Substrate Processing Control Using Component Abundance Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing apparatuses face challenges in accurately measuring the removal of components from processing liquids, leading to excessive processing due to insufficient detection of component depletion, which results in substrates being processed with margins that do not account for individual characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus equipped with a substrate holder, processing liquid supply, component abundance meter, and controller that acquires temporal changes in component abundance, creates prediction lines, and adjusts processing conditions, such as flow rate, concentration, and processing liquid supply period, based on measured data to optimize processing conditions for each substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If processing time is extended with margins to ensure uniform substrate processing, then manufacturing reliability is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to excessive processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors component abundance in the processing liquid film during substrate processing and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust processing conditions. This real-time feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain processing uniformity across multiple substrates without requiring excessive time margins, as each substrate's processing state is actively tracked and adjusted based on actual component removal rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing conditions are made dynamic rather than static. The system adjusts processing liquid supply rate, processing liquid type, or other parameters in real-time based on the monitored component abundance and its temporal change rate. This dynamic adaptation enables optimized processing time for each substrate while maintaining uniformity, eliminating the need for fixed conservative time margins.
2Productivity
If processing liquid supply time is reduced to improve productivity, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates because component abundance becomes too low to detect
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurements of component abundance at multiple time points during the processing liquid supply period. By acquiring temporal change data before the processing is complete, the system can predict the final component abundance and determine whether sufficient removal has occurred, allowing for accurate measurement while maintaining shorter processing times.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces direct measurement of near-zero component abundance with a predictive approach. Instead of mechanically detecting extremely low component levels at the end of processing, the system uses temporal change rate analysis and prediction lines to infer the final state, substituting direct measurement with indirect prediction based on observed trends.
3Measurement precision
If component abundance is measured continuously to improve measurement precision, then detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs measurements at specific partial time points during processing rather than continuous monitoring. By strategically selecting measurement moments to capture the temporal change rate, the system achieves sufficient detection accuracy without the complexity of continuous real-time monitoring throughout the entire processing cycle.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for precise processing conditions to be set according to the characteristics of each substrate, reducing excessive processing and improving efficiency by accurately monitoring and responding to changes in component abundance during the processing liquid supply period.
Implementation Method 1
the component abundance meter measures abundance of a specific component of the substrate using infrared light
Data Source
AI summary
Substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holder, a processing liquid supply, a component abundance meter, and a controller including: a temporal-change-acquiring section that acquires a temporal change in abundance of a specific component based on the abundance of the specific component of the substrate measured through a component abundance meter during a specific time period, before a processing liquid supply starts and then ends supply of the processing liquid to the substrate, within a processing liquid supply period; a prediction-line-creating section that creates a prediction line, which predicts a temporal change in the abundance of the specific component of the substrate after the specific time period, based on a temporal change in the abundance of the specific component acquired by the temporal-change-acquiring section; and a processing-condition-changing section that changes a substrate processing condition based on the prediction line before the supply of the processing liquid is stopped.