which is connected to the exposure apparatus 3. The transfer arm A8 transfers the workpiece W placed on the shelf unit U11 to the exposure apparatus 3, receives the workpiece W from the exposure apparatus 3, and returns it to the shelf unit U11.

[0043] The control unit 100 has a function of storing programs for operating each part of the coating / developing apparatus 2 and each part of the exposure apparatus 3, and controlling these operations. The display unit 210 connected to the control unit 100 is, for example, a monitor. The monitor may be any device capable of displaying information on a screen, and a specific example thereof is a liquid crystal panel. The display unit 210 may have a function of displaying the control contents by the control unit 100. Furthermore, the display unit 210 displays information that a user (such as an operator using the apparatus) should refer to when setting conditions for processing the workpiece W using the control unit 100. This point will be described later.

[0044] The apparatus may also have an input unit 220 that allows a user to input various conditions. In this case, the control unit 100 may operate each part of the coating / developing apparatus 2 and each part of the exposure apparatus 3 in accordance with the conditions input to the control unit 100 through the input unit 220. Examples of the input unit 220 include a mouse, a touch panel, a pen tablet, and a keyboard.

[0045] The control unit 100, display unit 210, and input unit 220 may be provided near a location where a portion of the coating and developing apparatus 2 other than the control unit 100 that actually processes the workpiece W (substrate processing unit) is installed. Furthermore, these functional units may be provided at a location separated from the substrate processing unit. In particular, the display unit 210 and input unit 220 that are actually operated by the user may be provided at a location separated from the main body of the coating and developing apparatus 2. In this case, the display unit 210 and input unit 220 may be connected to the control unit 100 by wire or wirelessly.

[0046] The control unit 100 controls the coating and developing apparatus 2 to perform the coating and developing process, for example, in the following procedure: First, the control unit 100 controls the transfer arm A1 to transport the workpiece W in the carrier C to the shelf unit U10, and then controls the lifting arm A7 to place the workpiece W in a cell for the processing module 11.

[0047] Next, the control unit 100 controls the transport arm A3 to transport the workpiece W from the shelf unit U10 to the coating unit U1 and heat treatment unit U2 in the processing module 11. Then, the control unit 100 controls the coating unit U1 and heat treatment unit U2 to form an underlayer film on the surface of the workpiece W. Thereafter, the control unit 100 controls the transport arm A3 to return the workpiece W with the underlayer film formed thereon to the shelf unit U10, and controls the lifting arm A7 to place the workpiece W in a cell for the processing module 12.

[0048] Next, the control unit 100 controls the transport arm A3 to transport the workpiece W from the shelf unit U10 to the coating unit U1 and heat treatment unit U2 in the processing module 12, and controls the coating unit U1 and heat treatment unit U2 to form a resist film on the underlying film of the workpiece W. The control unit 100 then controls the transport arm A3 to return the workpiece W to the shelf unit U10, and controls the lift arm A7 to place the workpiece W in a cell for the processing module 13. The control unit 100 may also control the transport arm A3 to cool the workpiece W in the substrate cooling unit 91 before processing the workpiece W in the coating unit U1. Furthermore, the control unit 100 may control the transport arm A3 to acquire an image of the surface Wa of the workpiece W in the surface inspection unit 92 after processing the workpiece W (application of resist liquid) in the coating unit U1.

[0049] Next, the control unit 100 controls the transport arm A3 to transport the workpiece W from the shelf unit U10 to each unit in the processing module 13, and controls the coating unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2 to form an upper layer film on the resist film of the workpiece W. Thereafter, the control unit 100 controls the transport arm A3 to transport the workpiece W to the shelf unit U11.

[0050] Next, the control unit 100 controls the transfer arm A8 to send the workpiece W on the shelf unit U11 to the exposure device. Thereafter, the control unit 100 controls the transfer arm A8 to receive the workpiece W that has been subjected to the exposure process from the exposure device and place it in a cell for the processing module 14 in the shelf unit U11.

[0051] Next, the control unit 100 controls the transport arm A3 to transport the workpiece W from the shelf unit U11 to each unit in the processing module 14, and controls the developing unit U3 and the heat treatment unit U4 to perform a development process on the resist film on the workpiece W. Thereafter, the control unit 100 controls the transport arm A3 to return the workpiece W to the shelf unit U10, and controls the lifting arm A7 and the delivery arm A1 to return the workpiece W into the carrier C. This completes the coating and developing process.

[0052] The specific configuration of the substrate processing apparatus is not limited to the above-described configuration of the coating and developing apparatus 2. The substrate processing apparatus may be any type as long as it includes a coating unit U1, a surface inspection section 92, and a control section 100 capable of controlling these.

[0053] [Application unit] Next, a specific description will be given of the configuration of the coating unit U1 of the processing module 12. As shown in FIG.

[0054] The rotary holding unit 20 holds and rotates the workpiece W from the back surface Wb side. For example, the rotary holding unit 20 has a holding unit 21 and a rotation drive unit 22. The holding unit 21 supports the center (part including the center) of the workpiece W, which is placed horizontally with the front surface Wa facing up, from the back surface Wb side, and holds the workpiece W, for example, by vacuum suction or the like. The rotation drive unit 22 uses, for example, an electric motor or the like as a power source, to rotate the holding unit 21 around a vertical axis passing through the center of the workpiece W. This causes the workpiece W to also rotate.

[0055] The liquid supply unit 30 supplies the resist liquid to the center of the surface Wa of the workpiece W held by the rotation holder 20. The liquid supply unit 30 includes, for example, a nozzle 31, a liquid source 32, and a valve 33.

[0056] The nozzle 31 ejects the resist liquid downward. The liquid source 32 (a supply source of the film forming liquid) supplies the resist liquid to the nozzle 31. For example, the liquid source 32 includes a tank that stores the resist liquid and a pump that pressure-feeds the resist liquid. The liquid source 32 may be configured to be able to adjust the liquid feed pressure of the resist liquid using the pump or the like. The valve 33 opens and closes the flow path of the resist liquid from the liquid source 32 to the nozzle 31.

[0057] The nozzle transport unit 50 transports the nozzle 31 of the liquid supply unit 30. For example, the nozzle transport unit 50 has a horizontal transport unit 51 and an elevating unit 52. The horizontal transport unit 51 transports the nozzle 31 along a horizontal transport line using, for example, an electric motor or the like as a power source. The elevating unit 52 raises and lowers the nozzle 31 using, for example, an electric motor or the like as a power source.

[0058] The cup 70 accommodates the workpiece W together with the holder 21 and collects various processing liquids (e.g., resist liquid) that have been shaken off from the workpiece W. The cup 70 has an umbrella portion 72, a drainage portion 73, and an exhaust portion 74. The umbrella portion 72 is provided below the holder 21 and guides various processing liquids that have been shaken off from the workpiece W to a drainage region 70a on the outer periphery of the cup 70. The drainage portion 73 has a drainage port 73a that opens into the cup 70 (the space for accommodating the workpiece W) below the umbrella portion 72 (i.e., below the back surface Wb of the workpiece W), and discharges the processing liquid from the drainage port 73a to the outside of the cup 70. For example, the drainage port 73a is provided below the umbrella portion 72 in the drainage region 70a. Therefore, the processing liquid guided to the drainage region 70a by the umbrella portion 72 is discharged to the outside of the cup 70 from the drainage port 73a.

[0059] The exhaust unit 74 has an exhaust port 74a that opens into the cup 70 below the holder 21 (i.e., below the back surface Wb of the workpiece W), and exhausts gas inside the cup 70 (gas in the storage space for the workpiece W) from the exhaust port 74a to the outside of the cup 70. For example, the exhaust port 74a is provided below the umbrella portion 72 in an exhaust region 70b that is inside the drainage region 70a. Therefore, gas that has flowed from the drainage region 70a into the exhaust region 70b is exhausted to the outside of the cup 70 from the exhaust port 74a.

[0060] The coating unit U1 configured in this manner is controlled by the control unit 100. The control unit 100 causes the liquid supply unit 30 to supply resist liquid to the center of the surface Wa of the workpiece W, while causing the rotation holding unit 20 to rotate the workpiece W at a predetermined rotation speed. The control unit 100 also causes the liquid supply unit 30 to stop supplying the resist liquid before the resist liquid supplied to the surface Wa reaches the outer periphery Wc of the workpiece W. Furthermore, the control unit 100 may also cause the rotation holding unit 20 to continue rotating the workpiece W at a predetermined rotation speed even after the supply of resist liquid by the liquid supply unit 30 has stopped. The control unit 100 is configured to execute these coating controls.

[0061] [Control Unit] The control unit 100 is a functional unit for determining the discharge amount as a processing condition when forming a resist film on the workpiece W using the coating / developing apparatus 2. When forming a resist film on the workpiece W, the amount of resist liquid to be supplied to the workpiece W can vary depending on the type of resist liquid. For example, because resist liquid is generally expensive, it is important to supply as little resist liquid as possible to the workpiece W. On the other hand, if the supply amount of resist liquid is too small, it will not be possible to uniformly coat the surface Wa of the workpiece W. To determine the conditions under which a resist film can be appropriately formed with a smaller discharge amount (supply amount), a procedure is required in which multiple workpieces W on which resist films have been formed with different discharge amounts are prepared and the user checks the surface condition of each workpiece W. Therefore, the control unit 100 prepares workpieces W processed under conditions with different discharge amounts of resist liquid based on user instructions. Furthermore, the control unit 100 presents the user with images of the surfaces Wa of multiple workpieces W on which resist films have been formed under different conditions, making it easier to check the condition of the workpieces W after processing. Furthermore, the control unit 100 also executes control for the user to confirm whether or not it is okay to process the workpiece W for actual production using the conditions (discharge rate) selected by the user. Each unit of the control unit 100 for performing the above operations will be described below. As illustrated in FIG. 3 , the control unit 100 includes, as functional components (hereinafter referred to as “functional modules”), a screen output unit 101, a user instruction acquisition unit 102, an image conversion unit 103, a condition determination sample creation condition setting unit 104, a confirmation sample creation condition setting unit 105, a post-processing image acquisition unit 106, a substrate processing condition update unit 107, a substrate processing control unit 108, a sample creation condition storage unit 121, a substrate image storage unit 122, and a substrate processing condition storage unit 123. Among these, the screen output unit 101, the user instruction acquisition unit 102, and the image conversion unit 103 present various information to the user on a monitor functioning as a display unit 210, and function as a user interface 110 for acquiring information, etc., designated by the user referring to the display unit 210 using the input unit 220, etc.

[0062] The screen output unit 101 has a function of controlling the display unit 210 so that various information is displayed on the display unit 210 based on instructions from the user or the like.

[0063] The user instruction acquisition unit 102 has a function of acquiring instructions from the user performed using the input unit 220, etc. Based on the instructions from the user acquired by the user instruction acquisition unit 102, various controls are performed by the control unit 100.

[0064] The image conversion unit 103 has a function of performing processing to process the image when displaying an image of the surface of the processed workpiece W on the display unit 210. Examples of image processing include polar coordinate conversion, contrast conversion (enhancement), etc. However, image processing other than these may also be performed.

[0065] The condition determination sample creation condition setting unit 104 has the function of creating a sample for determining the conditions for forming a resist film. That is, it sets conditions for preparing multiple types of workpieces W on which resist films are formed under conditions in which the amount of resist liquid discharged is different from one another. Details of the conditions are specified by the user. Therefore, the condition determination sample creation condition setting unit 104 determines the conditions for creating the condition determination sample based on the user's instructions and the substrate processing conditions used when creating the condition determination sample, which are stored in the sample creation condition storage unit 121 described below.

[0066] The confirmation sample creation condition setting unit 105 has the function of creating a sample to confirm whether the conditions can be used in actual production after the user has determined the discharge amount. At this stage, multiple workpieces W are processed using the discharge amount of resist liquid set by the user. Details of the conditions are specified by the user. Therefore, the confirmation sample creation condition setting unit 105 determines the conditions for creating the confirmation sample based on the user's instructions and the substrate processing conditions used when creating the confirmation sample, which are stored in the sample creation condition storage unit 121 described below.

[0067] The post-processing image acquisition unit 106 has a function of acquiring an image of the workpiece W after forming a resist film created as a condition determination sample or a confirmation sample. Specifically, the post-processing image acquisition unit 106 controls each unit in the surface inspection unit 92 to image the surface Wa of the workpiece W after processing, and acquires the resulting image. The captured image is stored in the substrate image storage unit 122 in association with information specifying the conditions under which the resist film was formed on the workpiece W.

[0068] The substrate processing condition update unit 107 has a function of updating, based on a user instruction, conditions related to the amount of resist liquid discharged onto the workpiece W during actual production. The conditions related to the amount of resist liquid discharged are held in a substrate processing condition holding unit 123, which will be described later.

[0069] The substrate processing control unit 108 has a function of controlling each unit of the coating and developing apparatus 2 so as to form a resist film on the workpiece W based on the conditions set by the condition determination sample creation condition setting unit 104 and the confirmation sample creation condition setting unit 105. Furthermore, the substrate processing control unit 108 has a function of controlling each unit of the coating and developing apparatus 2 so as to form a resist film on the workpiece W during actual production based on the substrate processing conditions updated by the substrate processing condition update unit 107 and held in the substrate processing condition holding unit 123.

[0070] The sample creation condition holding unit 121 has a function of holding the operating conditions of each part of the coating and developing apparatus 2 when creating a condition determination sample and the operating conditions of each part of the coating and developing apparatus 2 when creating a confirmation sample. The sample creation condition holding unit 121 holds information on the operating conditions of each part of the coating and developing apparatus 2 other than the condition related to the discharge amount of resist liquid that is set based on a user instruction.

[0071] When determining the amount of resist liquid to be discharged, it is assumed that the operating conditions other than the conditions related to the amount of resist liquid to be discharged (for example, the rotation speed of the workpiece W) are determined in advance. In other words, it is assumed that the conditions other than the amount of resist liquid to be discharged have already been determined in the process of forming a resist film on one workpiece W. The sample creation condition holding unit 121 holds the operating conditions of each unit when forming a resist film on one workpiece W, other than the amount of resist liquid to be discharged.

[0072] The substrate image storage unit 122 has a function of storing images of the surface Wa of the workpiece W after processing, which are captured by the surface inspection unit 92 based on instructions from the post-processing image acquisition unit 106. At this time, the substrate image storage unit 122 stores information specifying the amount of resist liquid dispensed onto each workpiece W as a processing condition for the workpiece W, in association with each captured image. The information specifying the amount of resist liquid dispensed onto the workpiece W may be a numerical value specifying the dispense amount. Furthermore, if information related to the operating conditions of each workpiece W, including the amount of resist liquid dispensed, is specified by, for example, identification information (such as an ID), the identification information may be configured to be associated with each captured image. When displaying an image of the surface Wa of the workpiece W on the display unit 210, the configuration is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of presenting the user with the amount of resist liquid dispensed onto that workpiece W.

[0073] The substrate processing condition holding unit 123 has a function of holding the operating conditions of each unit of the coating / developing apparatus 2 during actual production. During actual production, operations related to the formation of a resist film are performed based on the amount of resist liquid discharged designated by the user. The information held in the substrate processing condition holding unit 123 also holds information related to the amount of resist liquid discharged designated by the user. Note that if the amount of resist liquid discharged designated by the user is changed, the information held in the substrate processing condition holding unit 123 can be updated by the substrate processing condition update unit 107.

[0074] The control unit 100 is configured with one or more control computers. For example, the control unit 100 has a circuit 130 shown in Fig. 4. The circuit 130 includes one or more processors 131, a memory 132, a storage 133, an input / output port 134, and a timer 135.

[0075] The storage 133 has a computer-readable storage medium such as a hard disk. The storage medium stores a program for causing the coating and developing apparatus 2 to execute the substrate processing procedure described below. The storage medium may be a removable medium such as a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. The memory 132 temporarily stores the program loaded from the storage medium of the storage 133 and the results of calculations by the processor 131. The processor 131 executes the program in cooperation with the memory 132 to configure each of the functional modules described above. The input / output port 134 inputs and outputs electrical signals to and from each part of the liquid supply unit 30.

[0076] The hardware configuration of the control unit 100 is not necessarily limited to configuring each functional module by a program. For example, each functional module of the control unit 100 may be configured by a dedicated logic circuit or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that integrates such dedicated logic circuits.

[0077] [Liquid processing method] A liquid processing method using the above liquid processing apparatus will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 10. The description of the liquid processing method may also include a description of an example of a display method on display unit 210.

[0078] (Creating and photographing samples for determining conditions) FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a procedure for creating and capturing a sample for condition determination. First, the user operates the input unit 220 to activate a screen for starting sample creation (step S01). When the user instruction acquisition unit 102 acquires instructions from the user, the control unit 100 controls the screen output unit 101 to display a screen for setting conditions on the display unit 210 (step S02). In response, the user sets sample creation conditions while referring to the screen for setting conditions (step S03). Specifically, these settings include specifying the transport conditions for the workpiece W (e.g., identifying the unit for transporting the workpiece W), the initial value of the discharge rate (the minimum value of the amount of resist discharged onto the workpiece W when creating the sample for condition determination), and the discharge rate increment (how much the discharge rate should be increased from the initial value to create multiple samples). Furthermore, an upper limit of the discharge rate may be set. When the user operates the input unit 220 to input this information, the user instruction acquisition unit 102 acquires instructions from the user in the control unit 100. The condition determination sample creation condition setting unit 104 determines the processing conditions for the workpiece W for creating the condition determination sample based on information acquired from the user and information stored in the sample creation condition storage unit 121. When preparations are complete, the substrate processing control unit 108 of the control unit 100 issues a sample creation instruction based on the sample creation conditions to each unit of the coating and developing apparatus 2 functioning as a substrate processing unit (S04). The substrate processing unit (each unit of the coating and developing apparatus 2) processes the substrate based on the sample creation conditions and creates a sample on which a resist film is formed (S05). Furthermore, after the resist film is formed, the workpiece W is transported to the surface inspection unit 92, where a post-processing image is captured (S06). The image captured by the surface inspection unit 92 is sent to the control unit 100 and acquired by the post-processing image acquisition unit 106 (S07). The image is then stored in the substrate image storage unit 122 in association with information related to the amount of resist liquid discharged (S08).

[0079] (Image-based discharge amount determination) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a procedure in which a user determines the amount of resist liquid to be discharged based on the processed images acquired by the procedure shown in FIG. 5. At this stage, the user checks the images to see the state of the resist film formed on the surface of multiple workpieces W, which have been created by supplying different amounts of resist liquid. While looking at these images, the user determines for each workpiece W whether the resist film is formed uniformly (OK) or not (NG). As a result, the condition with the smallest amount of resist liquid to be discharged among the workpieces W on which the resist film is formed uniformly is identified as the amount of resist liquid to be used in actual production.

[0080] First, the user operates the input unit 220 to activate a screen (determination screen) for determining the discharge amount (step S11). At this time, the user specifies the data to be determined, that is, the data to be used to determine the discharge amount of the resist liquid, by specifying a lot number or the like.

[0081] In the control unit 100, when the user instruction acquisition unit 102 acquires an instruction from the user, the control unit 100 controls the screen output unit 101 to display a judgment screen on the display unit 210 (step S12). The judgment screen displays an image of the workpiece W after processing that corresponds to the conditions of the resist liquid to be judged.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a display example of an image of a workpiece W after processing. As shown in FIG. 7, the display screen D1 on the display unit 210 may display processed images of multiple workpieces W. In the example shown in FIG. 7, images of four workpieces W processed under mutually different conditions (conditions 1 to 4) are displayed. Also, for each of conditions 1 to 4, the corresponding discharge amount D2 of resist liquid may be displayed. Note that when multiple processed images are arranged, for example, conditions 1 to 4 may be arranged in order of discharge amount. When the images are arranged in order of discharge amount, it becomes easier for the user to grasp the relationship between changes in discharge amount and changes in the image.

[0083] On the display screen D1, a number is displayed inside the image P1 of the surface Wa of the workpiece W. This is information that identifies the workpiece W. In this way, information that identifies the workpiece W may be displayed in addition to the processing conditions. Note that information that identifies the slot in which the workpiece W is held may also be used as information that identifies the workpiece W.

[0084] For each of the four workpieces W, in addition to the image P1 captured of the surface Wa of the workpiece W, a polar coordinate-converted image P2 may be displayed. A polar coordinate-converted image is one in which the Cartesian coordinates of each position in the image are converted to polar coordinates and each pixel is represented using polar coordinates. The polar coordinate image is created by the image conversion unit 103. A known method for converting to polar coordinates can be used. The polar coordinate-converted image P2 shown in Figure 7 is shown with the center of the workpiece W as the reference (origin), with the distance from the origin on the horizontal axis and the angle on the vertical axis. Therefore, in image P2, the left edge is the center of the workpiece W and the right edge is the periphery. In image P24 under condition 4, a bright line-like feature is observed on the right side of the image, indicating the periphery. This bright line is due to an uncoated area (dry patch) caused by insufficient resist solution on the surface of the workpiece W. If such an uncoated area occurs in an actual production workpiece W, it may lead to defective products. On this display screen D1, the user visually checks whether any events that could lead to the production of defective products have occurred among the workpieces W imaged under each condition, and selects conditions that can be used in actual production.

[0085] In addition to displaying the images P1 and P2 of the workpiece W, the display screen D1 may also display images that have undergone various image processing based on instructions from the user or the like.

[0086] For example, the polar coordinate converted image P2 may also display auxiliary lines L so that the distance from the workpiece W (or the distance from the center of the workpiece W) can be easily understood. The auxiliary lines L may be configured to be provided in a plurality at predetermined intervals (for example, intervals of 1 mm to several mm) as in the example shown in FIG. 7, or the intervals may be narrower near the periphery and wider on the inside. Also, the auxiliary line L may be a single line.

[0087] Furthermore, the configuration may be such that an enlarged image P3 of a specific area A is displayed when the user selects that area A. If the configuration is such that the enlarged image P3 can be displayed, the user can check the state of the surface Wa of the workpiece W under each condition in more detail.

[0088] Furthermore, the user may be able to specify contrast so that changes in color of the surface Wa of the workpiece W in the images P1 to P3 can be grasped in detail. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the contrast D3 specified by the user is five times. By adjusting the contrast, it is possible to create a state in which changes in color of the surface Wa are emphasized.

[0089] In this way, while looking at the screen D1, the user selects the conditions under which the resist liquid is discharged in the smallest amount from among the workpieces W on which the resist film is uniformly formed, and sets this as the discharge amount for actual production.

[0090] FIG. 8 is another example of the display of an image of a workpiece W after processing. The example shown in FIG. 8 shows a display screen D4 in which only images of the surface Wa of multiple (six in this case) workpieces W are arranged. Compared to the display screen D1 shown in FIG. 7, the display screen D4 makes it possible to display a larger number of workpieces W. Furthermore, adjusting the contrast makes it easier to compare the overall color unevenness of each workpiece W. The example shown in FIG. 8 shows a state in which the workpieces W under conditions 3 to 6 have clearly visible color unevenness between the center and the periphery, and therefore indicate that the user has determined that the resist film is not formed uniformly (FAILED).

[0091] In this way, the display screen on the display unit 210 can be changed as needed. As shown in Fig. 8, a display screen D4 that does not show the polar coordinate converted image P2 may be displayed based on a user instruction. Also, although not shown in the figure, a display screen in which only a plurality of polar coordinate converted images P2 are arranged may be set.

[0092] Returning to FIG. 6, the user selects a discharge amount condition while referring to a judgment screen display such as those shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 (step S13). As an example, as shown in FIG. 8, the user judges "PASS (the resist film is uniformly formed; OK)" or "FAILED (the resist film is not uniformly formed; NG)" while viewing an image of each workpiece W. As a result, a condition for discharging the least amount of resist liquid among the workpieces W on which the resist film is uniformly formed is determined. This condition is set as the discharge amount of resist liquid during actual production. When the user performs a judgment operation, the result is acquired by the user instruction acquisition unit 102. Once the condition for discharging the least amount of resist liquid is determined by these operations, the substrate processing condition is updated in the substrate processing condition update unit 107 of the control unit 100 based on the information (step S14). As a result, the condition for discharging the resist liquid during actual production is updated to one based on the user's judgment result.

[0093] (Creating and photographing samples to confirm conditions) Next, in order to confirm whether the resist solution discharge rate set in the previous steps is a condition suitable for actual production, a plurality of workpieces W are processed under the same conditions and the results are confirmed.

[0094] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a procedure for creating and capturing a confirmation sample. First, the user operates the input unit 220 to issue an instruction to start processing for condition confirmation (step S21). At this time, the user may specify the number of workpieces W to be processed under the same conditions. The user may also specify transport conditions for the workpieces W (e.g., identify the unit that transports the workpieces W). In the control unit 100, when the user instruction acquisition unit 102 acquires an instruction from the user, the substrate processing control unit 108 instructs each component of the coating and developing apparatus 2, which functions as a substrate processing unit, to create a sample based on the confirmation sample creation conditions (S22). The substrate processing unit (each component of the coating and developing apparatus 2) processes the substrate based on the sample creation conditions and creates a sample on which a resist film is formed (S23). Furthermore, after the resist film is formed, the workpiece W is transported to the surface inspection unit 92, where a post-processing image is captured (S24). The image captured by the surface inspection unit 92 is sent to the control unit 100 and acquired by the post-processing image acquisition unit 106 (S25). The image is stored in the substrate image storage unit 122 in association with information relating to the amount of resist liquid discharged (S26).

[0095] (Check the discharge amount based on the image) FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a procedure in which a user determines the amount of resist liquid to be discharged based on the processed images acquired by the procedure shown in FIG. 9. At this stage, the user checks the images of the state of the resist film formed on the surfaces of multiple workpieces W created by supplying the same amount of resist liquid to be discharged. While looking at these images, the user checks whether the resist film is formed uniformly (OK) or not (NG). At this stage, a determination is made as to whether the conditions for creating the confirmation sample can be used in actual production, so that the determination is made as to whether the resist film is properly formed on each of multiple workpieces W, rather than on a workpiece W-by-workpiece basis.

[0096] First, the user operates the input unit 220 to open a screen (condition confirmation result screen) for displaying the condition confirmation result (step S31). At this time, the user specifies the data to be confirmed by specifying the lot number, etc.

[0097] When the user instruction acquisition unit 102 acquires an instruction from the user, the control unit 100 controls the display unit 210 to display a judgment screen for confirming the results under the control of the screen output unit 101 (step S32). The judgment screen displays a post-processed image of the workpiece W corresponding to the conditions of the resist liquid to be judged. The screen displayed at this stage may be similar to the display screens D1 and D4 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. A configuration may be used to display post-processed images and polar coordinate converted images of multiple workpieces W. With this configuration, it becomes easier to check whether there are any unpainted areas (dry patches) on the periphery of the workpiece W, even at the stage of confirming the conditions. Furthermore, if the contrast is adjustable, unevenness in the formation of the resist film becomes easier to see.

[0098] The user, while referring to the image displayed on the display unit 210, determines whether the discharge amount conditions used to prepare the confirmation sample are appropriate (OK / NG determination) (step S33). The determination result is acquired by the user instruction acquisition unit 102. If the user's determination is NG, the substrate processing condition update unit 107 updates the condition for the discharge amount of the resist liquid in the substrate processing conditions (step S34). As an example, if the user's determination is NG, the substrate processing condition update unit 107 may determine that the discharge amount of the resist liquid is insufficient and increase the discharge amount of the resist liquid by a predetermined amount in the substrate processing conditions for actual production. Furthermore, when the discharge amount of the resist liquid is increased, the increase amount may be specified by the user. Furthermore, based on the user's instruction, the procedures shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 may be repeated to prepare and evaluate a confirmation sample again under conditions in which the discharge amount of the resist liquid is increased, thereby determining the discharge amount. If the user's determination is OK, the substrate processing condition update unit 107 may not change the discharge amount of the resist liquid in the substrate processing conditions.

[0099] Through the above-described exemplary procedure, the substrate processing conditions for actual production are determined (step S35). The determined substrate processing conditions are stored in substrate processing condition storage unit 123 and can be used during actual production.

[0100] [Effect] According to the above-described liquid coating processing method and liquid coating processing apparatus, a polar coordinate converted image is created from surface images of a plurality of substrates (workpieces W) on which coatings have been formed with different amounts of processing liquid (e.g., resist liquid), and one or more polar coordinate converted images P2 are displayed on the screen of the display unit 210. Therefore, the user can determine the amount of processing liquid to be discharged onto the substrate while referring to the polar coordinate converted image P2 displayed on the screen. In this way, according to the above-described liquid coating processing method and liquid coating processing apparatus, the user can determine the amount of processing liquid to be discharged after viewing the polar coordinate converted image and understanding the changes in the coating resulting from differences in the amount of discharge.

[0101] 7, for example, by displaying a substrate surface image P1 before polar coordinate conversion together with a polar coordinate converted image P2, the user can determine the amount of processing liquid to be discharged onto the substrate while checking the actual state of the substrate surface in addition to the polar coordinate converted image P2. Since the substrate surface image P1 is an image of the entire substrate, the user can get an overview of the state of the entire substrate by looking at this image.

[0102] 7 and 8, the contrast of the image displayed on the screen may be adjustable. With this configuration, the user can, for example, confirm subtle changes on the substrate surface by enhancing the contrast. In this way, the user can obtain more information from the image, allowing the user to more appropriately determine the discharge amount.

[0103] Furthermore, an auxiliary line L indicating the distance from the edge or center of the substrate may be added to the polar coordinate converted image as shown in polar coordinate converted image P2 in Fig. 6. In this case, the user can easily grasp what changes are occurring at what position in the distance L2 from the edge of the substrate.

[0104] Furthermore, by displaying information that identifies the board from which the image was captured in association with the polar coordinate converted image P2, the user can more easily intuitively grasp which board the image represents.

[0105] Furthermore, two or more of the polar coordinate converted images included in the plurality of polar coordinate converted images may be displayed on the screen in the order of the amount of treatment liquid discharged, which allows the user to easily grasp the change in the surface condition of the substrate due to the change in the amount of treatment liquid discharged.

[0106] Also, a configuration may be adopted in which a specific area of ​​the image can be enlarged based on a user instruction, as shown in Fig. 7. In this case, the user can check in detail any areas that concern them (for example, areas with unevenness or areas that have not been painted), allowing the user to more appropriately determine the discharge amount based on the image information.

[0107] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, multiple confirmation images may be obtained by individually acquiring surface images of multiple substrates on which a coating has been formed by supplying a determined amount of treatment liquid to each of the multiple substrates. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, the acquired confirmation images may be displayed on a screen to confirm the amount of treatment liquid discharged under the substrate processing conditions. This configuration makes it possible to confirm, for example, whether the state of the substrate surface when acquiring the image for determining the amount of discharge is accidental or steady. Therefore, the substrate processing conditions determined in the determination process are suitable for processing a large number of substrates.

[0108] [others] Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made. Furthermore, elements in different embodiments may be combined to form other embodiments.

[0109] For example, the screen display examples shown in Figures 7 and 8 are merely examples, and their layout, design, etc. may be changed as appropriate. Information input by the user may also be changed as appropriate. As an example of changing the screen display, the polar coordinate-converted image P2 shown in Figure 7 may be displayed in a state where it is converted back to an image based on normal coordinates. Another example of a change is a change that focuses on the coating condition (color unevenness) of the peripheral edge of the workpiece W. For example, if the peripheral edge of the workpiece W is coated with a processing liquid (e.g., resist liquid), an uneven coating condition can lead to the generation of defective products. Therefore, the coating condition (color unevenness) of the processing liquid on the peripheral edge of the workpiece W shown in Figure 8 may be represented numerically or graphically. As yet another example of a change, for example, the RGB values ​​or gray values ​​of a specified portion (e.g., the peripheral area of ​​the workpiece W) on the screen of Figure 7 or Figure 8 may be displayed as a graph.

[0110] Furthermore, the procedures shown in FIGS. 5 to 10 are merely examples, and the content and order of the processing in each step may be changed.

[0111] Furthermore, in the above procedure, the case where the processing liquid is a resist liquid has been described, but the type of processing liquid is not limited to a resist liquid.

[0112] From the foregoing, it will be understood that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the appended claims.

[0113] [Note] Various exemplary embodiments included in the present disclosure will now be described as follows.

[0114] [1] acquiring surface images individually for a plurality of substrates each having a different coating formed on its surface by supplying a treatment liquid at a different amount; polar coordinate conversion of each of the plurality of surface images of the substrate to obtain a plurality of polar coordinate converted images; displaying one or more polar coordinate converted images included in the plurality of polar coordinate converted images on a screen in association with information specifying the amount of the processing liquid discharged onto the substrate from which the image was captured; determining a discharge amount of the processing liquid onto the substrate when forming a coating of the processing liquid based on a user's instruction in response to the display content on the screen; A coating treatment method comprising:

[0115] [2] The coating processing method according to [1], wherein, in the displaying, an image of the surface of the substrate before the polar coordinate conversion is also displayed together with the polar coordinate converted image.

[0116] [3] The coating processing method according to [1] or [2], wherein the contrast of the image displayed on the screen can be adjusted in the displaying.

[0117] [4] The coating processing method according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein in the displaying, auxiliary lines indicating the distance from the periphery or center of the substrate are added to the polar coordinate converted image and displayed.

[0118] [5] The coating processing method according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein, in the displaying, information specifying the substrate on which the image was captured is displayed in association with the one or more polar coordinate converted images.

[0119] [6] The coating processing method according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein, in the displaying, two or more polar coordinate transformed images included in the plurality of polar coordinate transformed images are displayed on the screen in a state where they are associated with information specifying the amount of the processing liquid discharged onto the substrate on which the image was captured, and are arranged in order of the amount of the processing liquid discharged.

[0120] [7] The coating processing method according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein, in the displaying, a specific area of ​​the image can be enlarged and displayed based on an instruction from the user.

[0121] [8] supplying the treatment liquid at the amount determined in determining the amount of discharge onto each of the plurality of substrates, thereby individually acquiring surface images of the plurality of substrates on which a coating is formed, thereby obtaining a plurality of confirmation images; displaying the plurality of confirmation images on a screen; determining a discharge amount of the processing liquid under the substrate processing conditions based on a user's instruction in response to the display content on the screen; The coating treatment method according to any one of [1] to [7], further comprising:

[0122] [9] A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an apparatus to execute the coating method according to any one of [1] to [8].

[0123]

[10] an image acquisition unit that acquires surface images of a plurality of substrates, each having a different coating formed on its surface by supplying a different amount of treatment liquid; an image conversion unit that converts the surface images of the plurality of substrates acquired by the image acquisition unit into polar coordinates, respectively, to obtain a plurality of polar coordinate converted images; a display unit that displays one or more polar coordinate converted images included in the plurality of polar coordinate converted images on a screen in association with information that specifies the amount of the processing liquid discharged onto the substrate from which the image was captured; a discharge amount determination unit that determines a discharge amount of the processing liquid to be discharged onto the substrate when forming a coating of the processing liquid, based on a user's instruction in response to the display content on the screen; A coating treatment device comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 1...substrate processing system, 2...coating / developing apparatus, 92...surface inspection unit, 100...control unit, 101...screen output unit, 102...user instruction acquisition unit, 103...image conversion unit, 104...condition determination sample creation condition setting unit, 105...confirmation sample creation condition setting unit, 106...post-processing image acquisition unit, 107...substrate processing condition update unit, 108...substrate processing control unit, 110...user interface, 121...sample creation condition storage unit, 122...substrate image storage unit, 123...substrate processing condition storage unit.

Claims

1. acquiring surface images individually for a plurality of substrates each having a different coating formed on its surface by supplying a treatment liquid at a different amount; polar coordinate conversion of each of the plurality of surface images of the substrate to obtain a plurality of polar coordinate converted images; displaying one or more polar coordinate transformed images included in the plurality of polar coordinate transformed images on a screen in association with information specifying the amount of the processing liquid discharged onto the substrate from which the image was captured; determining a discharge amount of the processing liquid when forming a coating of the processing liquid on a substrate for actual production based on a user's instruction in response to the display content on the screen; A coating treatment method comprising:

2. The coating processing method according to claim 1 , wherein, in the displaying, a surface image of the substrate from which the one or more polar coordinate converted images were captured is displayed together with the one or more polar coordinate converted images.

3. The coating processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contrast of the image displayed on the screen is adjustable in the displaying step.

4. 3. The coating processing method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises adding auxiliary lines to the one or more polar coordinate converted images, the auxiliary lines indicating a distance from a periphery or a center of the substrate on which the image was captured.

5. 3. The coating processing method according to claim 1, wherein, in the displaying, information specifying the substrate on which the image was captured is displayed in association with the one or more polar coordinate converted images.

6. 3. The coating processing method according to claim 1, wherein, in the displaying, two or more polar coordinate transformed images included in the plurality of polar coordinate transformed images are displayed on the screen in a state where they are associated with information specifying the amount of the processing liquid discharged onto the substrate on which the image was captured, and where they are arranged in order of the amount of the processing liquid discharged.

7. The coating processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the displaying comprises enlarging and displaying a specific area of ​​the image based on an instruction from the user.

8. supplying the treatment liquid at the amount determined in determining the amount of discharge onto each of the plurality of substrates, thereby individually acquiring surface images of the plurality of substrates on which a coating is formed, thereby obtaining a plurality of confirmation images; displaying the plurality of confirmation images on a screen; determining a discharge amount of the processing liquid under the substrate processing conditions based on a user's instruction in response to the display content on the screen; The coating treatment method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an apparatus to execute the coating treatment method according to claim 1 or 2.

10. an image acquisition unit that acquires surface images of a plurality of substrates, each having a different coating formed on its surface by supplying a different amount of treatment liquid; an image conversion unit that converts the surface images of the plurality of substrates acquired by the image acquisition unit into polar coordinates, respectively, to obtain a plurality of polar coordinate converted images; a display unit that displays one or more polar coordinate converted images included in the plurality of polar coordinate converted images on a screen in association with information that specifies the amount of the processing liquid discharged onto the substrate from which the image was captured; a discharge amount determination unit that determines a discharge amount of the treatment liquid when forming a coating of the treatment liquid on a substrate for actual production based on a user's instruction in response to the display content on the screen; A coating treatment device comprising:

Images