Substrate Immersion Alignment Check Using End-Face Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing systems face challenges in accurately determining and correcting positional misalignments of substrates during liquid processing, which can affect processing quality and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A substrate liquid processing apparatus equipped with a substrate support member that moves substrates between processing and retreat positions, an image capturer to capture substrate end faces before and after immersion, and an image processor to analyze positional misalignments, enabling precise alignment adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If substrates are immersed in processing liquid without position verification, then processing speed is maintained, but processing precision deteriorates due to undetected misalignments
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures images of substrate end faces before immersion in processing liquid to verify positional alignment in advance. This preliminary verification ensures that only properly aligned substrates proceed to processing, preventing rework and maintaining high precision without sacrificing processing throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The image processing unit analyzes captured images to detect positional misalignments and provides feedback control. When misalignments are detected, the system can correct positioning before immersion or flag substrates for repositioning, ensuring continuous high-precision processing through closed-loop verification.
2Measurement precision
If substrate position is verified after immersion, then processing continuity is maintained, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to liquid interference
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs position verification by capturing images before substrate immersion in processing liquid. This timing ensures clear image capture without liquid interference, achieving high measurement precision while maintaining processing continuity since verification occurs in the preparation phase rather than interrupting the actual processing.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple substrates are processed simultaneously without individual verification, then productivity is high, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to undetected misalignments
Solution Approach 1:
The image processing unit analyzes each substrate's end face individually within the batch, detecting positional misalignments for each substrate separately. This segmented verification approach ensures that every substrate meets alignment precision requirements while maintaining batch processing efficiency, as the system handles multiple substrates in parallel through automated image analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a processing tank storing a processing liquid, a substrate support supporting substrates in an upright posture with an interval, a support mover moving the substrate support to arrange the substrates at a processing position where the substrates are positioned within the processing tank to be immersed in the processing liquid and at a retreat position where the substrates are positioned outside the processing tank, an image capturer acquiring a captured image of outer peripheral end faces of the substrates, and an image processor making a determination on a positional misalignment between the substrates before immersion and the substrates after immersion, based on a comparison between the captured image before immersion and the captured image after immersion.