Computer program, information processing method, substrate processing method, information processing device, and substrate processing device

Abstract

Provided are a computer program, an information processing method, a substrate processing method, an information processing device, and a substrate processing device that are expected to support the generation of recipes relating to etching treatment of a substrate after film formation.　A computer program according to the present embodiment causes a computer to execute processing for generating a recipe relating to etching treatment of a substrate after film formation performed by a substrate processing device, wherein a plurality of recipe parts, in which different conditions related to the etching treatment are set, and an etching profile obtained when etching treatment based on each recipe part is executed are stored in a storage unit, and the computer executes processing for: acquiring a target etching profile for the etching treatment; selecting, from the storage unit, a plurality of recipe parts for achieving the acquired target etching profile; and generating a recipe in which the selected plurality of recipe parts are combined.

Description

Computer program, information processing method, substrate processing method, information processing apparatus, and substrate processing apparatus

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a computer program, an information processing method, a substrate processing method, an information processing apparatus, and a substrate processing apparatus.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a liquid processing apparatus that rotates a wafer on which a film has been formed and supplies a processing liquid that dissolves the film onto the wafer to flatten the film. This liquid processing apparatus includes a wafer holder that holds the wafer horizontally and rotatably, a rotation mechanism that rotates the wafer holder, and a liquid supply mechanism that supplies the processing liquid to the surface of the wafer. The liquid supply mechanism has a first liquid discharge nozzle and a second liquid discharge nozzle that discharge the same processing liquid. The first liquid discharge nozzle has a smaller diameter than the second liquid discharge nozzle, has a relatively lower discharge flow rate, is inclined so that the processing liquid is discharged in the direction of wafer rotation, and is further movable between the center and edge of the wafer.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-266302

[0004] The present disclosure provides a computer program, an information processing method, a substrate processing method, an information processing apparatus, and a substrate processing apparatus that are expected to assist in generating a recipe for etching a substrate after film formation.

[0005] A computer program according to one embodiment causes a computer to execute a process for generating a recipe for etching a substrate after film formation by a substrate processing apparatus, wherein a plurality of recipe parts, each having different conditions for the etching process set therein, and an etching profile when the etching process is performed based on each recipe part, are stored in a memory unit, and the computer executes a process for acquiring a target etching profile for the etching process, selecting from the memory unit a plurality of recipe parts that achieve the acquired target etching profile, and generating a recipe that combines the selected plurality of recipe parts.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is expected that the generation of a recipe for etching a substrate after film formation can be supported.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a recipe used in the information processing system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an etching profile; FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration example of a learning model for predicting an etching profile; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining a recipe generation process performed by the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment; FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining a recipe generation process performed by the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment; FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a measurement process performed by the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment; FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a recipe generation process performed by the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment;

[0008] Specific examples of information processing systems according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0009] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is an apparatus for performing substrate processing, known as wet etching, in which a substrate to be processed (e.g., a wafer having an oxide film, nitride film, or the like formed thereon) is rotated while a chemical solution that dissolves the film is supplied onto the film to process the substrate into a desired shape. The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is configured to include a chamber 11, a substrate holding mechanism 12, a first discharge unit 13a, a second discharge unit 13b, a collection cup 14, etc.

[0010] The chamber 11 is a sealed reaction vessel that houses therein a substrate holding mechanism 12, a first discharge unit 13a, a second discharge unit 13b, a collection cup 14, etc. An FFU (Fan Filter Unit) 15 is provided on the ceiling of the chamber 11. The FFU 15 forms a downflow within the chamber 11.

[0011] The substrate holding mechanism 12 includes a holding unit 12a, a support unit 12b, and a drive unit 12c. The holding unit 12a is, for example, disk-shaped and horizontally holds a substrate (wafer) to be processed on the disk. The support unit 12b is a cylindrical member connected to the center of the underside of the holding unit 12a and extending vertically (up and down in FIG. 1 ), supporting the holding unit 12a horizontally. The lower end of the support unit 12b is connected to the drive unit 12c and rotatably supported by the drive unit 12c. The drive unit 12c has a prime mover such as a motor and rotates the support unit 12b around its axis. As a result, the substrate holding mechanism 12 rotates the support unit 12b using the drive unit 12c, thereby rotating the holding unit 12a supported by the support unit 12b and rotating the substrate held by the holding unit 12a.

[0012] The first discharge unit 13a and the second discharge unit 13b each discharge a liquid such as a cleaning liquid or a chemical liquid onto a substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism 12. In this embodiment, the first discharge unit 13a discharges the cleaning liquid and the second discharge unit 13b discharges the chemical liquid, but this is not limited to this. Also, for example, diluted hydrofluoric acid is used as the chemical liquid and pure water is used as the cleaning liquid, but the liquids discharged by the first discharge unit 13a and the second discharge unit 13b are not limited to these.

[0013] The first discharge unit 13a is connected to a cleaning liquid supply source 16a provided outside the chamber 11 via, for example, a tubular liquid supply path, and discharges the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply source 16a onto the substrate. The first discharge unit 13a is also connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) and can move horizontally between the center and peripheral edge of the substrate. By combining the rotation of the substrate by the substrate holding mechanism 12 and the horizontal movement of the first discharge unit 13a by the drive mechanism, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can discharge the cleaning liquid from the first discharge unit 13a to an appropriate position on the substrate to be processed.

[0014] Similarly, the second discharge unit 13b is connected to a chemical supply source 16b provided outside the chamber 11 via, for example, a tubular liquid supply path, and discharges the chemical supplied from this supply source 16b onto the substrate. The second discharge unit 13b is also connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) and can move horizontally between the center and periphery of the substrate. By combining the rotation of the substrate by the substrate holding mechanism 12 and the horizontal movement of the second discharge unit 13b by the drive mechanism, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can discharge the chemical from the second discharge unit 13b to an appropriate position on the substrate to be processed. The movements of the first discharge unit 13a and the second discharge unit 13b are controlled to prevent collisions or the like when moving horizontally over the substrate.

[0015] The collection cup 14 is disposed so as to surround the holder 12a of the substrate holding mechanism 12, and collects liquid scattered from the substrate due to the rotation of the holder 12a. A drain port 14a is provided at the bottom of the collection cup 14, and the liquid collected by the collection cup 14 is discharged from the drain port 14a to the outside of the chamber 11. In addition, an exhaust port 14b is provided at the bottom of the collection cup 14, and the gas supplied from the FFU 15 is discharged from the exhaust port 14b to the outside of the chamber 11.

[0016] 1 is configured to include two discharge units: a first discharge unit 13a that discharges a cleaning liquid as a liquid, and a second discharge unit 13b that discharges a chemical liquid. However, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be configured to include only one discharge unit that discharges a liquid. In this case, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can selectively discharge the cleaning liquid or the chemical liquid from one discharge unit by switching the supply source between the chemical liquid that dissolves the substrate and the cleaning liquid that cleans the substrate.

[0017] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing system according to this embodiment. The information processing system according to this embodiment is configured to include the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus 1, information processing apparatus 3, and sensor 5 provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1. Sensor 5 is provided in chamber 11 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and measures the etching amount of a substrate to be processed (the depth to which the surface of the substrate is dug by the etching process). Sensor 5 may be provided in, for example, the substrate processing apparatus 1, or may be attached to the substrate processing apparatus 1 when performing measurements. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes sensor 5, and that measurement data obtained by sensor 5 is acquired by the substrate processing apparatus 1 and transmitted to the information processing apparatus 3.

[0018] The sensor 5 measures the distance to an object by emitting, for example, light, ultrasonic waves, or radio waves and detecting reflected waves. The sensor 5 is positioned above the substrate to be processed, which is held by the substrate holding mechanism 12, and measures the distance from the position where the sensor 5 is positioned to the substrate surface. The sensor 5 measures the distance to the substrate surface before etching and the distance to the substrate surface after etching, and the substrate processing apparatus 1 calculates the difference between the two distances to calculate the etching amount. The sensor 5 is also connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) and can move horizontally between the center and peripheral edge of the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism 12. By combining the rotation of the substrate by the substrate holding mechanism 12 and the horizontal movement of the sensor 5 by the drive mechanism, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can measure the etching amount at an appropriate position on the substrate to be processed.

[0019] The information processing device 3 acquires measurement data of the etching amount measured by the sensor 5 from the substrate processing apparatus 1 and stores the data as an etching profile, and generates a recipe for operating the substrate processing apparatus 1 based on the stored etching profile. In this embodiment, the information processing device 3 is provided as a device separate from the substrate processing apparatus 1, but this is not limited thereto and the information processing device 3 may be an apparatus integrated with the substrate processing apparatus 1. The information processing device 3 is connected to the substrate processing apparatus 1 via, for example, a communication cable, and can send and receive data to and from the substrate processing apparatus 1. The information processing device 3 acquires measurement data measured by the sensor 5 while the substrate processing apparatus 1 is performing substrate processing by communicating with the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0020] When substrate processing, e.g., wet etching, is performed using the substrate processing apparatus 1, various conditions must be set, such as the amounts and timing of the cleaning liquid and chemical liquid to be discharged from the first discharge unit 13a and the second discharge unit 13b, the timing and speed of translation of the first discharge unit 13a and the second discharge unit 13b, and the rotation speed of the substrate by the substrate holding mechanism 12. These various conditions for substrate processing have a significant impact on the results of substrate processing, and conventionally, appropriate conditions have been set by repeated trial and error by the user. Data that compiles these conditions for substrate processing is called a "recipe," and by inputting the recipe data created by the user into the substrate processing apparatus 1, substrate processing is performed according to the user's settings.

[0021] In substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1, small operations are performed in chronological order, for example, by moving the second discharger 13b to position x and discharging the chemical solution for t1 seconds, then moving the first discharger 13a to position y and discharging the cleaning solution for t2 seconds, and so on. One or more conditions are set for each of these small operations in the recipe input to the substrate processing apparatus 1. In the information processing system according to this embodiment, portions of the recipe corresponding to these small operations included in the substrate processing are called "recipe parts," and a recipe is generated by combining multiple recipe parts in chronological order. The recipe parts include data necessary to perform at least the smallest unit of operation in the substrate processing.

[0022] The substrate processing apparatus 1 measures the distance using the sensor 5 before and after performing the substrate processing operation corresponding to each recipe part, and calculates the change in distance before and after the operation to obtain the etching amount resulting from performing the operation corresponding to each recipe part. The substrate processing apparatus 1 transmits this etching amount as measurement data to the information processing apparatus 3, and the information processing apparatus 3 receives this measurement data and stores it as an "etching profile" in association with the recipe part.

[0023] The information processing device 3 receives, for example, a substrate processing target setting from a user, and searches for a combination of etching profiles that achieves the target based on a plurality of stored etching profiles. The information processing device 3 acquires a combination of recipe parts corresponding to the combination of etching profiles obtained by the search, and can use the acquired combination of recipe parts as a recipe that achieves the user's target. The information processing device 3 transmits recipe data generated by these procedures to the substrate processing device 1, and the substrate processing device 1 receives the recipe data from the information processing device 3 and performs substrate processing according to the recipe condition settings, thereby achieving substrate processing that meets the target set by the user.

[0024] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device 3 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 3 according to this embodiment can be realized by installing a predetermined application program or the like in a general-purpose information processing device such as a personal computer or a server computer. The information processing device 3 according to this embodiment is configured to include a processing unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, a display unit 34, an operation unit 35, etc. Note that, in this embodiment, the processing will be described as being performed by a single information processing device 3, but the processing of the information processing device 3 may be distributed among multiple devices.

[0025] The processing unit 31 is configured using an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or a quantum processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The processing unit 31 reads and executes a program 32a stored in the storage unit 32 to perform various processes, such as a process of acquiring measurement data from the sensor 5 from the substrate processing apparatus 1 and a process of generating a recipe according to a user's target setting.

[0026] The storage unit 32 is configured using a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 32 stores various programs executed by the processing unit 31 and various data required for processing by the processing unit 31. In this embodiment, the storage unit 32 stores a program 32a executed by the processing unit 31. The storage unit 32 also includes a recipe part storage unit 32b that stores data of recipe parts for generating a recipe, and an etching profile storage unit 32c that stores etching profiles corresponding to the recipe parts.

[0027] In this embodiment, the program (computer program, program product) 22a is provided in a form recorded on a recording medium 99 such as a memory card or an optical disc, and the information processing device 3 reads the program 32a from the recording medium 99 and stores it in the storage unit 32. However, the program 32a may also be written to the storage unit 32, for example, during the manufacturing stage of the information processing device 3. Alternatively, the program 32a may be distributed by a remote server device or the like and acquired by the information processing device 3 via communication. For example, the program 32a may be read from the recording medium 99 by a writing device and written to the storage unit 32 of the information processing device 3. The program 32a may be provided in a form distributed via a network or provided in a form recorded on the recording medium 99.

[0028] The recipe part storage unit 32b stores recipe parts, which are components for configuring a recipe. In the present embodiment, a recipe part is data that compiles one or more setting values ​​for performing a minimum unit operation of substrate processing that can be performed in the substrate processing apparatus 1 (or an operation that combines multiple minimum unit operations). The setting values ​​included in the recipe part may be, for example, values ​​such as the position, movement speed, or discharge amount of the first discharger 13a, the position, movement speed, or discharge amount of the second discharger 13b, or the rotation speed of the substrate holding mechanism 12. However, the setting values ​​included in the recipe part are not limited to the above, and any values ​​may be used.

[0029] The etching profile storage unit 32c stores, as an etching profile, measurement data obtained by the sensor 5 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in association with recipe parts. In the present embodiment, the etching profile is data obtained by measuring the etching amount (the amount of excavation of the surface of the substrate to be processed) at multiple points along the diameter of the substrate from the center to the peripheral edge when etching is performed under conditions corresponding to the recipe parts.

[0030] The communication unit 33 transmits and receives data to and from the substrate processing apparatus 1 via, for example, a wired or wireless network N. In this embodiment, the communication unit 33 receives measurement data transmitted from the substrate processing apparatus 1 and provides the data to the processing unit 31. The communication unit 33 also transmits recipe data provided from the processing unit 31 to the substrate processing apparatus 1, causing the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform substrate processing in accordance with the recipe.

[0031] The display unit 34 is configured using a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays various images, characters, etc. based on the processing of the processing unit 31. The display unit 34 displays various information such as a graph of measurement data (etching profile) measured by the sensor 5 of the substrate processing apparatus 1, a table showing the contents of a generated recipe, or the progress status of substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0032] The operation unit 35 accepts user operations and notifies the processing unit 31 of the accepted operations. For example, the operation unit 35 accepts user operations using an input device such as a mechanical button or a touch panel provided on the surface of the display unit 34. Furthermore, for example, the operation unit 35 may be an input device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and these input devices may be configured to be detachable from the information processing device 3.

[0033] The storage unit 32 may be an external storage device connected to the information processing device 3. The information processing device 3 may be a multi-computer including multiple computers, or may be a virtual machine virtually constructed by software. The information processing device 3 is not limited to the above configuration, and may include, for example, a reading unit that reads information stored in a portable storage medium, and may not include, for example, the display unit 34 and the operation unit 35.

[0034] In the information processing apparatus 3 according to this embodiment, the processing unit 31 reads and executes a program 32a stored in the storage unit 32, thereby realizing a measurement processing unit 31a, a prediction unit 31b, a recipe generation unit 31c, a control processing unit 31d, a display processing unit 31e, etc. as software functional units in the processing unit 31. Note that in the figure, functional units that perform processing related to the generation of the recipe for the substrate processing apparatus 1 are shown as functional units of the processing unit 31, and functional units related to other processing are not shown.

[0035] The measurement processing unit 31a controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 by communicating with the substrate processing apparatus 1 via the communication unit 33, causing the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform substrate processing corresponding to the recipe parts and measure the etching amount using the sensor 5. The measurement processing unit 31a acquires, for example, information on recipe parts for measurement previously determined by a user, generates a recipe including these recipe parts, transmits it to the substrate processing apparatus 1, and causes the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform substrate processing and measurement using the sensor 5. The measurement processing unit 31a acquires measurement data measured by the sensor 5 from the substrate processing apparatus 1, and stores the acquired measurement data in the etching profile storage unit 32c as an etching profile in association with the executed recipe part.

[0036] The prediction unit 31b performs a process of predicting an etching profile corresponding to recipe parts under conditions for which substrate processing has not actually been performed in the substrate processing apparatus 1, based on multiple etching profiles obtained by the sensor 5 of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The prediction of the etching profile by the prediction unit 31b may be performed by any method. For example, the prediction unit 31b may perform machine learning based on data on already acquired recipe parts and etching profiles to generate a learning model that receives recipe parts as input and outputs predicted data for an etching profile, and predict an etching profile corresponding to an unprocessed recipe part using the generated learning model. Alternatively, for example, the prediction unit 31b may predict an etching profile corresponding to an unprocessed recipe part by calculation such as fitting or interpolation.

[0037] The recipe generation unit 31c performs processing to generate a recipe for achieving a target set by a user based on multiple sets of recipe parts and etching profiles obtained in advance by measurement or prediction. In this embodiment, the user creates a target profile that defines target values ​​for etching amounts at multiple points from the center to the peripheral portion of the substrate, similar to the etching profile, and inputs the target setting to the information processing device 3. The information processing device 3 determines a combination of multiple recipe parts that achieves the target set by the user by searching for a combination of etching profiles that achieves the etching amount of the target profile. The recipe generation unit 31c generates a recipe by appropriately combining the multiple recipe parts determined by the search with recipe parts for performing, for example, pre-processing or post-processing, which are essential for the substrate processing device 1 to perform substrate processing.

[0038] The control processing unit 31d transmits the recipe generated by the recipe generating unit 31c to the substrate processing apparatus 1 and instructs the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform the desired substrate processing by instructing the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform the substrate processing in accordance with the recipe. While the substrate processing apparatus 1 is performing the substrate processing, the control processing unit 31d acquires data measured by various sensors mounted on the substrate processing apparatus 1 and performs control processing based on the acquired data, such as stopping the substrate processing if an abnormality occurs.

[0039] The display processing unit 31e performs processing to display various characters, images, and the like on the display unit 34. In the present embodiment, the display processing unit 31e graphs, for example, measurement data measured by the sensor 5 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 or an etching profile stored in the etching profile storage unit 32c, and displays the graph on the display unit 34. The display processing unit 31e also displays a list of information about a plurality of recipe parts stored in the recipe part storage unit 32b on the display unit 34. The display processing unit 31e also displays a setting screen on the display unit 34 for a user to set a target value for etching. The display processing unit 31e also displays information about a recipe generated by the recipe generation unit 31c on the display unit 34. When the substrate processing apparatus 1 is performing substrate processing, the display processing unit 31e also displays information about the status of the substrate processing on the display unit 34. The display processing unit 31e may also display various other information on the display unit 34.

[0040] <Recipe Generation Process> Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a recipe used in the information processing system according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the recipe that defines the substrate processing operations performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 is information in which multiple recipe parts are arranged in the order in which they are to be performed. The recipe shown in this figure has 12 recipe parts, No. 1 to No. 12, arranged in the order in which the corresponding processes are to be performed in the substrate processing apparatus 1. Each recipe part has setting information such as a "pattern," setting values ​​for "position," "movement speed," and "discharge rate" for the first discharge unit 13a, setting values ​​for "position," "movement speed," and "discharge rate" for the second discharge unit 13b, and a setting value for "rotation speed" for the substrate holding mechanism 12.

[0041] In this embodiment, a recipe has a predetermined number of "fixed portions" at the beginning and end. In this example, Nos. 1 to 3 and Nos. 10 to 12 are designated as "fixed portions." Recipe parts essential for the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform substrate processing are arranged in these "fixed portions." When generating a recipe, the information processing apparatus 3 arranges one or more predetermined recipe parts in these "fixed portions." In addition, an "operational portion" is provided between the first and last "fixed portions" of the recipe, and in this example, Nos. 4 to 9 are designated as "operational portions." The information processing apparatus 3 can generate a recipe by arranging any recipe part in these "operational portions."

[0042] The "pattern" of each recipe part is information classifying the type of processing to be performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this recipe part, and in this example, "pre-processing," "A1," "A2," "B1," "B2," and "post-processing" are set. Recipe parts in which the patterns of "pre-processing" and "post-processing" are set are recipe parts essential for the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform substrate processing. "Pre-processing" is processing that is performed before the cleaning liquid or chemical liquid is discharged from the first discharge unit 13a and the second discharge unit 13b, and may include, for example, processing such as starting up or initializing units provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1. The "pre-processing" recipe part is placed in the first "fixed part" of the recipe.

[0043] The "post-processing" of the "pattern" is a process performed after all of the chemical and cleaning liquids have been discharged from the first discharger 13a and the second discharger 13b, and may include, for example, processes such as stopping or cleaning up units included in the substrate processing apparatus 1. The recipe parts for the "post-processing" are placed in the "fixed portion" at the end of the recipe. In this embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 must perform a process for drying the surface of the substrate after all of the chemical and cleaning liquids have been discharged from the first discharger 13a and the second discharger 13b. For this reason, the recipe parts for the "post-processing" that perform the drying process on the substrate are always placed in the "fixed portion" at the end of the recipe. Furthermore, the recipe parts that perform this drying process are never placed between two recipe parts that discharge the cleaning or chemical liquids from the first discharger 13a or the second discharger 13b in the "operational portion" of the recipe.

[0044] The "patterns" "A1," "A2," "B1," and "B2," etc., are patterns for discharging a cleaning liquid or a chemical liquid from the first discharge unit 13a or the second discharge unit 13b, and are appropriately arranged in the "operation portion" of the recipe. In this embodiment, a recipe part with the letter "A" attached as a "pattern" is a recipe part that performs an etching process by fixing the position of the first discharge unit 13a and moving the second discharge unit 13b to discharge the chemical liquid. Conversely, a recipe part with the letter "B" attached as a "pattern" is a recipe part that performs a process of discharging a cleaning liquid by fixing the position of the second discharge unit 13b and moving the first discharge unit 13a.

[0045] Appropriate numerical values ​​are set for items such as "position," "movement speed," "discharge amount," and "rotation speed" of the recipe parts. Note that these numerical values ​​are not shown in FIG. 4. The information processing device 3 stores a plurality of recipe parts in which various numerical values ​​are set for these items in the recipe part storage unit 32b. The recipe parts stored in the recipe part storage unit 32b may be created by, for example, a user, or may be automatically created by, for example, the information processing device 3.

[0046] In the information processing system according to the present embodiment, for a plurality of recipe parts stored in the recipe part storage unit 32b by the information processing device 3, the etching amount when the etching process set in each recipe part is executed is measured in advance by the sensor 5. The information processing device 3 acquires measurement data by the sensor 5 from the substrate processing device 1, and stores the acquired measurement data as an etching profile in the etching profile storage unit 32c in association with the recipe parts.

[0047] 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an etching profile. The etching profile shown in this figure is measurement data obtained by the sensor 5, which associates the position (coordinates) from the center (center) to the periphery of a substantially disk-shaped substrate with the etching amount (distance excavated by etching) at each position. Four etching profiles are shown in this figure as graphs with the etching position on the horizontal axis and the etching amount on the vertical axis. All four etching profiles shown in the figure are measurement data obtained when etching was performed with a "pattern" of "B1," but the values ​​of setting items such as "position," "movement speed," "discharge amount," and "rotation speed" are different.

[0048] In the information processing system according to this embodiment, it is not necessary to measure all recipe parts, and the etching profile can be predicted by prediction processing for recipe parts for which no measurement is performed. The information processing device 3 according to this embodiment generates a learning model for predicting the etching profile by performing machine learning based on the recipe parts and the etching profile obtained by performing measurements using the sensor 5, and predicts the etching profile using the generated learning model.

[0049] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a learning model for predicting an etching profile. The learning model 101 shown in this figure is a learning model that has undergone machine learning in advance to accept information contained in recipe parts as input and output predicted data for an etching profile. The information contained in the recipe parts that are input to the learning model is, for example, the information shown in FIG. 4, and may include information such as the "pattern," "position of the first discharge unit 13a," "movement speed of the first discharge unit 13a," and "discharge amount of the first discharge unit 13a." Note that not all of the information contained in the recipe parts shown in FIG. 4 needs to be input to the learning model 101.

[0050] The learning model 101 may have various configurations, such as a neural network or a support vector machine (SVM). The information processing device 3 performs so-called supervised machine learning processing based on the correspondence between the recipe parts and the etching profile obtained by measurement. The information processing device 3 uses information contained in the recipe parts as input to the learning model and the corresponding etching profile as a correct value for the output of the learning model, thereby generating the learning model 101 for predicting an etching profile. The information processing device 3 stores information such as internal parameters of the generated learning model 101 in the storage unit 32 and predicts an etching profile using the learning model 101 as needed. In this embodiment, the information processing device 3 performs the machine learning processing to generate the learning model 101. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A device other than the information processing device 3 may perform the machine learning processing, and the generated learning model 101 may be acquired by the information processing device 3.

[0051] The information processing device 3 inputs information contained in recipe parts for which substrate processing has not been performed in the substrate processing device 1 into the learning model 101, and acquires an etching profile output by the learning model 101 in response to this information. The information processing device 3 stores the etching profile predicted by the learning model 101 in the etching profile storage unit 32c in association with the recipe parts input to the learning model 101. Thereafter, the information processing device 3 can perform recipe generation processing without distinguishing between the etching profile obtained by measurement and the etching profile obtained by prediction by the learning model 101.

[0052] In this embodiment, the information processing device 3 predicts the etching profile using the learning model 101 generated in advance by machine learning, but the method of predicting the etching profile is not limited to the method using the learning model 101. The information processing device 3 may predict the etching profile by appropriately using an existing method such as a fitting process or an interpolation process.

[0053] The information processing device 3 according to this embodiment performs a recipe generation process that generates a recipe that achieves a target set by a user, using a plurality of sets of recipe parts and etching profiles stored in advance. Figures 7 and 8 are schematic diagrams for explaining the recipe generation process performed by the information processing device 3 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 3 according to this embodiment receives, from a user, an input of a setting for a target (amount of etching to be targeted) for substrate processing to be performed in the substrate processing device 1. In the information processing system according to this embodiment, the user creates a target profile indicating a target amount of etching in a data format similar to the above-described etching profile, and inputs the target profile to the information processing device 3.

[0054] An example of a target profile is shown as a graph in the upper part of Fig. 7. Similar to the etching profile, the target profile is data associating positions from the center to the periphery of the substrate with the etching amount at each position. A user generates data associating numerical values ​​between etching positions and etching amounts as a target profile in advance and inputs the data to the information processing device 3. The target profile may be generated, for example, by the user inputting numerical values ​​using spreadsheet software or the like, or may be generated by the user drawing a graph such as that shown in the upper part of Fig. 7. The target profile may be generated by the information processing device 3 or by a device different from the information processing device 3.

[0055] The information processing device 3, which has received an input of a target profile that is a target for etching from a user, searches for a combination of etching profiles that will obtain the etching amount of the target profile by combining a plurality of etching profiles stored in the etching profile storage unit 32c. Note that the search for a combination of etching profiles that will obtain the etching amount of the target profile is a process of solving a so-called optimization problem, and the information processing device 3 may perform the search using any existing method.

[0056] For example, the information processing device 3 selects the etching profile closest to the target profile (the etching profile with the smallest difference from the target profile) from among the multiple etching profiles stored in the etching profile storage unit 32c. In the graph in the lower part of Fig. 7, the etching profile selected as the profile closest to the target profile indicated by the thick solid line is indicated by a dashed line. The information processing device 3 calculates the difference between the target profile and the selected etching profile, and sets the calculated difference as a residual profile. In the graph in the lower part of Fig. 7, the residual profile is indicated by a dashed line.

[0057] The information processing device 3 sets the obtained residual profile as a new target profile, and similarly selects an etching profile that is closest to the target profile from among the multiple etching profiles stored in the etching profile storage unit 32c, thereby calculating the residual profile. In the upper part of Fig. 8, the target profile having the same values ​​as those shown as the residual profile in the lower part of Fig. 7 is shown by a solid line, and the etching profile selected as being closest to this target profile is shown by a dashed line.

[0058] In this way, the information processing device 3 repeatedly selects an etching profile that is closest to the target profile and calculates a residual profile. The information processing device 3 continuously repeats this process until a predetermined termination condition is met, such as when a plurality of values ​​included in the residual profile become less than a threshold value. The termination condition is predetermined by the user or the designer of the information processing system. The upper graph of FIG. 8 illustrates a case in which a value included in the residual profile calculated from the target profile and the selected etching profile becomes less than a threshold value. The lower graph of FIG. 8 illustrates the original target profile with a solid line and a predicted profile obtained by summing the etching amounts of the plurality of etching profiles selected in the previous iterations with a dashed line.

[0059] When the termination condition is satisfied, the information processing device 3 reads out recipe parts corresponding to the multiple etching profiles selected in the above-described repetitive processing from the recipe part storage unit 32b. The information processing device 3 arranges the read out recipe parts in an appropriate order and incorporates them into the operation portion of the recipe, thereby generating a recipe that satisfies the target profile set by the user. The order in which the multiple recipe parts are incorporated into the operation portion of the recipe may be, for example, the order selected in the above-described repetition, or may be an order determined based on any condition included in the recipe parts, such as the order of the largest or smallest discharge amount of the chemical solution or cleaning solution. Any other order may also be used. For example, the information processing device 3 may display information about the selected multiple recipe parts on the display unit 34 and allow the user to select the order in which the recipe parts are to be executed.

[0060] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the measurement process performed by the information processing device 3 according to this embodiment. The measurement processing unit 31a of the processing unit 31 of the information processing device 3 according to this embodiment transmits a measurement recipe including recipe parts to be measured (recipe parts that do not have a corresponding etching profile) to the substrate processing device 1 via the communication unit 33 (step S1). The measurement recipe is, for example, created in advance by a user and stored in the storage unit 32. Upon receiving the measurement recipe from the information processing device 3, the substrate processing device 1 starts substrate processing according to this measurement recipe, measures the etching amount using the sensor 5 before and after substrate processing based on the target recipe part, calculates a change (difference) in the etching amount, and transmits the calculated change in etching amount as measurement data to the information processing device 3.

[0061] The measurement processing unit 31a determines whether or not it has received measurement data transmitted from the substrate processing apparatus 1 in response to the measurement recipe transmitted in step S1 (step S2). If it has not received measurement data (S2: NO), it waits until it receives measurement data from the substrate processing apparatus 1. If it has received measurement data (S2: YES), it stores the received measurement data as an etching profile in the etching profile storage unit 32c, in association with the corresponding recipe part included in the measurement recipe (step S3). The measurement processing unit 31a determines whether or not it has completed measurements for all of one or more recipe parts that require measurement and are included in the measurement recipe (step S4). If it has not completed all measurements (S4: NO), it returns to step S2 and waits for the next measurement data to be received.

[0062] When all measurements have been completed (S4: YES), the prediction unit 31b of the processing unit 31 performs a prediction process of the etching profile for the recipe parts that have not been measured, using the learning model 101 that has been machine-learned in advance, based on the multiple sets of recipe parts and etching profiles obtained by the measurements (step S5). The prediction unit 31b stores the etching profile obtained by the prediction process in step S5 in the etching profile storage unit 32c in association with the recipe part (step S6), and ends the measurement process.

[0063] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a recipe generation process performed by the information processing device 3 according to this embodiment. The recipe generation unit 31c of the processing unit 31 of the information processing device 3 according to this embodiment displays an input screen or the like on the display unit 34, for example, and receives input of a target profile that is a target for substrate processing from a user (step S21).

[0064] The recipe generating unit 31c searches for an etching profile that is closest to the target profile received in step S21 (i.e., that has the smallest difference from the target profile) from among the multiple etching profiles stored in the etching profile storage unit 32c (step S22). The recipe generating unit 31c calculates a difference (residual profile) between the target profile received in step S21 and the etching profile obtained by the search in step S22 (step S23). The recipe generating unit 31c determines whether the difference calculated in step S23 (each difference value included in the residual profile) is smaller than a threshold value (step S24). If the difference is greater than the threshold value (S24: NO), the recipe generating unit 31c sets the difference calculated in step S23 as the next target profile (step S25), returns to step S22, and repeats the search for an etching profile.

[0065] If the difference is smaller than the threshold value (S24: YES), the recipe generation unit 31c acquires one or more recipe parts corresponding to the one or more etching profiles obtained by the search in step S22 from the recipe part storage unit 32b (step S26). The recipe generation unit 31c generates a recipe that achieves the goal set by the user by combining the recipe parts of predetermined fixed portions with the recipe parts acquired in step S26 (step S27). The recipe generation unit 31c stores information about the generated recipe in the storage unit 32 (step S28) and ends the recipe generation process.

[0066] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a control process performed by the information processing apparatus 3 according to this embodiment. The control processing unit 31d of the processing unit 31 of the information processing apparatus 3 according to this embodiment reads out the recipe generated in the recipe generation process shown in FIG. 10 from the storage unit 32 (step S41). The control processing unit 31d transmits the recipe read out in step S41 to the substrate processing apparatus 1 via the communication unit 33 (step S42). At the same time, the control processing unit 31d instructs the substrate processing apparatus 1 to start substrate processing (step S43).

[0067] Upon receiving the instruction to start substrate processing, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the substrate processing according to the provided recipe, and also performs various measurements related to the state of the substrate processing using its various sensors and transmits the obtained measurement data to the information processing apparatus 3. The control processing unit 31d of the information processing apparatus 3 acquires the measurement data transmitted from the substrate processing apparatus 1 in association with the substrate processing (step S44). Based on the measurement data acquired in step S44, the control processing unit 31d determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the substrate processing being performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1, for example, by determining whether or not a value included in the measurement data exceeds a predetermined threshold (step S45). If there is an abnormality (S45: YES), the control processing unit 31d forcibly stops the substrate processing being performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1, for example, by transmitting an instruction to stop the substrate processing to the substrate processing apparatus 1 (step S46), thereby ending the processing.

[0068] If no abnormality is found (S45: NO), the control processor 31d determines whether the substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1 has been completed (step S47). If the substrate processing has not been completed (S47: NO), the control processor 31d returns to step S44 and causes the substrate processing apparatus 1 to continue performing the substrate processing. If the substrate processing has been completed (S47: YES), the display processor 31e of the processor 31 displays, for example, the data acquired in step S44 on the display unit 34 as the processing result (step S48), and then ends the processing.

[0069] <Summary> In the information processing system according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the information processing device 3 generates a recipe for etching a substrate after film formation by the substrate processing device 1. The information processing device 3 stores, in the storage unit 32, a plurality of recipe parts, each of which has different conditions for the etching process, and an etching profile when the etching process is performed based on each recipe part. The information processing device 3 acquires a target profile (target etching profile) that is the target of the etching process, selects a plurality of recipe parts that achieve the target profile from a plurality of recipe parts stored in the recipe part storage unit 32b, and generates a recipe that combines the selected plurality of recipe parts. As a result, the information processing system according to the present embodiment can automatically generate a recipe for etching and provide it to a user, thereby expected to support the generation of a recipe for etching a substrate after film formation.

[0070] In the information processing system according to this embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a first discharger 13a that discharges a cleaning liquid and a second discharger 13b that discharges a chemical liquid. The recipe parts stored in the information processing apparatus 3 include settings for the position, movement speed, or discharge amount of the first discharger 13a, and settings for the position, movement speed, or discharge amount of the second discharger 13b. The recipe parts also include a setting pattern A for performing an etching process by fixing the position of the first discharger 13a and moving the second discharger 13b, and a setting pattern B for performing an etching process by fixing the position of the second discharger 13b and moving the first discharger 13a. As a result, the information processing system according to this embodiment is expected to support the generation of recipes for performing an etching process in the substrate processing apparatus 1 that includes multiple dischargers.

[0071] Furthermore, in the information processing system according to this embodiment, the information processing device 3 acquires a plurality of etching profiles obtained by actually measuring the results of etching processes performed based on a plurality of recipe parts under different conditions, predicts an etching profile that will be obtained when etching is performed under conditions in which no etching process is performed based on the acquired plurality of etching profiles, and stores the acquired etching profile and the predicted etching profile in the etching profile storage unit 32 c. As a result, the information processing system according to this embodiment can predict an etching profile corresponding to a recipe part for which no actual measurement has been performed, and is expected to improve the accuracy of recipe generation.

[0072] Furthermore, in the information processing system according to this embodiment, the information processing device 3 calculates the difference between a target profile set by the user and an etching profile selected from the etching profiles stored in the etching profile storage unit 32c, and selects the next etching profile based on the calculated difference. The information processing device 3 generates a recipe by combining multiple recipe parts corresponding to the multiple etching profiles selected in this manner. As a result, the information processing system according to this embodiment can be expected to generate a recipe that achieves the target set by the user, based on the stored recipe parts and etching profiles.

[0073] Furthermore, in the information processing system according to this embodiment, the information processing device 3 generates a recipe by combining recipe parts that must be executed (recipe parts of fixed portions) with one or more recipe parts (recipe parts of operational portions) selected from the recipe parts stored in the recipe part storage unit 32 b. This allows the information processing system according to this embodiment to generate a recipe that combines recipe parts that must be executed with recipe parts for achieving goals set by the user, and is expected to support recipe generation.

[0074] Furthermore, in the information processing system according to this embodiment, the information processing device 3 generates a recipe including a recipe part for drying the substrate after a recipe part for discharging a liquid, for example, by including a recipe part for drying the substrate in the final fixed portion of the recipe. Furthermore, the information processing device 3 does not include a recipe part for drying the substrate between two recipe parts for discharging a liquid. As a result, the information processing system according to this embodiment can dry the substrate after etching to complete the process, and is expected to prevent the substrate from drying out during etching.

[0075] In the information processing system according to this embodiment, the information processing device 3 controls the etching process of the substrate processing device 1 based on the generated recipe. For example, the information processing device 3 transmits the generated recipe to the substrate processing device 1 and instructs the substrate processing device 1 to perform etching according to the contents of this recipe. As a result, the information processing system according to this embodiment can be expected to cause the substrate processing device 1 to perform the etching process based on the recipe generated by the information processing device 3.

[0076] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0077] The matters described in each embodiment can be combined with each other. Furthermore, the independent claims and dependent claims described in the claims can be combined with each other in any and all combinations, regardless of the reference format. Furthermore, the claims use a format in which a claim references two or more other claims (multiple claim format), but this is not limited to this. A multiple claim (multi-multi claim) that references at least one other multiple claim may also be used.

[0078] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 substrate processing apparatus 3 information processing apparatus (computer) 5 sensor 11 chamber 12 substrate holding mechanism 12a holding section 12b support section 12c drive section 13a first discharge section 13b second discharge section 14 collection cup 14a drain outlet 14b exhaust outlet 15 FFU 16a, 16b supply source 31 processing section 31a measurement processing section 31b prediction section 31c recipe generation section 31d control processing section 31e display processing section 32 storage section 32a program (computer program) 32b recipe part storage section 32c etching profile storage section 33 communication section 34 display section 25 operation section 99 recording medium 101 learning model N network

Claims

1. A computer program that causes a computer to execute a process for generating a recipe for etching a substrate after film formation by a substrate processing apparatus, wherein a memory unit stores a plurality of recipe parts for which different conditions for the etching process are set, and an etching profile when the etching process is performed based on each recipe part, the computer program causes the computer to execute the process of: acquiring a target etching profile for the etching process; selecting from the memory unit a plurality of recipe parts that achieve the acquired target etching profile; and generating a recipe that combines the selected plurality of recipe parts.

2. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the substrate processing apparatus comprises a first discharge unit that discharges a cleaning liquid and a second discharge unit that discharges a chemical liquid, and the recipe parts include settings for the position, movement speed or discharge amount of the first discharge unit, and settings for the position, movement speed or discharge amount of the second discharge unit.

3. The computer program according to claim 2, wherein the recipe parts include a setting for fixing the position of the first discharge unit and moving the second discharge unit to perform an etching process, and a setting for fixing the position of the second discharge unit and moving the first discharge unit to perform an etching process.

4. The computer program according to claim 1, which acquires multiple etching profiles obtained by actually measuring the results of etching processes performed based on multiple recipe parts with different conditions, predicts an etching profile that would be obtained if etching were performed under conditions in which no etching process was performed based on the multiple acquired etching profiles, and stores the acquired measured etching profile and the predicted etching profile in the storage unit.

5. The computer program according to claim 1, which calculates a difference between the target etching profile and an etching profile selected from the storage unit, selects a next etching profile from the storage unit based on the calculated difference, and generates the recipe by combining a plurality of recipe parts corresponding to the selected plurality of etching profiles.

6. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the recipe is generated by combining recipe parts that must be executed with a plurality of recipe parts selected from the storage unit.

7. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the recipe is generated to include a recipe part that performs drying of the substrate after a recipe part that performs discharging of a liquid.

8. The computer program according to claim 7, wherein the recipe to be generated does not include a recipe part for drying the substrate between two recipe parts for discharging a liquid.

9. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the etching process is controlled based on the generated recipe.

10. An information processing method in which an information processing device generates a recipe for etching a substrate after film formation by a substrate processing device, the information processing device stores in a memory unit a plurality of recipe parts each having different conditions for the etching process, and an etching profile when the etching process is performed based on each recipe part, obtains a target etching profile for the etching process, selects from the memory unit a plurality of recipe parts that achieve the obtained target etching profile, and generates a recipe that combines the selected plurality of recipe parts.

11. A substrate processing method in which a substrate processing apparatus performs an etching process on a substrate after film formation, the substrate processing apparatus storing in a memory unit a plurality of recipe parts each having different conditions related to the etching process, and an etching profile when the etching process is performed based on each recipe part, obtaining a target etching profile for the etching process, selecting from the memory unit a plurality of recipe parts that achieve the obtained target etching profile, generating a recipe that combines the selected plurality of recipe parts, and controlling the etching process based on the generated recipe.

12. An information processing device having a processing unit that generates a recipe for etching a substrate after film formation by a substrate processing device, the information processing device having a memory unit that stores a plurality of recipe parts in which different conditions for the etching process are set, and an etching profile when the etching process is performed based on each recipe part, the information processing device obtaining a target etching profile for the etching process, selecting from the memory unit a plurality of recipe parts that achieve the obtained target etching profile, and generating a recipe that combines the selected plurality of recipe parts.

13. A substrate processing apparatus having a processing unit that generates a recipe for etching a substrate after film formation, wherein the processing unit has a memory unit that stores a plurality of recipe parts in which different conditions for the etching process are set, and an etching profile when the etching process is performed based on each recipe part, and the processing unit obtains a target etching profile for the etching process, selects from the memory unit a plurality of recipe parts that achieve the obtained target etching profile, generates a recipe that combines the selected plurality of recipe parts, and controls the etching process based on the generated recipe.

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