Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention includes a camera 61, which captures images of a plurality of object parts disposed within the processing unit from an obliquely above the liquid processing chamber 41. The camera 61 includes a body 62, a lens unit 64, and an adapter 63 that allows the lens unit 64 to be mounted on the body 62 at an adjustable tilt angle. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit that obtains a tilt angle from a memory unit corresponding to the height position of the object parts determined according to the process of processing the substrate W, and sets the adapter 63 of the camera 61 to the obtained tilt angle, so that the camera 61 simultaneously captures images of a plurality of object parts located at the same height position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for performing specified processing on various substrates such as semiconductor substrates, FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrates, photomask glass substrates, and optical disc substrates for liquid crystal displays or organic EL (Electroluminescence) display devices. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Previously, such devices included those that placed a camera above a fixture supporting the substrate during substrate processing. The camera in Patent Document 1 is capable of performing translational movements to change the field of view horizontally, tilting movements to change the field of view vertically, and focusing movements to magnify the field of view. If such a camera is used, the field of view can be freely changed, thus facilitating monitoring of whether the substrate processing is proceeding smoothly.

[0003] [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-127237 [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the previous configuration, it was necessary to take pictures when the camera was not fully focused. As in reference 1, if the intention is to photograph multiple subjects located at an angle relative to the camera, it is difficult to focus on all subjects. This is because the distances between the multiple subjects and the camera are not the same. Therefore, according to the previous configuration, the progress of substrate processing is monitored based on partially blurred images. In such a method, it is not possible to adequately monitor the substrate processing.

[0005] The present invention was made in view of such circumstances, and its object is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method based on a camera capable of simultaneously focusing on multiple subjects, a substrate processing apparatus capable of monitoring the progress of substrate processing.

[0006] [Technical Means for Solving the Problem] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention adopts the following configuration. That is, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention performs a prescribed processing on a substrate, characterized in that it includes: a processing unit that holds the substrate in a horizontal position and performs the prescribed processing; a camera that takes pictures of a monitoring object, i.e., a plurality of object parts, disposed in the processing unit from an obliquely above the aforementioned processing unit, and includes: a camera body, a lens, and an adapter for mounting the aforementioned lens to the aforementioned camera body with a changeable tilt angle; a memory unit that presets and memorizes the tilt angle of the aforementioned camera according to the height position of the aforementioned object parts; and a control unit that obtains from the aforementioned memory unit the tilt angle corresponding to the height position of the aforementioned object parts determined according to the process of processing the substrate, sets the adapter of the aforementioned camera to the aforementioned obtained tilt angle, so that the aforementioned camera simultaneously takes pictures of a plurality of object parts located at the same height position.

[0007] [Function, Effect] The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes a camera that captures images of a plurality of object parts disposed within the processing unit from an obliquely above the processing unit. The camera includes a camera body, a lens, and an adapter for mounting the lens to the camera body at an adjustable tilt angle. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes a control unit that acquires a tilt angle corresponding to the height position of the object parts determined according to the substrate processing process from a memory unit, and sets the camera adapter to the acquired tilt angle, causing the camera to simultaneously capture images of a plurality of object parts located at the same height position. According to the present invention, a plurality of object parts located at a predetermined height position can be captured simultaneously.

[0008] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the processing unit includes: a clamping mechanism located on a predetermined horizontal plane; and a nozzle located above the clamping mechanism, which supplies liquid to the upper surface of the substrate held by the clamping mechanism; and the control unit controls the adapter to switch between a first state of focusing on the predetermined horizontal plane and a second state of focusing on the front end of the nozzle.

[0009] [Function, Effect] According to the above configuration, the processing unit includes: a clamping mechanism located at a predetermined horizontal plane; and a nozzle located above the clamping mechanism, which supplies liquid to the upper surface of the substrate held by the clamping mechanism; and a control unit controls an adapter to switch between a first state of focusing on the predetermined horizontal plane and a second state of focusing on the front end of the nozzle. With this configuration, the state can be switched between the first state of focusing on the clamping mechanism and the second state of focusing on the front end of the nozzle, thus allowing the state to be switched according to the photographic purpose.

[0010] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the processing unit includes: a nozzle rotation mechanism, which enables the front end of the nozzle to move in an upper horizontal plane located above the aforementioned predetermined horizontal plane before the liquid is ejected; and in the aforementioned second state, the focus of the aforementioned camera is focused with the aforementioned upper horizontal plane.

[0011] [Function, Effect] According to the above configuration, the processing unit includes a nozzle rotation mechanism that enables the front end of the nozzle that ejects liquid to move in an upper horizontal plane located above a predetermined horizontal plane; and in the aforementioned second state, the focus of the camera is focused on the upper horizontal plane. With such a configuration, the front end of the nozzle that moves by the nozzle rotation mechanism can be photographed in the focused state, thus allowing reliable monitoring of the front end of the nozzle.

[0012] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus, it is preferred to include: a cup, which is configured as a clamping mechanism that covers and holds the substrate from the surroundings; and a lifting and moving mechanism that enables the front end of the aforementioned cup to move up and down relative to a predetermined horizontal plane; and the aforementioned control unit controls the aforementioned adapter to generate a third state in which the front end of the aforementioned cup, located above the predetermined horizontal plane, is focused.

[0013] [Function, Effect] According to the above configuration, it includes: a cup, which is configured as a clamping mechanism that covers and holds the substrate from the surrounding area; and a lifting and moving mechanism that can move the front end of the cup up and down relative to a predetermined horizontal plane; and a control unit controls the adapter to generate a third state of focusing on the front end of the cup located above the predetermined horizontal plane. With such a configuration, the front end of the cup located above the predetermined horizontal plane can be accurately monitored without being affected by defocusing.

[0014] Furthermore, the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus preferably includes: an image processing unit that performs prescribed image processing on the image captured by the aforementioned camera; and an anomaly detection unit that detects anomalies in the photographed object based on the action of the aforementioned image processing unit.

[0015] [Function, Effect] According to the above configuration, it includes: an image processing unit that performs prescribed image processing on an image captured by a camera; and an anomaly detection unit that detects anomalies in the photographed object based on the action of the image processing unit. The present invention can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus equipped with an anomaly detection unit.

[0016] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the substrate supported by the aforementioned clamping mechanism is located on a predetermined horizontal plane.

[0017] [Function, Effect] According to the above configuration, the substrate supported by the clamping mechanism is located on a specified horizontal plane. In this way, the substrate supported by the clamping mechanism can be photographed without being affected by defocus, and the appearance of the substrate can be accurately monitored.

[0018] Furthermore, in the aforementioned substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the aforementioned camera simultaneously captures images of a plurality of object parts using the Scheimpflug principle.

[0019] [Function, Effect] Based on the above configuration, the camera simultaneously photographs multiple object parts using the Scheimpflug principle. If configured in this way, the camera can reliably photograph multiple object parts without losing focus.

[0020] Furthermore, this specification also discloses the following substrate processing method. A substrate processing method is performed by a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing unit that holds the substrate in a horizontal position and performs a predetermined processing; a camera that takes pictures of a monitored object, i.e., a plurality of object parts, disposed within the processing unit from an obliquely above the processing unit, and comprising: a camera body, a lens, and an adapter for mounting the lens to the camera body with a changeable tilt angle; and a memory unit that presets and memorizes the tilt angle of the camera according to the height position of the object parts; and the substrate processing method is characterized by comprising: a first step in which the camera takes pictures of a first object part located at a predetermined height; and a second step in which the tilt angle is changed so that the camera takes pictures of a second object part located at a different height from the predetermined height.

[0021] [Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus is provided that can monitor the correct substrate processing without being affected by defocusing.

Implementation Method

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are described using a substrate processing apparatus for removing the natural oxide film on the surface of a substrate. However, since the present invention has features in the chemical processing chamber, the present invention can be implemented as long as it is a substrate processing apparatus capable of mounting the chemical solution.

[0024] [Example] <1. Overall Structure> Figure 1 is a top view showing the overall structure of the substrate processing apparatus of this example. The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this example has a carrier block 3 and a processing block 4. The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a block housing 1A for housing each block. The block housing 1A is generally rectangular in shape when viewed from above. A loading port 11 is provided on the wall of one end of the block housing 1A.

[0025] In this example, for convenience, the direction in which the carrier block 3 and the processing block 4 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 are arranged is called the front-back direction (X direction). This X direction extends horizontally. The direction of the substrate processing apparatus 1 from the processing block 4 toward the carrier block 3 is called the front. The direction opposite to the front is called the rear. The horizontal direction orthogonal to the X direction is called the left-right direction (Y direction). The Y direction is also the direction in which the plurality of loading ports 11 are arranged. One side of the Y direction is conveniently called the right side, and the opposite direction of the right side is called the left side. The height direction (Z direction) is orthogonal to either the X direction or the Y direction and is consistent with the vertical direction. In each figure, front, rear, right, left, up, and down are appropriately shown for reference.

[0026] <2. Transfer Unit Block> As shown in Figure 1, the transfer unit block 3 has a loading port 11, which is the entrance for inserting a plurality of substrates W into the block by placing a carrier C, which is horizontally positioned with a predetermined interval along the Z direction. The loading port 11 can hold the carrier C.

[0027] A plurality of substrates W are stacked on a carrier C (e.g., 25). The carrier C containing the unprocessed substrates W, which is being moved into the substrate processing apparatus 1, is first placed on the loading port 11.

[0028] A transfer robot IR is configured on the transfer block 3, capable of sequentially transporting horizontally oriented substrates W one at a time. The transfer robot IR can enter and exit any of the four loading ports 11 along the path 34 located at the boundary between the transfer block 3 and the processing block 4 shown in FIG. 1, and perform substrate transfer between the path 34 and the carrier C located at the loading port 11. The transfer of substrates W by the transfer robot IR is achieved by the hand 50.

[0029] <3. Processing Block> Processing block 4 is mainly configured to remove the natural oxide film grown on the surface of substrate W. Processing block 4 has: a second row CL2 located after path 34, a first row CL1 located to the left of the second row CL2, and a third row CL3 located to the right of the second row CL2. Therefore, the second row CL2 is located between the first row CL1 and the third row CL3 from the left and right.

[0030] In the first row CL1, a liquid treatment chamber 41, comprising a mechanical clamp 8 capable of rotatably supporting the substrate W and a nozzle 10 supplying liquid to the substrate W, is arranged along the X direction. The liquid treatment chamber 41 is constructed by housing the mechanical clamp 8 and the nozzle 10 within a cuboid-shaped housing 42. The arrangement of two liquid treatment chambers 41 arranged front to back is illustrated in the first row CL1 of Figure 1. The first row CL1 also includes a laminated body formed by stacking the liquid treatment chambers 41. The laminated body is constructed by stacking two or more layers of the liquid treatment chambers 41. The specific structure of the liquid treatment chamber 41 will be described later.

[0031] The second row CL2 is a passage for the central robot CR to move back and forth for transporting the horizontally oriented substrate W. In addition to the path 34 mentioned above, the central robot CR can also enter and exit either the liquid treatment chamber 41 in the first row CL1 or the liquid treatment chamber 41 in the third row CL3 described later.

[0032] The central robot CR can move freely forward and backward in the X direction and rise and fall freely in the Z direction, so as to transport the substrate W to various positions that can be entered and exited. Moreover, the central robot CR can hold the substrate W with its hand 46 facing forward, left or right.

[0033] The third row CL3 has the same configuration as the first row CL1. In the third row CL3, two drug processing chambers 41 are arranged along the X direction. In the third row CL3, there is a laminated body formed by stacking the drug processing chambers 41. The laminated body is formed by stacking two or more layers of drug processing chambers 41.

[0034] <4. Liquid Processing Chamber> FIG2 illustrates the configuration of the liquid processing chamber 41 of the present invention. The liquid processing chamber 41 corresponds to the processing unit of the present invention. The liquid processing chamber 41 is used to hold the substrate W in a horizontal position and perform prescribed processing. As shown in FIG2, the liquid processing chamber 41 of this example has: a shell 42, which forms an outer shape; a cylindrical cup 53, which covers the mechanical clamp 8 and nozzle 10 housed inside the shell 42, and extends in the vertical direction Z. The cup 53 can be moved up and down by a cup lifting mechanism 54, and can be moved away from the mechanical clamp 8 when the substrate is transported by the central robot CR. The cup 53 is configured to cover and hold the substrate W from the surrounding area, as described later. The cup lifting mechanism 54 can move the front end of the cup 53 up and down relative to the horizontal plane P of the clamp pin where the clamp pin 84 is located.

[0035] The shell 42 is a box-shaped enclosure outside the specified liquid treatment chamber 41, and is designed as a cuboid with a bottom plate 43, a side plate 44 and a top plate 45.

[0036] The mechanical clamp 8 includes: a rotatable disc-shaped spin base 81, a rotation shaft 82 for rotating the spin base 81, and a motor 83 for driving the rotation shaft 82. The spin base 81 is configured to rotate together with a base plate W which is held in a horizontal position by the mechanical clamp 8.

[0037] Clamping pins 84 are provided on the periphery of the spin base 81 and can help hold the substrate W. For example, six clamping pins 84 are provided on the upper surface of the spin base 81, and are components that directly contact the substrate W held by the spin base 81. The clamping pins 84 can be opened and closed as described later. When the clamping pins 84 are in the closed state, the substrate W is locked by the clamping pins 84. When the clamping pins 84 are in the open state, the substrate W is released from locking. The clamping pins 84 are configured to hold the substrate W in a horizontal position with a gap between it and the spin base 81 when closed.

[0038] When the substrate W is rotated by the spin base 81, the clamp opening and closing mechanism 85 described later needs to pre-set the clamp pins 84 to the closed state. By simultaneously driving the six clamp pins 84, the clamp opening and closing mechanism 85 can switch between a closed state in which all six clamp pins 84 press the end of the substrate W and an open state in which all six clamp pins 84 release their pressure on the substrate W.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle 10 includes: a front end 101 extending in the vertical direction Z; and an L-shaped liquid supply tube 102 supplying liquid to the front end 101 and causing the front end 101 to rotate relative to the substrate W. The base of the liquid supply tube 102 is supported by a rotation mechanism 103 that causes the liquid supply tube 102 to rotate relative to the housing 42. The rotation mechanism 103 corresponds to the nozzle rotation mechanism of the present invention. The rotation mechanism 103 enables the front end of the nozzle 10 that ejects liquid to move within a nozzle horizontal plane R located above the horizontal plane P of the clamping pin where the clamping pin 84 is located.

[0040] The liquid supply control unit 104 is configured to control the amount of liquid supplied to the liquid supply pipe 102 and to control whether the liquid is sprayed out from the front end 101. The liquid supply control unit 104 can control, for example, hydrofluoric acid (hydrogen fluoride aqueous solution) or pure water for rinsing. In this example, the liquid processing chamber 41 can be configured as a plurality of nozzles 10, which vary depending on the type of liquid. The nozzles 10 are configured to supply liquid to the surface (upper surface) of the substrate W, which is rotated integrally with the spin base 81 in a horizontal position.

[0041] Thus, the nozzle 10 is configured to supply liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the clamp pin 84 and is located above the clamp pin 84.

[0042] <5. Camera> A camera 61, including a shooting clamp pin 84, is installed inside the liquid treatment chamber 41. The camera 61 is attached to the side plate 44 and positioned to avoid being directly above the mechanical clamp 8. The camera 61 is used to take pictures of the monitored objects, i.e., multiple object parts, installed inside the liquid treatment chamber 41 from an obliquely above the liquid treatment chamber 41.

[0043] The configuration of camera 61 will be described. Camera 61 includes: a body 62, which has a photosensitive plate made of CCD (Charge Coupled Device); and a lens unit 64, which has a single lens for passing light, forming an optical system. The body 62 corresponds to the camera body of the present invention. The lens unit 64 corresponds to the lens of the present invention. The body 62 is attached to the side plate 44 in a manner parallel to the photosensitive plate and the side plate 44. The lens unit 64 extends obliquely downward from the body 62. Therefore, the field of view of camera 61 is set obliquely downward from the body 62.

[0044] The adapter 63 is configured to optically connect the body 62 and the lens unit 64, and is located between the body 62 and the lens unit 64. The adapter 63 is an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the orientation (tilt angle) of the lens unit 64 relative to the body 62, but this point will be described later.

[0045] The camera 61 includes: a main body 62, a lens unit 64, and an adapter 63 that can mount the lens unit 64 to the main body 62 at an adjustable tilt angle.

[0046] The image processing unit 66 performs prescribed processing on the image output by the camera 61. Image processing performed by the image processing unit 66 includes, for example, image contrast adjustment. The anomaly detection unit 67 analyzes the image processed by the image processing unit 66 to determine whether the object monitored by the camera 61 has any abnormalities. The output of the anomaly detection unit 67 is input to the control unit 131, which will be described later. When the anomaly detection unit 67 determines that there is an anomaly in the liquid treatment chamber 41, the control unit 131 may take measures such as stopping processing. The image processing unit 66 performs prescribed image processing on the image captured by the camera 61. The anomaly detection unit 67 detects anomalies in the subject (object part) based on the actions of the image processing unit 66.

[0047] The camera 61 in this example is capable of video recording. Each frame that constitutes the video captured by the camera 61 is a configuration in which the image output by the camera 61 is input into the image processing unit 66.

[0048] The camera 61 in this example is capable of photography based on the Scheimpflug principle. That is, the camera 61 in this example differs from typical cameras where the light-receiving surface and the imaging surface are parallel. The camera 61 in this example can set a plane orthogonal to the light-receiving surface (photosensitive plate) as the imaging surface. Since the light-receiving surface is parallel to the side plate 44, the imaging surface can be set to a horizontal plane. The camera 61 can take pictures of subjects located on the imaging surface without losing focus.

[0049] Thus, the camera 61 can set the horizontal plane as the imaging plane, but the height of the horizontal plane in focus can also be further changed. A reference axis D orthogonal to either the vertical direction Z or the optical axis of the lens unit 64 can be set relative to the adapter 63, and the lens unit 64 rotates around the reference axis D. That is, the tilt angle of the lens unit 64 relative to the body 62 can be changed. The adapter 63 has an adjustment mechanism for changing this tilt angle. The tilt angle control unit 65 controls the adjustment mechanism of the adapter 63 to change the configuration of the tilt angle.

[0050] For the camera 61, the horizontal plane of focus changes vertically depending on the tilt angle. Therefore, the tilt angle control unit 65 can control the adapter 63 according to the position of the subject in the vertical direction Z, and appropriately adjust the tilt angle of the lens unit 64. The horizontal plane of focus is preset, and the camera 61 can switch it to take pictures.

[0051] Figure 3 illustrates the clamp pin horizontal plane P. The clamp pin horizontal plane P corresponds to the specified horizontal plane of this invention. The clamp pin horizontal plane P is one of the focusing horizontal planes for the camera 61. The front end of the clamp pin 84 is located on the clamp pin horizontal plane P. The clamp pin 84 corresponds to the clamping mechanism of this invention. Therefore, if the focus of the camera 61 is in focus with the clamp pin horizontal plane P, the six clamp pins 84 attached to the spin base 81 can be photographed simultaneously without loss of focus. In addition, the front end of the cup 53 before the upward movement is located on the clamp pin horizontal plane P. Therefore, the camera 61 can also photograph the front end of the cup 53 together with the clamp pins 84 without loss of focus.

[0052] At this time, the field of view of the camera 61 is set to include the entire front end of the cup 53, as shown in Figure 3. In this way, the entire clamp pin 84 located inside the cup 53 is included in the field of view.

[0053] Figure 4 shows the mechanical clamp 8 holding the substrate W. At this time, the clamp pin 84 is in the closed state, which allows the spin base 81 holding the substrate W to rotate. The substrate W, held in a horizontal position by the clamp pin 84, is located at the horizontal plane P of the clamp pin. Therefore, the camera 61 can also capture images of the upper surface of the substrate W together with the clamp pin 84 without losing focus.

[0054] At this time, the field of view of the camera 61 is set to capture the entire front end of the cup 53, as shown in Figure 4. In this way, the entire substrate W located inside the cup 53 is captured in the field of view.

[0055] Figure 5 illustrates the state of the front end of the cup 53 after the upward movement is completed, as captured by the camera 61. At this time, the entire front end of the cup 53 is located on the cup horizontal plane Q. The cup horizontal plane Q is set as one of the horizontal planes in which the camera 61 focuses. The tilt angle control unit 65 changes the tilt angle to adjust the orientation of the lens unit 64 relative to the body 62. Thus, for example, the focus of the camera 61, which was previously focused on the clamp pin horizontal plane P, is now focused on the cup horizontal plane Q. The change in the orientation of the lens unit 64 is achieved by the adjustment mechanism belonging to the adapter 63.

[0056] Thus, the camera 61, through the control of the adapter 63 by the control unit 131 described later, achieves a state in which the focus is aligned with the front end of the cup 53 located above the horizontal plane P of the clamp pin. This state corresponds to the third state of the present invention.

[0057] At this time, the field of view of the camera 61 is set to cover the entire front end of the cup 53 as shown in Figure 5.

[0058] Figure 6 illustrates the state of the camera 61 capturing the front end 101 of the rotated nozzle 10. At this time, the front end 101 moves on the nozzle horizontal plane R. This movement of the front end 101 is achieved by the rotation mechanism 103. The nozzle horizontal plane R is set as one of the horizontal planes where the focus of the camera 61 is focused. The tilt angle control unit 65 changes the tilt angle to adjust the orientation of the lens unit 64 relative to the body 62. In this way, for example, the focus of the camera 61, which is focused on the clamp pin horizontal plane P, is focused on the nozzle horizontal plane R. The change of the orientation of the lens unit 64 is achieved by the adjustment mechanism of the adapter 63.

[0059] Thus, the camera 61 can switch between a first state of focusing on the horizontal plane P of the clamp pin and a second state of focusing on the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 by controlling the adapter 63 through the control unit 131 described later. In the second state, the focus of the camera 61 is focused on the horizontal plane R of the nozzle.

[0060] At this time, the field of view of the camera 61 is set as shown in Figure 6 to allow the entire movable range of the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 to fall into it.

[0061] Figure 7 illustrates the appearance of the liquid column of the treatment fluid ejected from the nozzle 10 by the camera 61. The liquid column passes through the aforementioned cup horizontal plane Q. Since the cup horizontal plane Q is set as one of the horizontal planes in which the camera 61 focuses, the camera 61 can capture the liquid column without losing focus as long as the focus is aligned with the cup horizontal plane Q.

[0062] At this time, the field of view of the camera 61 is set as shown in Figure 7 to allow the entire liquid column of the treatment fluid ejected from the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 to fall into it.

[0063] Thus, the camera 61 can switch the plane on which the monitored object is located between the clamp pin horizontal plane P, the cup horizontal plane Q, and the nozzle horizontal plane R.

[0064] <6. Other Configurations> As shown in FIG1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 131 related to the control of substrate processing. The control unit 131 is, for example, composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The specific configuration of the control unit 131 is not limited; for example, it may be composed of a single processor or multiple processors.

[0065] Controls related to the control unit 131 include, for example, controls related to the transfer robot IR and controls related to the central robot CR. The control unit 131 also performs controls related to the drug processing chamber 41. Controls related to the drug processing chamber 41 include, for example, controls related to the cup lifting mechanism 54, controls related to the motor 83, controls related to the clamp opening and closing mechanism 85, and controls related to the rotation mechanism 103. Furthermore, the control unit 131 includes a tilt angle control unit 65 and a liquid supply control unit 104.

[0066] The control unit 131 obtains from the memory unit 132, which is described later, a tilt angle corresponding to the height position of the subject (object part) determined according to the process of the processing board W, and sets the adapter 63 of the camera 61 to the obtained tilt angle, so that the camera 61 simultaneously captures multiple subjects (object parts) located at the same height position.

[0067] The memory unit 132 shown in Figure 1 stores and controls related programs and parameters. The memory unit 132 is a memory device that stores the process conditions described later. The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus in this example to implement the memory unit 132 is not particularly limited. The memory unit 132 presets and stores the camera tilt angle based on the height position of the subject (object part). Specifically, the memory unit 132 establishes a correlation between the subject and the tilt angle by storing the process conditions described later.

[0068] <7. Method for Determining the Tilt Angle> Next, we will explain how to obtain the tilt angle that establishes a correspondence with the subject. This action is performed during the manufacturing process and must be done in advance before substrate processing.

[0069] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the method for determining the tilt angle. Figure 8 relates to the method for obtaining the corresponding tilt angles from the monitoring planes of the clamp pin horizontal plane P, the cup horizontal plane Q, and the nozzle horizontal plane R.

[0070] Step S21: Set the monitoring object plane. In this step, the monitoring object plane is set, for example, the clamp pin horizontal plane P.

[0071] Step S22: Adjust the orientation of the lens unit 64 to a tilt angle corresponding to the horizontal plane P of the clamping pin, as designed. The positional relationship between the clamping pin 84 of the liquid treatment chamber 41 and the camera 61 is determined during the design of the liquid treatment chamber 41, and the actual positional relationship is the same as the positional relationship during design. Therefore, the tilt angle can be calculated based on the position and size of each component constituting the chamber. This tilt angle can be calculated using CAD (Computer Aided Design) data generated during the chamber design.

[0072] Even if the tilt angle is ideal, the focus of the camera 61 may not be in focus with the horizontal plane P of the clamping pin, even with this step. This is because the lens unit 64 of the optical system has its own characteristics. Based on this situation, the tilt angle in this example is determined based on actual photography.

[0073] Step S23: The camera 61, with the tilt angle as designed, takes pictures of a plurality of subjects on the horizontal plane of the clamp pin. The clamp pin 84 can be used as the subject at this time.

[0074] Step S24: Determine whether the subject in the captured image is out of focus. If the determination is yes, proceed to step S25; otherwise, proceed to step S26. This determination can be performed visually or by detecting out-of-focus images.

[0075] Step S25: Perform a fine adjustment of the tilt angle. Then, the process proceeds to step S23. Thus, the fine adjustment of the tilt angle is performed until the focus of the subject is in focus on the horizontal plane P of the clamp pin.

[0076] Step S26: Perform tilt angle registration. This angle is an appropriate tilt angle obtained through empirical verification and is registered in the process conditions.

[0077] Step S27: Determine whether the registration of all monitored object planes has been completed. If the determination is yes, the process ends. If the determination is no, the process returns to step S21. In this way, the corresponding tilt angles of each monitored object plane, namely the clamp pin horizontal plane P, the cup horizontal plane Q, and the nozzle horizontal plane R, are obtained. The obtained tilt angles are established in the process conditions and remembered in relation to the processing steps.

[0078] <8. Process Conditions> The substrate processing apparatus 1 in this example operates based on the specified process conditions sent from a host computer outside the apparatus. Furthermore, details of the process conditions will be explained. The process conditions in this example are related to a substrate processing method for removing the naturally grown oxide film on the surface of substrate W.

[0079] Figure 9 shows the process conditions (process condition 1) corresponding to one of the substrate processing processes that can be performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1. The process conditions can be configured as a table that establishes a relationship between the processing content set for each of the different substrate processing and the subject, etc. The process conditions start from the first processing step and end at the 17th processing step. The substrate processing apparatus 1 completes a series of substrate processing by executing the processes specified by the process conditions in the order shown in the processing steps.

[0080] Process condition 1 begins from the first processing step. The first processing step is the initial state before the substrate W is placed on the mechanical fixture 8. At this time, the spin base 81 is in a stopped state, and the fixture pin 84 is in an open state. At this time, the focus of the camera 61 is focused on the horizontal plane P of the fixture pin, and the camera 61 monitors the front end of the cup 53 and the fixture pin 84. This focusing is achieved by the tilt angle control unit 65, which reads the information of the first processing step of process condition 1, setting the tilt angle to 2.1°, which establishes a corresponding relationship with the horizontal plane P of the fixture pin.

[0081] In the first processing step, the camera 61 monitors the front end of the cup 53 and the clamp pin 84, thus ensuring that the cup 53 is indeed lowered and the clamp pin 84 is indeed in the open state.

[0082] The second processing step corresponds to the state when the substrate W is transferred to the mechanical clamp 8. This substrate transfer is performed by the central robot CR. When the substrate W is placed on the mechanical clamp 8, the clamp pin 84 is in the closed state. When the clamp pin 84 moves, the focus of the camera 61 is focused on the horizontal plane P of the clamp pin, and the camera 61 monitors the clamp pin 84 and the substrate W held by the clamp pin 84.

[0083] In the second processing step, because the camera 61 monitors the clamp pin 84, it ensures that the clamp pin 84 is in a closed state and the substrate W is in a state held by the clamp pin 84.

[0084] The third processing step corresponds to the state when the cup 53 has been raised. The raising of the cup 53 is achieved by the cup lifting mechanism 54. When the cup 53 is raised, the focus of the camera 61 is focused on the cup horizontal plane Q, and the camera 61 monitors the rising cup 53. This focusing is achieved by the tilt angle control unit 65, which reads the information of the third processing step of process condition 1, setting the tilt angle to 3.3°, which establishes a correspondence with the cup horizontal plane Q. In addition, not limited to the third processing step, when the substrate W is held by the mechanical clamp 8, the camera 61 also sets the substrate W as the monitoring object. Therefore, there are two monitoring object planes in the third processing step. In the third processing step, the camera 61 switches the monitoring object plane between the clamp pin horizontal plane P and the cup horizontal plane by switching the tilt angle between 2.1° and 3.3°. Therefore, in the third processing step, the camera 61 alternately monitors the front end of the cup 53 and the substrate W.

[0085] In the third processing step, the camera 61 monitors the front end of the cup 53 and the substrate W to ensure that the cup 53 is at the correct point of rise and that the substrate W is free of any abnormalities.

[0086] The fourth processing step corresponds to the state where the nozzle 10 has been moved onto the upper surface of the mechanical fixture 8. The movement of the nozzle 10 is achieved by the rotation mechanism 103. The focus of the camera 61 is aligned with the horizontal plane R of the nozzle as the nozzle 10 moves, and the camera 61 monitors the front end 101 of the moving nozzle 10. This alignment is achieved by the tilt angle control unit 65, which reads the information of the fourth processing step of process condition 1, setting the tilt angle to 4.1°, which establishes a correspondence with the horizontal plane R of the nozzle. The fourth processing step is also the same as the third processing step, where the camera 61 alternately monitors the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W while switching the tilt angle.

[0087] In the fourth processing step, the camera 61 monitors the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W to ensure that the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 rotates and moves to a predetermined position and that there is no abnormality on the substrate W. The predetermined position is, for example, the position directly above the rotation center of the mechanical clamp 8.

[0088] The fifth processing step corresponds to the state of the liquid ejected from the nozzle 10. This liquid processing operation is implemented by the liquid supply control unit 104. The liquid can be hydrofluoric acid (hydrogen fluoride aqueous solution). Furthermore, in the fifth processing step, the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 does not move directly above the rotation center of the mechanical clamp 8. When the liquid is first ejected, the focus of the camera 61 is focused on the horizontal plane Q of the cup, and the camera 61 monitors the liquid column ejected from the front end 101 of the nozzle 10. This focusing is achieved by setting the tilt angle to 3.3°, which corresponds to the horizontal plane Q of the cup, by the tilt angle control unit 65, which reads the information of the fifth processing step of process condition 1. The fifth processing step is also the same as the third processing step, and the camera 61 is configured to alternately monitor the liquid column of the liquid and the substrate W while switching the tilt angle.

[0089] In the fifth processing step, the substrate W is in a state after being rotated at a specified speed. The rotation of the substrate W is achieved by the mechanical clamp 8.

[0090] In the 5th processing step, the camera 61 monitors the liquid column of the liquid and the substrate W to ensure that the point where the liquid begins to be sprayed and the point where the substrate W is free of abnormalities.

[0091] The eighth processing step corresponds to the state where the liquid spraying from the nozzle 10 ends. This ending action is achieved by the liquid supply control unit 104. The eighth processing step is also the same as the fifth processing step, and the camera 61 is configured to switch the tilt angle while alternately monitoring the liquid column and the substrate W.

[0092] In the 8th processing step, the camera 61 monitors the liquid column of the liquid and the substrate W to ensure that the point where the liquid spraying ends and the point where the substrate W is free of abnormalities are not detected.

[0093] The 9th processing step corresponds to the state where the cleaning solution (pure water) begins to spray from the nozzle 10. This rinsing process is implemented by the liquid supply control unit 104. Furthermore, in the 9th processing step, the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 sprays pure water while rotating above the mechanical clamp 8. This scanning action is implemented by the rotation mechanism 103. The focus of the camera 61 when scanning the nozzle 10 is focused with the horizontal plane R of the nozzle, and the camera 61 monitors the moving front end 101 of the nozzle 10. The 9th processing step is also the same as the 3rd processing step, where the camera 61 alternately monitors the configuration of the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W while switching the tilt angle.

[0094] In the 9th processing step, the camera 61 monitors the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W to ensure that the point where the nozzle 10 rotates and the point where the substrate W is free from abnormalities.

[0095] The 12th processing step corresponds to the state where the pure water spraying from the nozzle 10 ends. This ending action is achieved by the liquid supply control unit 104. The 12th processing step is also the same as the 9th processing step, and the camera 61 is configured to switch the tilt angle while alternately monitoring the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W.

[0096] In the 12th processing step, the camera 61 monitors the front end 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W, thereby ensuring the point at which the rotational movement of the nozzle 10 ends normally and the point at which the substrate W is free of abnormalities.

[0097] The 13th processing step corresponds to the state of the substrate W undergoing drying treatment by spin drying. The spin drying operation (drying treatment) is achieved by changing the rotation speed of the motor 83. The focus of the camera 61 during the drying treatment is focused on the horizontal plane P of the clamping pin, and the camera 61 monitors the rotating substrate W during the spin drying operation.

[0098] In the 13th processing step, the camera 61 monitors the substrate W, ensuring that there are no abnormalities on the substrate W.

[0099] The 16th processing step corresponds to the state where the drying process of the substrate W, which is carried out by spin drying, has ended. In the 16th processing step, the rotation of the substrate W is stopped. This stopping action is achieved by stopping the rotation of the motor 83. The focus of the camera 61, which is in focus when the drying process has ended, is focused on the horizontal plane P of the clamping pin, and the camera 61 monitors the substrate W when the drying process has ended and stopped.

[0100] In the 16th processing step, the camera 61 monitors the substrate W to ensure that there are no abnormalities on the substrate W.

[0101] The 17th processing step corresponds to the state where the chemical treatment of substrate W is completed after a series of processing steps. In the 17th processing step, the descent of execution cup 53 and the opening of clamp pin 84 complete the preparation for removing substrate W from chemical treatment chamber 41. Furthermore, the removal of substrate W is achieved by the central robot CR. At this time, the focus of camera 61 is focused on the horizontal plane P of clamp pin, and camera 61 monitors the actions of each component in the 17th processing step.

[0102] In the 17th processing step, because the camera 61 monitors the substrate W, the front end of the cup 53, and the clamp pin 84, it ensures that the clamp pin 84 is in the closed state, the cup 53 descends normally, and the substrate W is normal.

[0103] <9. Flowchart of Substrate Processing Based on Process Conditions> The flowchart of substrate processing based on the process conditions described above will be explained. Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the substrate processing flow. The process conditions in this example are related to the substrate processing method for removing the natural oxide film grown on the surface of substrate W.

[0104] Step S11: The data of process conditions related to substrate processing specified by the host computer is stored in the memory unit 132 of the substrate processing device 1.

[0105] Step S12: Based on the obtained process conditions, begin executing a sequence of processing steps.

[0106] Step S13: Execute each processing step. Step S13 executes each processing step sequentially. For each processing step as illustrated in Figure 9, the processing steps are executed as in step 1, step 2, and step 3, until the sequence ends. This time, since step S13 is being executed for the first time, step 1 is executed first.

[0107] Step S14: Set the monitoring object plane specified in the first processing step. The monitoring object plane set in the first processing step is the clamp pin horizontal plane P.

[0108] Step S15: The adapter 63 of the camera 61 adjusts the orientation of the lens unit 64 to a tilt angle corresponding to the set monitoring object plane. Thus, the focus of the camera 61 is focused on the horizontal plane P of the clamp pin. In this step, the camera 61 captures an image of the clamp pin 84 located at a predetermined height.

[0109] Step S16: The first processing step ends.

[0110] Step S17: Determine whether the sequence of process conditions in progress has ended. If the determination is yes, the process ends. If the determination is no, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0111] Thus, by repeating steps S13 to S17, the first to 17th processing steps described in FIG9 are executed sequentially. Among them, the execution of the third processing step will be described.

[0112] The third processing step differs from the first processing step in that it changes the configuration of the monitored object plane midway through execution. That is, in step S14, the monitored object plane is set as the clamp pin horizontal plane P and the cup horizontal plane Q. In step S15, the adapter 63 of the camera 61 receives this result and adjusts the orientation of the lens unit 64 to a tilt angle corresponding to the set monitored object plane. Thus, the focus of the camera 61 first focuses with the clamp pin horizontal plane P. Then, the focus of the camera 61 focuses with the cup horizontal plane Q. The step of focusing the focus of the camera 61 with the clamp pin horizontal plane P is equivalent to the first step of the present invention. The clamp pin 84 is equivalent to the first object part of the present invention.

[0113] Furthermore, the step of focusing the camera 61 on the horizontal plane Q of the cup corresponds to the second step of the present invention. In this step, the tilt angle is changed so that the camera 61 captures the front end of the cup 53, which is located at a different height than the clamp pin 84. The cup 53 corresponds to the second object part of the present invention.

[0114] Furthermore, in the third processing step described above, the setting action of the monitored object plane is only performed twice, but it can also be performed three or more times. In this way, in the third processing step, the configuration of the front end of the cup 53 and the substrate W can be monitored repeatedly and alternately by the camera 61.

[0115] <10. Effects of the Invention> The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention includes a camera 61, which is used to photograph monitored objects, i.e., a plurality of object parts, disposed within the processing unit from an obliquely above the liquid processing chamber 41, and includes: a body 62, a lens unit 64, and an adapter 63 for mounting the lens unit 64 to the body 62 with adjustable tilt angle. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention includes a control unit 131, which obtains a tilt angle corresponding to the height position of the object part determined according to the process of processing the substrate W from a memory unit 132, and sets the adapter 63 of the camera 61 to the obtained tilt angle, so that the camera 61 simultaneously photographs a plurality of object parts located at the same height position. According to the present invention, a plurality of object parts located at a predetermined height position can be photographed simultaneously.

[0116] According to the above configuration, the liquid treatment chamber 41 includes: a clamping pin 84 located at the horizontal plane P of the clamping pin; and a nozzle 10 located above the clamping pin 84, which supplies liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the clamping pin 84; and the control unit 131 controls the adapter 63 to switch between a first state of focusing on the horizontal plane P of the clamping pin and a second state of focusing on the front end of the nozzle 10. With such a configuration, the state can be switched between the first state of focusing on the clamping pin 84 and the second state of focusing on the front end of the nozzle 10, thus allowing the state to be switched according to the photographic purpose.

[0117] According to the above configuration, the liquid processing chamber 41 includes a rotation mechanism 103, which enables the front end of the nozzle 10 that ejects liquid to move within a nozzle horizontal plane R located above the clamp pin horizontal plane P; and in the second state, the focus of the camera 61 is focused with the nozzle horizontal plane R. With such a configuration, the front end of the nozzle 10 that moves by the rotation mechanism 103 can be photographed in the focused state, thus allowing reliable monitoring of the front end of the nozzle 10.

[0118] According to the above configuration, it includes: a cup 53, which is configured to cover the retaining base plate W from the surrounding area with a clamping pin 84; and a lifting and moving mechanism, which can move the front end of the cup 53 up and down relative to the horizontal plane P of the clamping pin; and the control unit 131 controls the adapter 63 to generate a third state of focusing on the front end of the cup 53 located above the horizontal plane P of the clamping pin. With such a configuration, the front end of the cup 53 located above the horizontal plane P of the clamping pin can be accurately monitored without being affected by defocusing.

[0119] According to the above configuration, it includes: an image processing unit 66, which performs prescribed image processing on the image captured by the camera 61; and an anomaly detection unit 67, which detects anomalies in the photographed object based on the operation of the image processing unit 66. The present invention can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus 1 equipped with an anomaly detection unit 67.

[0120] According to the above configuration, the substrate W supported by the clamping pin 84 is located on the horizontal plane P of the clamping pin. In this way, the substrate W supported by the clamping pin 84 can be photographed without being affected by defocus, and the condition of the substrate W can be monitored accurately.

[0121] Based on the above configuration, the camera 61 simultaneously photographs a plurality of object parts using the Scheimpflug principle. With such a configuration, the camera 61 can reliably photograph a plurality of object parts without losing focus.

[0122] <11. Variations> The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be implemented in the following variations.

[0123] <Variation 1> In the above embodiments, a substrate treatment for removing the natural oxide film was performed, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The present invention can also be applied to other substrate treatments such as substrate cleaning.

[0124] <Variation Example 2> In addition to the above embodiment, the configuration of reporting the abnormality detection result of the abnormality detection unit 67 can also be added.

[0125] <Variation 3> The monitoring target plane of the present invention is not limited to the clamp pin horizontal plane P, cup horizontal plane Q, and nozzle horizontal plane R of the embodiment. The monitoring target plane can be appropriately added according to the changes in the device configuration.

[0126] <Variation 4> The process condition 1 of the present invention corresponds to a single liquid treatment chamber 41. The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention can also be operated by storing process conditions with different tilt angles for each liquid treatment chamber 41 in the memory unit 132. The number of steps, processing content, and subject of these process conditions are common, but the tilt angle is an inherent value of each process condition. This variation corresponds to the case where the optical axis offset of the lens unit 64 of the camera 61 is different between the liquid treatment chambers 41. Therefore, the tilt angle determination operation illustrated in FIG8 needs to be performed for each liquid treatment chamber 41. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0022] Figure 1 is a top view illustrating the overall structure of the substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the single-substrate processing chamber of the embodiment. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the single-substrate processing chamber of the monitoring target plane of the embodiment. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the single-substrate processing chamber of the monitoring target plane of the embodiment. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the single-substrate processing chamber of the monitoring target plane of the embodiment. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the single-substrate processing chamber of the monitoring target plane of the embodiment. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the single-substrate processing chamber of the monitoring target plane of the embodiment. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the method for obtaining the tilt angle of the embodiment. Figure 9 is a table illustrating the process conditions and the processing steps constituting the process conditions of the embodiment. Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the substrate processing flow of the embodiment.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus for performing a predetermined processing on a substrate, characterized in that it comprises: a processing unit that holds the substrate in a horizontal position and performs the predetermined processing; a camera that captures images of a monitored object, i.e., a plurality of object parts, disposed within the processing unit from an obliquely above the processing unit, and comprises: a camera body, a lens, and an adapter for mounting the lens to the camera body with a variable tilt angle; a memory unit that presets and memorizes the tilt angle of the camera based on the height position of the object parts; and a control unit that obtains from the memory unit a tilt angle corresponding to the height position of the object parts determined according to the substrate processing process, sets the adapter of the camera to the obtained tilt angle, and causes the camera to simultaneously capture images of a plurality of object parts located at the same height position and focus on all of the plurality of object parts.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aforementioned processing unit comprises: a clamping mechanism located at a predetermined horizontal plane; and a nozzle located above the clamping mechanism, supplying liquid to the upper surface of the substrate held by the aforementioned clamping mechanism; and the aforementioned control unit controls the aforementioned adapter to switch between a first state of focusing on the aforementioned predetermined horizontal plane and a second state of focusing on the front end of the aforementioned nozzle.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the aforementioned processing unit includes: a nozzle rotation mechanism, which enables the leading end of the nozzle to move in an upper horizontal plane located above the aforementioned predetermined horizontal plane before liquid is ejected; and in the aforementioned second state, the focus of the aforementioned camera is focused with the aforementioned upper horizontal plane.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, comprising: a cup configured to cover and hold the substrate from the surroundings; and a lifting and moving mechanism capable of moving the front end of the cup up and down relative to a predetermined horizontal plane; and the aforementioned control unit controls the aforementioned adapter to generate a third state of focusing the front end of the aforementioned cup located above the predetermined horizontal plane.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, comprising: an image processing unit that performs prescribed image processing on an image captured by the aforementioned camera; and an anomaly detection unit that detects an anomaly of the aforementioned object component based on the operation of the aforementioned image processing unit.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the substrate supported by the aforementioned clamping mechanism is located on a predetermined horizontal plane.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aforementioned camera simultaneously captures images of a plurality of object parts using the Scheimpflug principle.

8. A substrate processing method performed by a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing unit that holds the substrate in a horizontal position and performs a predetermined processing; a camera that captures images of a monitoring object, i.e., a plurality of object parts, disposed within the processing unit from an obliquely above the processing unit, and comprising: a camera body, a lens, and an adapter capable of mounting the lens to the camera body with a variable tilt angle; and a memory unit that presets and memorizes the tilt angle of the camera based on the height position of the object parts; and the substrate processing method is characterized by comprising: a first step in which the camera captures images of a plurality of first object parts located at a predetermined height and focuses on all of the plurality of first object parts; and a second step in which the tilt angle is changed so that the camera captures images of second object parts located at a different height from the predetermined height and focuses on the second object parts.

Images