Substrate processing system and substrate processing method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method, which are capable of generating diagnostic data including information related to a processing state of a substrate. The substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a substrate processing unit for treating a substrate according to a set processing condition; a substrate inspection unit for monitoring a plurality of substrates treated by the substrate processing unit; an analysis unit capable of generating, from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit for a predetermined time period, diagnostic data including information related to the processing state of the substrate treated by the substrate processing unit; and a control unit, which can receive the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit and transmit same to the outside, wherein the substrate inspection unit monitors a first area of a first substrate and a second area of a second substrate from among a plurality of substrates, the first area and the second area being different from each other with respect to at least one area.

Description

Substrate processing system and substrate processing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method, and more particularly, to a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method capable of generating diagnostic data including information on the processing status of a substrate.

[0002]

[0003] Semiconductor devices are manufactured by forming various types of pattern layers on a substrate such as a wafer. In order to form such a pattern layer, a process of laminating a predetermined pattern layer on the substrate using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) is generally performed.

[0004] In addition, even after the process of laminating the pattern layer, in order to pattern the laminated pattern layer into a desired shape, a process of etching the pattern layer using a photoresist as a mask and a process of stripping the photoresist are performed.

[0005] Meanwhile, as design rules shrink, semiconductor manufacturing processes may operate closer to their performance capabilities. Furthermore, in some cases of smaller design rules, process failures tend to be systematic. That is, failures tend to occur in predetermined design patterns that are often repeated multiple times within the design. The detection and removal of spatially systematic, electrically related defects is crucial, as eliminating such defects has a significant impact on yield.

[0006] Therefore, in response to technological advancements such as the rapidly developing manufacturing technology of semiconductor devices, high integration, and increasing demand for semiconductor devices, it is urgent to secure a technology that can check the processing status of the substrate and actively change the processing conditions accordingly to process the substrate.

[0007] (Prior art document) (Patent document 1) KR10-2017-0068419 A

[0008]

[0009] The present invention provides a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method that monitor a substrate to generate diagnostic data including information on the processing status of the substrate and can utilize the generated diagnostic data.

[0010]

[0011] A substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a substrate processing unit for processing one or more substrates according to set processing conditions; a substrate inspection unit for monitoring a plurality of substrates processed in the substrate processing unit; an analysis unit capable of generating diagnostic data including information on processing states of substrates processed in the substrate processing unit from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit for a predetermined period of time; and a control unit capable of receiving and transmitting the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit to the outside; wherein the substrate inspection unit monitors a first region of a first substrate and a second region of a second substrate among the plurality of substrates, and at least some regions of the first region and the second region may be different from each other.

[0012] In addition, a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate processing unit for processing one or more substrates according to set processing conditions; a substrate inspection unit for monitoring a plurality of substrates processed in the substrate processing unit; an analysis unit capable of generating diagnostic data including information on a processing status of a substrate processed in the substrate processing unit from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit for a predetermined period of time; and a control unit capable of receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit and transmitting a warning signal when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate; wherein the substrate inspection unit monitors a first region of a first substrate and a second region of a second substrate among the plurality of substrates, and at least some regions of the first region and the second region may be different from each other.

[0013] The above plurality of substrates may be selected from among substrates processed under the same processing conditions.

[0014] The above control unit can reset the processing conditions set in the substrate processing unit.

[0015] The above control unit may include a learning unit that has learned to reset the processing conditions set in the substrate processing unit.

[0016] The control unit further includes a storage unit in which learning data including information on processing conditions to be reset according to the processing status of the substrate is stored in advance, and the learning unit can learn through the learning data stored in the storage unit.

[0017] The above storage unit can store information about the result of processing the substrate under the processing conditions reset in the above substrate processing unit as learning data.

[0018]

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate processing method is provided for processing a plurality of substrates according to set processing conditions through a substrate processing system including a substrate processing unit, a substrate inspection unit, an analysis unit, and a control unit, the method comprising: a step in which the substrate inspection unit monitors a first area of ​​a first substrate processed in the substrate processing unit; a step in which the substrate inspection unit monitors a second area, at least partially different from the first area of ​​a second substrate processed in the substrate processing unit; a step in which the analysis unit generates diagnostic data including information on a processing status of a substrate processed in the substrate processing unit from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit; and a step in which the control unit receives the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit and transmits it to the outside.

[0020] In addition, a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a step of the substrate inspection unit monitoring a first region of a first substrate processed in the substrate processing unit according to set processing conditions through a substrate processing system including a substrate processing unit, a substrate inspection unit, an analysis unit, and a control unit; a step of the substrate inspection unit monitoring a second region of a second substrate processed in the substrate processing unit, at least a portion of which is different from the first region; a step of the analysis unit generating diagnostic data including information on a processing status of a substrate processed in the substrate processing unit from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit; and a step of the control unit receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit and transmitting a warning signal when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate.

[0021] The step of generating the above diagnostic data may generate the diagnostic data from information obtained by monitoring a plurality of substrates including the first substrate and the second substrate for a predetermined period of time in the substrate inspection unit.

[0022] The step of monitoring the first region of the first substrate may monitor a portion of the first substrate along a first direction passing through the center of the first substrate, and the step of monitoring a portion of the second substrate may monitor a portion of the second substrate along a second direction passing through the center of the second substrate and different from the first direction.

[0023] The step of transmitting the above warning signal can determine that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate when at least one of the information monitoring the first substrate and the information monitoring the second substrate is outside the error range.

[0024] The step of transmitting the above warning signal may include assigning a priority to information monitoring the first substrate and information monitoring the second substrate, and if at least one of the information up to the set priority falls outside the error range, it may be determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate.

[0025] It may further include a step of resetting the processing conditions set in the above substrate processing unit.

[0026] The step of resetting the above-described set processing conditions can be performed by a learning unit that has learned to be able to reset the processing conditions set in the substrate processing unit.

[0027] After the step of resetting the above-described processing conditions, the method may further include a step of training the learning unit with information about the result of processing the substrate with the reset processing conditions in the substrate processing unit.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, by monitoring at least some areas of a plurality of substrates at different locations, diagnostic data including information on the processing status of the substrates can be generated in a short period of time, thereby reducing the time required for inspection.

[0029] In addition, by transmitting the generated diagnostic data to the outside for management and sending a warning signal to the user when it is determined through the diagnostic data that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, immediate feedback on the processing status of the substrate can be provided, the defect rate during substrate processing can be minimized, and the operating rate of the equipment can be improved.

[0030]

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 is a drawing for explaining a schematic structure of a measuring unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 3 is a drawing for explaining a schematic structure of a measuring unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 is a drawing schematically showing a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments of the present invention are provided solely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. For the purpose of explaining the invention in detail, the drawings may be exaggerated, and like reference numerals throughout the drawings represent like elements.

[0036]

[0037] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a measuring unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a measuring unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate processing unit (100) for processing one or more substrates according to set processing conditions, a substrate inspection unit (600) for monitoring a plurality of substrates processed in the substrate processing unit (100), an analysis unit (700) capable of generating diagnostic data including information on the processing status of substrates processed in the substrate processing unit (100) from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit (600) for a predetermined period of time, and a control unit (800) capable of receiving and managing the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit, wherein the substrate inspection unit (600) monitors a first region of a first substrate and a second region of a second substrate among the plurality of substrates, wherein at least some regions of the first region and the second region are different from each other. Here, the control unit (800) can receive the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit and transmit it to the outside, and can send a warning signal when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate upon receiving the diagnostic data.

[0039] The substrate processing unit (100) processes a substrate. Here, the substrate processing unit (100) may include a processing chamber having a processing space for processing a substrate and a substrate support unit for supporting a substrate provided in the processing space. In addition, the substrate processing unit (100) may further include a gas injection unit for injecting a processing gas toward the substrate support unit. In such a substrate processing unit (100), one or more substrates can be processed simultaneously. That is, one or more substrates can be processed by placing them on the substrate support unit in one chamber. At this time, the substrate processing unit (100) may perform substrate processing such as deposition, etching, annealing, curing, cleaning, oxide removal, etc.

[0040] The substrate processing unit (100) processes the substrate according to set processing conditions. Here, the processing conditions may refer to conditions for processing the substrate, for example, a process recipe. The substrate processing unit (100) may be initially set to process the substrate according to specific processing conditions, and the substrate processed according to the set processing conditions is monitored through the substrate inspection unit (600) described below.

[0041] In addition, the substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a transport unit (200) for transporting a substrate, a load lock unit (300) capable of storing a plurality of substrates transported from the substrate processing unit (100), a front end module unit (EFEM: Equipment Front End Module) (400) connected to the load lock unit (300) for discharging the substrates stored in the load lock unit (300), and a cassette unit (500) for loading the substrates transferred from the front end module unit (400). Here, the substrate processing unit (100), the transport unit (200), the load lock unit (300), the front end module unit (400), and the cassette unit (500) perform an actual process of processing the substrate, and this may be referred to as a substrate processing device.

[0042] The transfer unit (200) can transfer the substrate processed in the substrate processing unit (100) to the load lock unit (300), or transfer the substrate stored in the load lock unit (300) to the substrate processing unit (100). The transfer unit (200) can include a transfer chamber and a robot arm. The load lock unit (300) can store the substrate transferred from the processing unit (100) through the transfer unit (200). The load lock unit (300) can include a plurality of slots capable of storing a plurality of substrates sequentially transferred from the processing unit (100). The front end module unit (400) can be connected to the load lock unit (300) and can discharge the substrates stored in the load lock unit (300) to the cassette unit (600). The cassette unit (600) can store the substrates discharged through the front end module unit (400) in units of lots. For example, the number of substrates per lot unit may be 25, and 25 substrates may be loaded into one cassette section (600).

[0043] The substrate inspection unit (600) can monitor different areas of a plurality of substrates processed in the substrate processing unit (100). That is, when one substrate is processed in the substrate processing unit (100), the substrate inspection unit (600) monitors a first area of ​​a first substrate and a second area of ​​a second substrate among the plurality of substrates processed by performing a plurality of processing processes, or when two or more substrates are processed by performing a single or plurality of processing processes, and at least some areas of the first area and the second area may be different from each other. To this end, the substrate inspection unit (600) may include a substrate mounting unit (610) for mounting a substrate and a detection unit (620) for monitoring a substrate mounted on the substrate mounting unit (610).

[0044] A substrate (S) to be monitored is mounted on the substrate mounting portion (610). Here, the substrate (S) may include a dummy substrate for monitoring only, rather than a substrate manufactured for actual use, and a thin film may be deposited on the dummy substrate. Such a dummy substrate can be reused in a subsequent monitoring process after monitoring has been performed. In addition, the substrate (S) may include a substrate (S) that has undergone an etching process, a stripping process, or the like, and at this time, a substrate (S) on which a pattern has been formed by the above-described process may be mounted on the substrate mounting portion (610).

[0045] As such, the substrate mounting unit (610) may be installed in various locations. For example, the substrate mounting unit (610) may be installed in the substrate processing unit (100), in which case, the substrate mounting unit (610) may be a substrate support unit for supporting a substrate provided in a processing space. In addition, the substrate mounting unit (610) may be provided in a load lock unit (300) that stores a plurality of substrates returned from the processing unit (100) where a predetermined processing as described above is performed, or in a front end module unit (400) that is connected to the load lock unit (300) to discharge the substrates stored in the load lock unit (300). Here, when the substrate mounting unit (610) is installed in the load lock unit (300) as illustrated in FIG. 1, the substrate mounting unit (610) may include at least one slot among a plurality of slots included in the load lock unit (300). In addition, when the substrate mounting unit (610) is provided in the front end module unit (400), the substrate mounting unit (610) may be provided in some space within the front end module unit (400). Of course, the substrate mounting unit (610) may also be provided separately from the substrate processing device including the processing unit (100), the transfer unit (200), the load lock unit (300), the front end module unit (400), and the cassette unit (500). That is, the substrate mounting unit (610) may be spaced apart from the substrate processing device so that a substrate transferred from the substrate processing device may be mounted thereon. In FIG. 1, the substrate mounting unit (610) is exemplarily shown as being installed in the load lock unit (300), but the substrate mounting unit (610) is not limited thereto and may of course be installed in various locations for the purpose of monitoring the substrate.

[0046] The detection unit (620) is installed on the substrate mounting unit (610) and monitors the substrate (S). For example, the detection unit (620) can monitor the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate (S). To this end, the detection unit (620) can be composed of various units for measuring the distance to the substrate (S), the image, spectrum, and resistance value of the substrate (S), and various units for measuring the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate (S) are known in the art, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0047] The detection unit (620) can monitor different areas of multiple substrates processed in the substrate processing unit (100).

[0048] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the detection unit (620) may be provided in plurality to monitor different areas of a plurality of substrates as illustrated in FIG. 2. For example, the detection unit (620) according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a support unit (630) installed on the upper side of the substrate mounting unit (610), that is, at a position spaced apart from the substrate mounting unit (610) by a certain distance upward, and a first detection unit (622) for monitoring a first area of ​​a first substrate and a second detection unit (624) for monitoring a second area of ​​a second substrate may be installed below the support unit (630).

[0049] Here, the first detection unit (622) may be fixedly installed on the substrate mounting unit (610) to monitor a first area of ​​a first substrate mounted on the substrate mounting unit (610), or may be installed on the substrate mounting unit (610) to be relatively movable with respect to the first substrate mounted on the substrate mounting unit (610). The second detection unit (624) may also be fixedly installed on the substrate mounting unit (610) to monitor a second area of ​​a second substrate mounted on the substrate mounting unit (610), or may be installed on the substrate mounting unit (610) to be relatively movable with respect to the second substrate mounted on the substrate mounting unit (610).

[0050] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the detection unit (620) may be installed to move relatively to monitor different areas of a plurality of substrates as illustrated in FIG. 3. For example, the detection unit (620) according to another embodiment of the present invention may be installed to move below the support unit (630). Here, the detection unit (620) may be fixed in position on the substrate mounting unit (610), and the substrate mounting unit (610) may be installed to move relatively to the substrate (S).

[0051] Here, the movement path of the detection unit (620) can be controlled so that at least some areas of a plurality of substrates on which a predetermined process has been performed are monitored at different locations. For example, the detection unit (620) can move in different directions with respect to the first substrate and the second substrate to monitor the plurality of substrates including the first substrate and the second substrate at different locations. Here, the different directions may mean, for example, different directions in the case where each substrate is placed such that the notch is located at the top. This may be achieved through the control unit (800) described below, or alternatively, the substrate inspection unit (600) may further include a separate control unit (not shown), and the control unit may control the movement path of the detection unit (620).

[0052] This substrate inspection unit (600) can monitor, for example, a portion of a first substrate along a first direction passing through the center of the first substrate, and a portion of a second substrate along a second direction different from the first direction passing through the center of the second substrate. Since each substrate processed in the substrate processing unit (100) has characteristics that are symmetrical with respect to the center, the substrate inspection unit (600) can monitor the first region of the first substrate and the second region of the second substrate from the first detection unit (622) and the second detection unit (624), or through the detection unit (620) that is installed to be relatively movable.

[0053] In addition, the plurality of substrates monitored by the substrate inspection unit (600) can be selected from among the substrates processed under the same processing conditions. Generally, in substrate processing equipment, each processing process collects a certain number of substrates and performs the process in units of lots. In addition, even in the case of a single-wafer process, the actual process is performed in units of one substrate, but the management thereof is performed in units of lots. Accordingly, for example, the number of substrates in a lot can be 25, and 25 substrates can be loaded into one cassette unit (500). In this way, when a plurality of substrates are selected from among the substrates included in a lot, it is possible to determine whether there is an abnormality in the entire substrate processing device, and for example, when a plurality of substrates are selected from among the substrates undergoing a predetermined process in a specific processing unit (100), it is possible to easily determine whether there is an abnormality in the corresponding processing unit (100).

[0054] Here, the substrate inspection unit (600) can monitor different positions of multiple substrates multiple times at a set cycle. That is, the substrate inspection unit (600) monitors different positions of multiple substrates, and such monitoring can be performed repeatedly at a set cycle. In addition, the positions monitored by the substrate inspection unit (600) can be repeated at each cycle. That is, the substrate inspection unit (600) can monitor different positions set for multiple substrates at each cycle. In addition, the substrate inspection unit (600) can set positions for monitoring substrates in a number that is equal to or proportional to the number of substrates processed by the substrate processing unit (100), and can thus repeatedly monitor different positions set for multiple substrates.

[0055] The analysis unit (700) generates diagnostic data including information on the processing status of a substrate processed in the substrate processing unit (100) from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit (600) for a predetermined period of time. For example, the analysis unit (700) can generate diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit (600) for a predetermined period of time on the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate. In addition, the analysis unit (700) can generate diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit (600) for a predetermined number of times on the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate. Here, the diagnostic data may include information on the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate accumulated for such a predetermined period of time, or may include information on the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate updated for the predetermined period of time. In addition, the diagnostic data may include various information that can check the processing status of the processed substrate according to the set processing conditions.

[0056] The control unit (800) receives and manages diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700).

[0057] For example, the control unit (800) can receive the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) and transmit it to the outside. That is, the control unit (800) can receive the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) and transmit it to an external system other than the substrate processing system, a user's electronic device through which the user can check the diagnostic data, a server, etc. In this way, by the control unit (800) receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) and transmitting it to the outside, the diagnostic data can be effectively managed and the data processing efficiency can be improved.

[0058] Meanwhile, the control unit (800) may receive the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) and, if it determines that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, may transmit a warning signal. That is, the control unit (800) may receive the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit, determine whether there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, and, if it determines that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, may transmit a warning signal to notify the user of this.

[0059] For example, the control unit (800) can determine the processing status as normal, that is, good, if the information monitoring the first substrate or the diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and the monitoring information of the second substrate or the diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom are all within a set error range. In addition, the control unit (800) can determine the processing status as abnormal, that is, bad, if at least one of the information monitoring the first substrate or the diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and the monitoring information of the second substrate or the diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom is outside the error range. As described above, the substrate inspection unit (600) according to the embodiment of the present invention monitors a plurality of substrates selected from among substrates that have undergone the same predetermined processing, and thus, the monitoring information acquired for the first substrate can be directly applied to the second substrate among the plurality of substrates, and conversely, the monitoring information acquired for the second substrate among the plurality of substrates can be directly applied to the first substrate among the plurality of substrates. Accordingly, all substrates that have undergone the same predetermined processing can be viewed as having the same processing status as a single virtual substrate, and the control unit (800) can determine whether there is an abnormality in the processing status of a virtual substrate in which monitoring information or diagnostic data for multiple substrates has been collected.

[0060] For example, when the substrate inspection unit (600) monitors a first region of the first substrate along a first direction passing through the center of the first substrate and a second region of the second substrate along a second direction passing through the center of the second substrate and different from the first direction, the control unit (800) can determine the processing status as good if both the information monitoring the first substrate and the information monitoring the second substrate in the center where the first and second regions overlap are within an error range. In addition, the control unit (800) can determine whether the monitoring information of the first substrate in the first region excluding the center is within an error range, and can determine whether the monitoring information of the second substrate in the second region excluding the center is within an error range, and can determine the processing status as defective if at least one of them is outside the error range.

[0061] Meanwhile, the control unit (800) assigns a ranking to the information monitoring the first substrate or the diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and the monitoring information of the second substrate or the diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom, and if at least one of the information up to the set ranking is outside the error range, it can be determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate. For example, if the information monitoring the first substrate includes the first information and the second information, and the information monitoring the second substrate includes the third information and the fourth information, rankings can be assigned to the first to fourth information. If the first information is assigned a ranking of 1 and the third information is assigned a ranking of 2, if the first information is outside the error range, the processing status of the substrate can be determined as defective regardless of the second to fourth information. In addition, if the first information is within the error range and the second information is outside the error range, the processing status of the substrate can be determined as defective regardless of the third to fourth information. Here, if information up to the second priority is set to be used to determine the processing status of the substrate, if the first and second information fall within the error range, the processing status of the substrate can be determined as good. In this way, the control unit (800) can effectively shorten the inspection time by determining the processing status of the substrate according to the priority of multiple pieces of information, thereby preventing unnecessary processing status determination for areas of the substrate with a low defect frequency.

[0062] If the control unit (800) determines that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate through the above process, it can send out a warning signal. That is, the control unit (800) determines whether there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate performed in the processing unit (100) from monitoring information or diagnostic data for a plurality of substrates, and if the processing status is determined to be good, it can continue to perform the processing in the processing unit (100), and if the processing status is determined to be bad, it can determine that a problem has occurred in the substrate processing device and send out a warning signal to the user. At this time, the control unit (800) can automatically temporarily suspend the processing process of the processing unit (100), and after the processing process is suspended, it can warn the user of the bad processing status by means of an alarm or the like.

[0063] Meanwhile, the control unit (800) may also reset the processing conditions set in the substrate processing unit (100). For example, the control unit (800) determines whether there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrates performed in the processing unit (100) from monitoring information or diagnostic data for a plurality of substrates, and if the processing status is determined to be defective, the user can confirm this and reset the processing conditions set in the substrate processing unit (100) through the control unit (800).

[0064] In addition, the control unit (800) may include a learning unit that is trained to reset the processing conditions set in the substrate processing unit (100). At this time, the learning unit may be trained through an artificial neural network, and the artificial neural network refers to a computer system for implementing artificial intelligence with a machine learning model created by modeling the structure of human neurons in software. The control unit (800) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a learning unit having such an artificial neural network, and when the processing status of the substrate is determined to be defective, it may suggest or propose desirable processing conditions through artificial intelligence, or change the set processing conditions to automatically reset them. To this end, the control unit (800) may further include a storage unit in which learning information including substrate status information and processing condition information to be reset according to the substrate status information is stored in advance, and the learning unit may be trained through the learning information stored in the storage unit.

[0065] In order for the learning unit to suggest or propose desirable processing conditions through artificial intelligence, or to automatically reset the set processing conditions by changing them, the learning unit first receives learning information including substrate status information and processing condition information to be reset based on the state information from the storage unit, and learns. That is, the learning unit learns to select processing conditions that can resolve or minimize abnormalities in the processing status of the substrate when there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate through learning information including substrate status information indicating the processed state of the substrate and processing condition information to be reset based on the state information. When the learning unit calculates desirable processing conditions through artificial intelligence, the user can receive them and change the set processing conditions, and the learning unit can automatically reset the processing conditions preset in the substrate processing unit (100) to desirable processing conditions.

[0066] For example, the learning unit can be trained using the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, distribution range, etc. of a substrate processed in a substrate processing device according to a first processing condition. In addition, the learning unit can be trained using the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, distribution range, etc. of a substrate processed in a substrate processing device according to a second processing condition. Here, the first processing condition may be similar to the second processing condition except that at least one operation is different from the second processing condition. At this time, the learning unit can generate a third processing condition that includes an indication of a difference between the first processing condition and the second processing condition, and can indicate that this corresponds to a difference in the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, distribution range, etc. for a specific operation. The learning unit can be trained to select a processing condition that can resolve or minimize an abnormality in the processing state when there is an abnormality in the processing state of the substrate through the learning information acquired or generated in this way.

[0067] In addition, when the processing conditions are reset and the substrate is processed according to the reset processing conditions, information about the result of processing the substrate according to the reset processing conditions can be stored again as learning information. That is, the storage unit can store information about the result of processing the substrate according to the reset processing conditions in the substrate processing unit (100) as learning information. In this case, the learning unit can relearn the result information processed according to the reset processing conditions and select the optimal processing conditions that can resolve or minimize abnormalities in the processing state.

[0068] Such a control unit (800) may include a control server, etc., and may be connected to the aforementioned substrate processing device via a network. In addition, the aforementioned analysis unit (700) may also be connected to the substrate processing device via a network. As illustrated, when the substrate inspection unit (600) is installed in the substrate processing device, for example, the load lock unit (300), the analysis unit (700) may receive monitoring information via a network and generate diagnostic data, and the control unit (800) may also receive monitoring information and diagnostic data from the substrate inspection unit (600) or the analysis unit (700) via a network, and through this, determine whether there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, and transmit a control command for resetting the processing conditions of the substrate to the substrate processing unit (100) via the network.

[0069]

[0070] Hereinafter, a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Here, description of any content that overlaps with the content of the substrate processing system described above in the substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be omitted.

[0071] FIG. 4 is a drawing schematically showing a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 4, a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate processing system including a substrate processing unit (100), a substrate inspection unit (600), an analysis unit (700), and a control unit (800), wherein the substrate processing method processes a plurality of substrates according to set processing conditions, the method including a step (S100) in which the substrate inspection unit (600) monitors a first region of a first substrate processed in the substrate processing unit (100), a step (S200) in which the substrate inspection unit (600) monitors a second region of a second substrate processed in the substrate processing unit (100), the second region being at least partially different from the first region, a step (S300) in which the analysis unit (700) generates diagnostic data including information on a processing status of a substrate processed in the substrate processing unit (100) from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit (600), and a step (S400) in which the control unit (800) receives and manages the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700).

[0073] Here, the step (S400) in which the control unit (800) receives and manages the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) may include a step in which the control unit (800) receives the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) and transmits it to the outside. In addition, the step (S400) in which the control unit (800) receives and manages the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) may include a step in which the control unit (800) receives the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) and transmits a warning signal if it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate.

[0074] A substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a step of selecting a first substrate and a second substrate to monitor a first region of a first substrate and a second region of a second substrate. The step of selecting the first substrate and the second substrate selects the first substrate and the second substrate to be monitored from among a plurality of substrates processed according to set processing conditions. Here, the processing conditions may refer to conditions for processing the substrate, for example, a process recipe. The first substrate and the second substrate may be selected from a cassette in which a plurality of substrates are loaded, and in this case, the first substrate and the second substrate may be selected from among a plurality of substrates included in a lot, thereby making it possible to determine whether the substrate processing device as a whole is abnormal. In addition, the first substrate and the second substrate may be selected from among a plurality of substrates on which a predetermined processing is performed within the same substrate processing unit (100). That is, when, for example, 3 to 6 substrates are processed simultaneously within the same substrate processing unit (100), the first substrate and the second substrate can be selected for all or some of the 3 to 6 substrates, thereby making it possible to easily determine whether the substrate processing unit (100) is abnormal.

[0075] The step (S100) of monitoring a first region of a first substrate monitors thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, distribution range, etc. for a portion of the first substrate from the substrate inspection unit (600). In addition, the step (S200) of monitoring a second region of a second substrate monitors thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, distribution range, etc. for a portion of the second substrate from the substrate inspection unit (600). At this time, the first region and the second region may differ from each other in at least some areas.

[0076] For example, the step (S100) of monitoring a first area of ​​a first substrate may monitor a portion of the first substrate along a first direction passing through the center of the first substrate, and the step (S200) of monitoring a second area of ​​a second substrate may monitor a portion of the second substrate along a second direction passing through the center of the second substrate and different from the first direction. Since each substrate processed in the substrate processing unit (100) has characteristics that are symmetrical with respect to the center, the substrate inspection unit (600) may monitor the first area of ​​the first substrate and the second area of ​​the second substrate from the first detection unit (622) and the second detection unit (624), or through the detection unit (620) that is relatively movably installed.

[0077] To this end, the substrate inspection unit (600) may include a substrate mounting unit (610) for mounting a substrate and a detection unit (620) for monitoring the substrate mounted on the substrate mounting unit (610). The detection units (620) may be provided in multiple numbers to monitor different areas of a plurality of substrates as illustrated in FIG. 2, or may be installed to move relatively to monitor different areas of a plurality of substrates as illustrated in FIG. 3. Meanwhile, the control unit may control the movement path of the detection unit (620) so that at least some areas of the first substrate and the second substrate are monitored at different positions, whereby the monitoring area of ​​the first substrate, i.e., the first area, and the monitoring area of ​​the second substrate, i.e., the second area, are at least partially different from each other. The above-described contents may be equally applied to the step (S100) of monitoring the first area of ​​the first substrate and the step (S200) of monitoring the second area of ​​the second substrate, and it goes without saying that each monitoring area may be configured in various ways so that at least some areas are monitored at different locations.

[0078] Step (S300) of generating diagnostic data generates diagnostic data including information on the processing status of a substrate processed in a substrate processing unit (100) from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit (600) for a predetermined period of time by the analysis unit (700). For example, the analysis unit (700) may generate diagnostic data from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit (600) for a predetermined period of time, such as the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, and presence or absence of particles and their distribution range.

[0079] Here, the step (S300) of generating diagnostic data may generate diagnostic data from information obtained by monitoring a plurality of substrates including the first substrate and the second substrate for a predetermined period of time by the substrate inspection unit (100). For example, the analysis unit (700) may generate diagnostic data from information obtained by monitoring the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate by the substrate inspection unit (600) for a predetermined period of time. In addition, the analysis unit (700) may generate diagnostic data from information obtained by monitoring the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate by the substrate inspection unit (600) while processing the substrate a predetermined number of times. Here, the diagnostic data may include information on the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate accumulated for such a predetermined period of time, or may include information on the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, and distribution range of the substrate updated for the predetermined period of time. As mentioned above, the diagnostic data may include various information that can confirm the processing status of the processed substrate according to the set processing conditions.

[0080] The step of receiving diagnostic data and transmitting it externally may be performed by the control unit (800) receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) and transmitting it externally. That is, the control unit (800) may receive the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) and transmit it to an external system other than the substrate processing system, a user's electronic device through which the user can check the diagnostic data, a server, etc. In this way, by the control unit (800) receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) and transmitting it externally, it is possible to prevent excessive data from accumulating in the substrate processing system and causing a decrease in performance, and to improve the processing speed.

[0081] Meanwhile, the step of transmitting a warning signal may be such that the control unit (800) receives the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) and, if it determines that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, it may transmit a warning signal. That is, the control unit (800) receives the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit, determines whether there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, and, if it determines that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, it may transmit a warning signal to notify the user of this.

[0082] Here, the step of transmitting a warning signal is such that the control unit (800) receives the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit (700) to determine whether there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, and if it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate, a warning signal can be transmitted to notify the user of this.

[0083] At this time, the control unit (800) can determine the processing status as normal, i.e., good, if the information monitoring the first substrate or the diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and the monitoring information of the second substrate or the diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom are all within a set error range. In addition, the control unit (800) can determine the processing status as abnormal, i.e., bad, if at least one of the information monitoring the first substrate or the diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and the monitoring information of the second substrate or the diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom is outside the error range.

[0084] In addition, the control unit (800) assigns a priority to the information monitoring the first substrate or the diagnostic data of the first substrate generated therefrom, and the monitoring information of the second substrate or the diagnostic data of the second substrate generated therefrom, and if at least one of the information up to the set priority is outside the error range, it can be determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate. In this way, the control unit (800) can effectively shorten the time required for inspection by determining the processing status of the substrate according to the priority for a plurality of pieces of information, thereby preventing unnecessary determination of the processing status for an area of ​​the substrate with a low defect frequency.

[0085] Meanwhile, the substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a step of resetting the conditions set in the substrate processing unit (100) through the control unit (800). For example, the control unit (800) determines whether there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate performed in the processing unit (100) from monitoring information or diagnostic data for a plurality of substrates, and if the processing status is determined to be defective, the user can confirm this and reset the processing conditions set in the substrate processing unit (100) through the control unit (800).

[0086] The step of resetting the set conditions may be performed by a learning unit that has learned to be able to reset the processing conditions set in the substrate processing unit (100). At this time, the learning unit may be learned through an artificial neural network, and the artificial neural network refers to a computer system for implementing artificial intelligence with a machine learning model created by modeling the structure of human neurons in software. The control unit (800) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a learning unit having such an artificial neural network, and when the processing status of the substrate is determined to be poor, it can present or suggest desirable processing conditions through artificial intelligence, or change the set processing conditions to automatically reset them. To this end, the control unit (800) may further include a storage unit in which learning information including substrate status information and processing condition information to be reset according to the substrate status information is stored in advance, and the learning unit can be learned through the learning information stored in the storage unit.

[0087] Here, the learning unit can learn using the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, distribution range, etc. of the substrate processed in the substrate processing device according to the first processing condition. In addition, the learning unit can learn using the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, distribution range, etc. of the substrate processed in the substrate processing device according to the second processing condition. Here, the first processing condition can be similar to the second processing condition except that at least one operation is different from the second processing condition. At this time, the learning unit can generate a third processing condition that includes an indication of the difference between the first processing condition and the second processing condition, and can indicate that this corresponds to the difference in the thickness, refractive index, reflectivity, presence or absence of particles, distribution range, etc. for a specific operation. The learning unit can be trained to select a processing condition that can resolve or minimize an abnormality in the processing state when there is an abnormality in the processing state of the substrate through the learning information acquired or generated in this way.

[0088] In addition, after the step of resetting the set conditions, a step of training the learning unit with information about the result of processing the substrate with the reset processing conditions in the substrate processing unit (100) may be further included. That is, the storage unit may store information about the result of processing the substrate with the reset processing conditions in the substrate processing unit (100) as learning information. In this case, the learning unit may relearn the processed result information according to the reset processing conditions in this way to select the optimal processing conditions that can resolve or minimize abnormalities in the processing state.

[0089]

[0090] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated using specific terms above, such terms are solely for the purpose of clearly describing the present invention, and it is to be understood that various modifications and variations may be made to the embodiments and terms described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Such modified embodiments should not be construed individually from the spirit and scope of the present invention, but should be considered to fall within the scope of the claims.

[0091]

[0092] According to an embodiment of the present invention, by monitoring at least some areas of a plurality of substrates at different locations, diagnostic data including information on the processing status of the substrates can be generated in a short period of time, thereby reducing the time required for inspection.

Claims

1. A substrate processing unit for processing one or more substrates according to set processing conditions; A substrate inspection unit for monitoring a plurality of substrates processed in the above substrate processing unit; An analysis unit capable of generating diagnostic data including information on the processing status of a substrate processed in the substrate processing unit from information monitored in the substrate inspection unit for a predetermined period of time; and A control unit capable of receiving the diagnostic data generated by the above analysis unit and transmitting it to the outside; The above board inspection unit, Monitoring a first region of a first substrate among the plurality of substrates and a second region of a second substrate, A substrate processing system wherein the first and second regions are at least partially different from each other.

2. A substrate processing unit for processing one or more substrates according to set processing conditions; A substrate inspection unit for monitoring a plurality of substrates processed in the above substrate processing unit; An analysis unit capable of generating diagnostic data including information on the processing status of a substrate processed in the substrate processing unit from information monitored in the substrate inspection unit for a predetermined period of time; and A control unit capable of receiving the diagnostic data generated by the above analysis unit and transmitting a warning signal when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate; The above board inspection unit, Monitoring a first region of a first substrate among the plurality of substrates and a second region of a second substrate, A substrate processing system wherein the first and second regions are at least partially different from each other.

3. In claim 1 or 2, A substrate processing system in which the plurality of substrates are selected from among substrates processed under the same processing conditions.

4. In claim 1 or 2, The above control unit, A substrate processing system capable of resetting processing conditions set in the above substrate processing unit.

5. In claim 4, The above control unit, A substrate processing system including a learning unit that is trained to reset processing conditions set in the above substrate processing unit.

6. In claim 5, The above control unit, Further comprising a storage unit in which learning data including information on processing conditions to be reset according to the processing status of the substrate is pre-stored; The above learning unit is a substrate processing system that learns through learning data stored in the storage unit.

7. In claim 6, The above storage unit is, A substrate processing system capable of storing information on the results of processing a substrate under processing conditions reset in the above substrate processing unit as learning data.

8. A substrate processing method for processing multiple substrates according to set processing conditions through a substrate processing system including a substrate processing unit, a substrate inspection unit, an analysis unit, and a control unit. A step in which the substrate inspection unit monitors a first area of ​​the first substrate processed in the substrate processing unit; A step in which the substrate inspection unit monitors a second area, at least in part different from the first area of ​​the second substrate processed in the substrate processing unit; A step in which the analysis unit generates diagnostic data including information on the processing status of a substrate processed in the substrate processing unit from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit; and A substrate processing method, comprising a step of the control unit receiving diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit and transmitting it to the outside.

9. A substrate processing method for processing a plurality of substrates according to set processing conditions through a substrate processing system including a substrate processing unit, a substrate inspection unit, an analysis unit, and a control unit. A step in which the substrate inspection unit monitors a first area of ​​the first substrate processed in the substrate processing unit; A step in which the substrate inspection unit monitors a second area, at least in part different from the first area of ​​the second substrate processed in the substrate processing unit; A step in which the analysis unit generates diagnostic data including information on the processing status of a substrate processed in the substrate processing unit from information monitored by the substrate inspection unit; and A substrate processing method, comprising: a step of transmitting a warning signal when the control unit determines that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate by receiving the diagnostic data generated by the analysis unit.

10. In claim 8 or 9, The step of generating the above diagnostic data is: A substrate processing method for generating diagnostic data from information obtained by monitoring a plurality of substrates including the first substrate and the second substrate for a predetermined period of time in the substrate inspection unit.

11. In claim 8 or 9, The step of monitoring the first area of ​​the first substrate comprises: Monitoring a portion of the first substrate along a first direction passing through the center of the first substrate, The step of monitoring a portion of the above second substrate is: A substrate processing method for monitoring a portion of the second substrate along a second direction different from the first direction and passing through the center of the second substrate.

12. In claim 9, The step of sending the above warning signal is: A substrate processing method for determining that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate when at least one of the information monitoring the first substrate and the information monitoring the second substrate is outside the error range.

13. In claim 9, The step of sending the above warning signal is: A substrate processing method for assigning a ranking to information monitoring the first substrate and information monitoring the second substrate, and determining that there is an abnormality in the processing status of the substrate when at least one of the information up to the set ranking is outside the error range.

14. In claim 8 or 9, A substrate processing method further comprising a step of resetting processing conditions set in the substrate processing unit.

15. In claim 14, The step of resetting the processing conditions set above is: A substrate processing method performed by a learned learning unit so as to reset the processing conditions set in the above substrate processing unit.

16. In claim 15, After the step of resetting the processing conditions set above, A substrate processing method further comprising a step of training the learning unit with information about the result of processing the substrate under the processing conditions reset to the substrate processing unit.

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