Inspection method, inspection device, and conveying device

Abstract

To reduce additional inspection time required for visual inspection.SOLUTION: An inspection device 40 includes an illumination device 42 that illuminates a line area 48 perpendicular to a moving direction A1 of an object on a transport path of the object transported by a first robot hand 32, a line sensor 44 that images the line area 48, an image generation unit 72 that generates an image of the object from an image signal output from the line sensor 44, and an image recognition unit 74 that detects features included in the image of the object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection method, an inspection apparatus, and a transfer apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] An apparatus for inspecting the appearance of a substrate such as a wafer is known. The appearance inspection apparatus has, for example, a rotary stage for rotating the wafer and a scan stage for linearly moving the wafer, and is configured to capture an image of the surface of the wafer illuminated by line illumination with a line sensor camera.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above prior art, since it is necessary to perform a step of placing the inspection object on the stage, a step of rotating and moving the stage, and a step of moving the inspection object from the stage, additional time for inspection is required.

[0005] One exemplary object of an aspect of the present invention is to provide a technique for reducing additional inspection time required for appearance inspection.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An inspection method according to an aspect of the present invention includes a step of placing a wafer on a wafer holder, a step of moving the wafer holder with the wafer placed thereon, a step of capturing an image of the wafer and the wafer holder to obtain a first image while the wafer holder with the wafer placed thereon is moving, a step of inspecting the wafer based on the first image, and a step of inspecting the position of the wafer with respect to the wafer holder based on the first image.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is an inspection apparatus. This apparatus includes an illumination device that illuminates a line region perpendicular to the direction of movement of an object in the transport path of an object transported by a robot hand; a line sensor that captures images of the line region; an image generation unit that generates an image of the object from the image signal output from the line sensor; and an image recognition unit that detects features contained in the image of the object.

[0008] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a transport device. This device comprises a robot hand for transporting an object, an illumination device for illuminating a line region perpendicular to the direction of movement of the object in the transport path of the robot hand, and a line sensor for imaging the line region.

[0009] Furthermore, any combination of the above components, or any substitution of components or expressions of the present invention between methods, apparatus, systems, etc., is also valid as an embodiment of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, the additional time required for visual inspection can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic top view showing the configuration of the transport system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the first conveying device. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the second conveying device. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of an inspection method according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below. The configurations described below are illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Furthermore, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and redundant explanations are omitted as appropriate. Also, the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the drawings referenced in the following description are for illustrative purposes only and do not necessarily represent actual dimensions or proportions.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic top view showing the configuration of a transport system 10 according to an embodiment. The transport system 10 comprises a first transport device 12 and a second transport device 14. The transport system 10 is configured to transport a wafer 16 such as a semiconductor substrate and a wafer holder 18 on which the wafer 16 is mounted. In this embodiment, the transport objects of the transport system 10 are exemplified as a wafer 16 and a wafer holder 18, but the transport objects of the transport system 10 are not particularly limited.

[0014] The first transport device 12 transports the wafer holder 18 between the holder case 20 and the mounting table 22. The first transport device 12 removes the wafer holder 18 from the holder case 20 and transports the wafer holder 18 to the mounting table 22. The first transport device 12 transports the wafer holder 18 from the holder case 20 to the mounting table 22 when the wafer 16 is placed on the wafer holder 18 on the mounting table 22. When the wafer 16 is placed on the wafer holder 18 on the mounting table 22, the first transport device 12 transports the wafer holder 18 with the wafer 16 placed on it from the mounting table 22 to the holder case 20. The first transport device 12 places the wafer holder 18 with the wafer 16 placed on it into the holder case 20.

[0015] The second transport device 14 transports the wafer 16 between the wafer cassette 24, the aligner 26, and the mounting table 22. The second transport device 14 transports the wafer 16 when it is not placed in the wafer holder 18. The second transport device 14 removes the wafer 16 contained in the wafer cassette 24 and transports the wafer 16 to the aligner 26. The second transport device 14 transports the wafer 16, which has been aligned in the aligner 26, to the mounting table 22. The second transport device 14 places the wafer 16 on the wafer holder 18 located on the mounting table 22.

[0016] The wafer holder 18 is used to hold the wafer 16 during processes included in the semiconductor manufacturing process. For example, the wafer holder 18 is used to hold the wafer 16 during an ion irradiation process.

[0017] The upper surface of the wafer holder 18 is provided with a recess 28 for accommodating a wafer 16. The recess 28 has a shape slightly larger than the outer shape of the wafer 16, for example, a circular shape corresponding to the circular outer shape of the wafer 16. The upper surface of the wafer holder 18 is marked with an identifier 30 for identifying each individual wafer holder 18. The identifier 30 may be a number, letter, symbol, or a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code.

[0018] The holder case 20 is a container that houses multiple wafer holders 18. The mounting table 22 is positioned between the second transport device 14 and the first transport device 12 and is configured to support the wafer holders 18. The wafer cassette 24 is a container that houses multiple wafers 16, for example, a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod). The aligner 26 is a device that adjusts the orientation of the wafers 16, rotating the wafers 16 so that the notches, orientation flats, and other markings on the wafers 16 are in predetermined positions.

[0019] The first transfer device 12 includes a first robot hand 32 for transferring the wafer holder 18. The first robot hand 32 is configured to support and transfer the wafer holder 18 from the lower side in the vertical direction.

[0020] The second transfer device 14 includes a second robot hand 34 for transferring the wafer 16. The second robot hand 34 has a distal end grip 36 and a proximal end grip 38 for gripping the wafer 16. The distal end grip 36 and the proximal end grip 38 are so-called edge grip chucks, which contact the outer edge of the wafer 16 and sandwich and grip the wafer 16 between the distal end grip 36 and the proximal end grip 38. The distal end grip 36 and the proximal end grip 38 are configured to grip the wafer 16 from the upper side in the vertical direction. By gripping the wafer 16 from the upper side, the second robot hand 34 makes it easy to place the wafer 16 on the wafer holder 18.

[0021] The first transfer device 12 further includes a first inspection device 40. The first inspection device 40 is provided in the middle of the transfer path of the first robot hand 32. The first inspection device 40 can be provided at any position on the transfer path of the first robot hand 32. Preferably, the first inspection device 40 is provided at a position where the wafer holder 18 moves linearly by the first robot hand 32. In the example of FIG. 1, it is provided near or adjacent to the mounting table 22. The first inspection device 40 may be provided near or adjacent to the holder case 20.

[0022] The first inspection device 40 includes a first lighting device 42, a first imaging device 44, and a first image processing device 46. The first lighting device 42 illuminates a first line region 48 that is orthogonal to the first direction A1 in which the wafer holder 18 conveyed by the first robot hand 32 moves. The first lighting device 42 is, for example, a bar-shaped lighting that extends in a direction orthogonal to the first direction A1. The first imaging device 44 images the first line region 48 illuminated by the first lighting device 42. The first imaging device 44 is, for example, a line sensor, and is an imaging device in which pixels such as photodiodes are arranged in one dimension. The first image processing device 46 acquires an image signal from the first imaging device 44 and inspects the appearances of the wafer 16 and the wafer holder 18 using image recognition technology. The first line region 48 is a rectangular region that is short in the first direction A1 and long in the direction orthogonal to the first direction A1. The longitudinal width D1 of the first line region 48 is larger than the outer shape of the wafer holder 18.

[0023] The second transfer device 14 further includes a second inspection device 50. The second inspection device 50 can be configured in the same manner as the first inspection device 40. The second inspection device 50 images the wafer 16 conveyed by the second robot hand 34 and inspects the appearance of the wafer 16 based on the captured image. The second inspection device 50 is provided in the middle of the conveyance path of the second robot hand 34. The second inspection device 50 can be provided at an arbitrary position in the conveyance path of the second robot hand 34. The second inspection device 50 is preferably provided at a position where the wafer 16 moves linearly by the second robot hand 34. In the example of FIG. 1, it is provided near or adjacent to the aligner 26. The second inspection device 50 may be provided near or adjacent to the wafer cassette 24, or may be provided near or adjacent to the mounting table 22.

[0024] The second inspection apparatus 50 comprises a second illumination device 52, a second imaging device 54, and a second image processing device 56. The second illumination device 52 illuminates a second line region 58 that is orthogonal to the second direction A2 in which the wafer 16, transported by the second robot hand 34, moves. The second illumination device 52 is, for example, a bar-type illumination device extending in a direction orthogonal to the second direction A2. The second imaging device 54 images the second line region 58 illuminated by the second illumination device 52. The second imaging device 54 is, for example, a line sensor, which is an image sensor in which pixels such as photodiodes are arranged in one dimension. The second image processing device 56 acquires an image signal from the second imaging device 54 and inspects the appearance of the wafer 16 using image recognition technology. The second line region 58 is a rectangular region that is shorter in the second direction A2 and longer in a direction orthogonal to the second direction A2. The longitudinal width D2 of the second line region 58 is greater than the diameter of the wafer 16.

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the first transport device 12. Figure 2 shows the case in which the first transport device 12 transports a wafer holder 18 in which a wafer 16 is placed. The wafer 16 is housed in a recess 28 of the wafer holder 18. The wafer 16 has a first surface 16a and a second surface 16b opposite to the first surface 16a, and the second surface 16b is in contact with the wafer holder 18. The first transport device 12 transports the wafer 16 together with the wafer holder 18 so that the first surface 16a is on the upper vertical side and the second surface 16b is on the lower vertical side.

[0026] The first illumination device 42 and the first imaging device 44 are positioned vertically above the wafer 16 and wafer holder 18 being transported by the first transport device 12. The first illumination device 42 irradiates illumination light 62 toward the first surface 16a of the wafer 16 and the upper surface 18a of the wafer holder 18. The first imaging device 44 images the reflected light 64 from the first surface 16a of the wafer 16 and the upper surface 18a of the wafer holder 18.

[0027] The first illumination device 42 and the first imaging device 44 are arranged, for example, so that the incident angle θ1 of the illumination light 62 and the reflection angle θ2 of the reflected light 64 are approximately the same. The first illumination device 42 and the first imaging device 44 are arranged, for example, to provide high-angle illumination, so that the incident angle θ1 and the reflection angle θ2 are 30 degrees or less. The first illumination device 42 and the first imaging device 44 may also be arranged to provide low-angle illumination, so that the incident angle θ1 and the reflection angle θ2 are 45 degrees or more or 60 degrees or more. In addition, multiple first illumination devices 42 and multiple first imaging devices 44 with different incident angles θ1 and reflection angles θ2 may be provided.

[0028] The first image processing device 46 comprises a first signal acquisition unit 70, a first image generation unit 72, a first image recognition unit 74, and a first output unit 76. Each functional block of the first image processing device 46 can be realized, for example, through the coordination of hardware and software. The hardware of the first image processing device 46 is realized by elements and mechanical devices such as a computer's CPU and memory. The software of the first image processing device 46 is realized by a computer program or the like.

[0029] The first signal acquisition unit 70 acquires a one-dimensional image signal from the first imaging device 44. The first image generation unit 72 generates a two-dimensional image using the one-dimensional image signal acquired by the first signal acquisition unit 70. The first image generation unit 72 generates a two-dimensional image corresponding to the entire upper surface 18a of the wafer holder 18 by arranging the one-dimensional images captured by the first imaging device 44 in the order they are captured. The first image generation unit 72 may also generate a two-dimensional image by associating the one-dimensional images captured by the first imaging device 44 with the position in the first direction A1 in which the first robot hand 32 moves. The position in the first direction A1 in which the first robot hand 32 moves can be determined, for example, using an encoder signal for driving the first robot hand 32.

[0030] The first image generation unit 72 generates a two-dimensional image including the first surface 16a of the wafer 16 and the top surface 18a of the wafer holder 18 based on image signals acquired while the wafer holder 18 is moving with the wafer 16 in place. In this specification, the two-dimensional image including both the wafer 16 and the wafer holder 18 is also referred to as the "first image". The first image generation unit 72 generates a two-dimensional image showing the top surface 18a of the wafer holder 18 based on image signals acquired while the wafer holder 18 is moving without the wafer 16 in place. In this specification, the two-dimensional image including only the wafer holder 18 is also referred to as the "second image".

[0031] The first image recognition unit 74 detects features contained in the image generated by the first image generation unit 72 using image recognition technology. Based on a first image that includes both the wafer 16 and the wafer holder 18, the first image recognition unit 74 detects features of at least one of the wafer 16 and the wafer holder 18. Based on the first image, the first image recognition unit 74 may detect defects such as cracks or defects on the outer periphery of the wafer 16, or scratches on the first surface 16a of the wafer 16. Based on the first image, the first image recognition unit 74 may detect defects on the outer periphery or top surface 18a of the wafer holder 18. Based on the first image, the first image recognition unit 74 may detect an identifier 30 assigned to the top surface 18a of the wafer holder 18. Based on the first image, the first image recognition unit 74 may detect features related to the position of the wafer 16 relative to the wafer holder 18. The first image recognition unit 74 may detect the recess 28 of the wafer holder 18 and the wafer 16, and detect whether the entire wafer 16 is housed inside the recess 28. The first image recognition unit 74 may detect whether the position of the notches, orientation flats, or other markers on the wafer 16 is appropriate relative to the wafer holder 18.

[0032] The first image recognition unit 74 detects features of the wafer holder 18 based on a second image that includes only the wafer holder 18. The first image recognition unit 74 may also detect defects present on the outer periphery or top surface 18a of the wafer holder 18 based on the second image. The first image recognition unit 74 may also detect defects such as scratches or debris present in the recesses 28 of the wafer holder 18 based on the second image.

[0033] The first output unit 76 outputs the detection result from the first image recognition unit 74. The first output unit 76 may also output a defect signal indicating whether or not a defect has been detected by the first image recognition unit 74. The first output unit 76 may also output an alignment signal indicating whether the position of the wafer 16 relative to the wafer holder 18 is appropriate. The first output unit 76 may also output an abnormality signal indicating whether or not there are any abnormalities such as defects or misalignment.

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the second transport device 14. The second transport device 14 transports the wafer 16 such that the first surface 16a is on the upper vertical side and the second surface 16b is on the lower vertical side.

[0035] The second illumination device 52 and the second imaging device 54 are positioned vertically below the wafer 16 being transported by the second transport device 14. The second illumination device 52 irradiates illumination light 66 toward the second surface 16b of the wafer 16. The second imaging device 54 captures the reflected light 68 from the second surface 16b of the wafer 16.

[0036] The second illumination device 52 and the second imaging device 54 are arranged, for example, so that the incident angle θ3 of the illumination light 66 and the reflection angle θ4 of the reflected light 68 are approximately the same. The second illumination device 52 and the second imaging device 54 are arranged, for example, to provide high-angle illumination, so that the incident angle θ3 and the reflection angle θ4 are 30 degrees or less. The second illumination device 52 and the second imaging device 54 may be arranged to provide low-angle illumination, so that the incident angle θ3 and the reflection angle θ4 are 45 degrees or more or 60 degrees or more. Multiple second illumination devices 52 and multiple second imaging devices 54 with different incident angles θ3 and reflection angles θ4 may be provided.

[0037] The second image processing device 56 comprises a second signal acquisition unit 80, a second image generation unit 82, a second image recognition unit 84, and a second output unit 86. Each functional block of the second image processing device 56 can be realized, for example, through the coordination of hardware and software. The hardware of the second image processing device 56 is realized by components and mechanical devices such as a computer's CPU and memory. The software of the second image processing device 56 is realized by a computer program or the like.

[0038] The second signal acquisition unit 80 acquires a one-dimensional image signal from the second imaging device 54. The second image generation unit 82 generates a two-dimensional image using the one-dimensional image signal acquired by the second signal acquisition unit 80. The second image generation unit 82 generates a two-dimensional image corresponding to the entire second surface 16b of the wafer 16 by arranging the one-dimensional images captured by the second imaging device 54 in the order they are captured. The second image generation unit 82 may also generate a two-dimensional image by associating the one-dimensional images captured by the second imaging device 54 with the position in the second direction A2 in which the second robot hand 34 moves. The position in the second direction A2 in which the second robot hand 34 moves can be determined, for example, using an encoder signal for driving the second robot hand 34. In this specification, a two-dimensional image of only the wafer 16 is also referred to as the "third image".

[0039] The second image recognition unit 84 detects features contained in the image generated by the second image generation unit 82 using image recognition technology. For example, based on the third image, the second image recognition unit 84 detects defects such as cracks or defects on the outer periphery of the wafer 16, or scratches on the second surface 16b of the wafer 16. The second image recognition unit 84 may also detect the position of markers such as notches or orientation flats on the wafer 16 based on the third image, and detect the orientation of the wafer 16.

[0040] The second output unit 86 outputs the detection result from the second image recognition unit 84. The second output unit 86 may also output a defect signal indicating whether or not a defect has been detected by the second image recognition unit 84. The second output unit 86 may also output an alignment signal indicating the position of markers such as notches and orientation flats on the wafer 16. The aligner 26 may adjust the orientation of the wafer 16 placed on the aligner 26 based on the alignment signal output from the second output unit 86. Instead of adjusting the orientation of the wafer 16 with the aligner 26, the orientation of the wafer 16 relative to the wafer holder 18 may be adjusted using the second robot hand 34 when placing the wafer 16 on the wafer holder 18.

[0041] Next, the operation of the transport system 10 will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an inspection method according to the embodiment.

[0042] The first transport device 12 removes the wafer holder 18 from the holder case 20 and moves the wafer holder 18, which does not have a wafer 16 placed in it, from the holder case 20 toward the mounting table 22 (S10). The first inspection device 40 acquires a second image of the upper surface 18a and recess 28 of the wafer holder 18 while it is moving (S12), and inspects the wafer holder 18 based on the second image (S14). If the wafer holder 18 has no defects, the first transport device 12 places the wafer holder 18 on the mounting table 22 (S16).

[0043] The second transport device 14 removes the wafer 16 from the wafer cassette 24 and moves the wafer 16 while it is not placed on the wafer holder 18 (S18). The second inspection device 50 acquires a third image of the second surface 16b of the wafer 16 while the wafer 16 is moving (S20) and inspects the wafer 16 based on the third image (S22). In step S18, the second transport device 14 may move the wafer 16 from the wafer cassette 24 toward the aligner 26, or from the aligner 26 toward the mounting table 22, or from the wafer cassette 24 toward the mounting table 22. If the wafer 16 has no defects, the second transport device 14 places the wafer 16 on the wafer holder 18 on the mounting table 22 (S24).

[0044] The first transport device 12 moves the wafer holder 18 with the wafer 16 in place from the mounting table 22 toward the holder case 20 (S26). The first inspection device 40 acquires a first image of the first surface 16a of the wafer 16 and the upper surface 18a of the wafer holder 18 while the wafer 16 and wafer holder 18 are moving (S28), and inspects the wafer 16 and wafer holder 18 based on the first image (S30). If there are no defects or misalignments in the wafer 16 and wafer holder 18, the first transport device 12 places the wafer holder 18 with the wafer 16 in place into the holder case 20 (S32).

[0045] According to this embodiment, by providing a first inspection device 40 and a second inspection device 50 in the transport paths of the first transport device 12 and the second transport device 14, respectively, the wafer 16 and wafer holder 18 can be inspected while they are moving. As a result, the step of placing the wafer 16 and wafer holder 18 in a dedicated inspection device for inspection can be omitted, and the appearance of the wafer 16 and wafer holder 18 can be inspected without reducing the productivity of the semiconductor manufacturing process. According to this embodiment, the additional inspection time required for appearance inspection can be reduced.

[0046] According to this embodiment, it is possible to perform 100% inspection of the wafer 16 and wafer holder 18 without reducing the productivity of the semiconductor manufacturing process. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the reliability of the semiconductor manufacturing process can be improved without reducing the productivity of the semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0047] According to this embodiment, by combining a first transport device 12 that supports and transports the wafer 16 from below and a second transport device 14 that holds and transports the wafer 16 from above, it becomes possible to inspect both the first surface 16a and the second surface 16b of the wafer 16. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the reliability of the inspection can be improved compared to when only one side of the wafer 16 is inspected.

[0048] According to this embodiment, by using a line sensor, it becomes easy to uniformly illuminate the first line region 48 and the second line region 58 that are to be imaged. As a result, compared to imaging the entire wafer 16 and wafer holder 18 at once using an area sensor camera, it is possible to obtain a more detailed image with less influence from brightness unevenness and disturbances. As a result, the reliability of image-based inspection can be improved.

[0049] According to this embodiment, by using line sensors, the size of the inspection equipment in directions A1 and A2, where the wafer 16 and wafer holder 18 move, can be reduced. Therefore, it is not necessary to lengthen the transport path to install the inspection equipment, thus suppressing a decrease in productivity in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0050] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the first conveying device 12 and the second conveying device 14 are combined was shown, but in the modified example, only one of the first conveying device 12 or the second conveying device 14 may be used.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the first image processing device 46 and the second image processing device 56 are provided separately was shown. However, in a modified example, a single image processing device that realizes the functions of both the first image processing device 46 and the second image processing device 56 may be used. Alternatively, the respective functions of the first image processing device 46 and the second image processing device 56 may be distributed and realized across two or more devices.

[0052] In a modified example, the transport object, such as a wafer or wafer holder, may be transported by gripping only its sides, with substantially the entirety of both its first and second surfaces visible. In this case, a first inspection device for inspecting the first surface and a second inspection device for inspecting the second surface may be placed at the same location along the transport path, allowing for simultaneous inspection of both surfaces. The transport object may be transported between the first and second inspection devices using a robotic hand or the like.

[0053] The present invention has been described above based on examples. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, that various design changes are possible, and that various modifications are possible, and that such modifications also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 10...Transport system, 12...First transport device, 14...Second transport device, 16...Wafer, 16a...First surface, 16b...Second surface, 18...Wafer holder, 18a...Top surface, 32...First robot hand, 34...Second robot hand, 40...First inspection device, 42...First illumination device, 44...First imaging device, 46...First image processing device, 48...First line area, 50...Second inspection device, 52...Second illumination device, 54...Second imaging device, 56...Second image processing device, 58...Second line area.

Claims

1. The process of placing a wafer on a wafer holder, A step of moving the wafer holder with the wafer in place, The process of acquiring a first image by imaging the first surface of the wafer and the wafer holder while the wafer holder is moving with the wafer in place, A step of inspecting the first surface of the wafer based on the first image, An inspection method characterized by comprising the steps of detecting the position of the wafer relative to the wafer holder based on the first image and inspecting whether the wafer is positioned at a predetermined position in the wafer holder.

2. The wafer holder has a recess for housing the wafer, The inspection method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of inspecting the position of the wafer is to inspect whether the wafer is housed inside the recess of the wafer holder based on the first image.

3. The inspection method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of acquiring the first image involves imaging the wafer and the wafer holder using a line sensor.

4. A step of moving the wafer holder when the wafer is not placed in it, The process of acquiring a second image by imaging the wafer holder while the wafer holder is moving in a state in which the wafer is not placed, The inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of inspecting the wafer holder based on the second image.

5. The first image acquisition step involves imaging the wafer and the wafer holder using a line sensor, The inspection method according to claim 4, characterized in that the step of acquiring the second image includes imaging the wafer holder using the line sensor.

6. A step of moving the wafer while it is not placed in the wafer holder, A step of acquiring a third image by imaging the wafer while the wafer is moving and is not placed in the wafer holder, The inspection method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising the step of inspecting the wafer based on the third image.

7. The inspection method according to claim 6, characterized in that the step of acquiring the third image includes imaging the wafer using a line sensor.

8. The inspection method according to claim 6, characterized in that the step of acquiring the third image includes imaging the second surface of the wafer opposite to the first surface.

9. A step of detecting the orientation of the wafer based on the third image, The process further includes adjusting the orientation of the wafer based on the detected orientation of the wafer, The inspection method according to claim 6, characterized in that the wafer whose orientation has been adjusted is placed on the wafer holder.

10. In the transport path of a wafer holder transported by a robot hand, an illumination device illuminates a line region perpendicular to the direction of movement of the wafer holder, A line sensor that images the first surface of the wafer and the wafer holder as the wafer moves along the line region with the wafer placed on the wafer holder, An image generation unit generates images of the first surface of the moving wafer and the wafer holder from the image signal output from the line sensor, An inspection apparatus comprising: an image recognition unit that detects features contained in the image, inspects the first surface of the wafer, and checks whether the wafer is positioned in a predetermined position in the wafer holder.

11. A robotic hand that transports wafer holders, In the transport path of the robot hand, an illumination device illuminates a line region perpendicular to the direction of movement of the wafer holder, A line sensor that images the first surface of the wafer and the wafer holder as the wafer moves along the line region with the wafer placed on the wafer holder, A transport device comprising: an image processing device that inspects the first surface of the wafer and the wafer holder based on images of the first surface of the moving wafer and the wafer holder generated from the image signal output from the line sensor, and inspects whether the wafer is positioned in a predetermined position on the wafer holder.

Images