Substrate information acquisition device, substrate processing device, and substrate information acquisition method

Abstract

An image-capturing device (66) of a substrate information acquisition device (60) captures images (i.e., spot images (651)) of multiple beam spots (P1) formed on a screen (65). A tilt information acquisition unit acquires the tilt of the substrate (9) at each of the multiple beam spots (P1) on the basis of the captured images acquired by the image-capturing device (66). A scanning mechanism scans, in a second direction extending along a main surface of the substrate (9) and intersecting a first direction, the multiple beam spots (P1) on said main surface. The image-capturing device (66) acquires multiple captured images in parallel with the scanning of the multiple beam spots (P1) by the scanning mechanism. The tilt information acquisition unit acquires the tilt of the substrate (9) at each of the multiple beam spots (P1) in each of the multiple captured images.

Description

Substrate Information Acquisition Apparatus, Substrate Processing Apparatus, and Substrate Information Acquisition Method

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for acquiring information related to the shape of a substrate. [Reference to Related Applications] The present application claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. JP2025-066762 filed on April 15, 2025, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Conventionally, in manufacturing processes for semiconductor substrates (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates"), various types of processing are performed on the substrates. For example, in a processing unit of a substrate processing apparatus, a cleaning process is performed on a substrate by supplying a cleaning liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate held by a chuck.

[0003] Meanwhile, a substrate processed by a substrate processing apparatus may have three-dimensional deformation such as warpage in the thickness direction due to pre-processing or the like. A deformed substrate may not be properly held by the chuck. In some cases, it is also preferable to modify processing conditions in cleaning processes and the like to match the shape of the deformed substrate.

[0004] For this reason, substrate processing apparatuses are required to accurately measure the three-dimensional shape of substrates. However, since the substrate surface is a glossy mirror surface, among three-dimensional shape measurement methods using lasers, the triangulation method, time-of-flight (TOF) measurement method, interferometry method and the like, which are premised on the measurement target being an opaque, non-glossy surface, are not suitable for measuring the three-dimensional shape of substrates. Note that Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-117832 (Document 1) proposes a method for measuring the three-dimensional shape of an object whose surface is a glossy mirror surface.

[0005] However, the three-dimensional shape measurement apparatus of Document 1 requires a condenser lens that condenses reflected light from the target object, a half mirror that splits the reflected light transmitted through the condenser lens into two directions, and two image sensors that respectively receive the two split reflected light beams. As a result, the apparatus structure becomes complicated, which may lead to an increase in the size of the apparatus and a rise in the manufacturing cost of the apparatus.

[0006] Furthermore, in this three-dimensional shape measuring device, in order to determine the reflection position on the surface of the object, it is necessary to determine the position of the reflected light on the focusing lens surface (i.e., the position of the point through which the reflected light passes). For this reason, due to variations caused by the focusing lens (for example, variations caused by the radius of curvature, refractive index, lens thickness, lens aberration, or lens arrangement of the focusing lens), it is not easy to accurately determine the above reflection position.

[0007] Furthermore, because this 3D shape measuring device uses a parallel spot beam of light (collimated light) for point measurement, it is necessary to move the object and the light source relative to each other in multiple axial directions, which requires a considerable amount of measurement time to measure the overall shape of the object. In addition, the device structure becomes more complex, the device becomes larger, and the manufacturing cost of the device may increase.

[0008] This invention is directed towards a substrate information acquisition device that acquires information about the shape of a substrate, and aims to suppress the increase in size of the substrate information acquisition device.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is a substrate information acquisition apparatus for acquiring information relating to the shape of a substrate, comprising: a substrate holding unit for holding a substrate; an illumination unit for irradiating the main surface of the substrate with light to form a plurality of beam spots aligned linearly in a first direction along the main surface on the main surface; a screen for receiving reflected light from each of the plurality of beam spots; an imaging device for capturing images of the plurality of beam spots formed on the screen; a tilt information acquisition unit for acquiring the tilt of the substrate at each of the plurality of beam spots based on the captured images acquired by the imaging device; and a scanning mechanism for scanning the plurality of beam spots on the main surface of the substrate in a second direction that intersects the first direction and is along the main surface. The imaging device acquires a plurality of captured images in parallel with the scanning of the plurality of beam spots by the scanning mechanism. The tilt information acquisition unit acquires the tilt of the substrate at each of the plurality of beam spots for each of the plurality of captured images.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the substrate information acquisition device.

[0011] Aspect 2 of the present invention is a substrate information acquisition apparatus according to aspect 1, wherein the inclination of the substrate at each beam spot acquired by the inclination information acquisition unit includes an inclination with respect to the first direction and an inclination with respect to the second direction.

[0012] A third aspect of the present invention is a substrate information acquisition apparatus according to aspect 1 or 2, further comprising a shape information acquisition unit that acquires the three-dimensional shape of the substrate based on the inclination of the substrate at each of the plurality of beam spots acquired for each of the plurality of imaging images.

[0013] Aspect 4 of the present invention is a substrate information acquisition device according to aspect 1 or 2 (or any one of aspects 1 to 3), wherein the illumination unit irradiates a plurality of beams corresponding to the plurality of beam spots in parallel.

[0014] Aspect 5 of the present invention is a substrate information acquisition apparatus according to aspect 4, wherein the illumination unit comprises a light source unit and a multi-beam device that divides and outputs a beam emitted from the light source unit into a plurality of beams. The multi-beam device comprises a light-reducing filter that transmits a portion of the incident light and reflects the remainder, and a mirror positioned opposite the light-reducing filter that reflects the incident light toward the light-reducing filter. The transmittance of the light-reducing filter gradually increases as one side of the first direction moves toward the other side. The beam incident from the light source unit to the multi-beam device is repeatedly reflected between the light-reducing filter and the mirror as it moves from one side of the first direction toward the other side. The plurality of beams are beams that have been transmitted through the light-reducing filter from a plurality of incident positions of the beam in the light-reducing filter.

[0015] Aspect 6 of the present invention is a substrate information acquisition apparatus according to aspect 1 or 2 (or any one of aspects 1 to 5), wherein the light emitted from the illumination unit is short-wave infrared light. The screen is a fluorescent screen that emits fluorescence when irradiated with short-wave infrared light.

[0016] Embodiment 7 of the present invention is a substrate information acquisition device according to Embodiment 1 or 2 (or any one of Embodiments 1 to 6), wherein the substrate holding portion contacts the lower surface of the substrate and supports the substrate. The main surface of the substrate that is irradiated with light from the illumination portion is the upper surface of the substrate.

[0017] Embodiment 8 of the present invention is a substrate information acquisition apparatus according to Embodiment 1 or 2 (or any one of Embodiments 1 to 7), wherein the imaging device is a single device.

[0018] Aspect 9 of the present invention is a substrate information acquisition apparatus according to aspect 1 or 2 (or any one of aspects 1 to 8), wherein the light incident on each of the plurality of beam spots on the substrate is parallel to a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions.

[0019] Embodiment 10 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates, comprising: a substrate information acquisition apparatus according to Embodiment 1 or 2 (or any one of Embodiments 1 to 9); an indexer block on which a first transport robot is arranged for loading and unloading substrates into and out of a storage container capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates; a processing block on which a processing unit for processing substrates and a second transport robot are arranged for loading and unloading substrates into and out of the processing unit; and a mounting unit provided at the connection between the processing block and the indexer block for holding unprocessed substrates passed from the first transport robot to the second transport robot, and processed substrates passed from the second transport robot to the first transport robot. The substrate holding unit of the substrate information acquisition apparatus is a transport hand for holding substrates in the second transport robot. The scanning mechanism of the substrate information acquisition apparatus is a hand movement mechanism for moving the transport hand in the second direction in the second transport robot. When the substrate is unloaded from the mounting unit by the second transport robot, information regarding the shape of the substrate is acquired by the substrate information acquisition apparatus.

[0020] Aspect 11 of the present invention is a substrate information acquisition method for acquiring information about the shape of a substrate, comprising: a) irradiating the main surface of a substrate with light to form a plurality of beam spots aligned linearly in a first direction along the main surface on the main surface; b) receiving reflected light from each of the plurality of beam spots with a screen and capturing an image of the plurality of beam spots formed on the screen; and c) repeating steps a) and b) while changing the positions of the plurality of beam spots in a second direction that intersects the first direction and is along the main surface. For each of the plurality of captured images acquired in the repeated b) steps, the inclination of the substrate at each of the plurality of beam spots is acquired.

[0021] The above-mentioned and other objectives, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent by the detailed description of the invention below, with reference to the attached drawings.

[0022] This is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. This is a side view showing the inside of the substrate processing apparatus. This is a side view of the mounting unit. This is a side view of the information acquisition head. This is a plan view of the information acquisition head. This is a diagram showing the spot image on the screen. This is a diagram showing the configuration of the control unit. This is a block diagram showing the functions of the control unit. This is a diagram showing the shift in the measurement position when the substrate is tilted. This is a diagram showing the shift in the measurement position when the substrate is tilted. This is a perspective view showing the three-dimensional shape of the substrate. This is a diagram showing the flow of acquiring information about the shape of the substrate. This is a plan view showing other light emission units.

[0023] Figure 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a view of the substrate processing apparatus 1 as seen from line II-II in Figure 1. In each of the figures referred to below, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is appropriately attached, in which the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction (i.e., up and down direction) and the XY plane is the horizontal plane. In Figure 1, the internal structure of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is also shown with solid lines. In Figure 2, a part of the (+X) side of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is omitted from the illustration.

[0024] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a device that processes multiple substantially disc-shaped semiconductor substrates 9 (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates 9") in succession. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, for example, a cleaning process is performed on the substrates 9.

[0025] The substrate processing apparatus 1 comprises an indexer block 10, a processing block 20, and a mounting unit 40. The substrate processing apparatus 1 further comprises a control unit 8 that controls the configurations of the indexer block 10, the mounting unit 40, and the processing block 20. The indexer block 10 and the processing block 20 are also called indexer cells and processing cells, respectively. The indexer block 10 is also called an Equipment Front End Module (EDEM) unit, etc.

[0026] Multiple load ports 11 (for example, four) are arranged on the (-X) side of the indexer block 10. In the example shown in Figure 1, the multiple load ports 11, the indexer block 10, the mounting unit 40, and the processing block 20 are arranged adjacent to each other in this order, from the (-X) side to the (+X) side.

[0027] Multiple load ports 11 are arranged in the Y direction along the (-X) side wall 13 of the indexer block 10. Each of the multiple load ports 11 is a mounting platform on which a housing container 7 is placed. The housing container 7 houses multiple disc-shaped substrates 9 arranged in the vertical direction (i.e., the Z direction) in its internal space 70. The housing container 7 is, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that houses the substrates 9 in a sealed space. The housing container 7 is not limited to a FOUP and may be, for example, an SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) pod. The number of load ports 11 may be one or two or more.

[0028] Each load port 11 receives a storage container 7 containing multiple unprocessed substrates 9 (i.e., substrates 9 before processing by the substrate processing device 1), which is brought in from outside the substrate processing device 1 by an OHT (Overhead Hoist Transfer) or the like and placed on top of it. Processed substrates 9 that have finished processing in the processing block 20 are placed in the storage container 7 placed on the load port 11. The storage container 7 containing the multiple processed substrates 9 is then transported out of the substrate processing device 1 by an OHT or the like. In other words, the load port 11 functions as a substrate accumulation unit that accumulates both unprocessed substrates 9 and processed substrates 9.

[0029] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, unprocessed substrates 9 are transferred from the storage container 7 to the processing block 20 via the indexer block 10 and the mounting unit 40. Processed substrates 9 processed in the processing block 20 are then transferred back to the storage container 7 via the mounting unit 40 and the indexer block 10. An indexer robot 12 is positioned in the internal space 100 of the indexer block 10 to load and unload the substrates 9 into and out of the storage container 7. The indexer robot 12 is a first transport robot that loads and unloads the substrates 9 into and out of the storage container 7 placed on the load port 11. The indexer robot 12 also transfers the substrates 9 between the storage container 7 and the mounting unit 40.

[0030] The mounting unit 40 is provided at the connection point between the indexer block 10 and the processing block 20. Unprocessed substrates 9 that are to be passed from the indexer robot 12 of the indexer block 10 to the center robot 22 (described later) of the processing block 20 are temporarily placed on the mounting unit 40. Processed substrates 9 that are to be passed from the center robot 22 of the processing block 20 to the indexer robot 12 of the indexer block 10 are also temporarily placed on the mounting unit 40.

[0031] Figure 3 is a side view of the mounting unit 40 as seen from the (+X) side. The mounting unit 40 comprises a housing 41 and an internal support portion 42. The housing 41 is a box-shaped member with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Multiple (for example, four) substrates 9 can be housed inside the housing 41. Inside the mounting unit 40, multiple substrates 9 arranged in the vertical direction (i.e., the Z direction) are supported by the internal support portion 42. The internal support portion 42 is, for example, a substantially flat convex portion that protrudes substantially horizontally from the inner surface of the housing 41, and supports the substrate 9 by contacting the peripheral edge of the lower surface 92 (i.e., the main surface on the (-Z) side) of the substrate 9 from below. The number of substrates 9 housed in the mounting unit 40 may be changed as appropriate.

[0032] A first opening 43 is provided on the (+X) side of the housing 41, connecting the internal space 230 of the processing block 20 (see Figures 1 and 2) with the interior of the housing 41. The first opening 43 is, for example, a substantially rectangular opening in a side view (i.e., viewed parallel to the X direction). The first opening 43 is opened and closed by a first shutter 44. The first shutter 44 is, for example, a plate-like member that is substantially rectangular in a side view. The first shutter 44 is moved vertically (i.e., in the Z direction) by a lifting mechanism (not shown).

[0033] Although not shown in Figure 3, a second opening is provided on the (-X) side of the housing 41, connecting the internal space 100 of the indexer block 10 to the inside of the housing 41, and is opened and closed by a second shutter. The shape and structure of the second opening and the second shutter are substantially the same as those of the first opening 43 and the first shutter 44, for example.

[0034] The processing block 20 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is provided with a transport path 23 used for transporting substrates 9 and a plurality of processing units 21 arranged around the transport path 23. In the example shown in Figure 1, the transport path 23 extends in the X direction from the center in the Y direction of the processing block 20. A center robot 22, which is a second transport robot that loads and unloads substrates 9 to and from each processing unit 21, is arranged in the internal space 230 of the transport path 23. For example, 12 processing units 21 are arranged around the transport path 23. Each processing unit 21 is a single-wafer processing device that performs a predetermined process on one substrate 9, such as resist coating or cleaning. The processing performed on the substrate 9 by the processing unit 21 can be varied.

[0035] The central robot 22 comprises a substrate support section 220 and a moving mechanism 224. The substrate support section 220 is capable of supporting multiple substrates 9. The substrate support section 220 comprises multiple transport hands 221, a base 222, a base support section 223, and a hand moving mechanism 225. In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, the substrate support section 220 comprises two transport hands 221 that are substantially U-shaped in plan view. The two transport hands 221 are mounted on the base 222 in an arrangement spaced apart in the vertical direction. Each transport hand 221 is a thin plate-shaped member substantially perpendicular to the Z direction and is a substrate holding section that holds one substrate 9. The transport hand 221 has a substrate contact section that directly contacts the lower surface 92 (see Figure 3) of the substrate 9 and supports the substrate 9 from below.

[0036] The base 222 is attached to the base support 223. The base support 223 may be provided with a rotation mechanism (not shown) that rotates the base 222 about a rotation axis that faces vertically. This rotation mechanism may include, for example, a motor. The base support 223 is connected to the moving mechanism 224. The moving mechanism 224 is a mechanism that moves the substrate support 220 in the X direction (i.e., the direction in which the transport path 23 extends) and the Z direction (i.e., vertically). The moving mechanism 224 may include, for example, a ball screw mechanism driven by a motor.

[0037] The hand movement mechanism 225 moves the transport hand 221 forward and backward substantially horizontally on the base 222, thereby allowing the transport hand 221 to access the mounting unit 40 and each processing unit 21. The hand movement mechanism 225 is provided, for example, inside the base 222. The hand movement mechanism 225 includes, for example, a ball screw mechanism driven by a motor.

[0038] In the central robot 22, the multiple transport hands 221 may be able to move independently of each other by the hand movement mechanism 225, or some or all of the multiple transport hands 221 may be moved together without being able to move independently of each other. Also, the number of transport hands 221 may be one or two or more.

[0039] The central robot 22 is a second transport robot that loads and unloads the substrate 9 to and from the mounting unit 40 by allowing the transport hand 221 to access the mounting unit 40. The central robot 22 also transfers the substrate 9 between the mounting unit 40 and each processing unit 21. The mechanism for moving each component in the central robot 22 is not limited to the example described above and can be modified in various ways.

[0040] The substrate processing apparatus 1 further comprises an information acquisition head 61 and a head movement mechanism 68. The information acquisition head 61 and the head movement mechanism 68 are used to irradiate light onto the substrate 9 being discharged from the mounting unit 40 by the center robot 22, and to receive the reflected light from the substrate 9 to acquire information regarding the shape of the substrate 9.

[0041] In the examples shown in Figures 1 and 2, the information acquisition head 61 is positioned in the vicinity of the mounting unit 40 within the internal space 230 of the transport path 23 of the processing block 20. Specifically, the information acquisition head 61 is positioned adjacent to the (+X) side of the mounting unit 40 and is located between the mounting unit 40 and the center robot 22 in the X direction. In the state shown in Figure 2, the information acquisition head 61 is positioned slightly to the (+Z) side of the first opening 43 of the mounting unit 40.

[0042] The head moving mechanism 68 moves the information acquisition head 61 in the Z direction. The head moving mechanism 68 includes, for example, a ball screw mechanism driven by a motor. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the head moving mechanism 68 is arranged on the (-Y) side of the information acquisition head 61. The structure and arrangement of the head moving mechanism 68 may be modified in various ways.

[0043] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the information acquisition head 61, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the information acquisition head 61. In FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the head cover 67 of the information acquisition head 61 is indicated by a broken line, and the internal structure of the head cover 67 is indicated by a solid line. Further, in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the substrate 9 held by the transport hand 221 of the center robot 22 and unloaded from the mounting unit 40 is also depicted. The substrate 9 and the transport hand 221 are located at a position spaced apart from the information acquisition head 61 on the (-Z) side.

[0044] The information acquisition head 61 includes a light emitting unit 63, a light guide unit 64, a screen 65, an imaging device 66, and a head cover 67. The head cover 67 is, for example, a substantially rectangular box-shaped member that opens downward. The light emitting unit 63, the light guide unit 64, the screen 65, and the imaging device 66 are accommodated inside the head cover 67. In the example shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, with respect to the X direction, the light emitting unit 63, the light guide unit 64, the imaging device 66, and the screen 65 are arranged in this order. Further, the width in the Y direction of each of the light emitting unit 63, the light guide unit 64, and the screen 65 is larger than the maximum width of the substrate 9 in the Y direction (that is, the diameter of the substrate 9).

[0045] The light guide unit 64 comprises a half mirror 641 and a mirror 642. The half mirror 641 and the mirror 642 are each substantially rectangular strip-shaped, substantially flat plate members extending substantially parallel to the Y direction. The half mirror 641 and the mirror 642 are arranged opposite each other in the Z direction. The mirror 642 is positioned on the (+Z) side of the half mirror 641. In a side view (i.e., when viewed parallel to the Y direction), the half mirror 641 and the mirror 642 are positioned substantially orthogonal to each other, at an angle of approximately 45° with respect to the X and Z directions. The half mirror 641 allows substantially all of the light incident from the (+Z) side to pass through. The half mirror 641 also reflects substantially all of the light incident from the (-Z) side. The mirror 642 is a total reflection mirror that substantially reflects all incident light.

[0046] The light emission unit 63 emits multiple (for example, 31) beams B1 arranged in the Y direction. In Figure 5, some of the beams B1 are omitted from the illustration to facilitate understanding of the figure. In the examples shown in Figures 4 and 5, the light emission unit 63 emits multiple beams B1 in parallel (i.e., almost simultaneously). The multiple beams B1 travel approximately horizontally in the (+X) direction from the light emission unit 63 (i.e., approximately parallel to the upper surface 91, which is the main surface on the (+Z) side of the substrate 9) and are incident on the mirror 642 of the light guide unit 64. The multiple beams B1 are reflected in the (-Z) direction by the mirror 642, pass through the half mirror 641, and are incident on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 approximately perpendicular to it. In other words, the multiple beams B1 incident on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 are each approximately parallel to the Z direction, which is perpendicular to the X and Y directions.

[0047] Each beam B1 is a collimated beam. The light intensities of the multiple beams B1 do not necessarily have to be the same, but it is preferable that they be approximately the same. The optical paths of the multiple beams B1 are approximately parallel to each other and are approximately parallel to the XZ plane. The multiple beams B1 may be visible light or invisible light such as short-wave infrared (SWIR). In this embodiment, the multiple beams B1 are visible light. The number of multiple beams B1 may be changed as appropriate.

[0048] The light emitting unit 63 includes, for example, a plurality of light sources such as LDs (Laser Diodes) respectively corresponding to the plurality of beams B1. The plurality of light sources are, for example, arranged at equal intervals on a straight line parallel to the Y direction. The light emitting unit 63 further includes a collimator lens through which the light emitted from the plurality of light sources passes. The light emitted from the plurality of light sources passes through the collimator lens, whereby the aforementioned plurality of beams B1 are formed.

[0049] Note that the structure of the light emitting unit 63 may be modified in various ways. For example, instead of the aforementioned plurality of light sources, a plurality of optical fibers connected to one light source may be provided. Alternatively, the collimated beam emitted from one light source unit may be split into a plurality of beams by a DOE (Diffractive Optical Element), and the plurality of split collimated beams may be made parallel to each other using a lens, whereby the aforementioned plurality of beams B1 may be formed.

[0050] The plurality of beams B1 emitted in parallel from the light emitting unit 63 are guided to the substrate 9 by the mirror 642 as described above, and are incident on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. In other words, the light emitting unit 63 irradiates the substrate 9 with the plurality of beams B1 in parallel. Thereby, a plurality of dot-shaped beam spots P1 arranged substantially linearly in the first direction along the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 are formed on the upper surface 91. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the first direction, which is the arrangement direction of the plurality of beam spots P1, is the Y direction. The first direction may be a direction inclined with respect to the Y direction. The plurality of beam spots P1 correspond to the plurality of beams B1, and the number of the plurality of beam spots P1 is the same as the number of the plurality of beams B1.

[0051] On the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9, the plurality of beam spots P1 are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the first direction. The width in the Y direction of the region where the plurality of beam spots P1 are arranged (that is, the distance in the Y direction between the beam spot P1 located on the most (+Y) side and the beam spot P1 located on the most (-Y) side) is, for example, substantially the same as the maximum width of the substrate 9 in the Y direction (that is, the diameter of the substrate 9).

[0052] In the following description, the light-emitting unit 63 and the mirror 642 together will also be referred to as the "illumination unit 69". The illumination unit 69 irradiates light onto the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9, forming a plurality of beam spots P1 aligned linearly in the first direction described above on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. Note that the configuration of the illumination unit 69 is not limited to the example described above and may be modified in various ways. For example, the half-mirror 641 described above may be included in the illumination unit 69. Also, the illumination unit 69 may include components other than the light-emitting unit 63, mirror 642, and half-mirror 641. Alternatively, in the illumination unit 69, the mirror 642 and half-mirror 641 may be omitted, and a plurality of beams B1 emitted from the light-emitting unit 63 may directly enter the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. In this case, the illumination unit 69 is composed only of the light-emitting unit 63.

[0053] The reflected light R1 of the beam B1 reflected from each beam spot P1 on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 travels in the (+Z) direction from each beam spot P1 and enters the half mirror 641 of the light guide unit 64. The reflected light R1 that enters the half mirror 641 is reflected in the (+X) direction by the half mirror 641. The reflected light R1 travels approximately horizontally from the half mirror 641 (i.e., approximately parallel to the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9) and enters and is received by a substantially flat screen 65 that extends approximately perpendicular to the X direction. As a result, a point-shaped spot image 651, which is an image of the beam spot P1, is formed on the screen 65.

[0054] Figure 6 shows the screen 65 viewed from the (-X) side, parallel to the X direction. As shown in Figure 6, on the screen 65, multiple spot images 651 corresponding to the multiple beams B1 (see Figures 4 and 5) are arranged substantially parallel to the Y direction. In the example shown in Figure 6, the screen 65 is a single, substantially flat member.

[0055] The imaging device 66 shown in Figures 4 and 5 captures multiple spot images 651 (i.e., images of multiple beam spots P1) formed on the screen 65 by reflected light R1. The imaging device 66 captures the multiple spot images 651 so that they are included in a single captured image. That is, the imaging device 66 captures all of the reflected light R1 from each of the multiple beam spots P1 together. The captured image acquired by the imaging device 66 is sent to the control unit 8 (see Figures 1 and 2).

[0056] In the substrate processing apparatus 1 illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, only one imaging device 66 is provided for imaging reflected light R1, and no other imaging devices are provided. Furthermore, the imaging device 66 is a single device, not a group of multiple identical devices. In other words, the imaging device 66 provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is a single device. Note that the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be provided with two or more imaging devices 66.

[0057] In the examples shown in Figures 4 and 5, no optical elements other than the mirror 642 and half-mirror 641 (for example, a focusing lens, etc.) are provided in the optical path of the light emitted from the light emission unit 63 to the screen 65. Furthermore, no optical elements such as lenses or mirrors are provided between the imaging device 66 and the screen 65. The imaging device 66 may have any configuration as long as it is capable of acquiring an image; for example, it may include a CMOS sensor and a lens.

[0058] Figure 7 shows the configuration of the control unit 8. The control unit 8 has the configuration of a typical computer system, including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 81, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 82, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 83, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 84, a fixed disk 85, a display 86, an input unit 87, a reader 88, a communication unit 89, and a bus 80. The control unit 8 may also include an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) and / or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Furthermore, the control unit 8 may be configured by combining two or more processors, and may be configured as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0059] The CPU 81 performs various arithmetic operations. The GPU 82 performs various arithmetic operations related to image processing. The ROM 83 stores the basic program. The RAM 84 stores various information. The fixed disk 85 stores information. The display 86 is a display unit that displays various information such as images. The input unit 87 includes a keyboard 87a and a mouse 87b that accept input from the operator. The reader 88 reads information from computer-readable recording media 881 such as optical disks, magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, and memory cards. The display 86, keyboard 87a, mouse 87b, and reader 88 are connected to the bus 80 via an interface I / F. The communication unit 89 sends and receives signals to and from external devices of the control unit 8. The bus 80 is a signal circuit that connects the CPU 81, GPU 82, ROM 83, RAM 84, fixed disk 85, display 86, input unit 87, reader 88, and communication unit 89.

[0060] In the control unit 8, the program 882 is read in advance from the recording medium 881 via the reader 88 and stored in the fixed disk 85. The program 882 may also be stored in the fixed disk 85 via a network. The CPU 81 and GPU 82 perform arithmetic processing using the RAM 84 and fixed disk 85 according to the program 882. The CPU 81 and GPU 82 function as the arithmetic unit in the control unit 8. Other configurations besides the CPU 81 and GPU 82 that function as the arithmetic unit may also be employed.

[0061] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration realized by the control unit 8 executing calculation processing and the like according to the program 882. The control unit 8 includes a tilt information acquisition unit 801, a shape information acquisition unit 802, and a storage unit 803 as its functions. All or part of these functions may be realized by a dedicated electrical circuit. Alternatively, these functions may be realized by multiple computers. The tilt information acquisition unit 801 and the shape information acquisition unit 802 are realized by a CPU 81, GPU 82, ROM 83, RAM 84, fixed disk 85, and their peripheral configurations. The storage unit 803 is mainly realized by RAM 84 and fixed disk 85. The tilt information acquisition unit 801 is also shown in Figures 4 and 5 above.

[0062] The tilt information acquisition unit 801 determines the tilt of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1 formed on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 (i.e., the tilt of the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9) based on the image acquired by the imaging device 66. The image is stored in a memory element such as RAM 84 (see Figure 7). The tilt of the substrate 9 is caused by deformation such as warping of the substrate 9, for example. The tilt of the substrate 9 can be calculated by various methods.

[0063] For example, when the tilt information acquisition unit 801 determines the tilt of the substrate 9 at a beam spot P1, first, the position of the spot image 651 corresponding to that beam spot P1 on the screen 65 (i.e., the relative position of the spot image 651 with respect to the screen 65, hereinafter also referred to as the "measurement position") is determined based on the image acquired by the imaging device 66. In the example shown in Figure 6, the Y and Z coordinates of the spot image 651 are determined as the measurement position.

[0064] Next, the measurement position of the spot image 651 is compared with the reference position, and the deviations ΔY and ΔZ from the reference position are determined. The reference position is the position on the screen 65 of the spot image 651 formed on the screen 65 by reflected light R1 reflected by the beam spot P1 on the substrate 9 in the reference state. The reference state is a state in which an ideal substrate 9, free from deformation such as warping, is located at the design position on the transport hand 221 of the center robot 22, and the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 in the reference state is a plane perpendicular to the Z direction.

[0065] Figure 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of the information acquisition head 61 as seen from the (-Y) side, showing the ΔZ described above when the substrate 9 is tilted. In Figure 9, the reference position of the spot image 651 is denoted by the symbol SP0. The measurement position of the spot image 651 shifted to the (+Z) side from the reference position SP0 is denoted by the symbol SP1, and the measurement position of the spot image 651 shifted to the (-Z) side from the reference position SP0 is denoted by the symbol SP2. ΔZ is the distance in the Z direction between the reference position SP0 and the measurement positions SP1 and SP2, respectively. In the following explanation, ΔZ is considered positive when the measurement position is located to the (+Z) side of the reference position SP0, and negative when the measurement position is located to the (-Z) side of the reference position SP0.

[0066] In Figure 9, the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 in the reference state and the reflected light Ra0 reflected from the upper surface 91 are shown by a dashed line. The reflected light Ra0 shown by the dashed line is incident on the reference position SP0 on the screen 65. In Figure 9, the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 in a state tilted clockwise from the reference state and the reflected light Ra1 reflected from the upper surface 91 are shown by a solid line. The reflected light Ra1 shown by the solid line is incident on the measurement position SP1 on the screen 65. The upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 shown by the solid line is tilted by an angle θy clockwise from the upper surface 91 in the reference state in Figure 9. In Figure 9, the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 in a state tilted counterclockwise from the reference state and the reflected light Ra2 reflected from the upper surface 91 are shown by a double-dash line. The reflected light Ra2 shown by the double-dash line is incident on the measurement position SP2 on the screen 65. The upper surface 91 of the substrate 9, shown by the dashed line, is tilted by an angle θy in the counterclockwise direction in Figure 9 from the upper surface 91 in the reference state.

[0067] The inclination angle θy is the inclination angle of the substrate 9 around the Y-axis at the beam spot P1. With the horizontal direction (i.e., the X-direction) as the reference, angles in the clockwise direction in Figure 9 are considered positive, and angles in the counterclockwise direction are considered negative. In other words, the inclination angle θy indicates the direction and magnitude of the inclination with respect to the X-direction within the XZ plane (i.e., a virtual plane containing the X and Z directions). The inclination angle θy of the substrate 9 can be calculated using ΔZ by the following equation 1.

[0068]

[0069] In equation 1, L is the optical path length of the reflected light Ra0 in the above-described reference state. The optical path length L of the reflected light Ra0 is the length of the optical path from the beam spot P1 on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9, through the half mirror 641, to the above-described reference position SP0 on the screen 65. The optical path length L is the sum of L1, which is the length of the optical path of the reflected light Ra0 from the beam spot P1 on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 to the half mirror 641, and L2, which is the length of the optical path of the reflected light Ra0 from the half mirror 641 to the reference position SP0 on the screen 65. The same applies to L in equation 2, which will be described later.

[0070] Figure 10 is a magnified view of a portion of the information acquisition head 61 as seen from the (-X) side, showing the ΔY value described above when the substrate 9 is tilted. In Figure 10, the half-mirror 641 located in front of the screen 65 is drawn with a dashed line. In Figure 10, as in Figure 9, the reference position of the spot image 651 is denoted by the symbol SP0. The measurement position of the spot image 651 shifted to the (+Y) side from the reference position SP0 is denoted by the symbol SP3, and the measurement position of the spot image 651 shifted to the (-Y) side from the reference position SP0 is denoted by the symbol SP4. ΔY is the distance in the Y direction between the reference position SP0 and the measurement positions SP3 and SP4, respectively. In the following explanation, ΔY is considered positive when the measurement position is located to the (+Y) side of the reference position SP0, and negative when the measurement position is located to the (-Y) side of the reference position SP0.

[0071] In Figure 10, the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 in the reference state and the reflected light Ra0 reflected from the upper surface 91 are shown by a dashed line. The reflected light Ra0 shown by the dashed line is incident on the reference position SP0 on the screen 65. In Figure 10, the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 in a state tilted counterclockwise from the reference state and the reflected light Ra3 reflected from the upper surface 91 are shown by a solid line. The reflected light Ra3 shown by the solid line is incident on the measurement position SP3 on the screen 65. The upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 shown by the solid line is tilted by an angle θx counterclockwise from the upper surface 91 in the reference state in Figure 10. In Figure 10, the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 in a state tilted clockwise from the reference state and the reflected light Ra4 reflected from the upper surface 91 are shown by a double-dash line. The reflected light Ra4, shown by the dashed line, is incident on the measurement position SP4 on the screen 65. The upper surface 91 of the substrate 9, shown by the dashed line, is tilted by an angle θx in the clockwise direction in Figure 10 from the upper surface 91 in the reference state.

[0072] The inclination angle θx is the inclination angle of the substrate 9 around the X-axis at the beam spot P1. With the horizontal direction (i.e., the Y-direction) as the reference, angles in the counterclockwise direction in Figure 10 are considered positive, and angles in the clockwise direction are considered negative. In other words, the inclination angle θx indicates the direction and magnitude of the inclination with respect to the Y-direction within the YZ plane (i.e., a virtual plane containing the Y-direction and Z-direction). The inclination angle θx of the substrate 9 can be calculated using ΔY by the following equation 2.

[0073]

[0074] In the tilt information acquisition unit 801, as shown in Figure 5, for each of the multiple beam spots P1 that are arranged in a substantially straight line in the first direction (i.e., the Y direction) on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9, the tilt of the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 at the beam spot P1 is determined as described above. Then, the shape information acquisition unit 802 acquires the shape of the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 on a virtual line that passes through the multiple beam spots P1 and extends in the Y direction, based on the tilt of the substrate 9 at each of the multiple beam spots P1. In the following description, the virtual line that passes through the multiple beam spots P1 will also be called the "horizontal spot line," and the shape of the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 on the horizontal spot line will also be called the "shape of the horizontal spot line." The shape of the horizontal spot line may be acquired by various methods.

[0075] For example, the shape information acquisition unit 802 approximates the shape of the horizontal spot line with a function such as a polynomial, and acquires the shape of the horizontal spot line by adjusting the coefficients of the function such that the slope obtained by differentiating the function at each beam spot P1 on the horizontal spot line is approximately equal to the inclination angle θx.

[0076] In the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the substrate 9, which is discharged from the mounting unit 40 by the center robot 22, moves in the (+X) direction below the information acquisition head 61. Specifically, the substrate 9, held by the transport hand 221, moves in the (+X) direction by the hand movement mechanism 225 with multiple beam spots P1 formed on its upper surface 91 as shown in Figure 5. As a result, the multiple beam spots P1 are scanned in the (-X) direction on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. If we refer to the X direction, which is the scanning direction of the multiple beam spots P1 on the substrate 9, as the "second direction," then the hand movement mechanism 225 is a scanning mechanism that scans the multiple beam spots P1 on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 in the second direction. The second direction is a direction along the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 and intersects with the first direction described above. The second direction may also be a direction inclined with respect to the X direction.

[0077] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, when the substrate 9 is unloaded from the mounting unit 40, multiple beam spots P1 are scanned from the (+X) side to the (-X) side of the substrate 9, and in parallel, multiple spot images 651 on the screen 65 are continuously and repeatedly captured by the imaging device 66 to acquire multiple captured images. These multiple captured images are sent from the imaging device 66 to the control unit 8 and stored in the storage unit 803, as described above.

[0078] In the tilt information acquisition unit 801 of the control unit 8, the tilt of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1 is acquired for each of the multiple captured images in the same manner as described above. In addition, in the shape information acquisition unit 802, the shape of the horizontal spot lines in each of the multiple captured images is acquired in the same manner as described above. Then, the multiple horizontal spot lines corresponding to each of the multiple captured images are arranged in the X direction according to the position of the horizontal spot lines on the substrate 9 when each captured image was taken, thereby acquiring the approximately entire three-dimensional shape of the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9.

[0079] Figure 11 schematically illustrates the three-dimensional shape of the substrate 9 acquired by the shape information acquisition unit 802. In the example shown in Figure 11, the substrate 9 is curved so as to be convex on the (+Z) side. In Figure 11, the degree of curvature of the substrate 9 is depicted as being larger than it actually is.

[0080] The method for acquiring the three-dimensional shape of the substrate 9 by the shape information acquisition unit 802 is not necessarily limited to the above example and may be modified in various ways. For example, the shape information acquisition unit 802 acquires the shape of virtual lines (hereinafter also referred to as "vertical spot lines") passing through multiple beam spots P1 that are aligned in the X direction at the same position in the Y direction, based on the inclination of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1 acquired for the above-mentioned multiple imaging images. The shape of the vertical spot lines is acquired, for example, in substantially the same way as the horizontal spot lines. Then, by aligning the multiple vertical spot lines in the Y direction according to the Y direction position of each vertical spot line, the three-dimensional shape of substantially the entire upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 is acquired. Alternatively, the shape information acquisition unit 802 may acquire the three-dimensional shape of the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 based on the above-mentioned multiple horizontal spot lines and multiple vertical spot lines.

[0081] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the illumination unit 69, screen 65, imaging device 66, transport hand 221, hand movement mechanism 225, and tilt information acquisition unit 801 constitute a substrate information acquisition apparatus 60 that acquires information regarding the shape of the substrate 9. Specifically, the substrate information acquisition apparatus 60 acquires the tilt of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1 on the substrate 9. In the above example, the tilt of the substrate 9 acquired by the substrate information acquisition apparatus 60 includes, but is not limited to, the tilt angle θy around the Y axis and the tilt angle θx around the X axis. For example, the tilt of the substrate 9 may be only one of the tilt angle θy and the tilt angle θx. In addition, in the above example, the substrate information acquisition apparatus 60 further includes a shape information acquisition unit 802 that acquires the three-dimensional shape of the substrate 9.

[0082] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, as described above, when the substrate 9 is unloaded from the mounting unit 40 by the center robot 22, information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 is acquired by the substrate information acquisition device 60. The flow of acquiring this information by the substrate information acquisition device 60 is as shown in Figure 12, for example. First, light is shone from the illumination unit 69 toward the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9, and a plurality of beam spots P1 arranged in a straight line in the Y direction are formed on the upper surface 91 (step S11). Subsequently, the reflected light R1 from each of the plurality of beam spots P1 is received by the screen 65, and a plurality of spot images 651 formed on the screen 65 are captured by the imaging device 66 (step S12).

[0083] Then, the positions of the multiple beam spots P1 in the X direction are changed (steps S13 to S14), and steps S11 and S12 are repeated until a predetermined termination condition is met. The termination condition is, for example, the time or number of imaging steps required for imaging in step S12 to be performed over the entire length of the substrate 9 in the X direction.

[0084] Subsequently, for each of the multiple captured images obtained in step S12, which is repeated as described above, the tilt of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1 is acquired by the tilt information acquisition unit 801 as information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 (step S15). In addition, for the multiple captured images, the shape of the horizontal spot lines and / or vertical spot lines is acquired by the shape information acquisition unit 802, and the three-dimensional shape of the substrate 9 is acquired (step S16). The shapes of the horizontal spot lines and / or vertical spot lines, as well as the three-dimensional shape of the substrate 9, acquired in step S16 are also information regarding the shape of the substrate 9.

[0085] Furthermore, the acquisition of the inclination of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1 in step S15 does not necessarily have to be performed after the repetition of steps S11 to S12 is completed; it may be performed between step S12 and step S13 each time step S12 is performed. Similarly, the acquisition of the shape of the horizontal spot line may be performed between step S12 and step S13 each time step S12 is performed.

[0086] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the control unit 8 determines whether the substrate 9 can be properly held in the processing unit 21 into which the substrate 9 is scheduled to be loaded, based on the information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 acquired by the substrate information acquisition device 60. The control unit 8 also sets appropriate processing conditions for the processing to be performed on the substrate 9 in the processing unit 21, which are in accordance with the shape of the substrate 9 indicated by the information. Alternatively, the control unit 8 may determine whether or not the substrate 9 can be loaded into the processing unit 21 based on the information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 acquired by the substrate information acquisition device 60.

[0087] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, it is not necessarily required to acquire information regarding the shape of the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9; information regarding the shape of the lower surface 92 of the substrate 9 (i.e., the main surface on the (-Z) side) may be acquired instead. In this case, the information acquisition head 61 is positioned on the (-Z) side of the substrate 9, and multiple beams B1 emitted from the light emission unit 63 are incident on the lower surface 92 of the substrate 9, forming multiple beam spots P1 on the lower surface 92 of the substrate 9. Of the multiple beams B1 emitted from the light emission unit 63, beams B1 that are blocked by the transport hand 221 and do not reach the lower surface 92 of the substrate 9 are ignored and their reflected light R1 spot images 651 are not used when acquiring information regarding the shape of the lower surface 92 of the substrate 9.

[0088] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, information acquisition heads 61 may be positioned on both the (+Z) side and the (-Z) side of the substrate support portion 220 of the center robot 22, and information regarding the shapes of the two substrates 9 held by the two transport hands 221 may be acquired simultaneously. In this case, information regarding the shape of the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 held by the transport hand 221 on the (+Z) side and information regarding the shape of the lower surface 92 of the substrate 9 held by the transport hand 221 on the (-Z) side are acquired by the substrate information acquisition device 60.

[0089] Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may use the information acquisition head 61 and the head moving mechanism 68 to measure the upper surface 91 and lower surface 92 of a single substrate 9, thereby acquiring the thickness of the substrate 9 as one of the pieces of information regarding the shape of the substrate 9.

[0090] As described above, the substrate information acquisition device 60 is a device that acquires information regarding the shape of the substrate 9. The substrate information acquisition device 60 comprises a substrate holding unit (transport hand 221 in the above example), an illumination unit 69, a screen 65, an imaging device 66, a tilt information acquisition unit 801, and a scanning mechanism (hand movement mechanism 225 in the above example). The substrate holding unit holds the substrate 9. The illumination unit 69 irradiates light onto the main surface of the substrate 9 (top surface 91 in the above example) to form a plurality of beam spots P1 aligned linearly in a first direction (Y direction in the above example) along the main surface. The screen 65 receives the reflected light R1 from each of the plurality of beam spots P1.

[0091] The imaging device 66 captures images (i.e., spot images 651) of the multiple beam spots P1 formed on the screen 65. The tilt information acquisition unit 801 acquires the tilt of the substrate 9 at each of the multiple beam spots P1 based on the captured images acquired by the imaging device 66. The scanning mechanism scans the multiple beam spots P1 on the main surface of the substrate 9 in a second direction (in the above example, the X direction) that intersects the first direction and follows the main surface. The imaging device 66 acquires multiple captured images in parallel with the scanning of the multiple beam spots P1 by the scanning mechanism. For each of the multiple captured images, the tilt information acquisition unit 801 acquires the tilt of the substrate 9 at each of the multiple beam spots P1.

[0092] In this manner, the substrate information acquisition device 60 captures images of multiple beam spots P1 formed on the screen 65 (i.e., spot images 651) using an imaging device 66, and obtains the inclination of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1 based on the imaging results. This allows the imaging device 66 to be miniaturized compared to cases where multiple reflected light R1 from the substrate 9 are incident on the imaging device 66 (i.e., incident directly or indirectly via a lens, etc.). It also improves the flexibility of the placement of the imaging device 66. Furthermore, the substrate information acquisition device 60 can omit the focusing lens required to cause the reflected light R1 to be incident on the imaging device 66, thus simplifying the structure of the substrate information acquisition device 60. As a result, an increase in the size of the substrate information acquisition device 60 can be suppressed.

[0093] Furthermore, the substrate information acquisition device 60 forms multiple beam spots P1 aligned linearly in the first direction on the substrate 9, rather than a linear beam irradiation area extending in the first direction on the substrate 9, and captures multiple spot images 651 on the screen 65. Therefore, the correspondence between the spot images 651 on the captured image and the beam spots P1 on the substrate 9 can be easily grasped. As a result, information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 can be acquired with high accuracy.

[0094] As described above, the inclination of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1 acquired by the inclination information acquisition unit 801 preferably includes an inclination in a first direction (inclination angle θx in the above example) and an inclination in a second direction (inclination angle θy in the above example). This allows for the appropriate acquisition of the inclination of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1 in two directions. As a result, the three-dimensional shape of the substrate 9 can be acquired with high accuracy.

[0095] As described above, it is preferable that the substrate information acquisition device 60 further comprises a shape information acquisition unit 802. The shape information acquisition unit 802 acquires the three-dimensional shape of the substrate 9 based on the inclination of the substrate 9 at each of the multiple beam spots P1 acquired for each of the multiple captured images. This makes it possible to acquire the three-dimensional shape of the substrate 9 with high accuracy.

[0096] As described above, it is preferable for the illumination unit 69 to irradiate multiple beams B1 corresponding to multiple beam spots P1 in parallel. This reduces the time required to acquire information about the shape of the substrate 9 compared to the case where a single beam B1 forms a single beam spot P1 on the substrate 9 and the beam spot P1 is scanned in a first direction (the Y direction in the above example).

[0097] In the above example, the substrate holder supports the substrate 9 by contacting the lower surface 92 of the substrate 9. In this case, it is preferable that the main surface of the substrate 9 that is illuminated by light from the illumination unit 69 is the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. This prevents the light irradiated from the illumination unit 69 onto the main surface of the substrate 9 from being blocked by the substrate holder (transport hand 221 in the above example). As a result, information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 can be obtained with high accuracy.

[0098] As described above, it is preferable that the imaging device 66 be a single device. This simplifies the structure of the substrate information acquisition device 60 and further suppresses the increase in size of the substrate information acquisition device 60 compared to the case where multiple imaging devices are used to capture multiple spot images 651 on the screen 65.

[0099] As described above, it is preferable that the screen 65 be a single component. This simplifies the structure of the substrate information acquisition device 60 and further suppresses the increase in size of the substrate information acquisition device 60 compared to the case where the screen 65 is composed of multiple components.

[0100] As described above, it is preferable that the light incident on each of the multiple beam spots P1 on the substrate 9 is parallel to a third direction (the Z direction in the above example) that is perpendicular to the first and second directions. In this way, by causing the light irradiated on the substrate 9 (multiple beams B1 in the above example) to be incident approximately perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate 9, the inclination of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1 can be obtained while substantially ignoring the effect of the angle of incidence of the light on the substrate 9. In other words, it is possible to easily obtain the inclination of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1 on the substrate 9.

[0101] The substrate processing apparatus 1 comprises the substrate information acquisition apparatus 60 described above, an indexer block 10, a processing block 20, and a mounting unit 40. The indexer block 10 is equipped with a first transport robot (i.e., an indexer robot 12) that loads substrates 9 into and out of a storage container 7 capable of accommodating multiple substrates 9. The processing block 20 is equipped with a processing unit 21 that processes the substrates 9, and a second transport robot (i.e., a center robot 22) that loads substrates 9 into and out of the processing unit 21. The mounting unit 40 is provided at the connection point between the processing block 20 and the indexer block 10. The mounting unit 40 holds unprocessed substrates 9 that are passed from the indexer robot 12 to the center robot 22, and processed substrates 9 that are passed from the center robot 22 to the indexer robot 12.

[0102] The substrate holding section of the substrate information acquisition device 60 is a transport hand 221 that holds the substrate 9 in the center robot 22. The scanning mechanism of the substrate information acquisition device 60 is a hand movement mechanism 225 that moves the transport hand 221 in a second direction (in the above example, the X direction) in the center robot 22. In the substrate processing device 1, when the substrate 9 is discharged from the mounting unit 40 by the center robot 22, information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 is acquired by the substrate information acquisition device 60.

[0103] As described above, the substrate information acquisition device 60 can suppress the increase in size of the device. Therefore, the increase in size of the substrate processing device 1 in which the substrate information acquisition device 60 is installed can be suppressed. In other words, the substrate information acquisition device 60 can be installed in the substrate processing device 1 while suppressing the increase in size of the substrate processing device 1, or without increasing the size of the substrate processing device 1. Furthermore, in the substrate processing device 1, as described above, information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 is acquired in the transport path of the substrate 9 from the mounting unit 40 to the processing unit 21. Therefore, information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 can be acquired before processing the substrate 9, while suppressing or preventing an increase in the cycle time of substrate processing. Then, by processing the substrate 9 based on the acquired information, the quality of processing the substrate 9 can be improved.

[0104] The above-described substrate information acquisition method comprises the steps of: irradiating the main surface of the substrate 9 (the top surface 91 in the above example) with light to form a plurality of beam spots P1 aligned linearly in a first direction (the Y direction in the above example) along the main surface (step S11); receiving the reflected light R1 from each of the plurality of beam spots P1 with a screen 65 and capturing an image of the plurality of beam spots P1 formed on the screen 65 (i.e., a spot image 651) (step S12); and repeating steps S11 and S12 (steps S13 to S14) while changing the positions of the plurality of beam spots P1 in a second direction (the X direction in the above example) that intersects the first direction and is along the main surface. Then, for each of the plurality of captured images acquired in the plurality of repeated steps S12, the inclination of the substrate 9 at each of the plurality of beam spots P1 is acquired. This makes it possible to suppress the increase in size of the apparatus (substrate information acquisition apparatus 60 in the above example) that performs the substrate information acquisition method, in substantially the same manner as above.

[0105] In the above example, the multiple beams B1 emitted from the light emission unit 63 are visible light, but this is not limited to this. For example, if a photosensitive material that is sensitive in the visible light wavelength range is coated on the substrate 9, the multiple beams B1 may be short-wave infrared light. This makes it possible to accurately acquire information about the shape of the substrate 9, even for substrates 9 to which visible light irradiation is undesirable, while suppressing an increase in the size of the substrate information acquisition device 60 and the substrate processing device 1.

[0106] Furthermore, if the light emitted from the light emission unit 63 is short-wave infrared light, it is preferable that the screen 65 is a fluorescent screen that emits fluorescence when irradiated with short-wave infrared light. This makes it possible to image a spot image 651 on the screen 65 (i.e., a point on the screen 65 that emits fluorescence when irradiated with reflected light R1) without using an expensive imaging device capable of imaging short-wave infrared light. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the manufacturing cost of the substrate information acquisition device 60 and the substrate processing device 1.

[0107] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the structure of the light-emitting section 63 of the illumination section 69 is not limited to the example described above and can be modified in various ways. For example, the light-emitting section 63a of the illumination section 69a shown in Figure 13 may be provided on the information acquisition head 61 instead of the light-emitting section 63. Figure 13 is a plan view showing an enlarged view of the light-emitting section 63a.

[0108] The light emission unit 63a comprises a light source unit 631 and a multi-beam device 632. The light source unit 631 is, for example, positioned on the (-X) side of the multi-beam device 632 and emits a beam B0 in the (+X) direction toward the multi-beam device 632. The beam B0 is a collimated beam. The light source unit 631 comprises, for example, an LD (Laser Diode). The beam B0 incident from the light source unit 631 into the multi-beam device 632 is divided into a plurality of beams B1 in the multi-beam device 632, led out from the multi-beam device 632 toward the mirror 642 (see Figures 4 and 5), reflected by the mirror 642, and guided toward the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9.

[0109] The multi-beam device 632 comprises a light-reducing filter 633 and a mirror 634. The light-reducing filter 633 and the mirror 634 are each substantially flat plate-shaped members extending substantially parallel to the Z direction, and extending in directions inclined with respect to the X and Y directions in a plan view. The light-reducing filter 633 and the mirror 634 are arranged in close proximity to each other, facing each other substantially parallel to each other. The mirror 634 is positioned on the (-X) side of the light-reducing filter 633. The light source unit 631 is positioned near the (-Y) end of the light-reducing filter 633 and the mirror 634, on the (-X) side of the mirror 634.

[0110] The attenuation filter 633 is a filter that transmits a portion of the incident light and reflects the remaining light. The transmittance of the attenuation filter 633 for the beam B0 described above gradually increases from the (-Y) end to the (+Y) end (i.e., from one side to the other in the first direction described above). As the attenuation filter 633, for example, an ND (Neutral Density) filter whose transmittance changes continuously or stepwise in the Y direction can be used. The mirror 634 is a total reflection mirror that substantially reflects the incident light.

[0111] In the light emission section 63a, the beam B0 emitted from the light source section 631 is incident at a first incident position located at the (-Y) end of the attenuation filter 633. A portion of the beam B0 incident at the first incident position of the attenuation filter 633 passes through the attenuation filter 633 and is led towards the mirror 642 as beam B1, which is located furthest to the (-Y) side in Figure 13. This beam is reflected by the mirror 642 and guided to the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. The remaining beam B0 incident at the first incident position (i.e., the light that did not pass through the attenuation filter 633) is reflected by the attenuation filter 633 towards the (+Y) and (-X) sides and heads towards the mirror 634. This mirror 634 reflects the beam B0 back towards the attenuation filter 633 and is incident at the second incident position of the attenuation filter 633. On the attenuation filter 633, the second incident position is located further to the (+Y) side than the first incident position.

[0112] A portion of the beam B0 incident at the second incident position of the light-reducing filter 633 passes through the light-reducing filter 633 and is led towards the mirror 642 as beam B1, which is the second beam from the (-Y) side in Figure 13. The beam is reflected by the mirror 642 and guided to the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. The light transmittance of the light-reducing filter 633 at the second incident position is greater than the light transmittance of the light-reducing filter 633 at the first incident position. On the other hand, the light intensity of beam B0 incident at the second incident position is less than the light intensity of beam B0 incident at the first incident position. In the light emission section 63a, the light transmittance of the light-reducing filter 633 is set so that the light intensity of beam B1 that has passed through the light-reducing filter 633 at the first incident position and the light intensity of beam B1 that has passed through the light-reducing filter 633 at the second incident position are approximately the same.

[0113] The remaining portion of the beam B0 that entered the light-reducing filter 633 at the second incident position (i.e., the light that did not pass through the light-reducing filter 633) is reflected by the light-reducing filter 633 toward the (+Y) and (-X) sides toward the mirror 634, and is reflected by the mirror 634 toward the light-reducing filter 633 and enters the light-reducing filter 633 at its third incident position. On the light-reducing filter 633, the third incident position is located toward the (+Y) side than the second incident position.

[0114] A portion of the beam B0 incident at the third incident position of the light-reducing filter 633 passes through the light-reducing filter 633 and is led towards the mirror 642 as beam B1, which is the third beam from the (-Y) side in Figure 13. The beam is reflected by the mirror 642 and guided to the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. The light transmittance of the light-reducing filter 633 at the third incident position is greater than the light transmittance of the light-reducing filter 633 at the second incident position. On the other hand, the light intensity of beam B0 incident at the third incident position is less than the light intensity of beam B0 incident at the second incident position. In the light emission section 63a, the light transmittance of the light-reducing filter 633 is set so that the light intensity of beam B1 that has passed through the light-reducing filter 633 at the second incident position is approximately the same as the light intensity of beam B1 that has passed through the light-reducing filter 633 at the third incident position.

[0115] In the light emission section 63a, the beam B0 incident on the multi-beam device 632 from the light source section 631 is repeatedly reflected between the attenuation filter 633 and the mirror 634, traveling from the (-Y) side to the (+Y) side. Then, at multiple incident positions (such as the first, second, and third incident positions mentioned above) arranged at approximately equal intervals in the Y direction on the attenuation filter 633, a portion of the beam B0 passes through the attenuation filter 633, leading to multiple beams B1 being guided toward the mirror 642, where they are reflected and guided toward the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. In the light emission section 63a, the transmittance of the attenuation filter 633 is set so that the light intensity of the beams B1 transmitted through the attenuation filter 633 is approximately the same at each of two adjacent incident positions in the Y direction. Therefore, the light intensity of the multiple beams B1 derived from the multi-beam device 632 is approximately uniform.

[0116] As described above, the illumination unit 69a comprises a light source unit 631 and a multi-beam device 632. The multi-beam device 632 divides the beam B0 emitted from the light source unit 631 into a plurality of beams B1. The multi-beam device 632 comprises a dimming filter 633 and a mirror 634. The dimming filter 633 transmits a portion of the incident light and reflects the rest. The mirror 634 is positioned opposite the dimming filter 633 and reflects the incident light toward the dimming filter 633. The transmittance of the dimming filter 633 gradually increases as you move from one side to the other in the first direction (in the above example, from the (-Y) side to the (+Y) side). The beam B0 incident from the light source unit 631 to the multi-beam device 632 is repeatedly reflected between the dimming filter 633 and the mirror 634 as it moves from one side to the other in the first direction. The multiple beams B1 are beams that have passed through the attenuation filter 633 from multiple incident positions of beam B0 in the attenuation filter 633. This simplifies the structure of the light emission unit 63a that emits the multiple beams B1, and the illumination unit 69a that includes the light emission unit 63a.

[0117] Various modifications are possible to the above-described substrate information acquisition device 60 and substrate processing device 1.

[0118] For example, in the substrate information acquisition device 60, the structure of the light guide section 64 can be modified in various ways. For example, the inclination of the mirror 642 and / or half mirror 641 can be changed as appropriate.

[0119] In the substrate information acquisition device 60, the light irradiated onto the substrate 9 by the illumination unit 69 may be incident on each beam spot P1 from a direction inclined with respect to the Z direction. The same applies to the illumination unit 69a.

[0120] In the substrate information acquisition device 60, the light emission unit 63 may be controlled to repeatedly turn each beam spot P1 on and off. In this case, the light emission unit 63 may be controlled so that the timing of turning on each beam spot P1 is different from the timing of turning on the adjacent beam spots P1 on both sides in the first direction described above. This makes it easier to grasp the correspondence between the spot image 651 on the captured image and the beam spot P1 on the substrate 9. As a result, information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 can be acquired with high accuracy.

[0121] In the substrate information acquisition device 60, the light emission unit 63 may form a single beam spot P1 on the substrate 9 using a single beam B1, and by scanning the beam spot P1 in the first direction, a plurality of beam spots P1 aligned in a straight line in the first direction may be formed on the main surface of the substrate 9.

[0122] In the substrate information acquisition device 60, the number of imaging devices 66 is not limited to one, and multiple imaging devices 66 may be provided. For example, multiple imaging devices 66 arranged in the width direction (Y direction) of the substrate 9 may be provided in the substrate information acquisition device 60. This can improve the observation resolution in the Y direction. Alternatively, multiple optical systems, each comprising a light emission unit 63 or light emission unit 63a, a light guide unit 64, and an imaging device 66, may be arranged in the width direction (Y direction) of the substrate 9.

[0123] The substrate information acquisition device 60 may be positioned in various locations different from the above example within the substrate processing apparatus 1 to acquire information regarding the shape of the substrate 9. For example, the information acquisition head 61 of the substrate information acquisition device 60 may be positioned in the internal space 100 of the indexer block 10. Specifically, the information acquisition head 61 is fixed to, for example, the substrate support portion of the indexer robot 12 and is movable in the Y and Z directions together with the substrate support portion. When the substrate 9 is unloaded from the storage container 7 by the indexer robot 12, information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 is acquired using the information acquisition head 61 in substantially the same manner as described above. In this case, the substrate holding portion of the substrate information acquisition device 60 is a transport hand that holds the substrate 9 in the indexer robot 12, and the scanning mechanism is a hand movement mechanism that moves the transport hand in the X direction in the indexer robot 12.

[0124] The information regarding the shape of the substrate 9 acquired by the substrate information acquisition device 60 can be modified in various ways, as long as it includes the inclination of the substrate 9 at each beam spot P1. For example, the information may include inclination angles θx and θy, but may not include the three-dimensional shape of the substrate 9. Alternatively, the information may include only one of the inclination angles θx and θy.

[0125] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the transport hand 221 does not necessarily need to contact the lower surface of the substrate 9 to support it. For example, the transport hand 221 may hold the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 by suction.

[0126] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, multiple beam spots P1 are scanned on the main surface of the substrate 9 by moving the substrate 9 in a second direction (in the above example, the X direction), but this is not limited to this. For example, an information acquisition head 61 equipped with a light emission unit 63 (or light emission unit 63a), a light guide unit 64, and an imaging device 66 may be moved in the second direction by a moving mechanism while the substrate 9 is stationary, thereby scanning multiple beam spots P1 on the main surface of the substrate 9. In this case, the moving mechanism is a scanning mechanism that scans multiple beam spots P1.

[0127] The substrate processing apparatus 1 may be used to process glass substrates used in flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays or organic electroluminescence (EL) displays, or glass substrates used in other displays, in addition to semiconductor substrates. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above may be used to process substrates for optical discs, magnetic discs, magneto-optical discs, photomasks, ceramic substrates, and solar cell substrates.

[0128] The substrate information acquisition device 60 does not necessarily have to be installed in the substrate processing device 1; it may be installed in a device other than the substrate processing device 1. Alternatively, the substrate information acquisition device 60 may be used independently without being incorporated into other devices.

[0129] The configurations in the above embodiments and each modified example may be combined as appropriate, as long as they do not contradict each other.

[0130] Although the invention has been described in detail, the above description is illustrative and not limiting. Therefore, it can be said that numerous modifications and embodiments are possible as long as they do not deviate from the scope of the present invention.

[0131] 1 Substrate processing device 7 Container container 9 Substrate 10 Indexer block 12 Indexer robot 20 Processing block 21 Processing unit 22 Center robot 40 Mounting unit 60 Substrate information acquisition device 63, 63a Light emission unit 65 Screen 66 Imaging device 69, 69a Illumination unit 91 Top surface (of the substrate) 92 Bottom surface (of the substrate) 221 Transport hand 225 Hand movement mechanism 631 Light source unit 632 Multi-beam device 633 Light-reducing filter 634 Mirror 651 Spot image 801 Tilt information acquisition unit 802 Shape information acquisition unit B0, B1 Beam P1 Beam spot R1 Reflected light S11-S16 Step

Claims

1. A substrate information acquisition device for acquiring information relating to the shape of a substrate, comprising: a substrate holding unit for holding a substrate; an illumination unit for irradiating the main surface of the substrate with light to form a plurality of beam spots aligned linearly in a first direction along the main surface on the main surface; a screen for receiving reflected light from each of the plurality of beam spots; an imaging device for capturing images of the plurality of beam spots formed on the screen; a tilt information acquisition unit for acquiring the tilt of the substrate at each of the plurality of beam spots based on the captured images acquired by the imaging device; and a scanning mechanism for scanning the plurality of beam spots on the main surface of the substrate in a second direction that intersects the first direction and is along the main surface, wherein the imaging device acquires a plurality of captured images in parallel with the scanning of the plurality of beam spots by the scanning mechanism, and the tilt information acquisition unit acquires the tilt of the substrate at each of the plurality of beam spots for each of the plurality of captured images.

2. A substrate information acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the inclination of the substrate at each beam spot acquired by the inclination information acquisition unit includes an inclination with respect to the first direction and an inclination with respect to the second direction.

3. A substrate information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a shape information acquisition unit that acquires the three-dimensional shape of the substrate based on the inclination of the substrate at each of the plurality of beam spots acquired for each of the plurality of imaging images.

4. A substrate information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the illumination unit irradiates a plurality of beams corresponding to the plurality of beam spots in parallel.

5. A substrate information acquisition apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the illumination unit comprises a light source unit and a multi-beam device that divides and leads out a beam emitted from the light source unit into a plurality of beams, the multi-beam device comprises a light-reducing filter that transmits a portion of the incident light and reflects the remainder, and a mirror positioned opposite the light-reducing filter and reflects the incident light toward the light-reducing filter, the transmittance of the light-reducing filter gradually increases as it moves from one side to the other in the first direction, the beam incident from the light source unit to the multi-beam device is repeatedly reflected between the light-reducing filter and the mirror as it moves from one side to the other in the first direction, and the plurality of beams are beams that have been transmitted through the light-reducing filter from a plurality of incident positions of the beam in the light-reducing filter.

6. A substrate information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the light irradiated from the illumination unit is short-wave infrared light, and the screen is a fluorescent screen that emits fluorescence when irradiated with short-wave infrared light.

7. A substrate information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate holding portion contacts the lower surface of the substrate and supports the substrate, and the main surface of the substrate to which light from the illumination portion is irradiated is the upper surface of the substrate.

8. A substrate information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the imaging device is a single device.

9. A substrate information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the light incident on each of the plurality of beam spots on the substrate is parallel to a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions.

10. A substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates, comprising: a substrate information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2; an indexer block on which a first transport robot is arranged for loading and unloading substrates into and out of a storage container capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates; a processing block on which a processing unit for processing substrates and a second transport robot are arranged for loading and unloading substrates into and out of the processing unit; and a mounting unit provided at the connection between the processing block and the indexer block for holding unprocessed substrates passed from the first transport robot to the second transport robot and processed substrates passed from the second transport robot to the first transport robot, wherein the substrate holding unit of the substrate information acquisition device is a transport hand for holding substrates in the second transport robot; the scanning mechanism of the substrate information acquisition device is a hand movement mechanism for moving the transport hand in the second direction in the second transport robot; and when the substrates are unloaded from the mounting unit by the second transport robot, information regarding the shape of the substrates is acquired by the substrate information acquisition device.

11. A substrate information acquisition method for acquiring information relating to the shape of a substrate, comprising: a) irradiating the main surface of a substrate with light to form a plurality of beam spots aligned linearly in a first direction along the main surface on the main surface; b) receiving reflected light from each of the plurality of beam spots with a screen and capturing an image of the plurality of beam spots formed on the screen; and c) repeating steps a) and b) while changing the positions of the plurality of beam spots in a second direction that intersects the first direction and is along the main surface, wherein the inclination of the substrate at each of the plurality of beam spots is acquired for each of the plurality of captured images acquired in a plurality of repeated steps b).

Images