Substrate processing device and substrate processing method

Abstract

A substrate processing device 1 according to the present invention comprises a camera for photographing a plurality of target components, which are to be monitored and are provided in a processing unit, from diagonally above a liquid chemical processing chamber 41, where the camera 61 comprises a body 62, a lens unit 64, and an adapter 63 for attaching the lens unit 64 to the body 62 such that the tilt angle thereof can be changed. In addition, the substrate processing device 1 according to the present invention comprises a control unit that acquires, from a storage unit, a tilt angle corresponding to the height position of the target component as determined in accordance with a process for processing a substrate W, that sets the adapter 63 of the camera 61 to the acquired tilt angle, and that causes the camera 61 to simultaneously capture images of the plurality of target components at the same height position.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for performing predetermined processing on various substrates such as semiconductor substrates, substrates for FPDs (Flat Panel Displays) such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL (Electroluminescence) display devices, glass substrates for photomasks, and substrates for optical disks.

[0002] Conventionally, such devices have been configured to place a camera above a chuck that supports a substrate during substrate processing. The camera disclosed in Patent Document 1 is capable of panning to change the field of view horizontally, tilting to change the field of view vertically, and zooming to expand the field of view. The use of such a camera allows the field of view to be freely changed, making it convenient for monitoring whether substrate processing is proceeding smoothly.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-127237

[0004] However, conventional configurations are forced to capture images with the camera in a state where the camera is not sufficiently focused. When attempting to capture images of multiple subjects positioned diagonally relative to the camera, as in the case of Cited Document 1, it is difficult to focus on all of the subjects because the multiple subjects are at different distances from the camera. Therefore, conventional configurations monitor the progress of substrate processing based on images that are partially blurred. This method does not allow for sufficient monitoring of substrate processing.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that enable monitoring of the progress of substrate processing using a camera that can focus on multiple subjects simultaneously.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has the following configuration: That is, a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate, comprising: a processing section that holds a substrate in a horizontal position and performs the predetermined process, a camera that photographs a plurality of target components to be monitored that are provided in the processing section from diagonally above the processing section, the camera comprising a camera body, a lens, and an adapter that attaches the lens to the camera body so that the tilt angle is changeable, a memory section that sets and stores in advance a tilt angle of the camera according to the height positions of the target components, and a control section that acquires from the memory a tilt angle that corresponds to the height positions of the target components that is determined according to the substrate processing process, sets the camera adapter to the acquired tilt angle, and causes the camera to simultaneously photograph a plurality of target components that are at the same height position.

[0007] [Operations and Effects] The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes a camera that photographs multiple target components installed in a processing section as monitoring targets from diagonally above the processing section, the camera comprising a camera body, a lens, and an adapter for attaching the lens to the camera body so that the tilt angle is changeable. The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention also includes a control unit that acquires from a memory a tilt angle corresponding to the height position of the target components determined according to the substrate processing process, sets the camera adapter to the acquired tilt angle, and causes the camera to simultaneously photograph multiple target components at the same height. According to the present invention, multiple target components at a predetermined height can be simultaneously photographed.

[0008] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the processing section includes a chuck mechanism positioned on a predetermined horizontal plane and a nozzle positioned above the chuck mechanism that supplies liquid to the upper surface of the substrate held by the chuck mechanism, and that the control section controls the adapter to switch between a first state in which the focus is on the predetermined horizontal plane and a second state in which the focus is on the tip of the nozzle.

[0009] [Operations and Effects] According to the above-described configuration, the processing section includes a chuck mechanism positioned on a predetermined horizontal plane and a nozzle positioned above the chuck mechanism that supplies liquid to the upper surface of the substrate held by the chuck mechanism, and the control section controls the adapter to switch between a first state in which the predetermined horizontal plane is focused and a second state in which the tip of the nozzle is focused. With this configuration, it is possible to switch between the first state in which the chuck mechanism is focused and the second state in which the tip of the nozzle is focused, making it possible to switch between states according to the purpose of imaging.

[0010] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus, the processing section is provided with a nozzle rotation mechanism that can move the tip of the nozzle that ejects the liquid within an upper horizontal plane located above the specified horizontal plane, and it is preferable that in the second state, the focus of the camera is on the upper horizontal plane.

[0011] [Operations and Effects] According to the above-described configuration, the processing section includes a nozzle rotation mechanism that can move the tip of the nozzle that ejects the liquid within an upper horizontal plane that is located above a predetermined horizontal plane, and in the second state, the camera is focused on the upper horizontal plane. With this configuration, the tip of the nozzle that is moved by the nozzle rotation mechanism can be photographed in focus, making it possible to accurately monitor the tip of the nozzle.

[0012] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the apparatus further comprises a cup arranged to surround a chuck mechanism that holds the substrate, and a lifting mechanism that can move the tip of the cup up and down relative to a predetermined horizontal plane, and the control unit controls the adapter to generate a third state in which the tip of the cup, which is positioned above the predetermined horizontal plane, is in focus.

[0013] [Operations and Effects] According to the above-described configuration, the apparatus includes a cup that surrounds the chuck mechanism that holds the substrate, and a lift mechanism that can move the tip of the cup up and down relative to a predetermined horizontal plane, and the control unit controls the adapter to generate a third state in which the tip of the cup located above the predetermined horizontal plane is in focus. With this configuration, the tip of the cup located above the predetermined horizontal plane can be accurately monitored without being affected by out-of-focus.

[0014] Furthermore, it is preferable that the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus further comprises an image processing unit that performs predetermined image processing on the image captured by the camera, and an abnormality detection unit that detects abnormalities in the subject based on the operation of the image processing unit.

[0015] [Operations and Effects] According to the above-described configuration, the present invention is provided with an image processing unit that performs predetermined image processing on an image captured by a camera, and an abnormality detection unit that detects abnormalities in the subject based on the operation of the image processing unit. The present invention can be applied to substrate processing apparatuses equipped with an abnormality detection unit.

[0016] In the above-described substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the substrate supported by the chuck mechanism is on a predetermined horizontal plane.

[0017] [Operation and Effect] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the substrate supported by the chucking mechanism is in a predetermined horizontal plane, which allows the substrate supported by the chucking mechanism to be photographed without being affected by out-of-focus images and the state of the substrate to be accurately monitored.

[0018] In the above-described substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the camera simultaneously photographs a plurality of target components according to the Scheimpflug principle.

[0019] [Operation and Effect] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the camera simultaneously photographs multiple target parts using the Scheimpflug principle. With this configuration, the camera can reliably photograph multiple target parts without blurring.

[0020] The present specification also discloses the following substrate processing method: A substrate processing apparatus including a processing section that holds a substrate in a horizontal position and performs a predetermined processing, a camera that photographs a plurality of target components to be monitored provided within the processing section from diagonally above the processing section, the camera including a camera body, a lens, and an adapter that attaches the lens to the camera body so that the tilt angle is changeable, and a storage section that presets and stores a tilt angle of the camera according to the height positions of the target components, the substrate processing method comprising: a first step of having the camera photograph a first target component that is located at a predetermined height, and a second step of changing the tilt angle to have the camera photograph a second target component that is located at a height different from the predetermined height.

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate processing apparatus that is capable of accurately monitoring substrate processing without being affected by out-of-focus conditions.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a single substrate processing chamber according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a single substrate processing chamber illustrating a plane to be monitored according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a single substrate processing chamber illustrating a plane to be monitored according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a single substrate processing chamber illustrating a plane to be monitored according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a single substrate processing chamber illustrating a plane to be monitored according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a single substrate processing chamber illustrating a plane to be monitored according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method for acquiring a tilt angle according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a table illustrating a recipe according to an embodiment and each processing step constituting the recipe. FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a flow of substrate processing according to an embodiment.

[0023] The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an embodiment of the present invention will be described as a substrate processing apparatus for removing native oxide films from substrate surfaces. However, since the present invention is characterized by a chemical processing chamber, the present invention can be implemented in any substrate processing apparatus that can accommodate this.

[0024] 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of this example. The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this example has an indexer block 3 and a processing block 4. The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a block housing 1A that houses each block. The block housing 1A has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. A load port 11 is provided to protrude from a wall surface on one end side of the block housing 1A.

[0025] In this example, for convenience, the direction in which the indexer block 3 and the processing block 4 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 are arranged is referred to as the front-to-rear direction (X direction). The X direction extends horizontally. The direction from the processing block 4 to the indexer block 3 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is referred to as the front. The direction opposite to the front is referred to as the rear. The horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction is referred to as the left-to-right direction (Y direction). The Y direction is also the direction in which the multiple load ports 11 are arranged. For convenience, one side of the Y direction is referred to as the right, and the direction opposite to the right is referred to as the left. The height direction (Z direction) is perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction and coincides with the vertical direction. In each figure, front, back, right, left, top, and bottom are indicated as appropriate for reference.

[0026] 1, the indexer block 3 includes a load port 11 that serves as an entrance through which a carrier C, which stores a plurality of substrates W in a horizontal position at predetermined intervals in the Z direction, is introduced into the block. The carrier C can be placed on the load port 11.

[0027] A plurality of substrates W (for example, 25 substrates) are stored in a stack in one carrier C. The carrier C storing unprocessed substrates W to be carried into the substrate processing apparatus 1 is first placed on the load port 11.

[0028] An indexer robot IR capable of transporting horizontally oriented substrates W one by one is disposed in the indexer block 3. The indexer robot IR can access any of the paths 34 provided at the boundary between the indexer block 3 and the processing block 4 shown in Fig. 1 and any of the four load ports 11, and transfers substrates W between the paths 34 and carriers C installed on the load ports 11. The transfer of substrates W by the indexer robot IR is achieved by a hand 50.

[0029] 3. Processing Block The processing block 4 is configured to mainly remove a native oxide film grown on the surface of the substrate W. The processing block 4 has a second column CL2 located at the rear of the path 34, a first column CL1 provided to the left of the second column CL2, and a third column CL3 provided to the right of the second column CL2. Therefore, the second column CL2 is located between the first column CL1 and the third column CL3 on the left and right.

[0030] In the first row CL1, chemical liquid processing chambers 41 each having a mechanical chuck 8 for rotatably supporting a substrate W and a nozzle 10 for supplying a chemical liquid to the substrate W are arranged in the X direction. Each chemical liquid processing chamber 41 is configured by housing the mechanical chuck 8 and the nozzle 10 in a rectangular parallelepiped housing 42. FIG. 1 illustrates how two chemical liquid processing chambers 41 are arranged in front of and behind each other in the first row CL1. The first row CL1 has a stack of chemical liquid processing chambers 41 stacked one on top of the other. The stack is configured by stacking two or more layers of chemical liquid processing chambers 41. The specific configuration of the chemical liquid processing chambers 41 will be described later.

[0031] The second row CL2 serves as a passage along which a center robot CR, which transports horizontally oriented substrates W, moves back and forth. The center robot CR can access the path 34 described above as well as the chemical liquid treatment chambers 41 in the first row CL1 and the chemical liquid treatment chambers 41 provided in the third row CL3 (described later).

[0032] The center robot CR is capable of moving back and forth in the X direction and moving up and down in the Z direction so as to transport the substrate W to each accessible position. The center robot CR can also face the hand 46 that holds the substrate W to any of the front, left, and right directions.

[0033] The third column CL3 has a configuration similar to that of the first column CL1. Two chemical liquid treatment chambers 41 are arranged in the X direction in the third column CL3. The third column CL3 has a stack of chemical liquid treatment chambers 41 stacked one on top of the other. The stack is formed by stacking two or more layers of chemical liquid treatment chambers 41.

[0034] 4. Chemical Liquid Processing Chamber FIG. 2 illustrates the configuration of a chemical liquid processing chamber 41 according to the present invention. The chemical liquid processing chamber 41 corresponds to a processing section according to the present invention. The chemical liquid processing chamber 41 holds a substrate W in a horizontal position and performs a predetermined process. As shown in FIG. 2 , the chemical liquid processing chamber 41 of this example includes a housing 42 that defines the outer shape of the chamber, and a cylindrical cup 53 extending in the vertical direction Z that covers the mechanical chuck 8 and nozzle 10 housed inside the housing 42. The cup 53 can be raised and lowered by a cup lifting mechanism 54 and can be retracted from the mechanical chuck 8 when the center robot CR transports the substrate. The cup 53 is arranged to surround chuck pins 84 (described below) that hold the substrate W. The cup lifting mechanism 54 can move the tip of the cup 53 up and down relative to a chuck pin horizontal plane P on which the chuck pins 84 are located.

[0035] The housing 42 is a box that defines the exterior of the chemical solution treatment chamber 41 and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a bottom plate 43 , side plates 44 and a top plate 45 .

[0036] The mechanical chuck 8 has a rotatable disk-shaped spin base 81, a rotation shaft 82 that rotates the spin base 81, and a motor 83 that drives the rotation shaft 82. The spin base 81 is configured to rotate together with the substrate W that is held by the mechanical chuck 8 and is in a horizontal position.

[0037] The chuck pins 84 are provided on the periphery of the spin base 81 and can cooperate to grip the substrate W. The chuck pins 84 are provided on the upper surface of the spin base 81, for example, six in number, and are members that directly contact the substrate W held by the spin base 81. The chuck pins 84 can be opened and closed as described below. When the chuck pins 84 are in the closed state, the substrate W is locked by the chuck pins 84. When the chuck pins 84 are in the open state, the substrate W is unlocked. When the chuck pins 84 are in the closed state, they are configured to hold the substrate W in a horizontal position at a distance from the spin base 81.

[0038] When the spin base 81 rotates the substrate W, the chuck opening / closing mechanism 85, which will be described later, needs to close the chuck pins 84. The chuck opening / closing mechanism 85 can simultaneously drive the six chuck pins 84 to change the state between a closed state in which all six chuck pins 84 press against the edge of the substrate W, and an open state in which all six chuck pins 84 release their pressure against the substrate W.

[0039] 2, the nozzle 10 includes a tip 101 extending in the vertical direction Z, and an L-shaped liquid supply pipe 102 that supplies a chemical liquid to the tip 101 and rotates the tip 101 relative to the substrate W. A base of the liquid supply pipe 102 is supported by a rotation mechanism 103 that rotates the liquid supply pipe 102 relative to the housing 42. The rotation mechanism 103 corresponds to the nozzle rotation mechanism of the present invention. The rotation mechanism 103 can move the tip of the nozzle 10, which ejects the liquid, within a nozzle horizontal plane R that is located above a chuck pin horizontal plane P on which the chuck pins 84 are located.

[0040] The liquid supply control unit 104 is configured to control the amount of chemical liquid supplied to the liquid supply pipe 102, and is configured to control whether or not the chemical liquid is discharged from the tip 101. The chemical liquid that can be controlled by the liquid supply control unit 104 is, for example, hydrofluoric acid (aqueous hydrogen fluoride solution) or pure water for rinsing. The chemical liquid processing chamber 41 of this example may be configured to have a plurality of nozzles 10 that differ depending on the type of chemical liquid. The nozzles 10 are configured to supply the chemical liquid to the surface (top surface) of the substrate W in a horizontal position that is rotating integrally with the spin base 81.

[0041] In this manner, the nozzle 10 is configured to be located above the chuck pins 84 and supply liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the chuck pins 84 .

[0042] <5. Camera> A camera 61 for photographing chuck pins 84 and the like is provided inside chemical liquid treatment chamber 41. Camera 61 is attached to side plate 44 and is provided at a position that is not directly above mechanical chuck 8. Camera 61 photographs a plurality of target parts to be monitored that are provided in chemical liquid treatment chamber 41 from diagonally above chemical liquid treatment chamber 41.

[0043] The configuration of the camera 61 will be described. The camera 61 includes a main body 62 equipped with a photosensitive plate formed by a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and a lens unit 64 equipped with a single lens that transmits light and constitutes an optical system. The main body 62 corresponds to the camera main body of the present invention. The lens unit 64 corresponds to the lens of the present invention. The main body 62 is attached to the side plate 44 so that the photosensitive plate is parallel to the side plate 44. The lens unit 64 extends diagonally downward from the main body 62. Therefore, the field of view of the camera 61 is set diagonally downward from the main body 62.

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

[0045] The camera 61 includes a main body 62, a lens unit 64, and an adapter 63 for attaching the lens unit 64 to the main body 62 so that the tilt angle can be changed.

[0046] The image processing unit 66 performs predetermined processing on the image output by the camera 61. The image processing performed by the image processing unit 66 includes, for example, adjusting the contrast of the image. The abnormality detection unit 67 analyzes the image that has been processed by the image processing unit 66 and determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the object being monitored by the camera 61. The output of the abnormality detection unit 67 is input to the control unit 131, which will be described later. When the abnormality detection unit 67 determines that there is an abnormality in the chemical solution treatment chamber 41, the control unit 131 can take measures such as stopping the processing. The image processing unit 66 performs predetermined image processing on the image captured by the camera 61. The abnormality detection unit 67 detects an abnormality in the object (target part) based on the operation of the image processing unit 66.

[0047] The camera 61 in this example is capable of capturing moving images. Each of the frames constituting the moving image captured by the camera 61 is input to the image processing unit 66 as an image output by the camera 61.

[0048] The camera 61 of this example is capable of capturing images based on the Scheimpflug principle. In other words, the camera 61 of this example differs from typical cameras in which the light-receiving surface and the imaging surface are parallel. The camera 61 of this example can set the imaging surface to a plane perpendicular to the light-receiving surface (photosensitive plate). Because the light-receiving surface is parallel to the side panel 44, the imaging surface that can be set is a horizontal plane. The camera 61 can capture an image of a subject located on the imaging surface without blurring.

[0049] In this way, the camera 61 can use a horizontal plane as its imaging plane, but can also change the height of the horizontal plane at which it focuses. A reference axis D, which is perpendicular to both the vertical direction Z and the optical axis of the lens unit 64, is set for the adapter 63, and the lens unit 64 can rotate around the reference axis D. In other words, the tilt angle of the lens unit 64 relative to the main body 62 is changeable. The adapter 63 is equipped with an adjustment mechanism for changing this tilt angle. The tilt angle control unit 65 is configured to change the tilt angle by controlling the adjustment mechanism of the adapter 63.

[0050] The horizontal plane on which camera 61 focuses moves up and down as the tilt angle is changed. Therefore, tilt angle control unit 65 controls adapter 63 according to the position of the subject in the vertical direction Z, and can appropriately adjust the tilt angle of lens unit 64. The horizontal plane on which camera 61 focuses is set in advance, and camera 61 can switch between them to take pictures.

[0051] FIG. 3 explains the chuck pin horizontal plane P. The chuck pin horizontal plane P corresponds to the predetermined horizontal plane of the present invention. The chuck pin horizontal plane P is one of the horizontal planes on which the camera 61 focuses. The tips of the chuck pins 84 are located on the chuck pin horizontal plane P. The chuck pins 84 correspond to the chuck mechanism of the present invention. Therefore, if the camera 61 focuses on the chuck pin horizontal plane P, it can simultaneously capture images of the six chuck pins 84 attached to the spin base 81 without blurring. In addition, the tips of the cup 53 before it rises are located on the chuck pin horizontal plane P. Therefore, the camera 61 can capture images of the chuck pins 84 and the tips of the cup 53 without blurring.

[0052] 3, the field of view of the camera 61 is set so as to include the entire area of ​​the tip of the cup 53. In this way, all of the chuck pins 84 located inside the cup 53 are included in the field of view.

[0053] 4 shows the state in which the mechanical chuck 8 holds the substrate W. At this time, the chuck pins 84 are in a closed state, and the spin base 81 holding the substrate W can be rotated. At this time, the substrate W in a horizontal position held by the chuck pins 84 is located on the chuck pin horizontal plane P. Therefore, the camera 61 can capture not only the chuck pins 84 but also the top surface of the substrate W without blurring.

[0054] 4, the photographing field of the camera 61 is set so as to include the entire area of ​​the tip of the cup 53. In this way, the entire substrate W positioned inside the cup 53 is included in the photographing field of view.

[0055] 5 illustrates how the camera 61 photographs the tip of the cup 53 after the lifting operation is completed. At this time, the entire tip of the cup 53 is located on the cup horizontal plane Q. The cup horizontal plane Q is set as one of the horizontal planes on which the camera 61 is focused. The tilt angle control unit 65 changes the tilt angle to adjust the orientation of the lens unit 64 relative to the main body 62. As a result, the focus of the camera 61, which was previously on the chuck pin horizontal plane P, is now on the cup horizontal plane Q. The orientation of the lens unit 64 is changed by an adjustment mechanism included in the adapter 63.

[0056] In this way, the camera 61 generates a state in which the tip of the cup 53 positioned above the chuck pin horizontal plane P is focused by the control of the adapter 63 by the control unit 131 described later. This state corresponds to the third state of the present invention.

[0057] At this time, the field of view of the camera 61 is set so as to include the entire area of ​​the tip of the cup 53 as shown in FIG.

[0058] 6 illustrates how the camera 61 photographs the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 as it is rotated. At this time, the tip 101 moves on the nozzle horizontal plane R. This movement of the tip 101 is achieved by the rotation mechanism 103. The nozzle horizontal plane R is set as one of the horizontal planes on which the camera 61 is focused. The tilt angle control unit 65 changes the tilt angle to adjust the orientation of the lens unit 64 relative to the main body 62. As a result, the focus of the camera 61, which was previously on the chuck pin horizontal plane P, is now on the nozzle horizontal plane R. The orientation of the lens unit 64 is changed by an adjustment mechanism included in the adapter 63.

[0059] In this way, the camera 61 can be switched between a first state in which the camera is focused on the horizontal plane P of the chuck pin and a second state in which the camera is focused on the tip 101 of the nozzle 10, by control of the adapter 63 by the control unit 131 described later. In the second state, the camera 61 is focused on the horizontal plane R of the nozzle.

[0060] At this time, the field of view of the camera 61 is set so as to include the entire movable range of the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 as shown in FIG.

[0061] 7 illustrates how the camera 61 captures an image of the liquid column of the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle 10. The liquid column passes through the above-mentioned horizontal cup plane Q. The horizontal cup plane Q is set as one of the horizontal planes on which the camera 61 can focus, so by adjusting the focus on the horizontal cup plane Q, the camera 61 can capture an image of the liquid column without blurring.

[0062] At this time, the field of view of the camera 61 is set so as to include the entire liquid column of the processing liquid discharged from the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 as shown in FIG.

[0063] In this way, the camera 61 can switch the plane on which the object to be monitored is located (the plane to be monitored) between the horizontal plane P of the chuck pin, the horizontal plane Q of the cup, and the horizontal plane R of the nozzle.

[0064] 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 131 for controlling substrate processing. The control unit 131 is configured, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The specific configuration of the control unit 131 is not limited, and may be configured, for example, by a single processor or multiple processors.

[0065] Control related to the control unit 131 includes, for example, control related to the indexer robot IR and control related to the center robot CR. The control unit 131 also executes control related to the chemical liquid treatment chamber 41. Control related to this chemical liquid treatment chamber 41 includes, for example, control related to the cup lifting mechanism 54, control related to the motor 83, control related to the chuck opening / closing mechanism 85, and control related to the rotation mechanism 103. The control unit 131 also includes a tilt angle control unit 65 and a liquid supply control unit 104.

[0066] The control unit 131 acquires from the memory unit 132 described below the tilt angle corresponding to the height position of the subject (target part) that is determined according to the process of processing the substrate W, sets the adapter 63 of the camera 61 to the acquired tilt angle, and causes the camera 61 to simultaneously photograph multiple subjects (target parts) that are at the same height position.

[0067] 1 stores programs and parameters related to control. The storage unit 132 is a storage device that stores recipes, which will be described later. The substrate processing apparatus of this example is not particularly limited in the configuration of the device that realizes the storage unit 132. The storage unit 132 pre-sets and stores a tilt angle of the camera according to the height position of the subject (target component). Specifically, the storage unit 132 stores a recipe, which will be described later, thereby associating the subject with the tilt angle.

[0068] 7. How to Calculate the Tilt Angle Next, we will explain how to calculate the tilt angle associated with the object. This operation is performed when creating a recipe, and must be performed in advance before substrate processing is performed.

[0069] 8 is a flowchart for explaining how to determine the tilt angle, which relates to a method for determining the tilt angle corresponding to each of the monitored planes, chuck pin horizontal plane P, cup horizontal plane Q, and nozzle horizontal plane R.

[0070] Step S21: A plane to be monitored is set In this step, it is assumed that the chuck pin horizontal plane P, for example, is set as the plane to be monitored.

[0071] Step S22: The orientation of lens unit 64 is adjusted so that the tilt angle is as designed, corresponding to chuck pin horizontal plane P. The positional relationship between chuck pin 84 and camera 61 in chemical solution processing chamber 41 is determined when chemical solution processing chamber 41 is designed, and the actual positional relationship is the same as the positional relationship at the time of design. Therefore, the tilt angle can be calculated based on the positions and dimensions of each component constituting the chamber. CAD (Computer Aided Design) data generated when the chamber was designed can be used to calculate this tilt angle.

[0072] Even if the tilt angle is set to the ideal value in this step, the focus of the camera 61 does not necessarily coincide with the chuck pin horizontal plane P. This is because the lens unit 64, which is the optical system, has its own characteristics. For these reasons, the tilt angle in this example is determined based on the actual shooting.

[0073] Step S23: With the tilt angle set as designed, the camera 61 photographs a plurality of objects on the horizontal plane of the chuck pins. The chuck pins 84 can be used as the objects in this case.

[0074] Step S24: It is determined whether the subject in the captured image is out of focus. If the determination is true, the process proceeds to step S25, and if the determination is false, the process proceeds to step S26. This determination may be made visually or by image processing to detect out-of-focus.

[0075] Step S25: Fine adjustment of the tilt angle is performed. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S23. In this manner, fine adjustment of the tilt angle is performed until the subject on the chuck pin horizontal plane P is brought into focus.

[0076] Step S26: The tilt angle is registered. This angle is the appropriate tilt angle obtained by verification and is registered in the recipe.

[0077] Step S27: It is determined whether or not registration of all the planes to be monitored has been completed. If the determination is true, the process ends. If the determination is false, the process returns to step S21. In this manner, the tilt angles corresponding to the planes to be monitored, namely the chuck pin horizontal plane P, the cup horizontal plane Q, and the nozzle horizontal plane R, are determined. The determined tilt angles are stored in association with the processing steps in the recipe.

[0078] 8. Recipe The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment operates based on a predetermined recipe transmitted from an external host computer. Details of the recipe will be described below. The recipe of this embodiment relates to a substrate processing method for removing a native oxide film grown on the surface of a substrate W.

[0079] 9 shows a recipe (Recipe 1) corresponding to one of the substrate processes that can be performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1. The recipe can be configured with a table that associates processing contents provided for each different substrate process with objects, etc. The recipe starts from the first processing step and ends with the 17th processing step. The substrate processing apparatus 1 completes a series of substrate processing by executing the processes specified in the recipe in the order indicated by the processing steps.

[0080] Recipe 1 starts with the first processing step. The first processing step is an initial state in which the substrate W has not yet been placed on the mechanical chuck 8. At this time, the spin base 81 is stationary, and the chuck pins 84 are open. At this time, the camera 61 is focused on the chuck pin horizontal plane P, and the camera 61 monitors the tip of the cup 53 and the chuck pins 84. This focusing is achieved by the tilt angle control unit 65 reading information related to the first processing step of recipe 1 and setting the tilt angle to 2.1°, which corresponds to the chuck pin horizontal plane P.

[0081] In the first processing step, the camera 61 monitors the tip of the cup 53 and the chuck pins 84 to ensure that the cup 53 is lowered and that the chuck pins 84 are open.

[0082] The second processing step corresponds to the state when the substrate W is transported to the mechanical chuck 8. This substrate transport is achieved by the center robot CR. When the substrate W is placed on the mechanical chuck 8, the chuck pins 84 are closed. When the chuck pins 84 are operating, the camera 61 is focused on the chuck pin horizontal plane P, and the camera 61 monitors the chuck pins 84 and the substrate W held by the chuck pins 84.

[0083] In the second processing step, the camera 61 monitors the chuck pins 84, so that it is ensured that the chuck pins 84 are in the closed state and that the substrate W is gripped by the chuck pins 84.

[0084] The third processing step corresponds to the state when the cup 53 is lifted. The lifting of the cup 53 is achieved by the cup lifting mechanism 54. When the cup 53 is lifted, the camera 61 is focused on the cup horizontal plane Q, and the camera 61 monitors the rising cup 53. This focusing is achieved by the tilt angle control unit 65, which reads information related to the third processing step of recipe 1, setting the tilt angle to 3.3°, which corresponds to the cup horizontal plane Q. Note that, not only in the third processing step but also when a substrate W is held by the mechanical chuck 8, the camera 61 also monitors the substrate W. Therefore, there are two planes to be monitored in the third processing step. In the third processing step, the camera 61 switches the tilt angle between 2.1° and 3.3°, thereby switching the plane to be monitored between the chuck pin horizontal plane P and the cup horizontal plane. Therefore, in the third processing step, the camera 61 is configured to alternately monitor the tip of the cup 53 and the substrate W.

[0085] In the third processing step, the camera 61 monitors the tip of the cup 53 and the substrate W, ensuring that the cup 53 is reliably raised and that there is no abnormality in the substrate W.

[0086] The fourth processing step corresponds to a state in which the nozzle 10 has been moved onto the upper surface of the mechanical chuck 8. This movement of the nozzle 10 is achieved by the rotation mechanism 103. When the nozzle 10 is moved, the camera 61 is focused on the nozzle horizontal plane R, and the camera 61 monitors the tip 101 of the moving nozzle 10. This focusing is achieved by the tilt angle control unit 65 reading out information related to the fourth processing step of recipe 1 and setting the tilt angle to 4.1°, which corresponds to the nozzle horizontal plane R. As in the third processing step, the fourth processing step is also configured such that the camera 61 alternately monitors the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W while switching the tilt angle.

[0087] In the fourth processing step, the camera 61 monitors the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W, ensuring that the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 has rotated and moved to a predetermined position and that there is no abnormality in the substrate W. The predetermined position is, for example, a position directly above the center of rotation of the mechanical chuck 8.

[0088] The fifth processing step corresponds to a state in which discharge of the chemical liquid from the nozzle 10 has begun. This liquid processing operation is realized by the liquid supply control unit 104. The chemical liquid may be hydrofluoric acid (aqueous hydrogen fluoride solution). Note that in the fifth processing step, the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 does not move from directly above the center of rotation of the mechanical chuck 8. When discharge of the chemical liquid begins, the focus of the camera 61 is adjusted to the horizontal plane Q of the cup, and the camera 61 monitors the liquid column of the chemical liquid being discharged from the tip 101 of the nozzle 10. This focusing is achieved by the tilt angle control unit 65 reading information related to the fifth processing step of recipe 1 and setting the tilt angle to 3.3°, which corresponds to the horizontal plane Q of the cup. As in the third processing step, the fifth processing step is also configured such that the camera 61 alternately monitors the liquid column of the chemical liquid and the substrate W while switching the tilt angle.

[0089] In the fifth processing step, the substrate W is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed by the mechanical chuck 8.

[0090] In the fifth processing step, the camera 61 monitors the liquid column of the chemical liquid and the substrate W, so that it is guaranteed that the discharge of the chemical liquid has started and that there is no abnormality in the substrate W.

[0091] The eighth processing step corresponds to a state in which the discharge of the chemical liquid from the nozzle 10 has been completed. This completion operation is realized by the liquid supply control unit 104. As in the fifth processing step, the eighth processing step is also configured such that the camera 61 alternately monitors the liquid column of the chemical liquid and the substrate W while switching the tilt angle.

[0092] In the eighth processing step, the camera 61 monitors the liquid column of the chemical liquid and the substrate W, so that it is guaranteed that the discharge of the chemical liquid has been completed and that there is no abnormality in the substrate W.

[0093] The ninth processing step corresponds to a state in which the nozzle 10 starts to discharge a cleaning liquid (pure water). This rinse processing operation is realized by the liquid supply control unit 104. In the ninth processing step, the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 rotates above the mechanical chuck 8 while discharging pure water. This scanning operation is realized by the rotation mechanism 103. When the nozzle 10 is scanned, the focus of the camera 61 is set to the nozzle horizontal plane R, and the camera 61 monitors the moving tip 101 of the nozzle 10. As in the third processing step, the ninth processing step is also configured such that the camera 61 alternately monitors the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W while switching the tilt angle.

[0094] In the ninth process step, the camera 61 monitors the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W, ensuring that the nozzle 10 is moving in a pivoting manner and that the substrate W is free of abnormalities.

[0095] The twelfth process step corresponds to a state in which the discharge of pure water from the nozzle 10 has been completed. This completion operation is realized by the liquid supply control unit 104. As in the ninth process step, the twelfth process step is also configured such that the camera 61 alternately monitors the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W while switching the tilt angle.

[0096] In the twelfth processing step, the camera 61 monitors the tip 101 of the nozzle 10 and the substrate W, ensuring that the rotational movement of the nozzle 10 has been completed normally and that there is no abnormality in the substrate W.

[0097] The thirteenth processing step corresponds to a state in which spin-dry drying processing of the substrate W has begun. The spin-dry operation (drying processing) is realized by changing the rotation speed of the motor 83. When the drying processing is being performed, the camera 61 is focused on the chuck pin horizontal plane P, and the camera 61 monitors the rotating substrate W during the spin-dry operation.

[0098] In the thirteenth processing step, the camera 61 monitors the substrate W, ensuring that there is no abnormality in the substrate W.

[0099] The 16th processing step corresponds to a state in which the drying processing of the substrate W by spin drying is completed. In the 16th processing step, the rotation of the substrate W is stopped. This stopping operation is achieved by stopping the rotation of the motor 83. When the drying processing is completed, the focus of the camera 61 is set on the horizontal plane P of the chuck pins, and the camera 61 monitors the substrate W which has been stopped after the drying processing is completed.

[0100] In the sixteenth processing step, the camera 61 monitors the substrate W, ensuring that there is no abnormality in the substrate W.

[0101] The 17th processing step corresponds to a state in which the series of processing steps are completed and the chemical processing of the substrate W is completed. In the 17th processing step, the cup 53 is lowered and the chuck pins 84 are opened, thereby preparing to unload the substrate W from the chemical processing chamber 41. The center robot CR performs the unloading of the substrate W. At this time, the camera 61 is focused on the chuck pin horizontal plane P, and the camera 61 monitors the operation of each component in the 17th processing step.

[0102] In the 17th processing step, the camera 61 monitors the substrate W, the tip of the cup 53, and the chuck pins 84, thereby ensuring that the chuck pins 84 are in the open state, the cup 53 has descended normally, and there are no abnormalities in the substrate W.

[0103] 9. Substrate Processing Flow According to Recipe The substrate processing flow according to the recipe described above will be described. Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the substrate processing flow. The recipe in this example relates to a substrate processing method for removing a native oxide film grown on the surface of a substrate W.

[0104] Step S11: Data defining a recipe for substrate processing is stored in the storage unit 132 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 from the host computer.

[0105] Step S12: Execution of a sequence consisting of a series of processing steps is started based on the acquired recipe.

[0106] Step S13: Each processing step is executed. Step S13 executes each processing step sequentially, and executes each processing step as the first processing step, the second processing step, the third processing step, etc., as explained in Fig. 9 until the sequence is completed. Since this is the first time that step S13 has been executed, the first processing step is executed first.

[0107] Step S14: A monitoring plane defined in the first processing step is set. The monitoring plane defined in the first processing step is the horizontal plane P of the chuck pin.

[0108] Step S15: The adapter 63 of the camera 61 adjusts the orientation of the lens unit 64 so that the tilt angle corresponds to the set monitoring target plane. Then, the camera 61 is focused on the chuck pin horizontal plane P. In this step, the camera 61 is caused to photograph the chuck pin 84 at a predetermined height.

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

[0110] Step S17: It is determined whether the sequence related to the currently executed recipe has ended. If the determination is true, the process ends. If the determination is false, the process returns to step S13.

[0111] In this way, steps S13 to S17 are repeated, whereby the first to seventeenth processing steps explained in Fig. 9 are executed in this order. Of these, the execution of the third processing step will be explained.

[0112] Unlike the first processing step, the third processing step is configured such that the monitoring target plane is changed during execution. That is, in step S14, the monitoring target plane is set to the chuck pin horizontal plane P and the cup horizontal plane Q. In step S15, the adapter 63 of the camera 61 receives this result and adjusts the orientation of the lens unit 64 so that the tilt angle corresponds to the set monitoring target plane. Then, the camera 61 is first focused on the chuck pin horizontal plane P. Thereafter, the camera 61 is focused on the cup horizontal plane Q. The step of focusing the camera 61 on the chuck pin horizontal plane P corresponds to the first step of the present invention. The chuck pin 84 corresponds to the first target part of the present invention.

[0113] The step of focusing the camera 61 on the cup horizontal plane Q corresponds to the second step of the present invention. In this step, the tilt angle is changed to cause the camera 61 to photograph the tip of the cup 53, which is at a height different from the predetermined height at which the chuck pins 84 are located. The cup 53 corresponds to the second target part of the present invention.

[0114] In the third processing step described above, the operation of setting the plane to be monitored is performed only twice, but this may be increased to three or more times, thereby realizing a configuration in which the tip of the cup 53 and the substrate W are repeatedly and alternately monitored by the camera 61 in the third processing step.

[0115] 10. Effects of the Present Invention Substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention includes camera 61, which is a camera that photographs multiple target components to be monitored provided in the processing section from diagonally above chemical liquid processing chamber 41, and which includes main body 62, lens unit 64, and adapter 63 for attaching lens unit 64 to main body 62 so that the tilt angle is changeable. Substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention also includes control unit 131 that obtains from memory unit 132 a tilt angle corresponding to the height position of the target components determined in accordance with the process of processing substrates W, sets adapter 63 of camera 61 to the obtained tilt angle, and causes camera 61 to simultaneously photograph multiple target components at the same height. According to the present invention, multiple target components at a predetermined height can be simultaneously photographed.

[0116] According to the above-described configuration, the chemical liquid processing chamber 41 includes the chuck pins 84 located on the chuck pin horizontal plane P, and the nozzles 10 located above the chuck pins 84 for supplying liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the chuck pins 84, and the control unit 131 controls the adapter 63 to switch between a first state in which the chuck pin horizontal plane P is focused and a second state in which the tip of the nozzle 10 is focused. With this configuration, the state can be switched between the first state in which the chuck pins 84 is focused and the second state in which the tip of the nozzle 10 is focused, making it possible to switch between the states according to the purpose of imaging.

[0117] According to the above-described configuration, chemical liquid processing chamber 41 is provided with rotation mechanism 103 that can move the tip of nozzle 10, which discharges the liquid, within horizontal nozzle plane R that is located above horizontal chuck pin plane P, and in the second state, camera 61 is focused on horizontal nozzle plane R. With this configuration, the tip of nozzle 10 moved by rotation mechanism 103 can be photographed in focus, and therefore the tip of nozzle 10 can be accurately monitored.

[0118] According to the above-described configuration, the cup 53 is provided so as to surround the chuck pins 84 that hold the substrate W, and the lifting mechanism is capable of moving the tip of the cup 53 up and down relative to the chuck pin horizontal plane P. The control unit 131 controls the adapter 63 to generate the third state in which the tip of the cup 53 located above the chuck pin horizontal plane P is in focus. With this configuration, the tip of the cup 53 located above the chuck pin horizontal plane P can be accurately monitored without being affected by out-of-focus.

[0119] According to the above-described configuration, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes the image processing unit 66 that performs predetermined image processing on the image captured by the camera 61, and the abnormality detection unit 67 that detects abnormalities in the subject based on the operation of the image processing unit 66. The present invention can be applied to the substrate processing apparatus 1 that includes the abnormality detection unit 67.

[0120] According to the above-described configuration, the substrate W supported by the chuck pins 84 is located on the chuck pin horizontal plane P. This allows the substrate W supported by the chuck pins 84 to be photographed without being affected by out-of-focus images, thereby enabling accurate monitoring of the state of the substrate W.

[0121] According to the above-described configuration, the camera 61 simultaneously captures images of multiple target components using the Scheimpflug principle, allowing the camera 61 to reliably capture images of multiple target components without blurring the focus.

[0122] 11. Modifications The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be modified as follows.

[0123] <Modification 1> In the above-described embodiment, substrate processing for removing native oxide films is performed, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The present invention can also be applied to other substrate processing such as substrate cleaning processing.

[0124] <Modification 2> In addition to the above-described embodiment, a configuration for notifying the result of abnormality detection by the abnormality detection unit 67 can be added.

[0125] <Modification 3> The planes to be monitored in the present invention are not limited to the chuck pin horizontal plane P, the cup horizontal plane Q, and the nozzle horizontal plane R in the embodiment. New planes to be monitored can be registered as needed in response to changes in the device configuration.

[0126] <Modification 4> Recipe 1 of the present invention corresponds to a single chemical liquid processing chamber 41. The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention can also be operated by storing recipes in the storage unit 132 that store different tilt angles for each chemical liquid processing chamber 41. These recipes share the same number of steps, processing content, and subject, but each recipe has a unique tilt angle. This modification addresses the fact that the optical axis of the lens unit 64 of the camera 61 is misaligned differently between the chemical liquid processing chambers 41. Therefore, the tilt angle determination operation described in FIG. 8 must be performed for each chemical liquid processing chamber 41.

[0127] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Substrate processing apparatus 1A Block housing 3 Indexer block 4 Processing block 8 Mechanical chuck 10 Nozzle 11 Load port 34 Path 41 Chemical processing chamber 42 Housing 43 Bottom plate 44 Side plate 45 Top plate 46 Hand 50 Hand 53 Cup 54 Cup lifting mechanism 61 Camera 62 Main body 63 Adapter 64 Lens unit 65 Tilt angle control unit 66 Image processing unit 67 Abnormality detection unit 81 Spin base 82 Rotation shaft 83 Motor 84 Chuck pin 85 Chuck opening / closing mechanism 101 Tip 102 Liquid supply pipe 103 Rotation mechanism 104 Liquid supply control unit 131 Control unit 132 Memory unit C Carrier CL1 First row CL2 Second row CL3 Third row CR Center robot D Reference axis IR Indexer robot P Chuck pin horizontal surface Q Cup horizontal surface R Nozzle horizontal surface W Substrate

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus for performing a predetermined processing on a substrate, comprising: a processing section for holding a substrate in a horizontal position and performing the predetermined processing; a camera for photographing a plurality of target components to be monitored that are provided within the processing section from diagonally above the processing section, the camera comprising a camera body, a lens, and an adapter for attaching the lens to the camera body so that the tilt angle can be changed; a memory section for pre-setting and storing a tilt angle of the camera according to the height position of the target components; and a control section for obtaining from the memory section a tilt angle according to the height position of the target components that is determined according to the substrate processing process, setting the camera adapter to the obtained tilt angle, and causing the camera to simultaneously photograph a plurality of target components that are at the same height position.

2. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing section comprises a chuck mechanism positioned on a predetermined horizontal plane, and a nozzle positioned above the chuck mechanism for supplying liquid to the upper surface of the substrate held by the chuck mechanism, and the control section controls the adapter to switch between a first state in which the focus is on the predetermined horizontal plane and a second state in which the focus is on the tip of the nozzle.

3. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing section is provided with a nozzle rotation mechanism that can move the tip of the nozzle that ejects the liquid within an upper horizontal plane that is located above the predetermined horizontal plane, and wherein in the second state, the focus of the camera is aligned with the upper horizontal plane.

4. A substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 2, comprising: a cup arranged to surround a chuck mechanism that holds a substrate; and a lifting mechanism that can move the tip of the cup up and down relative to a predetermined horizontal plane, wherein the control unit controls the adapter to generate a third state in which the tip of the cup, which is positioned above the predetermined horizontal plane, is in focus.

5. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: an image processing unit that performs predetermined image processing on the image captured by the camera; and an abnormality detection unit that detects abnormalities in the target part based on the operation of the image processing unit.

6. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the substrate supported by the chuck mechanism is on a predetermined horizontal plane.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera simultaneously photographs a plurality of target components using the Scheimpflug principle.

8. A substrate processing method performed by a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing section which holds a substrate in a horizontal position and performs a predetermined processing; a camera which photographs a plurality of target components to be monitored provided within the processing section from diagonally above the processing section, the camera comprising a camera body, a lens, and an adapter which attaches the lens to the camera body so that the tilt angle can be changed; and a memory section which presets and stores the tilt angle of the camera according to the height position of the target components, the substrate processing method comprising: a first step of having the camera photograph a first target component at a predetermined height; and a second step of changing the tilt angle to have the camera photograph a second target component at a height different from the predetermined height.

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