Information acquisition substrate, substrate processing apparatus, electron beam lithography apparatus, and substrate processing method for electron beam lithography apparatus

Abstract

To provide an information collection substrate, a substrate processing apparatus, an electron beam exposure device, and a substrate processing method, capable of quickly and appropriately collecting environment information on an electron beam device corresponding to an event occurring in a process of processing a substrate.SOLUTION: An information collection substrate comprises: a reception part that receives a plurality of pieces of event information each indicating each of a plurality of events expressing a state and an operation of a device occurring in a process of processing a substrate from the device that processes the substrate, and a detection start instruction signal; a detection part that responses to the reception of the detection start signal to detect a plurality of pieces of environment information at a circumference of the information collection substrate corresponding to each of the plurality of events from the device; a recording part that records the environment information detected by the detection part in the storage part in association with the event information received by the reception part; and a transmission part that transmits the plurality of pieces of event information and the plurality of pieces of environment information stored in association in the storage part, to the device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information collection substrate, a substrate processing apparatus, an electron beam lithography apparatus, and a substrate processing method for an electron beam lithography apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an electron beam lithography apparatus has included a plurality of measuring devices that respectively correspond to the types of a plurality of disturbances received by a mask to be processed and individually measure a plurality of types of data in order to analyze the plurality of disturbances. In such a conventional electron beam lithography apparatus, measurement data by the plurality of measuring devices is individually acquired; the acquired measurement data is retrospectively associated with an event log of the electron beam lithography apparatus; and disturbances are analyzed based on the associated measurement data. Conventionally, in an electron beam lithography apparatus, the temperature around a mask inside a chamber has been measured using a dedicated temperature measurement mask capable of detecting temperature data.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in a conventional electron beam lithography apparatus, since the plurality of measuring devices were independent, it was difficult to quickly and appropriately collect measurement data corresponding to events representing various device states and operations occurring in the electron beam lithography apparatus. Also, in a conventional temperature measurement mask, environmental information around the mask other than temperature data could not be collected, so it was not possible to collect a plurality of types of environmental information.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an information acquisition substrate, a substrate processing apparatus, an electron beam lithography apparatus, and a substrate processing method for an electron beam lithography apparatus that can quickly and appropriately collect multiple pieces of environmental information corresponding to events that occur during the substrate processing process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information acquisition board according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a receiving unit that receives from a board processing device a plurality of event information, each indicating a plurality of events representing the state or operation of the device that occurs during the processing of the board, and a detection start instruction signal; a detection unit that, in response to the reception of the detection start instruction signal, detects a plurality of environmental information items from the device that correspond to each of the plurality of events around the information acquisition board; a recording unit that records the environmental information detected by the detection unit in a storage unit in association with the plurality of event information received by the receiving unit; and a transmitting unit that transmits the plurality of event information and the environmental information recorded in association with the storage unit to the device.

[0007] In the information acquisition board described above, the detection unit may terminate the detection of the plurality of environmental information in response to the receiving unit receiving a detection termination instruction signal from the device, and the transmission unit may read the plurality of event information and the environmental information from the storage unit and transmit them to the device in response to the receiving unit receiving a detection information transmission request signal from the device.

[0008] In the information acquisition board described above, the transmission unit may transmit the event information corresponding to the plurality of events and the environmental information to the device at a transmission timing that includes at least one of the following: when a series of plurality of events ends, when a specific event ends, when the detection end instruction signal is received, and when the detection information transmission request signal is received.

[0009] The information collection board described above may further include a support board that supports the receiving unit, the detection unit, the recording unit, and the transmitting unit, and the detection unit may detect the environmental information corresponding to each of the multiple events while being transported inside the device together with the support board.

[0010] In the information collection board described above, the environmental information may include at least one of temperature, acceleration, and magnetic field.

[0011] A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising a control unit that controls the collection of environmental information from the apparatus by an information collection board, wherein the control unit generates a plurality of event pieces indicating each of the plurality of events that occur in the process of processing the substrate and which represent the state or operation of the apparatus, transmits the event pieces and a detection start instruction signal to the information collection board, and receives the environmental information associated with the event pieces from the information collection board after the transmission of the event pieces and the detection start instruction signal.

[0012] In the substrate processing apparatus described above, the control unit may be able to instruct the apparatus to change the method of collecting the environmental information.

[0013] In the substrate processing apparatus described above, the control unit may correct the operation of the apparatus in response to events that occur during the processing of the substrate, based on the environmental information associated with the received event information.

[0014] In the substrate processing apparatus described above, the information acquisition substrate may include: a receiving unit that receives the plurality of event information and the detection start instruction signal from the apparatus; a detection unit that, in response to the reception of the detection start instruction signal, detects a plurality of environmental information items from the apparatus that correspond to each of the plurality of events in the vicinity of the information acquisition substrate; a recording unit that records the environmental information detected by the detection unit in a storage unit in association with the plurality of event information received by the receiving unit; and a transmitting unit that transmits the plurality of event information and the environmental information recorded in association with the storage unit to the apparatus.

[0015] An electron beam lithography apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is: An electron beam lithography apparatus for processing a substrate, A drawing unit that performs the drawing process on the substrate using an electron beam, A transport unit that transports the information acquisition board to the drawing unit, The system comprises a control unit that controls the collection of environmental information from the electron beam lithography apparatus by the information collection board, The control unit, In response to the occurrence of multiple events representing the state or operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus that occur in at least one of the drawing process by the drawing unit and the transport process of the substrate by the transport unit, multiple event information indicating each of the multiple events is generated, and the event information and a detection start instruction signal are transmitted to the information acquisition board. After transmitting the event information and the detection start instruction signal, the system receives the environmental information associated with the event information from the information acquisition board, and based on the received environmental information associated with the event information, it performs at least one of the following: correcting the operation of the drawing unit in response to an event that occurs during the drawing process by the drawing unit, and correcting the operation of the transport unit in response to an event that occurs during the transport process of the substrate by the transport unit.

[0016] In the above-described electron beam lithography apparatus, events occurring during the drawing process by the drawing unit include changes in the target stripe for drawing due to the movement of the stage. Events occurring during the transfer of the substrate by the transfer unit may include at least one of a change in the operation content or state of the transfer robot and a change in the operation content or state of a device within the transfer unit other than the transfer robot.

[0017] A substrate processing method for an electron beam lithography apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is to, in response to the occurrence of a plurality of events representing the state and operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus occurring during the substrate processing, transmit a plurality of event information indicating the plurality of events and a detection start instruction signal from the electron beam lithography apparatus to an information collection substrate. In response to the transmission of the detection start instruction signal, the information collection substrate detects environmental information around the information collection substrate from the electron beam lithography apparatus, associates the detected environmental information with the event information transmitted from the electron beam lithography apparatus, and records it in a storage unit. The electron beam lithography apparatus transmits the event information and the environmental information recorded in association with the storage unit from the electron beam lithography apparatus to the information collection substrate, and based on the event information and the environmental information transmitted from the information collection substrate, the electron beam lithography apparatus corrects the operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus corresponding to a plurality of events occurring during the substrate processing.

Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to quickly and appropriately collect a plurality of environmental information corresponding to a plurality of events occurring during the substrate processing. [[ID=】13】

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an electron beam lithography apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a plan view showing an information collection substrate according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a flowchart showing an operation example of an electron beam lithography apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] In the operation example of the electron beam lithography apparatus according to the first embodiment, it is a diagram showing an example of the environmental information collected by the information collection substrate. [Figure 5A] It is a flowchart showing an operation example of the electron beam lithography apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5B] It is a flowchart showing an operation example of the electron beam lithography apparatus according to the second embodiment following FIG. 5A. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing an operation example of the electron beam lithography apparatus according to the second embodiment following FIG. 5B. [Figure 7] It is a plan view showing an operation example of the electron beam lithography apparatus according to the second embodiment following FIG. 5B. <​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Figure 1 shows an electron beam lithography apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 comprises a drawing unit 2, a transport unit 3, a control unit 4, an input device 5, and a display device 6. The drawing unit 2 is a component that draws a pattern on a substrate using an electron beam. The transport unit 3 is a component that transports the substrate to the drawing unit 2. The control unit 4 is a component that controls the drawing of the pattern by the drawing unit 2 and the transport of the substrate by the transport unit 3. The control unit 4 is also a component that controls the detection of environmental information around the information acquisition substrate 7 by the information acquisition substrate 7 of the first embodiment. The environmental information around the information acquisition substrate 7 includes at least one of the temperature around the information acquisition substrate 7, the acceleration of equipment around the information acquisition substrate 7, and the magnetic field around the information acquisition substrate 7. Hereinafter, the environmental information around the information acquisition substrate 7 may simply be called environmental information. The input device 5 is a component that receives input operations to input conditions for drawing the pattern, transporting the substrate, and detecting environmental information to the control unit 4. The input device 5 consists of, for example, a touch panel, switch buttons, and a keyboard. The display device 6 is a component that outputs various types of information. The display device 6 has viewer software for displaying environmental information collected by the information collection board 7, and the environmental information can be displayed by running the viewer software. The components of these electron beam lithography apparatus 1 will be described in more detail below.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the drawing unit 2 comprises an electron tube 21 and a drawing chamber 22. Inside the electron tube 21, in order toward the direction of electron beam propagation, are an electron gun 211 which is the source of the electron beam, a blanking deflector 212, a blanking aperture 213, a shaping deflector 214, a projection lens 215, a shaping aperture 216, a deflector 217, and an objective lens 218. The inside of the electron tube 21 and the drawing chamber 22 are evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown) to create a vacuum atmosphere at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure.

[0023] An XY stage 221, which can move continuously in the X and Y directions, is arranged inside the drawing chamber 22. A substrate is placed on the XY stage 221. The substrate is, for example, a mask blank with a resist coating applied and nothing has been drawn on it yet. The substrate is not limited to a mask blank, but may be an exposure reticle used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, or a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer on which semiconductor devices are manufactured.

[0024] The drawing unit 2, having the above configuration, emits an electron beam from the electron gun 211. To prevent the electron beam from irradiating the substrate more than necessary, the blanking deflector 212 deflects the electron beam emitted from the electron gun 211 by applying a deflection voltage. The deflected electron beam is cut off by the blanking aperture 213 and does not reach the substrate. The deflection voltage of the blanking deflector 212 is controlled by the drawing control CPU 41 of the control unit 4, which will be described later. When the beam is ON (blanking OFF), the electron beam emitted from the electron gun 211 is deflected by the blanking deflector 212. On the other hand, when the beam is OFF (blanking ON), the electron beam emitted from the electron gun 211 passes through the blanking aperture 213 without being deflected. The electron beam that has passed through the blanking aperture 213 is projected onto the shaping aperture 216 by the projection lens 215. At this time, the shaping deflector 214 deflects the electron beam by applying a deflection voltage to it. The deflection of the electron beam by the shaping deflector 214 controls the projection position of the electron beam onto the shaping aperture 216. The deflection voltage of the shaping deflector 214 is controlled by the drawing control CPU 41. A portion of the electron beam, depending on its projection position onto the shaping aperture 216, passes through the shaping aperture 216, changing the shape and dimensions of the electron beam. As a result, the electron beam is shaped. The electron beam that has passed through the shaping aperture 216 is focused on the substrate by the objective lens 218 and deflected by the deflector 217. As a result, the electron beam is irradiated onto the desired position on the substrate on the continuously moving XY stage 221, and a pattern is drawn. The deflection voltage of the deflector 217 and the operation of the XY stage 221 are controlled by the drawing control CPU 41. The electron beam irradiated onto the substrate may be a single beam or a multi-beam.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the transport unit 3 includes, in order from the upstream side in the transport direction of the substrate to the drawing unit 2, an RMS (Reticle Management System) 31, a first gate valve 32, an I / O chamber 33, a second gate valve 35, a robot chamber 36, and a third gate valve 37.

[0026] RMS31 is a system for transporting substrates under atmospheric pressure. RMS31 has an atmospheric transport robot 311 for transporting substrates to the I / O chamber 33 before drawing. The transport robot 311 then removes the substrates from the I / O chamber 33 after drawing. The transport robot 311 includes, for example, a rotation mechanism, a lifting rod, a robot arm, and an end effector. The rotation mechanism rotates the robot arm and end effector around an axis in the approximately vertical direction (Z direction). The lifting rod raises and lowers the robot arm and end effector. The robot arm is attached to the lifting rod and holds and transports the substrate by bending and extending multiple shafts. The rotation mechanism contains a drive source that operates the rotation mechanism, the lifting rod, and the robot arm. The end effector is provided at the tip of the robot arm and is configured to hold the substrate. The operation of the transport robot 361 is controlled by the transport control CPU 44 of the control unit 4, which will be described later.

[0027] The first gate valve 32 is a valve that connects or disconnects the RMS 31 and the I / O chamber 33 through opening and closing operations. By connecting the RMS 31 and the I / O chamber 33, the first gate valve 32 allows the transport of substrates between the RMS 31 and the I / O chamber 33. By disconnecting the RMS 31 and the I / O chamber 33, the first gate valve 32 can maintain a vacuum state in the I / O chamber 33. The operation of the first gate valve 32 is controlled by the transport control CPU 44.

[0028] The I / O chamber 33 is a chamber that switches between atmospheric and vacuum conditions when transporting substrates. A pump 34 is connected to the I / O chamber 33. When transporting substrates between the RMS 31 and the I / O chamber 33, the I / O chamber 33 is maintained in an atmospheric state. On the other hand, when transporting substrates between the I / O chamber 33 and the robot chamber 36, the I / O chamber 33 is maintained in a vacuum state by being evacuated by the pump 34. The operation of the pump 34 is controlled by the transport control CPU 44.

[0029] The second gate valve 35 is a valve that connects or disconnects the I / O chamber 33 and the robot chamber 36 through opening and closing operations. By connecting the I / O chamber 33 and the robot chamber 36, the second gate valve 35 allows the transport of substrates between the I / O chamber 33 and the robot chamber 36. By disconnecting the I / O chamber 33 and the robot chamber 36, the second gate valve 35 can maintain a vacuum state in the robot chamber 36. The operation of the second gate valve 35 is controlled by the transport control CPU 44.

[0030] The robot chamber 36 is a chamber that transports the substrate between the I / O chamber 33 and the drawing chamber 22. The robot chamber 36 has a vacuum transport robot 361. Similar to the atmospheric transport robot 311, the vacuum transport robot 361 has, for example, a rotating mechanism, a lifting rod, a robot arm, and an end effector. The robot chamber 36 also has, for example, an alignment chamber and a substrate cover attachment / detachment chamber (not shown). The alignment chamber is a chamber that performs alignment to correct the positional and rotational misalignment of the substrate. The alignment chamber may also be a chamber that performs constant temperature adjustment to adjust the temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature using constant temperature water or the like. The substrate cover attachment / detachment chamber is a chamber that attaches and detaches a conductive substrate cover to the substrate to eliminate static electricity, i.e., to ground the substrate. The operation of the transport robot 361 is controlled by the transport control CPU 44.

[0031] The third gate valve 37 is a valve that connects or disconnects the robot chamber 36 and the drawing chamber 22 through opening and closing operations. By connecting the robot chamber 36 and the drawing chamber 22, the third gate valve 37 allows the transport of substrates between the robot chamber 36 and the drawing chamber 22. The operation of the third gate valve 37 is controlled by the transport control CPU 44.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, the control unit 4 includes a drawing control CPU 41, a drawing-side memory 42, a drawing database 43, a transport control CPU 44, a transport-side memory 45, a substrate database 46, a stage control unit 47, a robot control unit 48, and a communication module 49.

[0033] The drawing control CPU 41 is a CPU that controls the drawing operation of the substrate by the drawing unit 2. For example, as described above, the drawing control CPU 41 controls the deflection voltage of the blanking deflector 212, the deflection voltage of the molding deflector 214, the deflection voltage of the deflector 217, and the operation of the XY stage 221. Furthermore, as will be described later, the drawing control CPU 41 also controls the collection operation of environmental information by the information acquisition board 7 in the drawing unit 2.

[0034] The drawing-side memory 42 stores a program that the drawing control CPU 41 will execute. The drawing control CPU 41 controls the drawing operation on the circuit board by the drawing unit 2 and the environmental information collection operation of the drawing unit 2 by the information collection board 7 by the drawing unit 2 by executing the program stored in the drawing-side memory 42.

[0035] The drawing database 43 stores drawing data that indicates the patterns to be drawn on the substrate. The drawing control CPU 41 controls the drawing operation on the substrate by the drawing unit 2 based on the drawing data.

[0036] The transport control CPU 44 is a CPU that controls the transport operation of the substrate by the transport unit 3. For example, as described above, the transport control CPU 44 controls the operation of the atmospheric transport robot 311, the vacuum transport robot 361, the pump 34, the first gate valve 32, the second gate valve 35, and the third gate valve 37. Furthermore, as will be described later, the transport control CPU 44 also controls the operation of the information collection board 7 to collect environmental information in the transport unit 3.

[0037] The transport-side memory 45 stores a program that the transport control CPU 44 will execute. The transport control CPU 44 controls the transport operation of the transport unit 3 and the collection of environmental information by the information collection board 7 in the transport unit 3 by executing the program stored in the transport-side memory 45.

[0038] The substrate database 46 stores substrate data, such as substrate management information. The transport control CPU 44 controls the transport operation of the substrate by the transport unit 3 based on the substrate data.

[0039] The stage control unit 47 controls the drive source (e.g., motor) of the XY stage 221. The drawing control CPU 41 controls the operation of the XY stage 221 by controlling the stage control unit 47. The stage control unit 47 is composed of hardware such as an integrated circuit and a computer. At least a part of the stage control unit 47 may be composed of software.

[0040] The robot control unit 48 controls the drive source of the air transport robot 311 and the drive source of the vacuum transport robot 361. The transport control CPU 44 controls the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 by controlling the robot control unit 48. The robot control unit 48 is composed of hardware such as an integrated circuit and a computer. At least a part of the robot control unit 48 may be composed of software.

[0041] The communication module 49 communicates with the information acquisition board 7. The communication module 49 is, for example, a Bluetooth module. In the example shown in Figure 1, the RMS 31, I / O chamber 33, robot chamber 36, and drawing chamber 22 are partially provided with glass windows (not shown). For example, the glass windows may be provided on the upper walls of the RMS 31, I / O chamber 33, robot chamber 36, and drawing chamber 22. By providing glass windows in the RMS 31, I / O chamber 33, robot chamber 36, and drawing chamber 22, radio waves can be transmitted through the glass windows between the information acquisition board 7 located inside the chambers 31, 33, 36, and 22 and the communication module 49 located outside the chambers 31, 33, 36, and 22. This enables proper communication between the information acquisition board 7 and the communication module 49. Alternatively, as an alternative to the glass windows mentioned above, communication modules 49 may be installed at predetermined locations inside each of the chambers: RMS31, I / O chamber 33, robot chamber 36, and drawing chamber 22. By installing communication modules 49 in each chamber, appropriate communication can be established between the information acquisition board 7 and the communication modules 49 in each chamber when the information acquisition board 7 is transported into each chamber.

[0042] The transport control CPU 44 and the drawing control CPU 41 control the operation of the information acquisition board 7 to collect environmental information using communication via the communication module 49.

[0043] To control the environmental information collection operation by the information collection board 7, the transport control CPU 44 and the drawing control CPU 41 (i.e., the control unit 4) generate multiple event information, each indicating a set of events, in response to the occurrence of multiple events that occur during a predetermined processing step of the board. Specifically, the transport control CPU 44 and the drawing control CPU 41 generate multiple event information, each indicating a set of events, when multiple events that occur during a predetermined processing step of the board occur during a simulated processing step that simulates the predetermined processing step of the board. By generating event information during the simulated processing step, the information collection board 7 can collect environmental information corresponding to the simulated processing step in advance, before the actual predetermined processing step of the board is performed. By collecting environmental information in advance, it becomes possible to optimize the actual predetermined processing step of the board based on the collected environmental information. Furthermore, the system is not limited to generating event information during the simulated processing step; the transport control CPU 44 and the drawing control CPU 41 may also generate multiple event information, each indicating a set of events, when multiple events that occur during a predetermined processing step of the board occur during the actual predetermined processing step of the board. By generating event information during a predetermined processing step of the circuit board, the information collection board 7 can collect environmental information corresponding to the predetermined processing of the actual circuit board in real time.

[0044] The predetermined process includes the actual transport of the substrate by the transport unit 3 and the actual drawing by the drawing unit 2. The simulated process includes the transport of the information acquisition substrate 7, which simulates the transport of the actual substrate by the transport unit 3, and blank drawing, which simulates the actual drawing by the drawing unit 2. The transport of the information acquisition substrate 7 is the process of transporting the information acquisition substrate 7 inside the transport unit 3 in order to collect environmental information using the information acquisition substrate 7 in the transport unit 3. The blank drawing is the process of moving the XY stage 221 along the stripe without irradiating it with an electron beam, with the information acquisition substrate 7 placed on the XY stage 221, in order to collect environmental information using the information acquisition substrate 7 in the drawing unit 2.

[0045] For example, during the process of transporting the information collection board 7 (i.e., simulated processing), if a change in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 occurs as an event, the transport control CPU 44 generates event information indicating the change in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361. Also, for example, during the process of empty drawing (i.e., simulated processing), if a change in the target stripe for empty drawing occurs as an event, the drawing control CPU 41 generates event information indicating the change in the target stripe for empty drawing.

[0046] The configuration is not limited to this, and the transport control CPU 44 may generate event information indicating the change in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 when a change in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 occurs as an event with respect to the information acquisition board 7 that is transported before and after the board during the actual transport process of the transport unit 3. In addition, the drawing control CPU 41 may generate event information indicating the change in the target stripe for drawing when a change in the target stripe for drawing occurs as an event with respect to the information acquisition board 7 that is placed on the XY stage 221 before and after the board during the actual drawing process of the drawing unit 2. Note that the drawing unit 2 does not perform actual drawing on the information acquisition board 7 that is placed on the XY stage 221 before and after the board.

[0047] Furthermore, the transport control CPU 44 and the drawing control CPU 41 transmit event information generated by the transport control CPU 44 and the drawing control CPU 41 to the information acquisition board 7 via the communication module 49. For example, the transport control CPU 44 transmits event information to the information acquisition board 7 indicating a change in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 that occurred during the transport of the information acquisition board 7 by the transport unit 3. Also, for example, the drawing control CPU 41 transmits event information to the information acquisition board 7 indicating a change in the target stripe for empty drawing that occurred during the empty drawing process by the drawing unit 2. Alternatively, the transport control CPU 44 may transmit event information to the information acquisition board 7 indicating a change in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 that occurred with respect to the information acquisition board 7 being transported before and after the board during the actual transport of the board by the transport unit 3. Furthermore, the drawing control CPU 41 may transmit event information to the information acquisition board 7 indicating a change in the target stripe for drawing that occurred with respect to the information acquisition board 7 being placed on the XY stage 221 before and after the board during the actual drawing process by the drawing unit 2.

[0048] When transmitting event information, the transport control CPU 44 and the drawing control CPU 41 transmit a detection start instruction signal to the information acquisition board 7 via the communication module 49 to instruct it to start detecting environmental information.

[0049] The transport control CPU 44 and the drawing control CPU 41 receive environmental information associated with the event information from the information acquisition board 7 via the communication module 49 after transmitting the event information and the detection start instruction signal. For example, the transport control CPU 44 receives environmental information from the information acquisition board 7 that is associated with event information indicating a change in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 during the transport of the information acquisition board 7. Also, for example, the drawing control CPU 41 receives environmental information from the information acquisition board 7 that is associated with event information indicating a change in the target stripe for blank drawing. Alternatively, the transport control CPU 44 may receive environmental information from the information acquisition board 7 that is associated with event information indicating a change in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 that occurred with respect to the information acquisition board 7 that is transported before and after the board during the actual transport process of the board. Also, for example, the drawing control CPU 41 may receive environmental information from the information acquisition board 7 that is associated with event information indicating a change in the target stripe that occurred with respect to the information acquisition board 7 that is placed on the XY stage 221 before and after the board during the actual drawing process.

[0050] Furthermore, the transport control CPU 44 and the drawing control CPU 41 can transmit a detection termination instruction signal to the information acquisition board 7 via the communication module 49 to instruct it to terminate the detection of environmental information.

[0051] Furthermore, the transport control CPU 44 and the drawing control CPU 41 may instruct the information acquisition board 7 via the communication module 49 to change the method of acquiring environmental information. For example, the detection start instruction signal transmitted from the transport control CPU 44 to the information acquisition board 7 may include a specification of the detection method (i.e., the acquisition method) when the information acquisition board 7 detects environmental information in the transport unit 3. The specification of the detection method may include, for example, the specification of the sampling period of the environmental information and the specification of a filter (e.g., a low-pass filter or a high-pass filter) to be set for the detection signal. The specification of the detection method may be changed by an input operation using the input device 5. Also, for example, the detection start instruction signal transmitted from the drawing control CPU 41 to the information acquisition board 7 may include a specification of the detection method when the information acquisition board 7 detects environmental information in the drawing unit 2.

[0052] In addition to the above configuration, the transport control CPU 44 and the drawing control CPU 41 further correct the operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 in response to events that occur during a predetermined processing of the substrate, based on environmental information associated with event information received via the communication module 49. For example, the transport control CPU 44 corrects the operation of the transport unit 3 in response to changes in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 that occur during the substrate transport process by the transport unit 3, based on environmental information associated with event information indicating changes in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361. Also, for example, the drawing control CPU 41 corrects the operation of the drawing unit 2 in response to changes in the target stripe for drawing that occur during the drawing process by the drawing unit 2, based on environmental information associated with event information indicating changes in the target stripe for blank drawing.

[0053] Further details regarding the detection start instruction signal, event information, environmental information, and correction of the operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 will be described later in the operation example of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1.

[0054] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the information acquisition substrate 7 according to the first embodiment. The information acquisition substrate 7 is a reticle-type information acquisition substrate for collecting environmental information of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 inside the electron beam lithography apparatus 1. The information acquisition substrate 7 is transported inside the electron beam lithography apparatus 1, for example, like a substrate, and collects environmental information of the area around the information acquisition substrate 7 from the electron beam lithography apparatus 1.

[0055] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the information acquisition board 7 comprises a receiving unit 7a, a detection unit 7b, a recording unit 7c, a storage unit 7d, and a transmitting unit 7e. The receiving unit 7a and the transmitting unit 7e are composed of a communication module 71 and an information acquisition CPU 72. The detection unit 7b is composed of an acceleration sensor 73A, a magnetic field sensor 73B, a temperature sensor 73C, and an information acquisition CPU 72. The recording unit 7c is composed of an information acquisition CPU 72. The storage unit 7d is composed of an information acquisition memory 74. The information acquisition board 7 further comprises a battery 75 and a support board 76.

[0056] The communication module 71, acceleration sensor 73A, magnetic field sensor 73B, temperature sensor 73C, and information acquisition memory 74 are connected to the information acquisition CPU 72 by a bus such as I2C and SPI. The communication module 71, information acquisition CPU 72, acceleration sensor 73A, magnetic field sensor 73B, temperature sensor 73C, and information acquisition memory 74 are connected to the battery 75 via a power line. The battery 75 is a rechargeable secondary battery. The battery 75 can be charged via USB, for example, via a USB charging port mounted on the support board 76. The battery 75 may also be rechargeable with a separate charger when it is removed from the information acquisition board 7. The battery 75 may be, for example, a coin-type lithium secondary battery.

[0057] The support substrate 76 is a substrate that supports the receiving unit 7a, the detection unit 7b, the recording unit 7c, and the transmitting unit 7e. The support substrate 76 further supports the battery 75. That is, the communication module 71, the information acquisition CPU 72, the acceleration sensor 73A, the magnetic field sensor 73B, the temperature sensor 73C, the information acquisition memory 74, and the battery 75 are mounted on the support substrate 76. The support substrate 76 has a predetermined thickness and exhibits a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The material of the support substrate 76 is, for example, the same as the material of the substrate. The support substrate 76 may be, for example, a quartz substrate. By making the material of the support substrate 76 the same as the material of the substrate, the environment that the information acquisition substrate 7 is subjected to can be made as close as possible to the environment that the substrate is subjected to. This makes it possible for the information acquisition substrate 7 to collect accurate environmental information.

[0058] The receiving unit 7a receives multiple event information and a detection start instruction signal from the electron beam lithography apparatus 1, which processes the substrate. Specifically, the information acquisition CPU 72 receives multiple event information from the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 via the communication module 71, each indicating multiple events that occurred during a simulated processing process that simulates the predetermined processing of the substrate. For example, the information acquisition CPU 72 receives event information from the transport control CPU 44 indicating a change in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 that occurred during the transport of the information acquisition substrate 7 by the transport unit 3. Also, for example, the information acquisition CPU 72 receives event information from the drawing control CPU 41 indicating a change in the target stripe for empty drawing that occurred during the empty drawing process by the drawing unit 2. The configuration is not limited to this, and the information acquisition CPU 72 may also receive multiple event information from the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 via the communication module 71, each indicating multiple events that occurred during the predetermined processing process of the actual substrate. For example, the information gathering CPU 72 may receive event information from the transport control CPU 44 indicating a change in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 that occurred during the transport of the substrate by the transport unit 3. Alternatively, for example, the information gathering CPU 72 may receive event information from the drawing control CPU 41 indicating a change in the target stripe for drawing that occurred during the drawing process by the drawing unit 2. The communication module 71 communicates with the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 to receive event information and detection start instruction signals from the electron beam lithography apparatus 1. Specifically, the communication module 71 communicates with the communication module 49 of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1. The communication module 49 is, for example, a Bluetooth module.

[0059] Furthermore, the receiving unit 7a can receive a detection termination instruction signal from the electron beam lithography apparatus 1.

[0060] The detection unit 7b, in response to receiving a detection start instruction signal, detects multiple pieces of environmental information from the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 that correspond to the information acquisition board 7 around the event. The detection unit 7b, together with the support board 76, is transported inside the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 and detects environmental information in response to the occurrence of an event.

[0061] Specifically, the acceleration sensor 73A, which constitutes the detection unit 7b, is a sensor for detecting the acceleration, or vibration, of equipment surrounding the information acquisition board 7 as one of the environmental information components. The equipment surrounding the information acquisition board 7 includes, for example, the transport robots 311 and 361 within the transport unit 3, and the XY stage 221 within the drawing unit 2. The acceleration sensor 73A outputs detection data (i.e., electrical signals) corresponding to the acceleration acting on the information acquisition board 7 within the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 to the information acquisition CPU 72, thereby being used by the information acquisition CPU 72 to calculate (i.e., detect) the acceleration of equipment surrounding the information acquisition board 7. More specifically, the acceleration sensor 73A outputs detection data corresponding to the acceleration acting on the information acquisition board 7 within the transport unit 3 to the information acquisition CPU 72, thereby being used by the information acquisition CPU 72 to calculate the acceleration (i.e., vibration) of equipment surrounding the information acquisition board 7 corresponding to the transport unit 3. Furthermore, the acceleration sensor 73A outputs detection data corresponding to the acceleration acting on the information acquisition board 7 within the drawing unit 2 to the information acquisition CPU 72, and is used by the information acquisition CPU 72 to calculate the acceleration (i.e., vibration) of the equipment surrounding the information acquisition board 7 corresponding to the drawing unit 2. The acceleration sensor 73A may also be used to calculate the acceleration in each direction by outputting detection data corresponding to the acceleration in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions to the information acquisition CPU 72. The specific form of the acceleration sensor 73A is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a sensor equipped with a piezoelectric element or a MEMS sensor.

[0062] Furthermore, the magnetic field sensor 73B, which constitutes the detection unit 7b, is a sensor for detecting the magnetic field around the information acquisition board 7 as one of the environmental information. Specifically, the magnetic field sensor 73B outputs detection data (i.e., an electrical signal) corresponding to the magnetic field acting on the information acquisition board 7 within the drawing unit 2 to the information acquisition CPU 72, and is used by the information acquisition CPU 72 to calculate the magnetic field around the information acquisition board 7 corresponding to the drawing unit 2. Alternatively, the magnetic field sensor 73B may output detection data corresponding to the magnetic field acting on the information acquisition board 7 within the transport unit 3 to the information acquisition CPU 72, and is used by the information acquisition CPU 72 to calculate the magnetic field around the information acquisition board 7 corresponding to the transport unit 3. The magnetic field sensor 73B may also output detection data corresponding to the magnetic field in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions to the information acquisition CPU 72, and is used to calculate the magnetic field in each direction. Moreover, the specific form of the magnetic field sensor 73B is not particularly limited, and it may be a sensor equipped with, for example, a Hall element, a magnetoresistive element, or a magnetoimpedance element.

[0063] Furthermore, the temperature sensor 73C, which constitutes the detection unit 7b, is a sensor for detecting the temperature around the information acquisition substrate 7 as one of the environmental information. Specifically, the temperature sensor 73C outputs detection data (i.e., an electrical signal) corresponding to the temperature acting on the information acquisition substrate 7 within the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 to the information acquisition CPU 72, and is used by the information acquisition CPU 72 to calculate the temperature around the information acquisition substrate 7. More specifically, the temperature sensor 73C outputs detection data corresponding to the temperature acting on the information acquisition substrate 7 within the transport unit 3 to the information acquisition CPU 72, and is used by the information acquisition CPU 72 to calculate the temperature around the information acquisition substrate 7 corresponding to the transport unit 3. In addition, the temperature sensor 73C outputs detection data corresponding to the temperature acting on the information acquisition substrate 7 within the drawing unit 2 to the information acquisition CPU 72, and is used by the information acquisition CPU 72 to calculate the temperature around the information acquisition substrate 7 corresponding to the drawing unit 2. The specific form of the temperature sensor 73C is not particularly limited, and for example, it may be a sensor equipped with a thermocouple or a sensor equipped with a thermistor or platinum resistor.

[0064] Hereafter, the acceleration sensor 73A, the magnetic field sensor 73B, and the temperature sensor 73C may be collectively referred to as sensors 73A, 73B, and 73C.

[0065] Furthermore, the information acquisition CPU 72, which constitutes the detection unit 7b, responds to the reception of a detection start instruction signal and uses sensors 73A, 73B, and 73C to start detecting multiple pieces of environmental information around the information acquisition board 7 corresponding to each of the multiple events from the electron beam lithography apparatus 1. The detection of environmental information by the information acquisition CPU 72 is performed continuously according to a specified sampling period in response to the reception of a detection start instruction signal. Specifically, the information acquisition CPU 72 calculates (i.e., detects) at least one of the acceleration, magnetic field, and temperature of equipment around the information acquisition board 7 based on the detection data detected by sensors 73A, 73B, and 73C in response to the reception of a detection start instruction signal during a simulated processing process that simulates a predetermined process of the board. For example, during the process of transporting the information collection substrate 7 by the transport unit 3, if a change occurs in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361, the information collection CPU 72 calculates at least one of the following based on the detection data detected by sensors 73A, 73B, and 73C: the acceleration of the transport robots 311 and 361, the magnetic field around the information collection substrate 7 within the transport unit 3, and the temperature around the information collection substrate 7 within the transport unit 3. Also, for example, during the process of drawing empty stripes by the drawing unit 2, if a change occurs in the target stripe for empty drawing, the information collection CPU 72 calculates at least one of the following based on the detection data detected by sensors 73A, 73B, and 73C: the acceleration of the XY stage 221, the magnetic field around the information collection substrate 7 within the drawing unit 2, and the temperature around the information collection substrate 7 within the drawing unit 2. The configuration is not limited to this, and the information acquisition CPU 72 may calculate at least one of the acceleration, magnetic field, and temperature of the equipment surrounding the information acquisition board 7 based on the detection data detected by sensors 73A, 73B, and 73C in response to receiving a detection start instruction signal during a predetermined processing step of the actual board.For example, during the process of transporting a substrate by the transport unit 3, if a change occurs in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361 with respect to the information collection substrate 7 being transported before and after the substrate, the information collection CPU 72 may calculate at least one of the following based on the detection data detected by sensors 73A, 73B, and 73C: the acceleration of the transport robots 311 and 361, the magnetic field around the information collection substrate 7 within the transport unit 3, and the temperature around the information collection substrate 7 within the transport unit 3. Also, for example, during the drawing process by the drawing unit 2, if a change occurs in the target stripe for drawing with respect to the information collection substrate 7 being placed on the XY stage 221 before and after the substrate, the information collection CPU 72 may calculate at least one of the following based on the detection data detected by sensors 73A, 73B, and 73C: the acceleration of the XY stage 221, the magnetic field around the information collection substrate 7 within the drawing unit 2, and the temperature around the information collection substrate 7 within the drawing unit 2.

[0066] The detection unit 7b terminates the detection of multiple environmental information in response to receiving a detection termination instruction signal from the receiving unit 7a.

[0067] The recording unit 7c records environmental information for each event detected by the detection unit 7b in the storage unit 7d, in association with the event information received by the receiving unit 7a. Specifically, the information acquisition CPU 72, which constitutes the recording unit 7c, records environmental information calculated based on the detection data of sensors 73A, 73B, and 73C in the information acquisition memory 74, which constitutes the storage unit 7d, in association with the event information. Specifically, the information acquisition CPU 72 records environmental information (acceleration, magnetic field, temperature) around the information acquisition board 7, calculated in response to the occurrence of events during a simulated processing process that simulates a predetermined process of the board, in the information acquisition memory 74, in association with the event information indicating the events during the simulated processing process. For example, the information acquisition CPU 72 records environmental information around the information acquisition board 7 corresponding to the transport unit 3, calculated when the information acquisition board 7 is transported, in the information acquisition memory 74, in association with event information indicating a change in the operation of the transport robots 311 and 361. Furthermore, for example, the information acquisition CPU 72 records the surrounding environmental information of the information acquisition board 7 corresponding to the drawing unit 2, calculated during empty drawing, in the information acquisition memory 74, associating it with event information indicating a change in the target stripe for empty drawing. The configuration is not limited to this, and the information acquisition CPU 72 may also record the surrounding environmental information (accelerometer, magnetic field, temperature of the equipment) of the information acquisition board 7, calculated in response to the occurrence of events during a predetermined processing stage of the actual board, in the information acquisition memory 74, associating it with event information indicating an event during the processing stage of the predetermined board. For example, the information acquisition CPU 72 may record the surrounding environmental information of the information acquisition board 7 corresponding to the transport unit 3, calculated during the transport stage of the board, in the information acquisition memory 74, associating it with event information indicating a change in the operation of the transport robots 311, 361. Also, for example, the information acquisition CPU 72 may record the surrounding environmental information of the information acquisition board 7 corresponding to the drawing unit 2, calculated during the drawing stage, in the information acquisition memory 74, associating it with event information indicating a change in the target stripe for drawing. The information acquisition memory 74 may be, for example, volatile memory. By associating environmental information with event information and recording it in the information collection memory 74, multiple pieces of environmental information corresponding to events that occur during the processing of the circuit board can be collected quickly and appropriately.For example, environmental information corresponding to changes in the operation of transport robots 311 and 361 that occur during the transport process of substrates by the transport unit 3 can be collected quickly and appropriately. Also, for example, environmental information corresponding to changes in the target stripe for drawing that occur during the drawing process of substrates by the drawing unit 2 can be collected quickly and appropriately. This has the effect of making it easier to identify the cause of drawing errors, etc. It also has the effect of being able to identify changes in the behavior of the robots during transport, which shortens robot adjustment work and makes maintenance such as troubleshooting robot malfunctions easier.

[0068] The transmitting unit 7e transmits the event information and environmental information recorded in association with the storage unit 7d to the electron beam lithography apparatus 1. For example, the transmitting unit 7e may transmit the event information and environmental information corresponding to each event to the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 after each event has finished. Alternatively, the transmitting unit 7e may transmit multiple sets of event information and environmental information corresponding to multiple events to the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 together after the completion of a series of multiple events. By transmitting the event information and environmental information to the electron beam lithography apparatus 1, the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 can easily and quickly acquire the environmental information collected by the information acquisition board 7. Since only the data corresponding to multiple specific events can be selected and transmitted, transmission time and power consumption can be reduced.

[0069] Furthermore, the receiving unit 7a of the information collection board 7 may receive event information from the control unit 4 (transport control CPU 44, drawing control CPU 41) via command communication or the like and associate it with environmental information. Also, the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 may detect environmental information at any timing in response to the transport operation by the transport unit 3 or the drawing operation by the drawing unit 2. In addition, the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 may not constantly detect environmental information, but may detect it as needed. By detecting environmental information as needed, the battery 75 of the information collection board 7 can be saved.

[0070] Furthermore, the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 may synchronize information (data) by incorporating event information received from the control unit 4 (transport control CPU 44, drawing control CPU 41) into the environmental information. Synchronizing environmental information based on event information allows for efficient collection of environmental information for each event. The control unit 4 (transport control CPU 44, drawing control CPU 41) may also control the timing of environmental information collection by instructing the information collection board 7 to start or stop collecting environmental information for each event. By instructing the information collection board 7 to start or stop collecting environmental information for each event, the control unit 4 can quickly read environmental information for each event from the information collection board 7. In addition, the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 may continue detecting environmental information corresponding to the previous event even if the event switches, by receiving event information from the control unit 4 (transport control CPU 44, drawing control CPU 41) via command communication while detecting environmental information. The function of continuing to detect environmental information corresponding to the previous event can be a separate function from the start or stop of environmental information collection. Furthermore, the function to continue detecting environmental information corresponding to the event before the switch may be added via command communication midway through the detection of environmental information currently in progress. By continuing to detect environmental information corresponding to the event before the switch, even when an event has switched, the number of times the control unit 4 reads environmental information from the information acquisition board 7 can be reduced.

[0071] Next, an example of the operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 to which the information acquisition board 7 is applied will be described. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0072] As shown in Figure 3, the transport control CPU 44 (i.e., the control unit 4) first starts transporting the information acquisition substrate 7 in the RMS 31 (step S11). Specifically, the transport control CPU 44 instructs the transport robot 311 of the RMS 31 to start transporting the information acquisition substrate 7 from the RMS 31 to the I / O chamber 33. Starting the transport of the information acquisition substrate 7 in the RMS 31 is an example of a change in the operation of the transport robot 311. When starting the transport of the information acquisition substrate 7 from the RMS 31 to the I / O chamber 33, the transport control CPU 44 opens the first gate valve 32 to maintain the I / O chamber 33 at atmospheric pressure.

[0073] After the transport of the information acquisition board 7 from RMS31 to I / O chamber 33 begins, the transport control CPU 44 transmits a detection start instruction signal to the information acquisition board 7 via the communication module 49, instructing it to start detecting environmental information. The transport control CPU 44 also generates event number "1" as event information indicating the start of transport of the information acquisition board 7 from RMS31 to I / O chamber 33, and transmits the generated event number "1" to the information acquisition board 7 (step S12).

[0074] In response to the transmission of a detection start instruction signal and event information from the transport control CPU 44, the detection unit 7b of the information acquisition board 7 starts detecting environmental information (step S21).

[0075] The recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the environmental information detected by the detection unit 7b in the storage unit 7d, associating it with event information (event number "1") (step S22).

[0076] Next, when the information acquisition board 7 is placed inside the I / O chamber 33, the transport control CPU 44 terminates the transport of the information acquisition board 7 from the RMS 31 to the I / O chamber 33 (step S13). Specifically, the transport control CPU 44 instructs the transport robot 311 to terminate the transport of the information acquisition board 7 from the RMS 31 to the I / O chamber 33. Once the transport of the information acquisition board 7 from the RMS 31 to the I / O chamber 33 is complete, the transport control CPU 44 moves the transport robot 311 back from the I / O chamber 33 to the RMS 31 and closes the first gate valve 32.

[0077] After the transfer of the information acquisition board 7 from RMS31 to I / O chamber 33 is completed, the transfer control CPU44 sends a detection completion instruction signal to the information acquisition board 7 to indicate that the detection of environmental information has ended (step S14).

[0078] In response to the transmission of a detection termination instruction signal from the transport control CPU 44, the detection unit 7b of the information acquisition board 7 terminates the detection of environmental information (step S23). In this way, during the period when the information acquisition board 7 is transported from the RMS 31 to the I / O chamber 33, the information acquisition board 7 collects environmental information of the RMS 31 and the I / O chamber 33.

[0079] Next, the transport control CPU 44 starts reading environmental information from the information acquisition board 7 (step S15).

[0080] In reading environmental information from the information acquisition board 7, the transport control CPU 44 sends a detection information transmission request signal to the information acquisition board 7 requesting the transmission of the detected environmental information (step S16).

[0081] In response to the transmission of a detection information transmission request signal from the transport control CPU 44, the transmission unit 7e of the information acquisition board 7 reads environmental information associated with event information from the storage unit 7d and transmits it to the transport control CPU 44 (step S24).

[0082] In response to the transmission of event information and associated environmental information from the information acquisition board 7, the transport control CPU 44 stores the transmitted event information and environmental information (step S17). For example, the transport control CPU 44 may store the transmitted event information and environmental information in the transport-side memory 45. As a result, the transport control CPU 44 collects environmental information corresponding to the transport of the information acquisition board 7 in the RMS 31.

[0083] After saving event information and environmental information, the transport control CPU 44 initiates a new simulated process by starting the transport robot 361 to transport the information acquisition board 7 from the I / O chamber 33 to the robot chamber 36 (step S18). The initiation of the transport of the information acquisition board 7 from the I / O chamber 33 to the robot chamber 36 is an example of a change in the operation of the transport robot 361. When the transport of the information acquisition board 7 from the I / O chamber 33 to the robot chamber 36 is initiated, the transport control CPU 44 evacuates the I / O chamber 33 to a vacuum state using the pump 34 and also opens the second gate valve 35.

[0084] After the transport robot 361 begins transporting the information acquisition board 7 from the I / O chamber 33 to the robot chamber 36, the transport control CPU 44 transmits a detection start instruction signal to the information acquisition board 7 via the communication module 49, instructing it to begin detecting environmental information. The transport control CPU 44 also generates event number "2" as event information indicating the start of transport of the information acquisition board 7 from the I / O chamber 33 to the robot chamber 36, and transmits the generated event number "2" to the information acquisition board 7 (step S19).

[0085] Subsequently, the same processing as in steps S13-17 and S21-24 is repeated when transporting the information acquisition board 7 from the I / O chamber 33 to the robot chamber 36, so that environmental information of the I / O chamber 33 and the robot chamber 36 is collected by the information acquisition board 7 during the period when the information acquisition board 7 is transported from the I / O chamber 33 to the robot chamber 36. Furthermore, the same processing as in steps S11-17 and S21-24 is repeated when transporting the information acquisition board 7 from the robot chamber 36 to the drawing chamber 22, so that environmental information of the robot chamber 36 and the drawing chamber 22 is collected by the information acquisition board 7 during the period when the information acquisition board 7 is transported from the robot chamber 36 to the drawing chamber 22. The specific manner in which environmental information is collected when empty drawing is performed in the drawing chamber 22 will be described in other embodiments.

[0086] Figure 4 shows an example of environmental information collected by the information acquisition board 7 in an example of operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 shows environmental information collected during the process of transporting the information acquisition board 7 by the transport robot 311 of the RMS 31. In Figure 4, environmental information is collected for event number "1" at sampling periods of 0.01 seconds. In Figure 4, "○○", "△△", and "××" are, for example, temperature, acceleration, and magnetic field. Note that in Figure 4, information other than the event number and environmental information may not be recorded in the storage unit 7d of the information acquisition board 7 but may be managed on the transport control CPU 44 side. As shown in Figure 4, the environmental information associated with the event information collected by the information acquisition board 7 is transmitted to the transport control CPU 44 by the transmission unit 7e of the information acquisition board 7. The event information and environmental information transmitted to the transport control CPU 44 can be used, for example, for analysis of the environmental information and correction of the operation of the transport unit 3 based on the analysis results.

[0087] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the receiving unit 7a receives event information indicating an event occurring during a predetermined processing of the substrate and a detection start instruction signal from the electron beam lithography apparatus 1. In response to the reception of the detection start signal by the receiving unit 7a, the detection unit 7b detects a plurality of environmental pieces of information from the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 that correspond to the event around the information collection substrate 7. The recording unit 7c records the environmental pieces detected by the detection unit 7b in the storage unit 7d in association with the event information received by the receiving unit 7a.

[0088] Since environmental information corresponding to an event can be detected and the detected environmental information can be recorded in association with the event information, according to the first embodiment, multiple pieces of environmental information corresponding to an event can be collected quickly compared to the conventional method of individually acquiring environmental information using multiple independent measuring instruments and retrospectively associating the acquired environmental information with the event log. Also, similar to the substrate, the information collection substrate 7 is transported within the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 by transport robots 311 and 361, so events that occur during the transport of the information collection substrate 7 accurately simulate events that occur during the transport of the substrate when actually performing lithography. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, multiple pieces of environmental information corresponding to events that occur during the processing of the substrate can be collected quickly and appropriately. For example, the work of synchronizing the robot operation log with the environmental information time is eliminated, and the need for synchronizing the time between the measuring instrument and the device is also eliminated. In addition, by linking the device and the information collection substrate 7, phenomena can be automatically repeated during troubleshooting, saving the time and effort of repeated measurements that would be required if measurements were taken manually.

[0089] (Second embodiment) Next, we will describe a second embodiment that collects more granular environmental information for each event, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0090] Figure 5A is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment.

[0091] As shown in Figure 5A, in the second embodiment, the transport control CPU 44 first starts the operation of the transport robot 361 in the robot chamber 36 in order to transport the information acquisition board 7 from the I / O chamber 33 to the robot chamber 36 (step S101). Starting the operation of the transport robot 361 is an example of changing the operation content of the transport robot 361.

[0092] After the transport robot 361 starts operating, the transport control CPU 44 sends a detection start instruction signal to the information acquisition board 7. The transport control CPU 44 also sends event number "1" to the information acquisition board 7 as event information indicating the start of operation of the transport robot 361 (step S102).

[0093] In response to the transmission of a detection start instruction signal and event information from the transport control CPU 44, the detection unit 7b of the information acquisition board 7 starts detecting environmental information (step S201).

[0094] The recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the environmental information detected by the detection unit 7b in the storage unit 7d, associating it with event information (event number "1") (step S202).

[0095] Next, the transport control CPU 44 turns on the robot servo (step S103). Turning on the robot servo is an example of changing the operation of the transport robot 361.

[0096] After turning on the robot servo, the transport control CPU 44 sends event number "2" to the information acquisition board 7 as event information indicating that the robot servo is turned on (step S104).

[0097] In response to the transmission of event information from the transport control CPU 44, the recording unit 7c of the information acquisition board 7 updates the event information from event number "1" to event number "2" (step S203).

[0098] After updating the event information, the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the newly detected environmental information by the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 in the storage unit 7d, associating it with the updated event information (event number "2") (step S204).

[0099] Next, the transport control CPU 44 starts the operation of receiving the information acquisition board 7 from the I / O chamber 33 by the transport robot 361 (step S105).

[0100] After the information acquisition board 7 starts receiving data, the transport control CPU 44 sends event number "3" to the information acquisition board 7 as event information indicating the start of the information acquisition memory 74 receiving data (step S106).

[0101] In response to the transmission of event information from the transport control CPU 44, the recording unit 7c of the information acquisition board 7 updates the event information from event number "2" to event number "3" (step S205).

[0102] After updating the event information, the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the newly detected environmental information by the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 in the storage unit 7d, associating it with the updated event information (event number "3") (step S206). For example, the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 uses an acceleration sensor 73A to detect an acceleration corresponding to the vibration that occurred when the receiving operation of the information collection board 7 began, and the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the acceleration detected by the detection unit 7b in the storage unit 7d, associating it with event number "3".

[0103] Next, when the transport robot 361 receives the information acquisition board 7 from the I / O chamber 33, the transport control CPU 44 terminates the operation of the transport robot 361 to receive the information acquisition board 7 (step S107). The fact that the transport robot 361 has received the information acquisition board 7 from the I / O chamber 33 may be determined, for example, by the amount of drive (operating time) of the transport robot 361.

[0104] After the information acquisition board 7 has finished its receiving operation, the transport control CPU 44 sends event number "4" to the information acquisition board 7 as event information indicating the completion of the information acquisition board 7's receiving operation (step S108).

[0105] In response to the transmission of event information from the transport control CPU 44, the recording unit 7c of the information acquisition board 7 updates the event information from event number "3" to event number "4" (step S207).

[0106] After updating the event information, the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the newly detected environmental information by the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 in the storage unit 7d, associating it with the updated event information (event number "4") (step S208). For example, the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 uses an acceleration sensor 73A to detect an acceleration corresponding to the vibration that occurred when the receiving operation of the information collection board 7 ended, and the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the acceleration detected by the detection unit 7b in the storage unit 7d, associating it with event number "4".

[0107] Next, the transport control CPU 44 performs a movement operation of the information acquisition board 7 by the transport robot 361 (step S109). The movement operation is, for example, the operation in which the transport robot 361 moves the information acquisition board 7 to the area above the alignment chamber.

[0108] When the information acquisition board 7 is moved, the transport control CPU 44 transmits event number "5" to the information acquisition board 7 as event information indicating the movement of the information acquisition board 7 (step S110).

[0109] In response to the transmission of event information from the transport control CPU 44, the recording unit 7c of the information acquisition board 7 updates the event information from event number "4" to event number "5" (step S209).

[0110] After updating the event information, the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the newly detected environmental information in the robot chamber 36 by the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 in the storage unit 7d, associating it with the updated event information (event number "5") (step S210). For example, the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 uses an acceleration sensor 73A to detect acceleration corresponding to vibrations generated during the movement of the information collection board 7, and the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the acceleration detected by the detection unit 7b in the storage unit 7d, associating it with event number "5".

[0111] Figure 5B is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, following Figure 5A. Next, as shown in Figure 5B, the transport control CPU 44 starts the operation of the transport robot 361 to place the information acquisition substrate 7 (step S111). The operation of placing the information acquisition substrate 7 is, for example, the operation in which the transport robot 361 places the information acquisition substrate 7 in the alignment chamber.

[0112] After the loading operation of the information acquisition board 7 begins, the transport control CPU 44 transmits event number "6" to the information acquisition board 7 as event information indicating the start of the loading operation of the information acquisition board 7 (step S111).

[0113] In response to the transmission of event information from the transport control CPU 44, the recording unit 7c of the information acquisition board 7 updates the event information from event number "5" to event number "6" (step S211).

[0114] After updating the event information, the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the newly detected environmental information in the robot chamber 36 by the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 in the storage unit 7d, associating it with the updated event information (event number "6") (step S212). For example, the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 uses the acceleration sensor 73A to detect an acceleration corresponding to the vibration that occurred when the information collection board 7 was placed, and the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the detected acceleration in the storage unit 7d, associating it with event number "6".

[0115] Next, the transport control CPU 44 terminates the operation of the transport robot 361 to place the information collection board 7 (step S113).

[0116] After the placement operation of the information acquisition board 7 is completed, the transport control CPU 44 sends event number "7" to the information acquisition board 7 as event information indicating the completion of the placement operation of the information acquisition board 7 (step S114).

[0117] In response to the transmission of event information from the transport control CPU 44, the recording unit 7c of the information acquisition board 7 updates the event information from event number "6" to event number "7" (step S213).

[0118] After updating the event information, the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the newly detected environmental information in the robot chamber 36 by the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 in the storage unit 7d, associating it with the updated event information (event number "7") (step S214). For example, the detection unit 7b of the information collection board 7 uses an acceleration sensor 73A to detect an acceleration corresponding to the vibration that occurred when the placement operation of the information collection board 7 was completed, and the recording unit 7c of the information collection board 7 records the acceleration detected by the detection unit 7b in the storage unit 7d, associating it with event number "7".

[0119] The transport robot 361 transports the information acquisition board 7, which is placed in the alignment chamber, from the alignment chamber to the board cover attachment / detachment chamber, and then from the board cover attachment / detachment chamber to the drawing chamber 22. During these transport operations, the information acquisition board 7 also collects environmental information associated with event information, but a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0120] Next, the transport control CPU 44 terminates the operation of the transport robot 361 (step S115).

[0121] After the transport robot 361 has finished its operation, the transport control CPU 44 sends a detection termination instruction signal to the information acquisition board 7, instructing it to terminate the detection of environmental information in the robot chamber 36 (step S116).

[0122] In response to the transmission of a detection termination instruction signal from the transport control CPU 44, the detection unit 7b of the information acquisition board 7 terminates the detection of environmental information in the robot chamber 36 (step S215).

[0123] Next, the transport control CPU 44 starts reading environmental information from the information acquisition board 7 (step S117).

[0124] In reading environmental information from the information acquisition board 7, the transport control CPU 44 sends a detection information transmission request signal to the information acquisition board 7 requesting the transmission of the detected environmental information (step S118).

[0125] In response to the transmission of a detection information transmission request signal from the transport control CPU 44, the transmission unit 7e of the information acquisition board 7 reads environmental information associated with event information from the storage unit 7d and transmits it to the transport control CPU 44 (step S216).

[0126] As a result, after a series of events have finished, the transmission unit 7e of the information acquisition board 7 transmits a collection of event information and environmental information corresponding to the events to the transport control CPU 44.

[0127] In response to the transmission of event information and associated environmental information from the information acquisition board 7, the transport control CPU 44 stores the transmitted event information and environmental information (step S119).

[0128] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, following Figure 5B. After the information acquisition substrate 7 is transported from the robot chamber 36 to the XY stage 221 of the lithography chamber 22 by the transport robot 361, the lithography control CPU 41 starts moving the XY stage 221 along the first stripe as a blank lithography (step S31). Figure 7 is a plan view showing an example of the movement of the XY stage 221 along the stripe S.

[0129] After the XY stage 221 begins moving along the first stripe S, as shown in Figure 6, the drawing control CPU 41 sends a detection start instruction signal to the information acquisition board 7, instructing it to begin detecting environmental information corresponding to the first stripe S. The drawing control CPU 41 also sends event number "1" to the information acquisition board 7 as event information indicating the start of movement of the XY stage 221 along the first stripe S (step S32).

[0130] In response to the transmission of a detection start instruction signal and event information from the drawing control CPU 41, the detection unit 7b of the information acquisition board 7 starts detecting environmental information corresponding to the first stripe S (step S221).

[0131] Next, the recording unit 7c of the information acquisition board 7 records the environmental information corresponding to the first stripe S detected by the drawing unit 2 by the detection unit 7b of the information acquisition board 7 in the storage unit 7d, associating it with event information (event number "1") (step S222).

[0132] Next, the drawing control CPU 41 finishes moving the XY stage 221 along the first stripe S (step S33).

[0133] After the movement of the XY stage 221 along the first stripe S is completed, the drawing control CPU 41 sends a detection completion instruction signal to the information acquisition board 7 instructing it to complete the detection of environmental information corresponding to the first stripe S (step S34).

[0134] In response to the transmission of a detection termination instruction signal from the drawing control CPU 41, the detection unit 7b of the information acquisition board 7 terminates the detection of environmental information corresponding to the first stripe (step S223).

[0135] Next, the drawing control CPU 41 starts reading environmental information corresponding to the first stripe S from the information acquisition board 7 (step S35).

[0136] In reading environmental information corresponding to the first stripe S from the information acquisition board 7, the drawing control CPU 41 sends a detection information transmission request signal to the information acquisition board 7 requesting the transmission of environmental information corresponding to the detected first stripe S (step S36).

[0137] In response to the transmission of a detection information transmission request signal from the drawing control CPU 41, the transmission unit 7e of the information acquisition board 7 reads environmental information associated with event information from the storage unit 7d and transmits it to the drawing control CPU 41 (step S224).

[0138] In response to the transmission of event information and associated environmental information from the information collection board 7, the drawing control CPU 41 stores the transmitted event information and environmental information (step S37).

[0139] Next, the drawing control CPU 41 starts moving the XY stage 221 along the second stripe S as an empty drawing (step S38).

[0140] After the XY stage 221 begins moving along the second stripe S, the drawing control CPU 41 sends a detection start instruction signal to the information acquisition board 7, instructing it to begin detecting environmental information corresponding to the second stripe S. The drawing control CPU 41 also sends event number "2" to the information acquisition board 7 as event information indicating the start of movement of the XY stage 221 along the second stripe S (step S39).

[0141] In response to the transmission of a detection start instruction signal and event information from the drawing control CPU 41, the detection unit 7b of the information acquisition board 7 starts detecting environmental information corresponding to the second stripe S (step S225).

[0142] By repeating the above process for each stripe S, event information and environmental information corresponding to all stripes S can be collected. In addition, the transmission unit 7e of the information collection board 7 can quickly transmit event information and environmental information corresponding to each event to the drawing control CPU 41 after each event has finished.

[0143] Figure 8 shows an example of environmental information collected by the information acquisition board 7 in an example of operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment. Figure 8 shows environmental information collected by the information acquisition board 7 during the process of blank drawing on the information acquisition board 7 placed on the XY stage 221. In Figure 8, "○○", "△△", and "××" are, for example, temperature, acceleration, and magnetic field. Note that in Figure 8, information other than the event number and environmental information may not be recorded in the storage unit 7d of the information acquisition board 7 but may be managed on the drawing control CPU 41 side. Environmental information associated with event information collected by the information acquisition board 7 as shown in Figure 8 is transmitted to the drawing control CPU 41 by the transmission unit 7e of the information acquisition board 7. The event information and environmental information transmitted to the drawing control CPU 41 can be used, for example, for analysis of the environmental information and correction of the operation of the drawing unit 2 based on the analysis results.

[0144] As described above, according to the second embodiment, environmental information associated with event information can be collected for each event that is more finely subdivided than in the first embodiment. This makes it possible to analyze disturbances experienced by the substrate within the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 with greater precision based on detailed environmental information.

[0145] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment in which the operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 is corrected based on environmental information collected by the information collection board 7 will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 9, the drawing control CPU 41, as a prerequisite, causes the information collection board 7 to detect acceleration data as environmental information for each event (i.e., stripe S) in the drawing unit 2 described above (step S41).

[0146] Acceleration data for each event is detected, and after the detected acceleration data for each event is transmitted from the information collection board 7 to the drawing control CPU 41, the drawing control CPU 41 analyzes the acceleration data by calculating the difference between the detected acceleration data for each event and the actual acceleration data of the XY stage 221 that has been acquired in advance (step S42). The actual acceleration data of the XY stage 221 can be acquired, for example, based on the driving conditions of the XY stage 221.

[0147] After calculating the difference between the acceleration data for each detected event and the actual acceleration data of the XY stage 221, the drawing control CPU 41 functions as an operation correction unit and corrects the drawing operation of the substrate based on the acceleration data associated with the event information (i.e., stripe S). Specifically, the drawing control CPU 41 calculates a correction map that eliminates the calculated difference. The correction map is, for example, a deflection correction map that corrects the drawing position by the electron beam by correcting the deflection direction of the electron beam. The system is not limited to this configuration, and the correction map may also be a servo correction map that corrects the drawing position by the electron beam by correcting the servo of the XY stage 221.

[0148] After calculating the correction map, the drawing control CPU 41 starts the actual drawing using the circuit board (step S44).

[0149] After drawing begins, the drawing control CPU 41 determines, as an event, whether or not the start of drawing to the i-th stripe S has occurred (step S45). The initial value of i is "1". Here, since events in drawing can be considered identical to events in empty drawing, the correction map calculated based on the acceleration data detected during the empty drawing process can be effectively used for drawing correction in drawing.

[0150] If the start of drawing to the i-th stripe S occurs (step S45: Yes), the drawing control CPU 41 performs drawing correction using a correction map in drawing to the i-th stripe S (step S46).

[0151] After performing drawing correction using a correction map for drawing to the i-th stripe S, the drawing control CPU 41 determines whether or not the (i+1)th stripe S exists (step S47). Also, even if the start of drawing to the i-th stripe S has not occurred (step S45: No), the drawing control CPU 41 determines whether or not the (i+1)th stripe exists (step S47).

[0152] If there is an i+1-th stripe S (step S47: Yes), the drawing control CPU 41 increments i (step S48) and then repeatedly checks whether or not the start of drawing to the i-th stripe S has occurred (step S45).

[0153] On the other hand, if the (i+1)th stripe S is not present (step S47: No), the drawing control CPU 41 terminates the drawing correction.

[0154] In Figure 9, the correction of the drawing operation in the drawing unit 2 based on detected acceleration data was explained, but similarly to the drawing operation, the transport operation of the substrate in the transport unit 3 may also be corrected based on acceleration data. The correction of the transport operation may be, for example, by correcting the transport speed of the substrate to minimize vibration (acceleration) based on the acceleration data collected when the information collection substrate 7 is transported by the transport robots 311 and 361.

[0155] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the environmental information collected by the information collection substrate 7 can be used to improve the processing accuracy of the substrate by the electron beam lithography apparatus 1.

[0156] Furthermore, the following modified examples can be applied to the third embodiment.

[0157] (First variation) Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 according to the first modification of the third embodiment.

[0158] In the first modified example, the drawing control CPU 41 analyzes the acceleration data after detecting acceleration data for each event (step S41), by calculating the peak value of the acceleration at the start of empty drawing for each stripe S (i.e., event) (step S49).

[0159] After calculating the peak acceleration value at the start of drawing for each stripe S, the drawing control CPU 41 compares the calculated peak value with an acceleration threshold to determine whether servo correction of the XY stage 221 is necessary for each stripe S (step S410).

[0160] If there is a stripe S that requires servo correction, the drawing control CPU 41 creates servo correction data for the stripe S that requires servo correction such that the peak value of acceleration is minimized (step S411).

[0161] After calculating the servo correction data, the drawing control CPU 41 starts the actual drawing using the circuit board (step S44). If there are no stripes that require servo correction, the drawing control CPU 41 starts the actual drawing without creating servo correction data (step S44).

[0162] After drawing begins, the drawing control CPU 41 performs servo correction using servo correction data for each drawing on each stripe S (step S412).

[0163] In the first modified example, the environmental information collected by the information collection substrate 7 can be used to improve the processing accuracy of the substrate by the electron beam lithography apparatus 1.

[0164] (Second variation) Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 according to a second modification of the third embodiment. In the first modification, if there are stripes S that require servo correction, servo correction data is created for the stripes S that require servo correction. In contrast, in the second modification, if there are stripes S that require servo correction, the lithography control CPU 41 issues a warning notification prompting servo correction (step S413) and performs a detailed analysis of the frequency response, etc. (step S414). Furthermore, even if it is not a lithography operation, it can be used for stage maintenance by periodically performing fixed stage operations.

[0165] In the second modified example, the environmental information collected by the information collection substrate 7 can also be used to improve the processing accuracy of the substrate by the electron beam lithography apparatus 1.

[0166] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment capable of detecting environmental information outside the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 will be described. Figure 12 is a diagram showing the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the information acquisition substrate 70 according to the fourth embodiment.

[0167] In the first embodiment, the information acquisition substrate 7 was a reticle-type information acquisition substrate that collected environmental information while being transported within the electron beam lithography apparatus 1, similar to an actual substrate.

[0168] In contrast, as shown in Figure 13, the information acquisition board 70 in the fourth embodiment is configured such that the same components as the information acquisition board 7 in the first embodiment are housed within a housing 77. In the example shown in Figure 13, the information acquisition board 70 comprises a support board 76 fixed within the housing 77, and a receiving unit 7a, a detection unit 7b, a recording unit 7c, a storage unit 7d, and a battery 75 (not shown) supported on the support board 76. The receiving unit 7a and the transmitting unit 7e consist of a communication module 71 and an information acquisition CPU 72. The detection unit 7b consists of an acceleration sensor 73A, a magnetic field sensor (not shown), a temperature sensor (not shown), and an information acquisition CPU 72. The recording unit 7c consists of the information acquisition CPU 72. The storage unit 7d consists of an information acquisition memory 74. For example, as shown in Figure 12, the information acquisition board 70 in the fourth embodiment can also be arranged on the outer circumference of the electron lens barrel 21. The housing 77 is made of, for example, resin.

[0169] According to the fourth embodiment, since transport and empty drawing within the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 are not required, environmental information can be easily detected. Furthermore, with the information collection board 70 of the fourth embodiment, which is located outside the electron beam lithography apparatus 1, there is no need to consider the order of transport within the electron beam lithography apparatus 1 in relation to the actual substrate. Therefore, environmental information around the information collection board 70 can be efficiently detected in response to the occurrence of events during the predetermined processing (transport and drawing) of the actual substrate. It should be noted that both the information collection board 70 in the fourth embodiment and the information collection board 7 in the first embodiment can be used to collect environmental information associated with event information.

[0170] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0171] 1. Electron beam lithography system 4. Control Unit 41. Drawing control CPU 44 Transport control CPU 49. Communication Module 7,70 Information gathering board 7a Receiving section 7b Detection unit 7c Recording section 7d storage section 7e Transmitter 71 Communication Module 72 Information Gathering CPU 73A Accelerometer 73B Magnetic field sensor 73C Temperature Sensor 74 Information Gathering Memory

Claims

1. An information acquisition board, A receiving unit receives from a substrate processing apparatus multiple event information, each representing multiple events that occur during the substrate processing process of the apparatus, a detection start instruction signal, a detection end instruction signal, and a detection information transmission request signal. In response to receiving the detection start instruction signal, the detection unit, while being transported inside the device together with the support substrate, detects environmental information including at least one of the acceleration and magnetic field around the information acquisition substrate corresponding to each of the plurality of events, for each event occurrence timing. A recording unit records the environmental information detected by the detection unit in a storage unit in association with a plurality of event information received by the receiving unit. A transmitting unit transmits the plurality of event information and the environmental information recorded in association with the storage unit to the device in units of event information corresponding to each detection termination instruction signal or detection information transmission request signal received by the receiving unit, Equipped with, The apparatus is an electron beam lithography apparatus for processing the substrate, The aforementioned event includes at least (i) a change in the target stripe for drawing due to the movement of the stage, and (ii) a change in the operation content or state of the transport robot in the transport unit, or a change in the operation content or state of a device in the transport unit other than the transport robot, and is an information acquisition board.

2. The detection unit terminates the detection of the plurality of environmental information in response to the receiving unit receiving the detection termination instruction signal from the device. The information acquisition board according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit, in response to the receiving unit receiving the detection information transmission request signal from the device, reads the plurality of event information and the environmental information from the storage unit and transmits them to the device.

3. The information acquisition board according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the event information corresponding to the plurality of events and the environmental information to the device at a transmission timing that includes at least one of the following: the end of a series of the plurality of events, the end of a specific event, the reception of the detection termination instruction signal, and the reception of the detection information transmission request signal.

4. The system further comprises a support substrate that supports the receiving unit, the detection unit, the recording unit, and the transmitting unit, The information acquisition board according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is transported inside the device together with the support substrate and detects the environmental information corresponding to each of the plurality of events.

5. The information acquisition substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the environmental information includes at least one of temperature, acceleration, and magnetic field.

6. An electron beam lithography apparatus for processing a substrate, A drawing unit that performs the drawing process on the substrate using an electron beam, A transport unit that transports the information acquisition board to the drawing unit, The system comprises a control unit that controls the collection of environmental information from the electron beam lithography apparatus by the information collection board, The control unit, In response to the occurrence of multiple events representing the state and operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus that occur during the drawing process by the drawing unit, multiple event information indicating each of the multiple events is generated, and the event information and a detection start instruction signal are transmitted to the information acquisition board for each event. After transmitting the event information and the detection start instruction signal, the information acquisition board receives the environmental information associated with the event information, and based on the received environmental information associated with the event information, the operation of the drawing unit is corrected for each stripe. Events that occur during the drawing process by the aforementioned drawing unit include changes in the target stripe for drawing due to stage movement. Electron beam lithography system.

7. An electron beam lithography apparatus for processing a substrate, A drawing unit that performs the drawing process on the substrate using an electron beam, A transport unit that transports the information acquisition board to the drawing unit, The system comprises a control unit that controls the collection of environmental information from the electron beam lithography apparatus by the information collection board, The control unit, In response to the occurrence of multiple events representing the state and operation of the electron beam lithography apparatus that occur during the transport process of the substrate by the transport unit, event information indicating each of the multiple events is generated, and the event information and a detection start instruction signal are transmitted to the information acquisition board for each event. After transmitting the event information and the detection start instruction signal, the information acquisition board receives environmental information associated with the event information, and based on the received event information and associated environmental information, the operation of the transport unit corresponding to events occurring during the transport process of the substrate by the transport unit is corrected. The events that occur during the process of transporting the substrate by the transport unit include at least one of a change in the operation or state of the transport robot and a change in the operation or state of any device within the transport unit other than the transport robot. Electron beam lithography system.

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