Film formation system, film thickness measurement method, and method for manufacturing electronic device

Abstract

A film formation system according to the present invention has a film thickness measurement device that measures the thickness of a film formed on a substrate by film formation processing, the film thickness measurement device comprising: a measurement unit that measures the thickness of the film; an electrostatic chuck that, by means of electrostatic force, clamps a substrate to be measured by the measurement unit; a potential measurement device that measures the potential of a surface, to be clamped by the electrostatic chuck, of the substrate on a conveyance path before the substrate is clamped by the electrostatic chuck; and a control device that controls the film thickness measurement processing by the measurement unit on the basis of the measurement result of the potential.

Description

Film formation system, film thickness measurement method, and electronic device manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a film formation system, a film thickness measurement method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for measuring the film thickness of a substrate attracted to an electrostatic chuck. The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a mechanism for moving the electrostatic chuck to prevent contact between the substrate and the electrostatic chuck during transportation.

[0003] JP 2023-79032 A

[0004] The substrate may become charged during processes such as the peeling operation of the mask and the substrate. Attempting to attach a charged substrate to an electrostatic chuck may require a voltage higher than the required voltage for attachment, or a portion of the substrate may come into contact with the electrostatic chuck before the voltage is applied. These factors may delay the film thickness measurement process, increase the takt time, reduce yield, or reduce production volume. Furthermore, when using an optical measurement device, the measurement accuracy may depend on the degree of adhesion of the substrate to the electrostatic chuck, i.e., the flatness of the substrate being measured. Therefore, the influence of the potential of the charged substrate may prevent high-accuracy film thickness measurement.

[0005] In order to measure the film thickness after film formation with higher accuracy, it is preferable to measure the surface potential of the attracting surface of the substrate before the substrate after film formation comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck of the film thickness measurement device, and to perform film thickness measurement processing, for example, by controlling the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck or by removing electricity from the substrate while controlling the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck.

[0006] In view of the above-described problems, the present invention provides a technique that can control a film thickness measurement process based on the measurement result of the surface potential of the attracting surface of the substrate, which is measured before the substrate after film formation comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck of a film thickness measurement device.

[0007] A film formation system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a film formation system having a film thickness measurement device that measures the thickness of a film formed on a substrate by a film formation process, the film thickness measurement device comprising: a measuring means for measuring the thickness of the film; an electrostatic chuck that electrostatically attracts a substrate to be measured by the measuring means; a potential measuring means that measures the potential of an attraction surface of the substrate attracted to the electrostatic chuck on a transport path before the substrate is attracted to the electrostatic chuck; and a control means that controls the film thickness measurement process by the measuring means based on the measurement result of the potential.

[0008] According to the present invention, the film thickness measurement process can be controlled based on the measurement result of the surface potential of the substrate measured after film formation before the substrate comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck of the film thickness measurement device, thereby enabling highly accurate film thickness measurement.

[0009] 1 is a schematic diagram of a part of a manufacturing line for electronic devices. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a film thickness measurement apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a light source in the film thickness measurement apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a film formation apparatus arranged in a film formation chamber. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a first configuration example of a static elimination apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second configuration example of a static elimination apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a third configuration example of a static elimination apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a film thickness measurement apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an operation of a base unit and a substrate support unit as an eighth configuration example of a static elimination apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a measurement apparatus (surface potentiometer) according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a process flow of the measurement apparatus and a control apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an overall process flow by a film formation apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] <Electronic Device Manufacturing Line> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the configuration of an electronic device manufacturing line to which the film formation system of this embodiment can be applied. The manufacturing line in Figure 1 is used, for example, to manufacture display panels for organic EL display devices, in which substrates 100 are sequentially transported to a film formation block 301, and organic EL elements are formed on the substrates 100. In Figure 1, arrow Z indicates the vertical direction (the direction of gravity), and arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions that are orthogonal to each other. Also, in each figure, G indicates ground.

[0012] In the film formation block 301, a plurality of film formation chambers 303a-303d in which film formation processing is performed on the substrate 100 and a mask storage chamber 305 in which masks before and after use are stored are arranged around a transfer chamber 302 having an octagonal shape in a plan view. A film formation apparatus 1 that forms a film on the substrate 100 through a film formation process is arranged in each of the film formation chambers 303a-303d. A transfer robot 302a that transports the substrate 100 is arranged in the transfer chamber 302. The transfer robot 302a includes a hand that holds the substrate 100 and an articulated arm that can move the hand horizontally and vertically. In other words, the film formation block 301 is a cluster-type film formation unit in which a plurality of film formation chambers 303a-303d are arranged around the transfer robot 302a. When the film formation chambers 303a-303d are collectively referred to or when no distinction is made, they are referred to as film formation chambers 303.

[0013] In the transport direction (direction of the arrow) of the substrate 100, a buffer chamber 306, a swirl chamber 307, and a delivery chamber 308 are arranged on the upstream side (post-deposition side) and downstream side (post-deposition side) of the film-forming block 301, respectively. During the manufacturing process, each chamber is maintained in a vacuum state. Note that although only one film-forming block 301 is shown in FIG. 1 , the manufacturing line according to this embodiment has multiple film-forming blocks 301, and the multiple film-forming blocks 301 are connected by a connecting device composed of the buffer chamber 306, the swirl chamber 307, and the delivery chamber 308. Note that the configuration of the connecting device is not limited to this, and may be composed of only the buffer chamber 306 or the delivery chamber 308, for example.

[0014] The transport robot 302a transports the substrate 100 from the upstream delivery chamber 308 to the transport chamber 302, transports the substrate 100 between the film formation chambers 303, transports the mask between the mask storage chamber 305 and the film formation chamber 303, and transports the substrate 100 from the transport chamber 302 to the downstream buffer chamber 306.

[0015] The buffer chamber 306 is a chamber for temporarily storing substrates 100 depending on the operating status of the production line. The buffer chamber 306 is provided with a substrate storage shelf, also called a cassette, and an elevator mechanism. The substrate storage shelf has a multi-tier structure that can store multiple substrates 100 while maintaining the processing surface (film formation surface) of the substrate 100 in a horizontal position facing downward in the direction of gravity. The elevator mechanism raises and lowers the substrate storage shelf to align the tier where the substrate 100 is loaded or unloaded with the transport position. This allows multiple substrates 100 to be temporarily stored and retained in the buffer chamber 306.

[0016] The swirl chamber 307 is equipped with a device for changing the orientation of the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the swirl chamber 307 rotates the orientation of the substrate 100 by 180 degrees using a transfer robot 307a provided in the swirl chamber 307. The transfer robot 307a includes a hand for holding the substrate 100 and an articulated arm capable of moving the hand horizontally and vertically. The transfer robot 307a provided in the swirl chamber 307 rotates 180 degrees while supporting the substrate 100 received in the buffer chamber 306 and delivers it to the delivery chamber 308, thereby swapping the front end and rear end of the substrate 100 in the transfer direction (arrow direction) between the buffer chamber 306 and the delivery chamber 308. This ensures that the orientation of the substrate 100 when carried into the film formation chamber 303 is the same in each film formation block 301, thereby allowing the scanning direction of the evaporation source and the orientation of the mask relative to the substrate 100 to be consistent in each film formation block 301. With this configuration, the orientation of the masks placed in the mask storage chambers 305 in each film formation block 301 can be aligned, simplifying mask management and improving usability.

[0017] The downstream delivery chamber 308 is a chamber for delivering the substrate 100 carried in by the transfer robot 307a of the swirl chamber 307 to the transfer robot 307a of the swirl chamber 307 in the downstream film forming apparatus 1. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the thickness of the film formed on the substrate 100 is measured in the delivery chamber 308 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as film thickness measurement). In other words, the delivery chamber 308 can be said to be an inspection chamber for inspecting the film formed on the substrate 100.

[0018] The control system of the production line includes a host computer 300 that controls the entire line, and control devices 309, 310, 311, 314a-314d that control each component, and these devices can communicate via a wired or wireless communication line 300a. The control devices 314a-314d are provided corresponding to the film formation chambers 303a-303d and control the film formation apparatus 1. The control devices 314a-314d are collectively referred to as control device 314 when not being distinguished. The control device 309 controls the transfer robot 302a. The control device 310 controls the transfer robot provided in the swirl chamber 307. The control device 310 can also control the static elimination device (Configuration Examples 1 to 8) of this embodiment based on the measurement results of the potential measurement device, which will be described later. The control device 311 controls the device that measures film thickness in the downstream delivery chamber 308. The control device 311 can also control the device that performs film thickness measurement of this embodiment based on the measurement results of the potential measurement device, which will be described later. The host device 300 transmits information about the substrate 100 and instructions such as transfer timing to the respective control devices 309, 310, 311, and 314a to 314d, and the respective control devices 309, 310, 311, and 314a to 314d control their respective components based on the received instructions.

[0019] The film forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a film of a vapor deposition material on a substrate 100, forming a thin film of the vapor deposition material in a predetermined pattern through a mask 101. The material of the substrate 100 on which a film is formed in the film forming apparatus 1 can be selected from glass, resin, metal, and other materials, with a resin layer such as polyimide formed on glass being preferred. The vapor deposition material can be an organic material or an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.). The film forming apparatus 1 is applicable to manufacturing equipment for manufacturing electronic devices such as display devices (e.g., flat panel displays), thin-film solar cells, and organic photoelectric conversion elements (organic thin-film imaging elements), as well as optical components, and is particularly applicable to manufacturing equipment for manufacturing organic EL panels. The method for manufacturing an electronic device includes a film forming process for forming a film on a substrate and a film thickness measurement process for measuring the thickness of the film formed by the film forming process using a film thickness measurement method of a film thickness measurement device 3080 described below. The film forming system of this embodiment includes the film forming apparatus 1 for performing the film forming process and a film thickness measurement device 3080 for measuring the thickness of the film formed on the substrate by the film forming process.

[0020] The film formation apparatus 1 has a deposition-up type configuration (a configuration in which, during film formation, the film formation surface of the substrate 100 faces vertically downward, and the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 faces vertically upward). In the deposition-up type film formation apparatus 1, the back surface of the film formation surface of the substrate 100 (the surface facing vertically upward) is the attraction surface that is attracted to the electrostatic chuck 150 of the film formation apparatus 1, in other words, the contact surface where the electrostatic chuck 150 of the film formation apparatus 1 and the substrate 100 come into contact. In the film formation apparatus 1, the vertically upper surface of the substrate 100 is the attraction surface 100a, and the vertically lower surface of the substrate 100 is the film formation surface, and the film formation apparatus 1 forms a thin film of a vapor deposition material in a predetermined pattern on the film formation surface of the substrate via a mask 101. The same is true for the film thickness measuring device 3080 described later, and when the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measuring device 3080 adsorbs the substrate 100, the adsorption surface 100a of the substrate 100 is adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measuring device 3080.

[0021] <Overview of Film Thickness Measurement Apparatus> Figure 2A is a schematic diagram for explaining the components of the downstream delivery chamber 308, and mainly shows the components related to the film thickness measurement apparatus 3080 for the substrate 100. Note that in Figure 2A, components necessary for the following explanation are highlighted, so the arrangement and size of the components may not match those in other drawings. Also, Figure 2B is a diagram showing the general configuration of the measurement unit 29 in the film thickness measurement apparatus 3080.

[0022] 2A , the delivery chamber 308 includes a chamber 10, an electrostatic chuck 11, a chuck moving unit 12, an adsorption assisting unit 13, a positioning unit 14, a substrate supporting unit 15, and a measuring unit 29. The chamber 10 has a box-like shape and defines an internal space 101. The internal space 101 of the chamber 10 is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas. In this embodiment, the chamber 10 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). In this specification, the term "vacuum" refers to a state filled with a gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in other words, a reduced-pressure state.

[0023] In this embodiment, the substrate 100 is loaded into the chamber 10 through a loading port (not shown) by a transfer robot 307a in the downstream swirl chamber 307. The electrostatic chuck 11 electrostatically attracts the substrate 100 to be measured by the measurement unit 29. The electrostatic chuck 11 includes an electrode arrangement unit 112. An electrode that generates an electrostatic force is arranged in the electrode arrangement unit 112. In other words, the electrode arrangement unit 112 forms an attraction region where an attraction force for the substrate 100 is generated.

[0024] The chuck moving part 12 moves the electrostatic chuck 11. In this embodiment, the chuck moving part 12 moves the electrostatic chuck 11 up and down in the vertical direction. The chuck moving part 12 includes a movable part 121, a fixed part 122, and a driving part 123.

[0025] The movable part 121 supports the electrostatic chuck 11 and is provided so as to be movable together with the electrostatic chuck 11. The movable part 121 includes a fixed part side member 1211, a chuck side member 1212, and a connecting part 1213.

[0026] The fixed portion side member 1211 is supported movably relative to the fixed portion 122. The chuck side member 1212 is connected to a side surface of the frame of the electrostatic chuck 11 and supports the electrostatic chuck 11. The connection portion 1213 connects the fixed portion side member 1211 and the chuck side member 1212 to be able to swing. In this embodiment, the connection portion 1213 connects the fixed portion side member 1211 and the chuck side member 1212 to be able to swing by a spherical bearing.

[0027] The fixed part 122 is fixed to the upper wall 102 of the chamber 10. The drive part 123 includes a drive source that generates a drive force for moving the movable part 121 and a mechanism that converts the drive force of the drive source into translational motion. For example, the rotational drive force of an electric motor is converted into translational motion by a ball screw mechanism and transmitted to the movable part 121, thereby moving the movable part 121.

[0028] The suction assistant part 13 assists the electrostatic chuck 11 in suctioning the substrate 100. For example, the suction assistant part 13 includes a shaft-shaped pressing part 131 that presses the substrate 100, and a lifting part 132 that raises and lowers the pressing part 131. The lifting part 132 can be appropriately configured using known technology such as an electric motor and a ball screw mechanism.

[0029] The positioning unit 14 is used to position the electrostatic chuck 11. Specifically, the positioning unit 14 positions the electrostatic chuck 11 at a position where measurement is performed by the measurement unit 29. The positioning unit 14 includes an abutting portion 141 and a receiving portion 142. The abutting portion 141 is provided on a side surface of the frame of the electrostatic chuck 11. That is, the abutting portion 141 moves together with the electrostatic chuck 11 by the chuck moving unit 12. The abutting portion 141 is formed so that the portion that abuts against the receiving portion 142 has a spherical shape.

[0030] The receiving portion 142 is provided at a position corresponding to the abutting portion 141 and receives the abutting portion 141. Here, a conical recess that opens upward is shown as the receiving portion 142. The spherical portion of the receiving portion 142 fits into the recess of the receiving portion 142, thereby defining the position of the electrostatic chuck 11.

[0031] The substrate support part 15 supports the substrate 100. The substrate support part 15 supports, from below, the substrate 100, on which film thickness measurement is performed by the measurement part 29. The substrate support part 15 is located in the chamber 10 between the electrostatic chuck 11 and the measurement part 29 in the vertical direction.

[0032] The substrate support portion 15 includes a frame body 151 and leaf springs 152. The frame body 151 forms the outer shape of the substrate support portion 15. The frame body 151 has a rectangular frame-like shape, and the substrate 100 is supported inside the frame formed by the frame body 151. The leaf springs 152 are portions of the substrate support portion 15 that directly support the substrate 100. In this embodiment, multiple leaf springs 152 are supported by the frame body 151 so as to extend inside the frame formed by the frame body 151. By the substrate support portion 15 supporting the substrate 100 with the leaf springs 152, it is possible to release the load when the electrostatic chuck 11 and the substrate 100 come into contact with each other.

[0033] The measuring unit 29 measures the thickness of a film formed on the substrate 100. The measuring unit 29 is provided below the substrate support unit 15. The measuring unit 29 includes a light source 2901, a vacuum flange 2902, a measuring head 2903, a spectroscope 2904, and a PC 2905 (arithmetic device). The light source 2901, the vacuum flange 2902, the measuring head 2903, and the spectroscope 2904 are connected by optical fibers 2911.

[0034] The light source 2901 is a light-emitting device that can switch between light output and non-output by operating a shutter 29011. As an example, the light source 2901 can be a deuterium (D2) halogen light source 29012 that projects continuous light of halogen and deuterium from one light projection port, or a laser-driven light source.

[0035] The vacuum flange 2902 is disposed at a connection between a vacuum environment and an atmospheric environment. For example, the light source 2901, the spectrometer 2904, and the PC 2905 (processing device) are disposed outside the chamber 10, which is maintained in an atmospheric environment, and the measurement head 2903 is disposed inside the chamber 10, which may be in a vacuum state. An optical fiber 2911 connecting the measurement head 2903 to the light source 2901 and the spectrometer 2904 connects the inside and outside of the chamber 10 via the vacuum flange 2902.

[0036] The measurement head 2903 has a light-projecting unit for projecting light emitted from the light source 2901 vertically upward and a light-receiving unit for receiving reflected light and sending it to a spectroscope 2904. The spectroscope 2904 has a light input port, disperses the input light, and measures the light intensity for each wavelength band. Information regarding the measured light intensity is then transmitted to a PC 2905. The PC 2905 (a computing device) calculates a film thickness measurement value based on the light intensity measured by the spectroscope 2904. A known technique can be used to calculate the film thickness measurement value. For example, the relationship between the thickness of a film formed on the substrate 100 and the reflectance of the substrate 100 at a certain wavelength (nm) may be measured in advance, and the film thickness may be calculated from this relationship and the measured reflectance.

[0037] The measuring unit 29 includes a measurement base unit 2907, a guide rail 2908, and a head moving unit 2910 as elements for moving the measuring head 2903. The measurement base unit 2907 is a member that supports the measuring head 2903. The guide rail 2908 is a member that guides the measurement base unit 2907. The head moving unit 2910 generates a driving force for moving the measurement base unit 2907. Known technologies such as an electric motor and a ball screw mechanism can be used for the head moving unit 2910. The measurement base unit 2907 moves along the guide rail 2908, thereby moving the measuring head 2903 supported thereon. This allows the measuring unit 29 to measure the film thickness of the substrate 100.

[0038] In this embodiment, the path that the substrate 100 takes after film formation by the film formation apparatus 1 and before it comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measurement device 3080 is referred to as the substrate transport path after film formation (hereinafter also simply referred to as the transport path).

[0039] 1 , for example, the path from the downstream buffer chamber 306 to the path before the substrate 100 is attracted to the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measuring device 3080 in the downstream delivery chamber 308 is the substrate transfer path after film formation. Note that the substrate transfer path after film formation may be any path before the substrate 100 is attracted to the electrostatic chuck 11, and is not limited to the configuration shown in the example of FIG. 1 , and the transfer chamber 302 after film formation may be the starting point of the substrate transfer path. Note that in this embodiment, the device configuration in the substrate transfer path after film formation and the configuration including the film thickness measuring device 3080 may be collectively referred to as a film thickness measurement system or a film thickness measuring device.

[0040] The film thickness measuring device of this embodiment has a static eliminator that eliminates static electricity from the attracting surface 100a of the substrate 100 attracted to the electrostatic chuck 11 on the substrate transport path after film formation.

[0041] <Configuration Example 1 of the Static Eliminator: Example of Providing a Static Eliminator in the Transfer Chamber 302> FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the film formation apparatus 1 disposed in the film formation chamber 303. A substrate is carried into the film formation chamber 303 in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface, and the substrate after film formation is carried out of the film formation chamber 303. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing Configuration Example 1 of the static eliminator in a film thickness measurement apparatus 3080 according to an embodiment, which eliminates static from the substrate 100 after film formation and carried out of the film formation chamber 303 in the transfer chamber 302. As shown in FIG. 3B , a potential measuring device 1101 (surface electrometer) is disposed at (or near) the exit of the gate valve 361 in the transfer chamber 302, and the surface potential of the substrate 100 after film formation and carried out of the film formation chamber 303 is measured by the potential measuring device 1101. Measurement of the surface potential by the potential measuring device 1101 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12 .

[0042] As a first example of the configuration of the static eliminator, a configuration using a static eliminator (ionizer) 350 that can be used in a vacuum environment will be described. Fig. 3B shows an example of a substrate transport path after film formation, in which the static eliminator (ionizer) 350 is provided in the transport chamber 302. Specifically, the example shows a static eliminator (ionizer) 350 provided at (or near) the exit of the gate valve 361 in the transport chamber 302, through which the substrate 100 after film formation passes when being transported from the film formation chamber 303 to the transport chamber 302.

[0043] The static eliminator (ionizer) 350 is a device that outputs ultraviolet light that induces ionization, and may be, for example, a device that employs a method of generating ions using vacuum ultraviolet light (photoionization). The static eliminator (ionizer) 350 can be connected to a vacuum chamber (e.g., the transfer chamber 302 in the configuration example 1 of FIG. 3B ) via a vacuum flange 352. Here, the vacuum flange 352 is a vacuum component that has a sealing function and can connect the vacuum chamber and the static eliminator (ionizer) 350.

[0044] The static eliminator (ionizer) 350 has a vacuum ultraviolet light generation unit 351 (light source unit) and an irradiation unit 353 that irradiates the vacuum ultraviolet light generated by the vacuum ultraviolet light generation unit 351, and vacuum ultraviolet light 354 is irradiated from the irradiation unit 353.

[0045] In the configuration shown in FIG. 3B , an example is shown in which the static eliminator (ionizer) 350 is provided above the transfer chamber 302. However, in a deposition-up type film formation system, when static elimination is performed on the attraction surface 100 a of the substrate 100, the static eliminator (ionizer) 350 may be provided at least above the transfer chamber 302. When forming a film of an organic material, static elimination is only required on the attraction surface 100 a side. This is not limited to this example, and when forming a film of a substance such as an inorganic material (metal, metal oxide, etc.), static elimination may be performed on both sides of the substrate 100. This also applies to other static eliminator embodiments using the static eliminator (ionizer) 350. The transfer robot 302 a can adjust the irradiation range of the vacuum ultraviolet light 354 by controlling the vertical position and adjusting the distance between the irradiation unit 353 and the attraction surface 100 a.

[0046] The transport robot 302a moves in the horizontal direction to transport the substrate 100 after film formation out of the film formation chamber 303, whereby the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 is irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet light 354 on the substrate transport path after film formation, thereby making it possible to remove the electric potential (static electricity) charged on the substrate 100. In order to simultaneously remove electricity from a wider irradiation range on the substrate transport path after film formation, a plurality of static eliminators (ionizers) 350 may be provided in the Y direction (perpendicular to the paper surface).

[0047] <Configuration Example 2 of Static Eliminator: Example of Providing Static Eliminator in Buffer Chamber 306> The location where the static eliminator (ionizer) 350 is provided is not limited to the transfer chamber 302, and the vacuum ultraviolet light 354 may be irradiated onto the substrates 100 stored in a substrate storage shelf provided in the buffer chamber 306. In this embodiment, the path before the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measuring device 3080 and the substrate 100 come into contact with each other is defined as the substrate transfer path after film formation, and therefore the inside of the buffer chamber 306 located downstream of the transfer chamber 302 is also included in the substrate transfer path after film formation.

[0048] 4 is a diagram showing a second configuration example of a static eliminator in a film thickness measuring apparatus 3080 according to an embodiment. As the second configuration example of the static eliminator, FIG. 4 shows an example in which a static eliminator (ionizer) 350 is provided in the buffer chamber 306 as an example of a substrate transport path after film formation. The substrates 100 stored in the substrate storage shelf of the buffer chamber 306 are stored in a horizontal state with their surfaces to be processed (film-forming surfaces) facing downward in the direction of gravity (vertically downward), so that the attraction surface 100a of the substrates 100 is on the vertically upward side in FIG.

[0049] The configuration shown in Figure 4 shows an example in which a static eliminator (ionizer) 350 is provided above the buffer chamber 306, but when eliminating static electricity from the adsorption surface 100a of the substrate 100 on which a film has been formed using a deposit-up type film forming apparatus 1, it is sufficient to provide the static eliminator (ionizer) 350 at least above the buffer chamber 306.

[0050] 4 is provided with a plurality of static eliminators (ionizers) 350 in the Y direction in order to irradiate the substrate 100 with vacuum ultraviolet light 354 over a wide area while the substrate 100 is housed, but it is not essential to provide a plurality of static eliminators 350. For example, if the area of ​​the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 that requires static elimination can be neutralized with a single static eliminator (ionizer) 350, it is sufficient to provide at least one static eliminator (ionizer) 350 above the buffer chamber 306.

[0051] <Configuration Example 3 of the Static Eliminator: Example of Providing a Static Eliminator in the Swirling Chamber 307> In this embodiment, the path of the substrate 100 up to before it comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measuring device 3080 is the substrate transfer path after film formation. Therefore, for example, the inside of the swirl chamber 307 on the downstream side in FIG. 1 is also included in the substrate transfer path after film formation. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing Configuration Example 3 of the static eliminator in the film thickness measuring device 3080 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the film thickness measuring device 3080 disposed in the delivery chamber 308. The substrate is carried into the delivery chamber 308 in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. As Configuration Example 3 of the static eliminator, FIG. 5A shows an example of providing a static eliminator (ionizer) 350 in the swirl chamber 307 as an example of the substrate transfer path after film formation. The transport robot 307a in the swirl chamber 307 moves in the X direction to transport the substrate 100 to the delivery chamber 308, whereby the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 is irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet light 354 on the substrate transport path after film formation, thereby making it possible to remove the electric potential (static electricity) charged on the substrate 100. In order to simultaneously remove electricity from a wider irradiation range on the substrate transport path after film formation, a plurality of static eliminators (ionizers) 350 may be provided in the Y direction (perpendicular to the paper surface).

[0052] 5A shows an example in which the static eliminator (ionizer) 350 is provided above the swirl chamber 307, as in the configuration shown in Fig. 3B, but in a deposit-up type film formation system, when static elimination is performed on the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100, it is sufficient to provide the static eliminator (ionizer) 350 at least above the swirl chamber 307. The transfer robot 307a can adjust the irradiation range of the vacuum ultraviolet light 354 by controlling the position in the Z direction (vertical direction) and adjusting the distance between the irradiation unit 353 and the attraction surface 100a.

[0053] <Configuration Example 4 of Static Eliminator: Example of Providing a Static Eliminator on a Side Wall of a Film Thickness Measuring Apparatus> Fig. 6 is a diagram showing Configuration Example 4 of a static eliminator in a film thickness measuring apparatus 3080 according to an embodiment. Fig. 6 shows an example of providing a static eliminator (ionizer) 350 on a side wall of the film thickness measuring apparatus 3080 as an example of a substrate transport path after film formation.

[0054] The substrate 100 is supported by a substrate support part 15 that supports the peripheral edge of the substrate 100. In this state, the attracting surface 100a of the substrate 100 is not attracted to the electrostatic chuck 11. In this state, the static eliminator (ionizer) 350 is provided on the side wall of the film thickness measuring device 3080 so as to irradiate the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support part 62 with vacuum ultraviolet light 354 from the horizontal direction (Y direction).

[0055] In this embodiment, the path taken by the substrate 100 before it comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck 11 is the substrate transport path after film formation, and therefore the position of the substrate 100 placed on the substrate support portion 15 within the film thickness measuring device 3080 before it comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck 11 is included in the substrate transport path after film formation.

[0056] As shown in Configuration Examples 1 to 4, by using a static eliminator (ionizer) 350 to irradiate vacuum ultraviolet light 354 onto the substrate 100 (attraction surface 100a), the potential charged on the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 can be eliminated.

[0057] <Configuration Example 5 of Static Eliminator: Example Using Static Dissipative Material: Projection Shape> In Configuration Examples 1 to 4, configurations using static eliminator (ionizer) 350 have been described, but the configuration of the static eliminator is not limited to these examples. For example, a static diffusive material may be used. A static diffusive material is a material that has the property of diffusing charged electric charges (static dissipative properties). Here, having "static dissipative properties" means that the surface resistance (Rs) measured in accordance with the provisions of IEC 61340-5-1 and 5-2 is 1×10 or less. ４ Ω or more, 1×10 １１ A material has a surface resistance value of less than Ω. This range of surface resistance values ​​(Rs) is also referred to as the static electricity dissipative region. Hereinafter, a material having static electricity dissipative properties is also referred to as a static electricity dissipative material.

[0058] The static electricity dissipative material may be, for example, a resin (e.g., a thermosetting resin) or ceramics in the static electricity dissipative region. The static electricity dissipative material may be molded into parts of various shapes, such as a protrusion shape (pin shape), a two-dimensionally expanding sheet shape (plate shape), or a roller shape (cylindrical shape), so as to facilitate contact with the member to be de-ionized (the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100).

[0059] 7 is a diagram showing a fifth configuration example of a static eliminator in the film thickness measuring apparatus 3080 according to the embodiment. As the fifth configuration example of the static eliminator, an example of a protruding (pin-shaped) part formed from a static electricity dissipative material 504 is shown.

[0060] The transfer chamber 302 is provided with a static elimination robot 501 capable of moving the static dissipative material 504 in the vertical direction (up and down). The static elimination robot 501 includes a static elimination hand 503 that holds a protruding (pin-shaped) component formed from the static dissipative material 504, and an actuator 502 that moves the static elimination hand 503 in the vertical direction. A plurality of protruding (pin-shaped) components formed from the static dissipative material 504 are two-dimensionally arranged within the holding surface of the static elimination hand 503 so as to contact the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100. In this embodiment, the static elimination robot 501 having a protruding (pin-shaped) component formed from the static dissipative material 504 is referred to as a static elimination device. While the configuration shown in FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which the static elimination robot 501 is provided on the upper surface of the transfer chamber 302, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the static elimination robot 501 may be arranged on the lower surface of the transfer chamber 302 so as not to interfere with the transfer robot 302a.

[0061] 7 shows an example of a substrate transport path after film formation, in which a static elimination device (static elimination robot 501) is provided inside the transport chamber 302. Specifically, at a position on the substrate transport path after film formation, the static elimination device (static elimination robot 501) operates an actuator 502 to lower a static elimination hand 503 vertically downward. As the static elimination hand 503 descends, a protruding (pin-shaped) part formed of an electrostatic dissipative material 504 comes into contact with the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100, thereby eliminating the electric potential charged on the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100.

[0062] 8 is a diagram showing Configuration Example 6 of the static eliminator in the film thickness measuring device 3080 according to the embodiment. As Configuration Example 6 of the static eliminator, an example of a sheet-shaped (plate-shaped) part having a two-dimensional extension formed from a static eliminator 504 is shown.

[0063] 7 , a static elimination robot 501 capable of moving a static electricity dissipative material 504 in the vertical direction (up and down movement) is provided in the transfer chamber 302. The device configuration of the static electricity dissipative robot 501 is basically the same as that in FIG. 7 , but in configuration example 6 shown in FIG. 8 , a sheet-shaped component formed from the static electricity dissipative material 504 is held by a static elimination hand 503 via a sheet holding member 505. The sheet-shaped component formed from the static electricity dissipative material 504 and having a two-dimensional extension is held within the holding surface of the static elimination hand 503 so as to be able to come into surface contact with the attraction surface 100 a of the substrate 100.

[0064] 8 shows an example of a substrate transport path after film formation, in which a static elimination device (static elimination robot 501) is provided in the transport chamber 302. Specifically, at a position on the substrate transport path after film formation, the static elimination device (static elimination robot 501) operates an actuator 502 to lower a static elimination hand 503 vertically downward. As the static elimination hand 503 descends, a sheet-shaped component formed of a static electricity dissipative material 504 and having a two-dimensional extension comes into contact with the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100, thereby eliminating the electric potential charged on the substrate 100.

[0065] 9 is a diagram showing Configuration Example 7 of the static eliminator in the film thickness measuring device 3080 according to the embodiment. As Configuration Example 7 of the static eliminator, an example of a roller-shaped (cylindrical) part formed from a static eliminator 504 is shown.

[0066] As in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the transfer chamber 302 is provided with a static elimination robot 501 capable of vertically moving (up and down) a roller-shaped (cylindrical) component formed from a static electricity dissipative material 504. The device configuration of the static elimination robot 501 is basically the same as that in FIGS. 7 and 8 . However, in configuration example 7 shown in FIG. 9 , the roller-shaped (cylindrical) component formed from the static electricity dissipative material 504 is disposed within the holding surface of the static elimination hand 503 so as to be in surface contact with the attraction surface 100 a of the substrate 100. A roller holding member 506 is provided on the holding surface of the static elimination hand 503. The roller holding member 506 rotatably holds the roller-shaped (cylindrical) component formed from the static electricity dissipative material 504. The static elimination hand 503 of the static elimination robot 501 holds the roller-shaped (cylindrical) component formed from the static electricity dissipative material 504 via the roller holding member 506.

[0067] 9 shows an example of a substrate transport path after film formation, in which a static elimination device (static elimination robot 501) is provided in the transport chamber 302. Specifically, at a position on the substrate transport path after film formation, the static elimination device (static elimination robot 501) operates an actuator 502 to vertically lower a static elimination hand 503. As the static elimination hand 503 descends, a roller-shaped (cylindrical) part formed from the static electricity dissipative material 504 comes into contact with the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100, thereby eliminating the potential charged on the substrate 100. As the transport robot 302a moves in the horizontal direction with the roller-shaped (cylindrical) part formed from the static electricity dissipative material 504 in contact with the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100, the roller-shaped (cylindrical) part formed from the static electricity dissipative material 504 rotates on the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100, thereby eliminating the potential charged on the substrate 100.

[0068] In the configuration examples 5 to 7 of the static elimination device described in Figures 7 to 9, examples have been described in which the static elimination robot 501 is provided in the transport chamber 302, but this is not limited to this example, and the static elimination robot 501 may also be provided on the substrate transport path after film formation, for example, in the downstream buffer chamber 306 or the turning chamber 307.

[0069] <Configuration Example 8 of the Static Eliminator: Example Using Static Dissipative Material: Substrate Support> In Configuration Examples 5 to 7 of the static eliminator, examples have been described in which the static eliminator hand 503 of the static eliminator robot 501 is provided with a static diffusive material 504. In Configuration Example 8 of the static eliminator, an example will be described in which the substrate support 62 that comes into contact with the film formation surface of the substrate 100 and the substrate support 63 that comes into contact with the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 are made of a static diffusive material at the periphery of the substrate 100. Figure 10 is a diagram showing Configuration Example 8 of the static eliminator in the film thickness measurement apparatus 3080 according to the embodiment.

[0070] 10 , a base portion 61 holds substrate support portions 62 and 63. An actuator 160 moves the base portion 61 in the horizontal direction (Y direction). In this embodiment, the substrate support portions 62 and 63 made of a static electricity dissipative material, the base portion 61, and the actuator 160 are collectively referred to as a static eliminator.

[0071] The basic configuration of the film thickness measuring device 3080 is similar to that of the film thickness measuring device 3080 described in FIG. 2A, but differs in that it has static eliminators (61 to 63, 160) instead of the substrate support unit 15. The base unit 61, the substrate support units 62, 63, and the actuator 160 are provided as at least a pair on the left and right. Note that the base unit 61, the substrate support units 62, 63, and the actuator 160 may further be provided in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing so as to surround the peripheral edge of the substrate 100. The static eliminators (61 to 63, 160) as a whole also function as a substrate support unit.

[0072] The actuator 160 moves the base portion 61 and the substrate support portions 62 and 63 in the horizontal direction relative to the substrate 100 loaded into the chamber 10 of the film thickness measurement apparatus 3080. Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of the base portion 61 and the substrate support portions 62 and 63 in the static eliminator.

[0073] The substrate 100 is carried into the chamber 10 of the film thickness measurement device 3080 in the downstream delivery chamber 308 by the transfer robot 307a in the swirl chamber 307. As shown in ST1 in Figure 10, the operation of the actuator 160 causes the base portion 61 and the substrate support portions 62 and 63 on the left side of the page to move in the direction of arrow S1, thereby coming into contact with the left edge of the substrate 100. The operation of the actuator 160 also causes the base portion 61 and the substrate support portions 62 and 63 on the left side of the page to move in the direction of arrow S3, thereby moving away from the left edge of the substrate 100.

[0074] Similarly, the operation of the actuator 160 causes the base portion 61 and the substrate support portions 62, 63 on the right side of the paper to move in the direction of the arrow S2, thereby coming into contact with the right edge of the substrate 100. Furthermore, the operation of the actuator 160 causes the base portion 61 and the substrate support portions 62, 63 on the right side of the paper to move in the direction of the arrow S4, thereby moving away from the right edge of the substrate 100.

[0075] The substrate support portions 62 and 63, which are made of a static electricity dissipative material, function as a pair of leaf springs (clips). The substrate support portion 62 functions as a leaf spring biased vertically upward, and the substrate support portion 63 functions as a leaf spring biased vertically downward, and the upper and lower substrate support portions 62 and 63 are in contact with each other with the biasing forces of the upper and lower substrate support portions 62 and 63 balanced.

[0076] 10 , the left and right base portions 61 and the substrate support portions 62, 63 move in the directions of arrows S1 and S2 and come into contact with the ends of the substrate 100. As the movement in the directions of arrows S1 and S2 progresses due to the operation of the actuator 160, the left end of the substrate 100 is sandwiched between the substrate support portions 62, 63 on the left side of the page, as indicated by the vertical arrows. Similarly, the right end of the substrate 100 is sandwiched between the substrate support portions 62, 63 on the right side of the page, as indicated by the vertical arrows.

[0077] The left and right substrate support portions 62, 63 are formed from an electrostatic dissipative material. The left and right ends of the substrate 100 are sandwiched between the substrate support portions 62, 63, so that the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 comes into contact with the substrate support portions 63. As a component formed from an electrostatic dissipative material, the substrate support portion 63 comes into contact with the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 when supporting the periphery of the substrate 100. The contact of the substrate support portion 63, which is made of an electrostatic dissipative material, with the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 enables the potential of the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 to be neutralized.

[0078] In the configuration example 8 shown in Figure 10, the substrate support parts 62 and 63 are formed from a static electricity dissipative material, but if the adsorption surface 100a is to be de-electrified, it is sufficient to form at least the substrate support part 63 from a static electricity dissipative material.

[0079] In order to make it easier to sandwich the left and right ends of the substrate 100 between the substrate support parts 62, 63, the ends of the substrate support parts 62, 63 may be tapered. Furthermore, the substrate support parts 62, 63 are not limited to being tapered, and may be formed with a cross-sectional shape having a curvature. By forming a taper or curvature at the ends of the substrate support parts 62, 63, it is possible to more easily guide the ends of the substrate 100 between the substrate support parts 62, 63 along the taper or curvature.

[0080] In configuration example 8, by bringing the substrate support portion 63 formed from an electrostatic dissipative material into contact with the adsorption surface 100a of the substrate 100, the potential of the adsorption surface 100a of the substrate 100 can be neutralized in the substrate transport path after film formation.

[0081] With both ends of the substrate 100 sandwiched between the left and right substrate support parts 62, 63 (substrate support state), the electrostatic chuck 11 moves vertically downward by the operation of the chuck moving part 12 and approaches the attraction surface 100a.

[0082] The electrostatic chuck 11 is lowered to a position for film thickness measurement by the chuck moving part 12. As a result of the movement by the chuck moving part 12, the electrostatic chuck 11 is pressed against the substrate 100 supported by the left and right substrate support parts 62, 63. Then, with the substrate 100 pressed against the electrostatic chuck 11, the electrostatic chuck 11 attracts the substrate 100 by electrostatic force. As a result, the attraction region where the electrode placement part 112 of the electrostatic chuck 11 is provided and the substrate 100 come into contact with each other without any gaps.

[0083] According to the film thickness measuring device 3080 of this embodiment, the configuration of the charge removal device makes it possible to remove electricity from the attracting surface 100 a of the substrate 100 before the substrate 100 and the electrostatic chuck 11 come into contact with each other.

[0084] <Measurement of Surface Potential of Substrate 100> The film thickness measurement device 3080 of this embodiment has a potential measurement device that measures the potential (surface potential) of the substrate 100 on the substrate transport path after film formation. The potential measurement device is a surface electrometer that can be used in a vacuum environment, and measures the potential (surface potential) of the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 in a non-contact manner on the substrate transport path after film formation. Here, the substrate transport path after film formation is the same as the examples described in the static elimination device (Configuration Examples 1 to 8).

[0085] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a potential measuring device 1101 (surface electrometer). FIG. 11 shows an example of a substrate transport path after film formation, in which the potential measuring device 1101 is provided in the transport chamber 302. Specifically, the example shows an example in which the potential measuring device 1101 (surface electrometer) is provided at (or near) the exit of the gate valve 361 in the transport chamber 302, through which the substrate 100 after film formation passes when transported from the film formation chamber 303 to the transport chamber 302. A plurality of potential measuring devices 1101 are arranged along the width direction of the gate valve 361. The potential (surface potential) of the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 is measured by the potential measuring device 1101 along the substrate transport path after film formation, along which the substrate 100 after film formation is transported from the film formation chamber 303 by the transport robot 302a. Although FIG. 11 shows an example in which the potential measuring device 1101 is provided in the transport chamber 302, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, if the potential measuring device 1101 (surface potential meter) is located upstream of the static elimination device shown in Configuration Examples 1 to 8, it may be located in the buffer chamber 306 or the swirling chamber 307 downstream of the transport chamber 302.

[0086] The potential measuring device 1101 (surface electrometer) faces the chucking surface 100a of the substrate 100 transported by the transport robot 302a and is provided at a predetermined distance vertically (Z direction) above the chucking surface 100a so that non-contact measurement can be performed. The "predetermined distance" at which the potential measuring device 1101 (surface electrometer) is provided is preferably, for example, about 30 mm to 60 mm. The measurement range (measurement spot diameter) of the potential measuring device 1101 (surface electrometer) can be changed by changing the setting of the predetermined distance. For example, the measurement range is set wider as the predetermined distance increases, and the measurement range is set narrower as the predetermined distance decreases.

[0087] The potential measuring device 1101 inputs the measurement results of the measured surface potential to the control device 310. The control device 310 averages the surface potential measurement results input from the multiple potential measuring devices 1101. Then, based on the input measurement results (measured potential), the control device 310 controls the voltage applied to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 11 in the film thickness measuring device 3080 to attract the substrate 100. The voltage applied to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 11 is set to a predetermined voltage (initial setting voltage) by the voltage V of a power supply (not shown) connected to the control device 310. The control device 310 adjusts the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 so that the attracting force for attracting the substrate 100 is equal.

[0088] 12 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the potential measuring device 1101 and the control devices 310, 311. In S101, the potential measuring device 1101 measures the surface potential of the substrate 100 after film formation. The surface potential measurement by the potential measuring device 1101 may be performed on all substrates 100 in a predetermined lot, or may be performed on the first N substrates (N: integer) that make up the lot, and the control devices 310, 311 may control the film thickness measurement process based on the measurement results.

[0089] In S102, the control devices 310 and 311 control the film thickness measurement process based on the measurement results of the potential measurement device 1101. In this embodiment, the control of the film thickness measurement process may include (1) adjusting the voltage (chucking voltage) applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measurement device 3080, (2) eliminating static electricity using a static eliminator, and (3) controlling the film thickness measurement device 3080 so as not to perform the film thickness measurement process on the substrate 100 after film formation. That is, the control of the film thickness measurement process in this embodiment may include at least the three aspects (1) to (3).

[0090] As a control mode (1) of the film thickness measurement process, the control device 311 may adjust the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measurement device 3080 based on the measurement results of the potential measurement device 1101 so that the adsorption force for adsorbing the substrate 100 is equivalent.

[0091] Alternatively, as mode (2) of controlling the film thickness measurement process, the control device 310 may control the static eliminator (Configuration Examples 1 to 8) based on the measurement results of the potential measurement device 1101. For example, the control device 310 may change the irradiation time of the static eliminator (ionizer) 350 that irradiates the attraction surface 100a (lengthen or shorten the irradiation time). Furthermore, the control device 310 may control the static eliminator (static elimination robot 501) to change the time that the static electricity dissipative material is in contact with the attraction surface 100a (lengthen or shorten the contact time).

[0092] Alternatively, as a third aspect of controlling the film thickness measurement process, the control device 311 can control the film thickness measurement device 3080 based on the measurement result of the potential measurement device 1101 so as not to perform the film thickness measurement process on the measured substrate 100. For example, if the potential of the attracting surface measured by the potential measurement device 1101 exceeds the upper limit potential at which the film thickness measurement process can be performed, the control device 311 may exclude the substrate whose potential of the attracting surface has been measured from the substrates to be subjected to the film thickness measurement process (hereinafter, exclusion from the substrates to be subjected to the film thickness measurement process is also referred to as "substrate omit").

[0093] In addition to the above, the control devices 310 and 311 can also control the film thickness measurement process so as to perform both adjustment of the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 and static elimination by the static eliminator. When the upper limit potential is not exceeded, both adjustment of the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 and static elimination by the static eliminator may be performed, or either one of them may be performed, based on the magnitude of the measured potential.

[0094] The control devices 310 and 311 of the present embodiment are capable of independently controlling the film thickness measurement process by adjusting the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 (mode (1)), controlling the charge removal device (mode (2)), and excluding the substrate from the film thickness measurement process (omitting the substrate) (mode (3)). It is also possible to control both the adjustment of the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 and the control of the charge removal device (modes 1 and 2). When the substrate to be measured is excluded from the film thickness measurement process, the charge removal process by the charge removal device may not be performed.

[0095] When controlling the adjustment of the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 as the control of the film thickness measurement process (aspect (1)), a process may be performed in which the measurement results of the substrates 100 after film formation are reflected in the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 (feedforward control in the adjustment of the applied voltage). For example, if the surface potential obtained from the measurement results of the first N substrates constituting a lot is lower than a reference upper limit potential, the adjustment of the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 may be controlled for the N+1th and subsequent substrates without measuring the surface potential.

[0096] Furthermore, as a control of the film thickness measurement process (mode (2)), when a static elimination process is performed using the static elimination device (350, 501), the static elimination process may be performed by reflecting the measurement results of the substrate 100 after film formation (feedforward control in the static elimination process). For example, if the surface potential obtained from the measurement results of the first N substrates constituting a lot is lower than the reference upper limit potential, the static elimination process may be controlled for the N+1th and subsequent substrates without measuring the surface potential. Furthermore, feedforward control may be performed by combining modes 1 and 2 of the control of the film thickness measurement process.

[0097] According to the film thickness measuring device 3080 of this embodiment, it is possible to control the voltage applied to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 11 based on the surface potential of the attracting surface 100a of the substrate 100 measured before the substrate 100 after film formation comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measuring device 3080. Alternatively, it is possible to control the static elimination process by the static eliminator (350, 501) based on the measurement result of the surface potential of the attracting surface 100a. Alternatively, it is possible to exclude the substrate 100 whose surface potential has been measured from the target of the film thickness measurement process based on the measurement result of the potential measuring device 1101. Alternatively, it is possible to control both the adjustment of the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 and the static elimination by the static eliminator.

[0098] 13 is a flowchart showing the overall process flow of a film formation system having a film thickness measurement device that measures the thickness of a film formed on a substrate by a film formation process. This flowchart shows an overview of the steps in which the film thickness measurement device 3080 performs film thickness measurement processing on one substrate 100 on which a film has been formed by the film formation apparatus 1.

[0099] S201 is a pre-processing step. In this step, pre-processing for the film formation process is performed. S202 is an adsorption step in the film formation apparatus 1. For example, the control device 314 raises the substrate support unit 6 supporting the substrate 100 to a predetermined position. The control device 314 applies a changed voltage setting to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 150 of the film formation apparatus 1 to generate an adsorption force, and causes the electrostatic chuck 150 to adsorb the substrate 100.

[0100] S203 is a film formation step. The control device 314 brings the substrate 100, which has been aligned as a preparation, into contact with the mask 101. Next, the control device 314 lowers the plate unit 119 to bring the substrate 100 and the mask 101 into closer contact with each other using the magnetic force of the magnetic plate 111. In this state, the control device 314 causes the film formation unit to deposit the deposition material onto the substrate 100.

[0101] Step S204 is a peeling process. The control device 314 stops the application of voltage to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 150 of the film forming apparatus 1, thereby peeling the substrate 100 from the electrostatic chuck 150. Alternatively, the control device 314 may reduce the voltage applied to the electrode portion to such an extent that the electrostatic chuck 150 cannot maintain adhesion of the substrate 100, without stopping the application of voltage to the electrode portion.

[0102] S205 is a transfer step. In this step, the transfer robot 302a transfers the substrate 100 from the film formation apparatus 1 in the film formation chamber 303 to the transfer chamber 302. In this step, the substrate 100 after film formation is transferred along a path (substrate transfer path) up to the point where it comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measurement device 3080.

[0103] 11, the potential measuring device 1101 (surface potential meter) non-contactly measures the potential (surface potential) of the attraction surface 100a of the substrate 100 on the substrate transport path after film formation, which is transported by the transport robot 302a.

[0104] In S207, the control device 310 determines whether the potential of the attracting surface measured by the potential measuring device 1101 exceeds the upper limit potential at a level at which film thickness measurement processing can be performed. If the potential of the attracting surface exceeds the upper limit potential (S207-YES), the substrate for which the potential of the attracting surface has been measured is excluded from the substrates to be subjected to film thickness measurement processing, and processing proceeds to the transfer step in S216, where processing ends. This processing corresponds to the control aspect (3) of the film thickness measurement processing. On the other hand, if the potential of the attracting surface does not exceed the upper limit potential (S207-NO), processing proceeds to S208A.

[0105] Steps S208A to S208C are steps for determining the magnitude relationship between the surface potential of the attraction surface measured by potential measuring device 1101 and three different threshold potentials (first threshold, second threshold, and third threshold), where the magnitude relationship among the thresholds is first threshold < second threshold < third threshold < upper limit potential. In other words, if the surface potential is less than the upper limit potential, the combination of processes in the adjustment steps (S209, S212) and the static elimination steps (S210, S211), which will be described later, may be different based on the magnitude of the surface potential of the attraction surface measured by potential measuring device 1101.

[0106] S208A is a first determination step. If the surface potential of the attracting surface measured by the potential measuring device 1101 is less than the first threshold value (S208A-YES), the process proceeds to S213. In this case, the measured value of the surface potential is extremely small, and the process proceeds to the attracting step (S213) without going through the adjustment step of adjusting the attracting voltage or the static elimination step of performing static elimination processing using a static eliminator (Configuration Examples 1 to 8).

[0107] On the other hand, if the surface potential of the attraction surface is equal to or greater than the first threshold value (S208A-NO), the process proceeds to S208B.

[0108] S208B is a second determination step. If the surface potential of the attraction surface measured by the potential measuring device 1101 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value (S208B—YES), the process proceeds to S209.

[0109] S209 is an adjustment step. In the adjustment step, a process of adjusting the clamping voltage applied to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 11 in the film thickness measurement device 3080 is performed. The process of adjusting the clamping voltage corresponds to the control of the film thickness measurement process (aspect (1)). Based on the measurement result of the potential measurement device 1101, the control device 311 may adjust the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measurement device 3080 so that the clamping force for clamping the substrate 100 is equivalent. When the process in the adjustment step (S209) is completed, the process proceeds to S213 (clamping step) without going through the charge removal step.

[0110] On the other hand, if the surface potential of the attraction surface is equal to or greater than the second threshold value (S208B-NO), the process proceeds to S208C.

[0111] S208C is a third determination step. If the surface potential of the attraction surface measured by the potential measuring device 1101 is equal to or greater than the second threshold value and less than the third threshold value (S208C—YES), the process proceeds to S210.

[0112] S210 is a charge removal process. In this process, a charge removal process is performed on the substrate transfer path using a charge removal device (Configuration Example 1 to Configuration Example 8) as a pre-processing step for the film thickness measurement process. The control device 310 may control the charge removal device (Configuration Example 1 to Configuration Example 8) based on the measurement results of the potential measurement device 1101. This process corresponds to the control of the film thickness measurement process (aspect (2)). In the film thickness measurement device 3080 of this embodiment, it is possible to perform a charge removal process on the substrate 100 in advance before the substrate 100 comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measurement device 3080. When the charge removal process (S210) is completed, the process proceeds to S213 (adsorption process) without going through the adjustment process.

[0113] On the other hand, if the surface potential of the attraction surface is equal to or greater than the third threshold value (S208C-NO), the process proceeds to S211. S211 is a charge removal process, in which a charge removal process is performed on the substrate transport path by a charge removal device (Configuration Examples 1 to 8) as a pre-processing step for the film thickness measurement process. The process in this step corresponds to the control of the film thickness measurement process (mode (2)). In this step, the same process as that described in S210 is performed. When the process in S211 (charge removal process) is completed, the process proceeds to S212.

[0114] S212 is an adjustment step of adjusting the attracting voltage applied to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 11 in the film thickness measuring device 3080. The process of adjusting the attracting voltage corresponds to the control of the film thickness measurement process (aspect (1)). Based on the measurement result of the potential measuring device 1101, the control device 311 may adjust the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measuring device 3080 so that the attracting force for attracting the substrate 100 is equivalent. When the process in the adjustment step (S212) is completed, the process proceeds to S213 (attracting step).

[0115] If the surface potential of the attraction surface is equal to or greater than the third threshold value (S208C-NO), the potential is lower than the upper limit potential, but the measured value of the surface potential is extremely large. In this case, in S211 and S212, a process that combines both mode (2) and mode (1) is performed as control of the film thickness measurement process.

[0116] S213 is an adsorption step in the film thickness measuring device 3080. The control device 311 controls the chuck moving unit 12 to move the electrostatic chuck 11 toward the substrate 100 supported by the substrate support unit 15. The control device 311 applies a predetermined voltage to the electrode unit of the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measuring device 3080 to generate an adsorption force, thereby causing the electrostatic chuck 11 to adsorb the substrate 100.

[0117] The predetermined voltage applied to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 11 may be a different voltage depending on the determination result of the surface potential (S208A to S208C). For example, if the determination result of the surface potential is YES in S208A or YES in S208C, a preset initial value of the attracting voltage may be applied to the electrode portion. In this case, the attracting voltage is not changed, and the initial value of the attracting voltage may be applied to the electrode portion.

[0118] For example, if the determination result of the surface potential is YES in S208B or NO in S208C, the attracting voltage adjusted in the adjustment steps of S209 and S212 may be applied to the electrode portion. In this case, the initial attracting voltage may be adjusted based on the magnitude of the surface potential, and the voltage applied to the electrode portion may be the attracting voltage.

[0119] In this way, by controlling the film thickness measurement process (modes (1) to (3)) in accordance with the magnitude of the surface potential of the attracting surface of the substrate measured before the substrate comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck of the film thickness measurement device, it becomes possible to measure the film thickness with higher accuracy in the film thickness measurement step S214 described below.

[0120] S214 is a film thickness measurement step. Using the substrate 100 or the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measurement device 3080 that has been previously neutralized in S210 or S211, the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate 100 is measured by the film thickness measurement device 3080. The film thickness measurement process by the film thickness measurement device 3080 is as previously described with reference to Figures 2A and 2B. To avoid duplication, details of the film thickness measurement process will be omitted.

[0121] S215 is a peeling process. The control device 311 stops the application of voltage to the electrode portion of the electrostatic chuck 11 of the film thickness measuring device 3080, thereby peeling the substrate 100 from the electrostatic chuck 11. Alternatively, the control device 311 may reduce the voltage applied to the electrode portion to such an extent that the electrostatic chuck 11 cannot maintain attraction of the substrate 100, without stopping the application of voltage to the electrode portion.

[0122] S216 is a transport step. In this step, the substrate 100 whose film thickness has been measured is transported downstream from the delivery chamber 308 by a transport robot arranged downstream. If the measurement result of the potential measuring device 1101 indicates that the potential of the attraction surface of the substrate 100 exceeds the upper limit potential (S207-YES), as a control mode (3) of the film thickness measurement process, the measurement process by the film thickness measuring device 3080 is not performed, and the substrate 100 whose measurement process has not yet been performed is transported downstream from the delivery chamber 308.

[0123] According to the above embodiment, the film thickness measurement process can be controlled based on the measurement result of the surface potential of the attracting surface of the substrate measured before the substrate comes into contact with the electrostatic chuck of the film thickness measurement device, thereby enabling highly accurate film thickness measurement.

[0124] The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more of the functions.

[0125] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention.

[0126] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-019617, filed February 13, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0127] 1: film forming apparatus, 3080: film thickness measuring apparatus, 11: electrostatic chuck of film thickness measuring apparatus, 15: electrostatic chuck of film forming apparatus, 100: substrate, 100a: attraction surface (substrate), 302a: transfer robot, 307a: transfer robot, 310: control device, 311: control device, 350: static eliminator (ionizer), 501: static eliminator (static eliminator robot), 504: static electricity dissipative material, 1101: potential measuring device

Claims

1. A film formation system having a film thickness measurement device that measures the thickness of a film formed on a substrate by a film formation process, the film thickness measurement device comprising: a measuring means for measuring the thickness of the film; an electrostatic chuck that electrostatically attracts a substrate to be measured by the measuring means; a potential measuring means that measures the potential of the attraction surface of the substrate attracted to the electrostatic chuck on a transport path before the substrate is attracted to the electrostatic chuck; and a control means that controls the film thickness measurement process by the measuring means based on the measurement result of the potential.

2. A film deposition system according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls the voltage applied to said electrostatic chuck based on the measurement result of said potential measurement means.

3. A film forming system as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a charge removal means for removing charge from the attraction surface of the substrate on the transport path, and the control means controls the charge removal means based on the measurement results of the potential measurement means.

4. A film forming system according to claim 3, wherein said static elimination means has an ionizer that irradiates the attraction surface of said substrate with ultraviolet light that induces ionization.

5. The static elimination means is 1 x 10 ４ Ω or more, 1×10 １１ The film forming system according to claim 3, characterized in that a part molded from a substance having electrostatic dissipation properties and a surface resistance of less than Ω is brought into contact with the attraction surface on the transport path to neutralize the attraction surface.

6. The film forming system according to claim 5, characterized in that the static elimination means brings a part formed from the electrostatic dissipative material, which has a shape of multiple protrusions or a part having a sheet shape with a two-dimensional extension, into contact with the adsorption surface on the transport path, thereby eliminating static electricity from the adsorption surface.

7. The film forming system according to claim 5, characterized in that the static elimination means comprises a substrate support means, which is a component molded from a substance having static electricity dissipation properties and comes into contact with the adsorption surface of the substrate when supporting the periphery of the substrate.

8. The film forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the potential of the attracting surface measured by the potential measuring means exceeds an upper limit potential at a level at which film thickness measurement processing can be performed, the control means excludes the substrate for which the potential of the attracting surface has been measured from the target substrates for the film thickness measurement processing.

9. The film formation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the film formation device that performs the film formation process is a deposit-up type film formation device, the vertically upper surface of the substrate is the adsorption surface, the vertically lower surface of the substrate is the film formation surface, and a film of evaporation material having a predetermined pattern is formed on the film formation surface of the substrate via a mask.

10. The film formation system according to claim 9, comprising: a transfer chamber in which a transfer means for transferring the substrate is disposed; and a plurality of film formation chambers around the transfer chamber in which the film formation process is performed on the substrate, wherein the film formation device is disposed in each of the plurality of film formation chambers.

11. The film formation system according to claim 9, characterized in that the film formation device is provided with an electrostatic chuck that adsorbs by electrostatic force, and the electrostatic chuck adsorbs the vertically upper surface of the substrate on which the film formation process is performed as the adsorption surface.

12. The film formation system according to claim 9, characterized in that the measuring means comprises: a light projecting means for projecting light from a light source onto the film formation surface; a light receiving means for receiving light reflected from the film formation surface; a spectroscopic means for dispersing the reflected light and measuring the light intensity for each wavelength band; and a calculation means for calculating a measurement value of the thickness of the film based on the light intensity.

13. A film formation system having a film thickness measuring device that measures the thickness of a film formed on a substrate by a film formation process, the film thickness measuring device comprising: a measuring means for measuring the thickness of the film; an electrostatic chuck that electrostatically attracts a substrate to be measured by the measuring means; a potential measuring means that measures the potential of the attracting surface of the substrate attracted to the electrostatic chuck before the substrate is attracted to the electrostatic chuck; and a control means that controls the film thickness measurement process by the measuring means based on the measurement result of the potential.

14. A film thickness measurement method for a film thickness measurement device equipped with a measurement means for measuring the thickness of a film formed on a substrate by a film formation process and an electrostatic chuck for electrostatically attracting a substrate to be measured by the measurement means, the film thickness measurement method comprising: a potential measurement step for measuring the potential of the attraction surface of the substrate attracted to the electrostatic chuck on a transport path before the substrate is attracted to the electrostatic chuck; and a control step for controlling the film thickness measurement process by the measurement means based on the potential measurement result.

15. A film thickness measurement method for a film thickness measurement device equipped with a measurement means for measuring the thickness of a film formed on a substrate by a film formation process and an electrostatic chuck for electrostatically attracting a substrate to be measured by the measurement means, the film thickness measurement method comprising: a potential measurement step for measuring the potential of the attracting surface of the substrate attracted to the electrostatic chuck before the substrate is attracted to the electrostatic chuck; and a control step for controlling the film thickness measurement process by the measurement means based on the potential measurement result.

16. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising: a film formation process for performing a film formation process to form a film on a substrate; and a film thickness measurement process for measuring the thickness of the film formed by the film formation process using the film thickness measurement method described in claim 14 or 15.

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