Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, and storage medium
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for estimating film thickness on substrates suffer from reduced reliability due to variations in optical properties of the film, which affect the correlation between surface images and thickness measurements.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus that includes an imaging portion to acquire surface images, an optical property estimation portion to estimate optical properties based on process information, and a film thickness estimation portion to correct film thickness estimates using optical property data, thereby enhancing reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If film thickness is estimated based on surface image correlation data alone, then the estimation process is simple, but the measurement reliability decreases due to variations in optical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces optical property values as an intermediary parameter that mediates between the surface image correlation data and the final film thickness estimation. By incorporating this intermediate step, the system accounts for variations in optical properties (refractive index, extinction coefficient) that affect the correlation between image data and thickness, thereby improving measurement reliability while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Productivity
If optical property variations are not considered, then the measurement process is faster, but the film thickness estimation accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary estimation of optical property values (refractive index and extinction coefficient) based on process information before conducting the film thickness measurement. This preliminary action allows the system to pre-compensate for optical property variations, enabling accurate thickness estimation without requiring time-consuming iterative adjustments during the actual measurement process.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus includes: an imaging portion configured to acquire a surface image of a film formed on a surface of a substrate; an optical property estimation portion configured to estimate an optical property of the film based on process information acquired during formation of the film; and a film thickness estimation portion configured to estimate a film thickness of the film based on the surface image and an estimation result of the optical property.