Substrate holding device, substrate holding method, and lithography apparatus

Abstract

To provide a substrate holding device capable of shortening the time required to determine whether suction assistance for a substrate is necessary.SOLUTION: A substrate holding device that includes a holding portion that attracts and holds a substrate, pushes a warped portion of the substrate on the holding portion toward the holding portion, and can absorb the substrate includes a determination portion that determines whether to push the warped portion of the substrate toward the holding portion on the basis of first information including information related to the deformability of the substrate and second information including information related to the amount of warpage of the substrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate holding apparatus, a substrate holding method, and a lithography apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In manufacturing processes of semiconductor devices, liquid crystal display devices and the like, a substrate holding apparatus is used that sucks and holds a substrate by reducing the pressure in the space between the back surface of the substrate and the substrate holding apparatus. This type of apparatus may fail to suck the substrate when the substrate is warped.

[0003] Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose substrate holding apparatuses that perform suction assistance so that a substrate can be sucked even if the substrate is warped. The apparatus described in Patent Document 1 determines whether suction assistance is necessary based on the suction state of the substrate. If the substrate cannot be sucked even after the pressure in the space between the back surface of the substrate and the apparatus is reduced, it is determined that suction assistance is necessary, and suction assistance is performed such that the warped portion of the substrate is pushed toward the apparatus side to reduce the amount of warpage when the space is depressurized.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the method of Patent Document 1, since the operation of sucking the substrate is performed to determine whether suction assistance is necessary, it takes time to determine whether suction assistance is necessary.

[0006] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate holding apparatus capable of reducing the time required for determining whether suction assistance for a substrate is necessary.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above objective, a substrate holding device as one aspect of the present invention has a holding part that adsorbs and holds a substrate, and a substrate holding device that can push the substrate on the holding part toward the holding part and adsorb the substrate, wherein a determination part determines whether to push the substrate toward the holding part based on first information including information related to the ease with which the substrate can be deformed and second information including information related to the amount of warping of the substrate A storage unit that stores: third information including information related to the deformability of the other substrate; fourth information including information related to the amount of warping of the other substrate; fifth information including information related to the adsorption state of the other substrate; and sixth information including information related to whether or not the other substrate was pushed toward the holding part. to have The information relating to the ease with which the substrate can be deformed includes at least one of the thickness of the substrate, the outer diameter of the substrate, and the material of the substrate, and the determination unit decides to push the substrate toward the holding unit based on the first information, the second information, the third information, the fourth information, the fifth information, and the sixth information. It is characterized by doing so.

[0008] Further objects or other aspects of the present invention will be revealed by embodiments described below with reference to the drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the time required to determine whether or not substrate adsorption assistance is necessary can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows the configuration of the substrate holding device in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the holding part in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is an example of a database stored in the storage unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart for determining whether or not adsorption assistance to the substrate is necessary in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a detailed flowchart for determining whether or not adsorption assistance to the substrate is necessary in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a detailed flowchart for determining whether or not adsorption assistance to the substrate is necessary in the first embodiment. [Figure 8]This is an example of the arrangement of a plurality of measurement positions for measuring the warpage amount of a substrate in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This is an example of a comparison table of the similarity and the weighting coefficient α in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This is an example of adjusting the suction force and suction timing of the exhaust port in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart for determining the suction assisting method in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart of the method for manufacturing an article in the third embodiment. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. A plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are necessarily essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0012] In the present specification and the drawings, directions are basically indicated by an XYZ coordinate system in which the vertical direction is taken as the Z-axis, the horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction is taken as the XY plane, and the respective axes are orthogonal to each other. However, if there is an XYZ coordinate system described in each drawing, that coordinate system takes precedence.

[0013] Hereinafter, specific configurations in each embodiment will be described.

[0014] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is a projection exposure apparatus that exposes a pattern of an original (mask, reticle) onto a substrate via a projection optical system by a step-and-repeat method or a step-and-scan method. However, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is not limited to a projection exposure apparatus. For example, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be a drawing apparatus that performs drawing on a substrate with an electron beam, an ion beam, or the like to form a pattern on the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus 1 may also be another lithography apparatus, for example, an imprint apparatus that forms a pattern on a substrate by molding an imprint material on the substrate using a mold. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be another apparatus that processes a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass plate, such as an ion implantation apparatus, a developing apparatus, an etching apparatus, a film forming apparatus, an annealing apparatus, a sputtering apparatus, or a vapor deposition apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus 1 may also be a flattening apparatus that flattens a composition on a substrate using a flat plate.

[0015] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an illumination optical system 11 that irradiates light, a projection optical system 14, a reticle stage 13 that holds a reticle 12, a substrate holding apparatus 2 including a pressing unit 60, a holding unit (suction unit) 20, and a control unit (determination unit) 18, and a stage 16. The reticle 12 is an original plate in which a pattern (for example, a circuit pattern) to be transferred onto the surface of, for example, quartz glass is formed of chromium. The substrate 15 is, for example, single crystal silicon, and when the substrate processing apparatus 1 is an exposure apparatus, the substrate 15 conveyed to the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a photosensitive material (resist) applied on its surface. The stage 16 is configured such that the holding unit 20 is mounted thereon and is movable in X and Y directions.

[0016] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, exposure light from a light source (not shown) illuminates the reticle 12 held on the reticle stage 13 via the illumination optical system 11. The light that has passed through the reticle 12 is irradiated onto the substrate 15 via the projection optical system 14. At this time, the pattern formed on the reticle 12 is imaged onto the surface of the substrate 15. The substrate processing apparatus 1 exposes the shot area on the substrate 15 in this manner, and similarly exposes each of the multiple shot areas.

[0017] The pressing part 60 is an auxiliary member for providing suction assistance when the substrate 15 cannot be held even if the space between the holding part 20 and the substrate 15 is reduced due to the substrate 15 being warped. When suction assistance is needed, the pressing part 60 (auxiliary member) pushes (presses) the warped portion of the substrate 15 toward the holding part. By having a step in which the pressing part 60 pushes the warped portion of the substrate 15 toward the holding part, the warping of the substrate 15 can be eliminated or the amount of warping of the substrate 15 can be reduced to make it closer to a flat shape. Furthermore, even if the substrate 15 is warped on the holding part, the holding part 20 can adsorb and hold the substrate 15. The pressing part 60 is a tool having a shape such as a flat plate as described in Patent Document 1 or a shape with multiple pins as described in Patent Document 2, and moves to the upper side of the holding part 20 and the substrate 15 when pressing is performed when suction assistance is needed to hold the substrate 15. Here, the control unit 18 controls the members that move the stage 16 and the pressing unit 60 so that the relative positions of the position of the substrate 15 and the position where the pressing unit 60 performs pressing coincide in the Z-axis direction. The control unit 18 then controls the pressing unit 60 to descend (move downward) by a preset amount so that the pressing unit 60 presses the substrate 15 (pushes it toward the holding unit 20). The amount of descent at this time is set in advance by the user, and for example, the amount of descent (movement) can be the distance in the Z-axis direction between the position where the pressing unit 60 starts the pressing operation and the surface of the holding unit 20 that holds the substrate 15, minus the thickness of the substrate 15. The user inputs the amount of descent of the pressing unit 60 from the input unit described later.

[0018] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the substrate holding device 2 in this embodiment. The substrate holding device 2 in this embodiment includes a holding unit 20 for holding the substrate, an information acquisition unit 17, a control unit (determination unit) 18, a storage unit 19, and a pressing unit 60. The information acquisition unit 17 acquires first information (third information) which includes one or more pieces of information related to the characteristics of the substrate 15, namely the thickness, outer diameter, and material of the substrate, and second information (fourth information) which includes information related to the amount of warping of the substrate 15. Here, the first information (third information) is also information related to the ease with which the substrate can be deformed. Note that the information related to the material may also be information on the type or hardness of the substrate 15.

[0019] Here, examples of the thickness, outer diameter, material, and warpage of the substrate 15 in this embodiment will be described. First, the thickness of the substrate 15 in this embodiment may be, for example, the thickness of the substrate 15 itself before the photosensitive material is applied, or the thickness including the thickness of the substrate 15 and the photosensitive material after the photosensitive material is applied. Alternatively, the thickness measured at a predetermined location on the substrate 15 (for example, the center of the substrate 15) may be used, or if the thickness of the substrate 15 can be known in advance from information from a previous process, that thickness may be used. The outer diameter of the substrate 15 may be, for example, the outer diameter at a location that does not include the position of a mark used for alignment, such as an orientation flat or notch, or the length of the perpendicular to the orientation flat that passes through the center of the substrate 15 may be used. The material of the substrate 15 may be, for example, the hardness may be measured and the measurement result may be used, or a name such as "silicon" may be used and an evaluation value determined in advance based on hardness, etc. for each material may be set and that evaluation value may be used as the material. The amount of warpage of the substrate 15 may be determined by, for example, the difference in position in the Z-direction between a predetermined position and a reference position of the substrate 15, as defined by the user, when the substrate 15 is placed in a predetermined position. The above describes examples of the thickness, outer diameter, material, and amount of warpage of the substrate 15, but the method for determining the thickness, outer diameter, material, and amount of warpage of the substrate 15 is not limited to the above examples, and it is sufficient if the method for determining the thickness, outer diameter, material, and amount of warpage of the substrate 15 is the same for each substrate.

[0020] In this embodiment, information including one or more pieces of information related to the thickness, outer diameter, and material of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed is described as first information. Information including one or more pieces of information related to the thickness, outer diameter, and material of other substrates stored in the storage unit 19, other than the substrate 15 to be adsorbed, is described as third information. Information including information related to the amount of warpage of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed is described as second information. Information including information related to the amount of warpage of other substrates stored in the storage unit 19, other than the substrate 15 to be adsorbed, is described as fourth information.

[0021] The information acquisition unit 17 may be equipped with an input unit, and the user may input first information (third information) and second information (fourth information) from the input unit. In this case, the input unit may be located on the outer surface of a chamber (not shown) surrounding the substrate processing apparatus 1 and connected to the storage unit 19. Alternatively, the information acquisition unit 17 may be equipped with a laser displacement meter or interferometer for acquiring second information, and the information acquisition unit 17 may directly acquire the second information by measuring the amount of warping of the substrate 15. Or, the storage unit 19 may acquire the first information and second information (third information and fourth information) directly without going through the information acquisition unit 17. For example, the storage unit 19 may acquire the information by being notified by wired or wireless means from a separate device (for example, a device used in the process immediately preceding the substrate processing apparatus 1), a separate storage device, or a host system. The host system is, for example, a system that is used when sending and receiving information between the substrate processing apparatus 1 and a separate device or system.

[0022] Here, an example of a method for measuring the amount of warping of the substrate 15 will be described. The substrate 15 is supported by a support part (not shown) smaller than the outer diameter of the substrate 15, with the center of the substrate 15 as the pivot point. The distance between the substrate 15 and the laser displacement meter or interferometer is measured by a laser displacement meter or interferometer placed at a position that does not touch the substrate 15 and is located on the underside or above the substrate 15 and near the outer circumference of the substrate 15. For example, if the substrate 15 is warped in a convex shape and the laser displacement meter or interferometer is placed on the underside of the substrate 15, the distance between the laser displacement meter or interferometer and the substrate 15 will be shorter compared to a non-warped substrate. On the other hand, if the substrate 15 is warped in a concave shape and the laser displacement meter or interferometer is placed on the underside of the substrate 15, the distance between the laser displacement meter or interferometer and the substrate 15 will be longer compared to a non-warped substrate. The substrate 15 is rotated by the support part, and the laser displacement meter or interferometer measures the distance between each of the multiple points along the circumferential direction near the outer circumference of the substrate 15 and the laser displacement meter or interferometer. The control unit 18 then derives the difference between the measured distance and a reference distance, and uses the derived result as the amount of warping of the substrate 15. Here, the reference distance can be, for example, the distance measured by a laser displacement meter or interferometer to a flat and unwarped position on the substrate 15. In this embodiment, an example is shown where the amount of warping is the distance measured by a laser displacement meter or interferometer to a predetermined position on the substrate surface, but for example, the inclination angle of the substrate 15 may be measured by a sensor, and this inclination angle may be used as the amount of warping. In this case, when the substrate 15 is not warped and is nearly flat, the inclination angle will be close to 0 degrees, and the more the substrate 15 is warped, the larger the value of the inclination angle will be.

[0023] Figure 3 shows the configuration of the holding unit 20 in this embodiment. Figure 3(a) is a view from above of the holding unit 20 as an example of this embodiment. The holding unit 20 in this embodiment includes boundaries (also called boundary sections or embankments) 21 to 23, exhaust ports 31 to 33 for discharging the inhaled gas, and substrate transfer pin lifting ports 37 to 39. By having multiple exhaust sections equipped with exhaust ports, the suction of the substrate can be controlled for each exhaust port, and the substrate can be suctioned in a shape close to the desired shape. In addition, each of the three regions divided by boundaries 21 to 23 is designated as a vacuum suction region 25 to 27. In this embodiment, boundaries 21 to 23 each have an annular shape, and these boundaries divide the vacuum suction region into vacuum suction regions 25 to 27. Specifically, it is divided into three parts: a circular vacuum suction region 25, an annular vacuum suction region 26 surrounding the vacuum suction region 25, and an annular vacuum suction region 27 surrounding the vacuum suction region 26. Exhaust port 31 primarily exhausts gas from the vacuum adsorption region 25, exhaust port 32 primarily exhausts gas from the vacuum adsorption region 26, and exhaust port 33 primarily exhausts gas from the vacuum adsorption region 27.

[0024] Here, the configuration of the holding unit 20 shown in Figure 3(a) is an example of this embodiment, and the number, shape, and arrangement of the vacuum suction areas 25-27, exhaust ports 31-33, boundaries 21-23, and substrate transfer pin lifting / lowering ports 37-39 are not limited to this. For example, boundaries 21-23 do not have to be annular, and boundary 23 does not necessarily have to be located on the outer circumference of the holding unit 20. For example, boundary 23 may be located closer to the center than the outer circumference of the holding unit 20. The shape (divided shape) of each of the multiple areas constituting the vacuum suction area does not have to be circular or annular; for example, each area may be rectangular, and the divided shape may be a shape other than a circle, an annule, or rectangle.

[0025] Figure 3(b) is an explanatory diagram showing a cross-sectional view of the holding section 20 including the line segment A-A' in the X direction, which is parallel to the ZX plane shown in Figure 3(a), and a schematic diagram of the discharge system for vacuum adsorption. In Figure 3(b), the substrate transfer pin lift-up / lower openings 37-39 are openings for raising and lowering the substrate transfer pins 40 when transferring the substrate 15 to a substrate transport hand (not shown). The substrate transport hand places the substrate 15 on the substrate transfer pins 40 that have risen from the substrate transfer pin lift-up / lower openings 37-39. After the substrate transport hand retracts, the substrate transfer pins 40 descend, and the substrate 15 is placed on the holding section 20. Alternatively, the substrate 15 may be placed on the holding section 20 by the lowering and raising of the holding section 20 without driving the substrate transfer pins 40.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3(b), the vacuum suction regions 25-27 are filled with numerous small protrusions (pins) to support the substrate 15 during suction. The exhaust ports 31-33 are connected to vacuum pumps 51-53. Each of the pressure sensors 54-56, positioned in the gas flow path from each of the exhaust ports 31-33, indirectly measures the pressure in the vacuum suction regions 25-27 by measuring the pressure in the flow path. The control unit 18 controls the vacuum pumps 51-53 based on the measured values ​​of the pressure sensors 54-56 to cause the substrate 15 to be adsorbed onto the holding unit 20. Note that the configuration of the pressure sensors 54-56 for measuring the pressure in each vacuum suction region shown in Figure 3(b) is just one example of this embodiment, and they may be placed in only the minimum necessary systems rather than the entire exhaust port system, and are not limited to this configuration.

[0027] The memory unit 19 stores the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 17 and the information acquired when the substrate 15 is attached to the holding unit 20. The information acquired when the substrate 15 is attached to the holding unit 20 includes fifth information, which includes information related to the suction state when the holding unit 20 attached the substrate, and sixth information, which includes information related to whether or not suction assistance was provided when the substrate was attached (whether or not the curved part of the substrate was pressed). The fifth information may be information on whether or not the holding unit 20 has completed holding the substrate, or it may be information on the measured values ​​of the pressure sensors 54 to 46. If the fifth information is information on the measured values ​​of the pressure sensors 54 to 56, the fifth information includes the result (information) of the control unit 18's determination of whether or not the holding unit 20 has completed holding the substrate. Specifically, the control unit 18 compares the measured values ​​of each of the pressure sensors 54 to 56 with a threshold value set in advance by the user, and the fifth information includes the result (information) of the determination of whether or not the holding unit 20 has completed holding the substrate according to the comparison result. For example, if the measured values ​​of pressure sensors 54 to 56 are based on atmospheric pressure, and the absolute value of any of the measured values ​​of each sensor is greater than or equal to a threshold, it is determined that the holding unit 20 has attracted the substrate and completed its holding. If the absolute value of any of the measured values ​​of pressure sensors 54 to 46 is less than a threshold, it is determined that the holding unit 20 has not completed its holding of the substrate.

[0028] Here, we will explain the control based on the information stored in the memory unit 19 of the control unit 18. The memory unit 19 stores a database containing multiple sets of previously stored sets of third to sixth information (substrate information), and also stores the first and second information of the substrate 15 to be picked up this time. Based on the first and second information, the control unit 18 refers to this database to determine whether or not suction assistance is necessary (whether or not to push the curved portion of the substrate 15 toward the holding unit 20 with the pressing unit 60), and controls the operation when picking up the substrate 15 based on the decision. Then, the new fifth and sixth information (additional fifth and sixth information) acquired when the substrate 15 to be picked up this time is added to the database as a set with the first and second information. In other words, the need for suction assistance of the first substrate is determined based on the database (first determination step). Then, based on a database containing substrate information from when the first substrate was adsorbed (first adsorption step), it is determined whether or not adsorption assistance is needed for a second substrate different from the first substrate (second determination step), and the second substrate is adsorbed (second adsorption step).

[0029] Figure 4 shows an example of the database stored by the memory unit 19 in this embodiment. In the example in Figure 4, the third information, which is information on the thickness, outer diameter, and material of the substrate, and the fourth information, which is information on the amount of warping of the substrate, are stored. Linked to the third and fourth information, the fifth information, which is information related to the suction state when the substrate is adsorbed, and the sixth information, which is information related to whether or not suction assistance is provided when the substrate is adsorbed, are also stored. In the example in Figure 4, six sets of substrate information are stored, but this substrate information is updated as appropriate each time the substrate is adsorbed and held, and the number of stored sets can be increased. The control unit 18 determines whether or not suction assistance is necessary based on the database shown in Figure 4.

[0030] In this embodiment, the control unit 18 and the storage unit 19 control the substrate holding device 2 and store information about it, but they may also control the exposure process performed within the substrate processing apparatus 1 and store information about the exposure process history. In other words, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the control unit (main control unit) that controls the entire substrate processing apparatus 1 also controls the substrate holding device 2, which is one of the multiple units that make up the substrate processing apparatus 1. Furthermore, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the storage unit (main storage unit) of the substrate processing apparatus 1 stores information related to the substrate holding device 2. In this embodiment, the control unit 18 also serves as a determination unit that determines whether or not assistance is needed for the suction of the substrate 15.

[0031] Figure 5 is a flowchart for determining whether or not adsorption assistance is required for the substrate in this embodiment. First, the control unit 18 determines whether or not the amount of warpage included in the second information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed is above a threshold (S10). Here, the threshold is set in advance by the user, and the user may set it based on experimental values, or if it is possible to derive the threshold from the design value, the user may set it based on the derived value. In step S10, if the amount of warpage is above the threshold, the control unit 18 performs adsorption assistance to adsorb the substrate 15 (S11) and terminates. If the amount of warpage is below the threshold, the storage unit 19 determines whether or not there is any substrate information among the substrate information stored that matches the first and second information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed (S12). If there is substrate information that matches the first and second information (third and fourth information) of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed, the control unit 18 determines whether or not adsorption assistance is required based on the substrate information that contains the matching information (S13) and terminates. If there is no substrate information containing information that matches the first and second information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed, it is determined whether or not there is substrate information containing information that matches the first information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed (S14). If there is substrate information containing information that matches the first information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed, the necessity of adsorption assistance is determined based on the substrate information containing the matching information (S15), and the process ends. If there is no substrate information containing information that matches the first information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed, the necessity of adsorption assistance is determined based on substrate information similar to the first information (S16). The method for identifying similar substrate information will be described later. In this way, the control unit 18 determines the necessity of adsorption assistance based on the first information and the second information.

[0032] Figures 6 and 7 are detailed flowcharts for determining whether or not suction assistance is needed for the substrate 15 in this embodiment, and provide a more detailed description of the flowchart shown in Figure 5. In Figure 6, the control unit 18 determines whether or not the amount of warping included in the second information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed is above a threshold (S110). Here, the threshold is set in advance by the user, and the user may set the threshold based on experimental values, or if the threshold can be derived by simulation from design values ​​such as the suction force when the substrate holding device 2 adsorbs the substrate 15, the derived threshold may be set. In step S110, if the amount of warping is above the threshold, the control unit 18 determines that suction assistance is necessary (it is necessary to push the warped part of the substrate 15 toward the holding unit 20), and proceeds to step S200.

[0033] In step S110, if the amount of warping is less than the threshold, the memory unit 19 determines whether or not there is any substrate information stored in the memory unit 19 that has third and fourth information whose numerical values ​​match the first and second information of the substrate 15 to be picked up this time (S120). If there is matching substrate information, it is determined whether or not the fifth information of the matching substrate information indicates that the holding of the substrate has been completed (S130).

[0034] If it is determined in step S130 that the fifth information indicates that the substrate has been held, then it means that the substrate 15 to be held this time has been held in the past, and the third and fourth information of the substrate information has the same numerical values ​​as the first and second information of the substrate 15 to be held this time. Therefore, it is clear that the substrate should be held using the same suction assistance conditions as the substrate that was held in the past. Here, holding under the same suction assistance conditions includes, for example, the case where the substrate 15 to be held this time is also held without suction assistance if the substrate was held in the past without suction assistance. Therefore, the substrate 15 is held and held by the holding unit 20 under the same conditions as the sixth information of the substrate information stored in the memory unit 19, where the first and second information of the substrate 15 to be held this time matches the third and fourth information (S140). Then, the control unit 18 determines whether or not the substrate 15 was held (S150).

[0035] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S130 that the fifth information does not indicate that the substrate has been held, it means that the third and fourth information, which match the first and second information of the substrate 15 to be held this time, has not been held in the past. Therefore, the control unit 18 controls the system to perform suction assistance to hold the substrate 15 (S200) and determines whether or not the substrate 15 has been held (S150).

[0036] If it is determined in step S150 that the substrate 15 could not be picked up, the control unit 18 determines whether or not to perform suction assistance to pick up the substrate 15 (S180). If the substrate 15 could not be picked up even after performing suction assistance, there is an abnormality in the substrate 15 or the substrate holding device 2, so the control unit 18 stores this as an error (S190) and terminates. If the control unit terminates after storing this as an error in step S190, the substrate 15 is discharged from the substrate processing device 1 automatically or manually without any substrate processing by the substrate processing device 1. Here, after storing the error in the storage unit 19, the control unit 18 may display the error information on a display unit (not shown) or the like, or sound an alarm to notify the user of the occurrence of the error. If the substrate 15 could not be picked up in step S180 without performing suction assistance, the control unit 18 controls the system to perform suction assistance to pick up the substrate 15 (S200).

[0037] If the substrate is successfully picked up in step S150, the control unit 18 determines whether the storage unit 19 has stored substrate information in which the first, second, fifth, and sixth pieces of information of the substrate 15 that was just picked up all match the third to sixth pieces of information (S160). If the storage unit 19 has stored the same information in step S160, it does not need to store the same information again, and the process ends without storing any new information. If the storage unit 19 does not have stored substrate information in which the first, second, fifth, and sixth pieces of information of the substrate 15 all match the third to sixth pieces of information, it adds the information of the substrate 15 that was just picked up to the information stored in the storage unit 19 and updates the database. Specifically, the storage unit 19 stores the first, second, fifth, and sixth pieces of information of the substrate 15 that was just picked up as a new set of third to sixth pieces of information (substrate information) (S170), and then terminates. If the substrate 15 is properly held in the holding unit 20 at the end of the process, the substrate 15 is subjected to substrate processing (for example, exposure processing).

[0038] In step S120, if there is no substrate information in the database stored in the storage unit 19 that includes third and fourth information that matches the first and second information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed, the storage unit 19 compares the substrate information it stores with the first information of the substrate 15. Specifically, it determines whether or not there is any substrate information among the multiple substrate information stored in the storage unit 19 whose third information matches the first information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed (S210).

[0039] If the memory unit 19 determines that there is substrate information in which the third information among the substrate information it stores matches the first information of the substrate 15 to be attached, it derives an evaluation value S. Specifically, the evaluation value S is derived based on the fourth information among the substrate information having the third information that matches the first information of the substrate 15 to be attached, and the second information of the substrate 15 to be attached (S270). The specific method for deriving the evaluation value S in step S270 will be described later. Then, the control unit 18 selects the substrate information A with the smallest evaluation value S (S280).

[0040] Next, the control unit 18 determines whether the fifth information of the substrate information A indicates that the substrate has been held (S290). If it is determined in step S290 that the substrate has been held, it means that the substrate was held when the substrate information A was stored, and it is clear that the substrate 15 should be picked up under the same suction assistance conditions as the substrate information A. Therefore, the substrate 15 is picked up and held by the holding unit 20 under the same conditions as the sixth information of the substrate information A (with or without suction assistance) (S300), and the process proceeds to step S150. If it is determined in step S290 that the fifth information of the substrate information A does not indicate that the substrate has been held, it means that all of the third to sixth information of the substrate information A has not been held for the relevant substrate in the past. Therefore, the control unit 18 determines that it is necessary to perform suction assistance to pick up the substrate 15, and the process proceeds to step S200.

[0041] In step S210, the control unit 18 may determine that no substrate information in the storage unit 19 has third information that matches the first information of the substrate 15 to be attached. In this case, the storage unit 19 selects two or more substrate information (hereinafter also referred to as "similar substrate information") from among the multiple substrate information stored in the storage unit 19 that have third information similar to the first information of the substrate 15 to be attached (S220).

[0042] Here, we will explain how to identify third information that is similar to first information. The user pre-selects items from among the items included in first information to determine similarity (for example, substrate thickness), and sets a threshold for evaluating the difference between first information and third information for the selected items. Then, the difference between first information and third information for the selected items is calculated, and if the calculated difference is greater than or equal to the threshold, first information and third information are considered not similar. If the calculated difference is less than the threshold, first information and third information are considered similar, and the substrate information containing this third information is selected as similar substrate information.

[0043] Furthermore, multiple items may be used to determine similarity. If multiple items are used, the third piece of information that has the most items where the difference between the first and third pieces of information is below the threshold will be considered similar to the first piece of information. Here, the number of items in which the difference between the first and third pieces of information is below the threshold for determining similarity is set in advance by the user. For example, if the first and third pieces of information have three pieces of information: substrate thickness, outer diameter, and material, the number of items to determine similarity is set to 2, and if there are two or more items in the first and third pieces of information where the difference between the first and third pieces of information is below the threshold, the third piece of information will be determined to be similar to the first piece of information.

[0044] As explained above, the smaller the difference between the first and third pieces of information for a specific item related to the ease of deformation of the substrate, the higher the similarity can be considered. Alternatively, the more items among several items related to the ease of deformation of the substrate where the difference between the first and third pieces of information is below a threshold, the higher the similarity can be considered. Similar substrate information can be selected by determining the similarity as described above.

[0045] Then, for each of the selected substrate information, an evaluation value S is derived based on the fourth information, which is weighted according to the third information, and the second information of the substrate 15 to be attached (S230). The specific weighting method and the method for deriving the evaluation value S will be described later. Next, the substrate information B with the smallest evaluation value S is selected from the selected substrate information (S240). The control unit 18 determines whether or not the fifth information of substrate information B indicates that the substrate has been held (S250).

[0046] In step S250, if it is determined that the fifth piece of information in the substrate information B indicates that the substrate has been held, then it means that the substrate was held when the substrate information B was stored, and it is clear that the substrate 15 should be picked up under the same suction assistance conditions as in the substrate information B. Therefore, the substrate 15 is picked up and held by the holding unit 20 under the same conditions as the sixth piece of information in the substrate information B (with or without suction assistance) (S260), and the process proceeds to step S150.

[0047] If, in step S250, it is determined that the fifth piece of information in board information B does not indicate that the board has been held, then all of the third to sixth pieces of information in board information B indicate that the board in question has not been held in the past. Therefore, the control unit 18 determines that it is necessary to perform suction assistance to hold the board 15 and proceeds to step S200.

[0048] Next, the method for deriving the evaluation value S in step S270 will be explained. In step S270, the evaluation value S is derived using the following formula (1) based on the fourth information of the substrate information stored in the memory unit 19, which has the same third information as the first information of the substrate 15 to be attached this time, and the second information of the substrate 15 to be attached this time. S = Σ|Hp - Hp'|···(1)

[0049] In equation (1), Hp is the distance between the substrate 15 and the laser displacement meter or interferometer at measurement position p, which is included in the second information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed.

[0050] Furthermore, Hp' is the distance between the substrate and the laser displacement meter or interferometer at measurement position p, which is included in the fourth information of the substrate information, which has the same information as the first information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed. The second and fourth information each contain data for multiple measurement positions p, and there are n measurement positions p, pi (i=1~n). Figure 8 shows an example of the arrangement of multiple measurement positions p for measuring the amount of warpage of the substrate in this embodiment. The multiple measurement positions p are arranged at predetermined intervals on a virtual circle with a diameter of 2r (radius r), as shown in Figure 8, and in the example of Figure 8, there are 8 measurement positions p. Equation (1) calculates the sum of the distance differences at each of the n positions. The evaluation value S obtained in equation (1) is the difference in distance at each measurement position p between the second information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed and the fourth information of the stored substrate information, regardless of the sign of the distance difference. Therefore, the difference in distance at each measurement position p in equation (1) is calculated using the absolute value.

[0051] The substrate information that yields the smallest evaluation value S based on equation (1) corresponds to the substrate information of the substrate that is most similar to the substrate 15 to be adsorbed. Therefore, in step S280, the substrate information A that yields the smallest evaluation value S is selected.

[0052] Next, we will explain how to weight the parameters of the fourth information according to the third information in step S230 and how to derive the evaluation value S. In step S230, the fourth information of substrate information, which has third information similar to the first information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed in the memory unit 19, is weighted. Then, based on the weighted fourth information and the second information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed, the evaluation value S is derived using the following equation (2). S = Σ|Hp - α × Hp'|···(2)

[0053] In equation (2), Hp is the distance between the substrate 15 and the laser displacement meter or interferometer at the measurement position p included in the second information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed, similar to equation (1). Hp' is the distance between the substrate and the laser displacement meter or interferometer at the measurement position p included in the fourth information of the substrate information, which has third information similar to the first information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed. α is a weighting coefficient determined by the third information (hereinafter referred to as the weighting coefficient). The value of α is determined in the range of 0 < α ≤ 1. The second and fourth information each contain data at multiple measurement positions p, and there are n measurement positions p, pi (i=1~n). The multiple measurement positions p are arranged, for example, as shown in Figure 8. Equation (2) calculates the sum of the distance differences at each of the n positions. The evaluation value S obtained in equation (2) is the difference in distance at each measurement position p between the second information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed and the fourth information of the stored substrate information, regardless of the sign of the distance difference. Therefore, the difference in distance at each measurement position p in equation (2) is calculated using the absolute value.

[0054] Here, we will explain how to determine the weighting coefficient α. The weighting coefficient α is determined by the similarity of the third information of the comparison target (substrate information similar to the first information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed) to the first information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed. The similarity is determined as described above, and the smaller the difference between the first information and the third information, the higher the similarity. For example, if the user selects the substrate thickness as the weighting criterion, the weighting coefficient α will be closer to 1 if the similarity between the first information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed and the third information of the comparison target is high, that is, the smaller the difference between the substrate thickness of the first information and the substrate thickness of the third information.

[0055] On the other hand, if the similarity between the first information of the substrate 15 to be adsorbed and the third information to be compared is low, the weighting coefficient α will be close to 0. One way to determine this weighting coefficient α is, for example, for the user to create a comparison table of similarity and weighting coefficient α for a specific item (e.g., substrate thickness), and then use the comparison table to determine the weighting coefficient α based on the similarity. Figure 9 shows an example of a comparison table of similarity and weighting coefficient α in this embodiment. The example in Figure 9 shows a comparison table of the difference T between the first information and the third information, which indicates the difference in thickness between substrates, the similarity, and the weighting coefficient α. However, the example of the comparison table is not limited to the example in Figure 9. For example, in the example in Figure 9, the difference T is classified by range, and the weighting coefficient α is determined by the similarity corresponding to the range of the difference T, but the difference T does not have to be classified by range, and a comparison table in which the similarity and weighting coefficient α are listed for each difference T may be used.

[0056] Furthermore, the weighting coefficient α can also be determined by considering the similarity of several parameters common to the first and second pieces of information. For example, when weighting based on the thickness, outer diameter, and material of the substrate, first determine the weighting coefficient a related to the thickness of the substrate, the weighting coefficient b related to the outer diameter, and the weighting coefficient c related to the material. Note that the weighting coefficients a, b, and c are determined in the same way as the method for determining the weighting coefficient α described above. Then, the weighting coefficient α is derived using equation (3). α = a × b × c ... (3)

[0057] Based on equations (2) and (3), the substrate information that yields the smallest evaluation value S is the substrate information of the substrate that is most similar to the substrate 15 to be adsorbed. Therefore, in step S240, the substrate information B that yields the smallest evaluation value S is selected.

[0058] According to this embodiment, the need for adsorption assistance can be determined based on information stored in the storage unit 19 without performing an operation to adsorb the substrate in order to determine whether adsorption assistance is necessary, thus shortening the time required to determine whether adsorption assistance is necessary. In addition, in this embodiment, the storage unit 19 updates the information stored in the storage unit 19 by newly storing substrate information (third to sixth information) of the substrate that has just undergone an adsorption operation. The third and fourth information are the first and second information of the substrate 15, respectively. As a result, the information that serves as the criterion for determining whether adsorption assistance is necessary can be updated as appropriate, enabling a more appropriate determination of whether adsorption assistance is necessary.

[0059] In this embodiment, the substrate 15 is held by reducing the pressure in the space between the substrate 15 and the holding part 20. However, the substrate holding device in this embodiment and the second embodiment described later may also be configured to hold the substrate 15 by electrical force. For example, it may be a device with a configuration similar to a holding device also called an electrostatic chuck.

[0060] <Second Embodiment> In this embodiment, in addition to the features of the first embodiment, it is characterized by determining whether or not to implement one or both of the adsorption assist that adjusts the suction force and the adsorption assist that adjusts the timing of suction (suction timing) for each of the exhaust ports 31 to 33.

[0061] The effectiveness of adjusting the suction force at each exhaust port will be explained. For example, suppose that in order to adsorb a convex-shaped substrate 15 as shown in Figure 10, suction is performed from all exhaust ports with the suction force (a) necessary to adsorb the convex portion. In this case, suction (a) will also be applied to the vacuum adsorption region 27, which is the non-curved part of the substrate 15. As mentioned above, the vacuum adsorption regions 25 to 27 are filled with numerous small protrusions to support the substrate 15 during adsorption, and if excessive suction force is applied, the substrate 15 will be pressed against these numerous small protrusions, reducing the flatness of the substrate 15. In other words, in order to hold a curved substrate 15 in the holding part 20 while maintaining its flatness, it is necessary to adjust the suction force of each exhaust port according to the position and amount of curvature of the substrate 15.

[0062] Figure 10 shows an example of adjusting the suction force and suction timing of the exhaust ports 31-33 in this embodiment. For example, when a laser displacement meter or interferometer is positioned below the substrate 15, if the distance between the laser displacement meter or interferometer and the substrate 15 is shorter than that of a non-warped substrate, it indicates that the substrate 15 is warped in a convex shape. Figure 10 shows an example of the holding part 20 adsorbing and holding such a convexly warped substrate 15. When adsorbing and holding a convexly warped substrate 15 by adjusting the suction force, it is necessary to set the suction force (a) in the vacuum adsorption region 25, which corresponds to the warped position of the substrate 15, to be the strongest. It is preferable that the suction force (c) in the vacuum adsorption region 27, which corresponds to a relatively non-warped position of the substrate 15, is weaker than the suction force (a). Therefore, if the suction forces drawing gas from exhaust ports 31 to 33 are denoted as suction force (a), suction force (b), and suction force (c), respectively, the control unit 18 adjusts the suction forces so that suction force (a) > suction force (b) > suction force (c). The strength of the suction force at each exhaust port is set according to the amount of warping of the substrate 15, which is determined from the difference between the distance between the laser displacement meter or interferometer and the substrate 15 and a reference distance. By adjusting the suction force according to the warping position and amount of the substrate 15 in this way, the holding unit 20 can hold the substrate 15 even when the substrate 15 is warped.

[0063] Next, we will explain the effectiveness of adjusting the suction timing at each exhaust port. For example, suppose suction is performed simultaneously from each exhaust port to adsorb a convex-shaped substrate 15 as shown in Figure 10. In this case, the vacuum adsorption region 27, which is the uncurved part of the substrate 15, completes the adsorption of the substrate 15 earlier than the vacuum adsorption regions 25 and 26. If suction is performed from each exhaust port until the adsorption of the convex part of the substrate 15 is completed, the substrate 15 will be pressed against these numerous small protrusions in the vacuum adsorption regions 25-27, as mentioned above, if suction is performed for an excessive amount of time. This reduces the flatness of the substrate 15. In other words, in order to hold the curved substrate 15 in the holding unit 20 while maintaining its flatness, it is necessary to adjust the suction timing (suction time) of each exhaust port according to the position and amount of curvature of the substrate 15.

[0064] In the example shown in Figure 10, when adsorbing and holding a substrate 15 that is curved in a convex shape by adjusting the suction timing, it is necessary to set the suction timing in the vacuum adsorption region 25, which corresponds to the curved position of the substrate 15, to be the earliest. It is also preferable to set the suction timing in the vacuum adsorption region 27, which corresponds to the relatively uncurved position of the substrate 15, to be the latest. Therefore, the control unit 18 adjusts the suction timing so that suction starts in the order of exhaust port 31 (vacuum adsorption region 25), exhaust port 32 (vacuum adsorption region 26), and exhaust port 33 (vacuum adsorption region 27) when drawing gas from exhaust ports 31 to 33. The suction timing for each exhaust port is set according to the amount of curvature of the substrate 15, which is determined from the difference between the distance between the laser displacement meter or interferometer and the substrate 15 and a reference distance. By adjusting the suction timing according to the curved position and amount of curvature of the substrate 15 in this way, the holding unit 20 can hold the substrate 15 even when the substrate 15 is curved.

[0065] If, as an adsorption aid, adjustment of the suction force and / or suction timing for each exhaust port 31-33 is employed when drawing gas through each exhaust port, then this information must also be included in the substrate information. Specifically, the sixth piece of information, which includes information related to whether or not adsorption aid is used when the substrate is adsorbed, should also include information related to the suction force and suction timing of each exhaust port 31-33 during the adsorption operation on the substrate.

[0066] Furthermore, the suction assistance (method) may involve any one of the following: pressing the curved portion with the pressing part 60, adjusting the suction force of each of the exhaust ports 31 to 33, and adjusting the suction timing of each of the exhaust ports 31 to 33, or a combination of all of these may be performed.

[0067] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the process for determining the adsorption assistance method in this embodiment. When the control unit 18 decides to perform adsorption assistance, it determines whether or not the adsorption assistance method has already been determined (S410).

[0068] The case where the adsorption assistance method has already been determined is when, in steps S140, S260, and S300 shown in Figures 6 and 7, the control unit 18 decides to adsorb the substrate 15 under the same conditions as the sixth information stored in the storage unit 19. If the adsorption assistance method has already been determined, there is no need to determine the adsorption assistance method, so the process ends.

[0069] If the suction assistance method has not been determined, that is, if the fifth information determines that the holding of the substrate has not been completed, the control unit 18 determines whether or not to press with the pressing unit 60 (S420). If pressing with the pressing unit 60 is performed, the control unit 18 determines whether or not it is possible to suction and hold the substrate 15 to the holding unit 20 by pressing with the pressing unit 60 alone (S430). Here, the determination in step S430 is made based on the amount of warping, and for example, if the amount of warping is greater than or equal to threshold A, it is determined that it is impossible to suction and hold the substrate 15 to the holding unit 20 by pressing alone. If it is determined that it is possible to suction and hold the substrate 15 to the holding unit 20 by pressing with the pressing unit 60 alone, the suction assistance method is determined to be pressing with the pressing unit 60 (S470), and the process ends.

[0070] If it is determined that it is impossible to attract and hold the substrate 15 to the holding part 20 by pressing with the pressing part 60 alone, it is determined whether or not to adjust the suction force for drawing gas from the exhaust ports 31-33 (S440). If the suction force for drawing gas from the exhaust ports 31-33 is adjusted, the control unit 18 determines whether or not it is possible to attract and hold the substrate 15 to the holding part 20 by adjusting the pressing and suction force (auxiliary method A) or by adjusting the suction force (auxiliary method B) alone (S450). Here, the determination in step S450 is made based on the amount of warping. For example, if the amount of warping is greater than or equal to threshold B, it is determined that it is impossible to attract and hold the substrate 15 to the holding part 20 by adjusting the pressing and suction force (auxiliary method A) alone. Also, for example, if the amount of warping is greater than or equal to threshold C, it is determined that it is impossible to attract and hold the substrate 15 to the holding part 20 by adjusting the suction force (auxiliary method B) alone.

[0071] If it is determined that the substrate 15 can be adsorbed and held by the holding part 20 by adjusting the pressing force and suction force by the pressing part 60, or by adjusting the suction force alone, the adsorption assistance method is determined to be either assistance method A or assistance method B (S470), and the process ends. If it is determined in step S450 that it is impossible to adsorb and hold the substrate 15 by the holding part 20, it is determined whether or not to adjust the suction timing for drawing gas from the exhaust ports 31-33 (S460), the adsorption assistance method is determined (S470), and the process ends.

[0072] The control unit 18 determines the adsorption assistance method based on the substrate information stored in the memory unit 19, as determined by the above-described judgment. If the substrate is hard and has a large amount of warping, three types of adsorption assistance are performed: pressing on the warped portion, adjusting the adsorption force of each exhaust port, and adjusting the adsorption timing of each exhaust port. On the other hand, if the substrate is soft and has a small amount of warping, only the adsorption timing of each exhaust port is adjusted as adsorption assistance.

[0073] As an alternative means for determining the adsorption assistance method in this embodiment, the user may pre-determine thresholds for the first and second pieces of information, and determine the adsorption assistance method by comparing each threshold with the corresponding information. For example, the user may pre-determine a first threshold for the amount of warping and a second threshold for the thickness of the substrate 15. If the amount of warping of the substrate 15 is greater than or equal to the first threshold and the thickness of the substrate 15 is greater than or equal to the second threshold, three adsorption assistance methods are performed in combination: pressing on the warped portion, adjusting the adsorption force of each exhaust port, and adjusting the adsorption timing of each exhaust port. If the amount of warping of the substrate 15 is greater than or equal to the first threshold and the thickness of the substrate 15 is less than the second threshold, two adsorption assistance methods are performed in combination: pressing on the warped portion and adjusting the adsorption force of each exhaust port. If the amount of warping of the substrate 15 is less than the first threshold and the thickness of the substrate 15 is greater than or equal to the second threshold, two adsorption assistance methods are performed in combination: adjusting the adsorption force of each exhaust port and adjusting the adsorption timing of each exhaust port. If the amount of warping of the substrate 15 is less than the first threshold and the thickness of the substrate 15 is less than the second threshold, the only adsorption assistance method performed is adjusting the adsorption timing of each exhaust port.

[0074] <Third Embodiment> This embodiment is characterized by manufacturing an article using the substrate holding device described in the first and second embodiments.

[0075] Figure 12 is a flowchart of the method for manufacturing an article in this embodiment. The method involves determining whether suction assistance is needed when holding the substrate 15 using the substrate holding device described in the first and second embodiments, and then performing a holding step S510 in which the substrate 15 is held in the holding unit 20 based on the determination result. Next, a forming step S520 is performed to form a pattern on the substrate held in the holding step, and then a manufacturing step S530 is performed to manufacture an article from the substrate on which the pattern was formed in the forming step.

[0076] The products manufactured using this method include, for example, semiconductor IC elements, liquid crystal display elements, color filters, MEMS, etc. Furthermore, steps S510 and S520, and a portion of step S530, constitute the pre-processing steps in this manufacturing method.

[0077] The formation process involves, for example, exposing a substrate (silicon wafer, glass plate, etc.) coated with a photosensitive material onto a pattern material using an exposure device (lithography device) to form a latent image pattern on the photosensitive material of the substrate.

[0078] The manufacturing process includes, for example, a pre-processing step including developing a substrate (photosensitive material) on which a latent image pattern has been formed, etching the pattern material of the developed substrate, and removing the resist, as well as a post-processing step including dicing, bonding, and packaging. This manufacturing method allows for the production of articles in a way that is more productive per unit time than conventional methods.

Claims

1. It has a holding part that adsorbs and holds the substrate, In a substrate holding device capable of pushing the substrate on the holding portion toward the holding portion and adsorbing the substrate, A determination unit that determines whether to push the substrate toward the holding part based on first information including information relating to the ease with which the substrate can be deformed and second information including information relating to the amount of warping of the substrate, It has a storage unit that stores third information including information related to the deformability of other substrates, fourth information including information related to the amount of warping of the other substrates, fifth information including information related to the adsorption state of the other substrates, and sixth information including information related to whether or not the other substrates were pushed toward the holding part. The information relating to the ease with which the substrate can be deformed includes at least one of the thickness of the substrate, the outer diameter of the substrate, and the material of the substrate. A substrate holding device characterized in that the determination unit decides to push the substrate toward the holding unit based on the first information, the second information, the third information, the fourth information, the fifth information, and the sixth information.

2. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination unit determines whether or not to push the substrate toward the holding unit based on the first information and the second information.

3. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the amount of warping is greater than or equal to a threshold, the substrate is pushed toward the holding part without making a determination by the determination part.

4. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the amount of warpage is obtained based on the distance to the substrate measured by a laser displacement meter or interferometer.

5. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, characterized in that one or both of the first information and the third information and the second information and the fourth information are notified by wired or wireless means from a device separate from the substrate holding device, a storage device separate from the storage device of the substrate holding device, or a host system.

6. The holding portion has a plurality of exhaust ports for adsorption, The substrate holding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination unit determines to press the substrate and also determines to adjust the suction force when drawing in gas through each of the plurality of exhaust ports.

7. The holding portion has a plurality of exhaust ports for adsorption, The substrate holding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination unit determines to press the substrate and also determines the timing of drawing in gas through each of the plurality of exhaust ports.

8. The holding portion has a plurality of exhaust ports for adsorption, The substrate holding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the information relating to the adsorption state in the fifth information includes information on the measured value of a pressure sensor arranged in the gas flow path from each of the plurality of exhaust ports when the substrate is adsorbed to the holding part, or information on whether or not the adsorption of the substrate has been completed according to the information on the measured value of the pressure sensor.

9. In a substrate holding method in which a substrate is held by a holding part, A first determination step of determining whether or not to perform adsorption assistance when adsorbing the first substrate, based on first information including information relating to at least one of the thickness of the first substrate, the outer diameter of the first substrate, and the material of the first substrate, and second information including information relating to the amount of warpage of the first substrate, Based on the determination result of the first determination step, a first adsorption step is performed in which the first substrate is adsorbed by the holding part with or without the adsorption assistance, A second determination step for determining whether or not to perform adsorption assistance when adsorbing the second substrate, based on first information including information relating to at least one of the thickness of the second substrate different from the first substrate, the outer diameter of the second substrate, and the material of the second substrate; second information including information relating to the amount of warpage of the second substrate; third information including information relating to the adsorption state when the first substrate is adsorbed with the first and second information of the first substrate; and fourth information including information relating to whether or not adsorption assistance is performed when the first substrate is adsorbed. Based on the determination result of the second determination step, a second adsorption step is performed in which the holding part adsorbs the second substrate with or without the adsorption assistance, It has, A set of multiple pieces of information, including the first information of the first substrate, the second information of the first substrate, the third information of the first substrate, and the fourth information of the first substrate, is stored in the storage unit as the substrate information of the first substrate. A substrate holding method characterized by selecting the substrate information of the first substrate from among a plurality of substrate information stored in the storage unit as substrate information that includes information matching the first information and the second information of the second substrate, or substrate information that includes information matching the first information of the second substrate, or substrate information that includes information similar to the first information of the second substrate, and performing the second determination step using the substrate information of the first substrate.

10. A set of multiple pieces of information, including the first information of the first substrate, the second information of the first substrate, the third information of the first substrate, and the fourth information of the first substrate, is stored in the storage unit as the substrate information of the first substrate. The substrate holding method according to claim 9, characterized in that a set of multiple pieces of information, including first information of the second substrate, second information of the second substrate, third information including information relating to the adsorption state when the second substrate is adsorbed, and fourth information including information relating to whether or not adsorption assistance is provided when the second substrate is adsorbed, is stored in the storage unit as substrate information of the second substrate.

11. The substrate holding method according to claim 9, characterized in that the adsorption assistance includes at least one of the following: pushing the first substrate or the second substrate on the holding portion toward the holding portion; adjusting the suction force of each of the plurality of exhaust ports arranged in the holding portion for adsorbing the substrate; and adjusting the timing for starting suction from each of the plurality of exhaust ports.

12. A lithography apparatus for forming patterns on a substrate, A substrate holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, An optical system for irradiating light onto the substrate held by the substrate holding device, A lithography apparatus characterized by having [a certain feature].

13. The lithography apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that it has a pressing portion for pressing the substrate.

14. A holding step of using a substrate holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to determine whether or not suction assistance is necessary when holding the substrate, and holding the substrate in the holding part with or without suction assistance based on the determination result, A forming step of forming a pattern on the substrate held in the holding step, A manufacturing process for manufacturing an article from the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the forming step, A method for manufacturing an article, characterized by having the following:

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