EP-4742881-A2 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND MONITORING METHOD IN SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

EP4742881A2EP 4742881 A2EP4742881 A2EP 4742881A2EP-4742881-A2

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus collectively processes a plurality of substrates with the plurality of substrates immersing in a processing liquid. The substrate processing apparatus includes a processing tank, a camera, and a controller. The processing tank stores the processing liquid. The camera is provided vertically higher above the processing tank and captures the inside of the processing tank to generate a plurality of items of captured image data. The controller generates smoothed image data obtained by smoothing a brightness distribution of waving caused on a liquid surface of the processing liquid based on integration of the plurality of items of captured image data, and monitors the inside of the processing tank based on the smoothed image data.

Inventors

SHIMIZU, SHINJI
YAMADA, RYO
MASUI, Tatsuya
DEBA, YUICHI
MIYAWAKI, MIWA

Assignees

SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20230113

Claims (5)

A substrate processing apparatus configured to collectively process a plurality of substrates by immersing the plurality of substrates in a processing liquid, comprising: a processing tank that stores the processing liquid; an up-flow tank provided outside of the processing tank and that receives the processing liquid overflowing from the processing tank; a circulator including a circulation pipe through which the processing liquid received by the up-flow tank returns to the processing tank, and a pump provided in the circulation pipe; a camera provided vertically above the processing tank and configured to generate a plurality of items of captured image data obtained by capturing images inside of the processing tank in a state where the processing liquid is stored in the processing tank and the circulator circulates the processing liquid; and a controller configured to generate smoothed image data obtained by smoothing a brightness distribution of the images caused by waving of a liquid surface of the processing liquid due to circulation by the circulator, the smoothing being based on integration of the plurality of items of captured image data, and the controller being configured to monitor the inside of the processing tank based on the smoothed image data.
A substrate processing apparatus configured to collectively process a plurality of substrates by immersing the plurality of substrates in a processing liquid, comprising: a processing tank that stores the processing liquid; a bubbler including a gas supply pipe through which a gas is supplied into the processing tank, and a valve provided in the gas supply pipe; a camera provided vertically above the processing tank and configured to generate a plurality of items of captured image data obtained by capturing images inside of the processing tank in a state where the processing liquid is stored in the processing tank and the valve is closed; and a controller configured to generate smoothed image data obtained by smoothing a brightness distribution of the images caused by waving of a liquid surface of the processing liquid, the smoothing being based on integration of the plurality of items of captured image data, and the controller being configured to monitor the inside of the processing tank based on the smoothed image data.
A substrate processing apparatus configured to collectively process a plurality of substrates by immersing the plurality of substrates in a processing liquid, comprising: a processing tank that stores the processing liquid; a camera provided vertically above the processing tank and configured to generate a plurality of items of captured image data obtained by capturing images inside of the processing tank in a state where the processing liquid is stored in the processing tank; and a controller configured to generate smoothed image data obtained by smoothing a time change of a brightness distribution of the plurality of items of captured image data caused by waving of a liquid surface of the processing liquid, the smoothing being based on integration of the plurality of items of captured image data, and the controller being configured to monitor the inside of the processing tank based on the smoothed image data.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the camera is configured to capture the images inside of the processing tank during a capturing period that is longer than one cycle of the waving of the liquid surface to generate the plurality of items of captured image data.
The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a storage configured to store reference image data obtained based on integration of a plurality of items of normal image data generated by the camera capturing images inside of the processing tank in normal condition, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether there is an abnormality in the processing tank based on comparison between the smoothed image data and the reference image data.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a monitoring method in the substrate processing apparatus. Description of the Background Art Conventionally, batch-type substrate processing apparatuses that collectively process a plurality of substrates have been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-50349 and US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0177788). In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-50349 and US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0177788, a substrate processing apparatus includes a processing tank that stores a processing liquid, and a plurality of substrates are immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank, thereby, collectively processing a plurality of substrates. Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-50349 and US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0177788, an image capturing unit (camera) is provided to monitor the inside of the substrate processing apparatus. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-50349, the image capturing unit captures an image of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank, and a controller specifies the boiling state of the processing liquid based on the captured image. In US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0177788, the camera captures an image of the interior of the processing tank from above, and an image processor determines the presence or absence of a substrate piece inside the processing tank based on the captured image. Here, there is a possibility that, when the camera captures an image of the inside of the processing tank in a state where the processing liquid is stored in the processing tank, the captured image of the state of the inside of the processing tank may be obscure. This is because the state in the processing liquid is made visually indistinguishable by the surface reflection of the processing liquid. In particular, when waves are formed on the liquid surface of the processing liquid, the brightness distribution of the light reflected from the surface changes with the passage of time, which makes the state in the processing liquid all the more visually indistinguishable. Consequently, even if the camera captures an image of the processing tank from vertically above thereof while the processing liquid is stored in the processing tank, the state inside the processing tank is less likely to be grabbed in the captured image, and the substrate processing apparatus is incapable of monitoring the interior of the processing tank with sufficient accuracy. SUMMARY The present disclosure is directed to a substrate processing apparatus and a monitoring method in the substrate processing apparatus. An aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate processing apparatus configured to collectively process a plurality of substrates by immersing the plurality of substrates in a processing liquid, which includes: a processing tank that stores the processing liquid, a camera provided vertically above the processing tank and configured to generate a plurality of items of captured image data obtained by capturing the inside of the processing tank in a state where the processing liquid is stored in the processing tank, and a controller configured to generate smoothed image data obtained by smoothing a brightness distribution of waving caused on a liquid surface of the processing liquid based on integration of the plurality of items of captured image data, and monitor the inside of the processing tank based on the smoothed image data. In the smoothed image data, the brightness distribution of the waving is smoothed, so the inside of the processing tank can be seen more clearly. Therefore, the controller can monitor the inside of the processing tank with higher accuracy. Preferably, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a storage configured to store reference image data obtained based on integration of a plurality of items of normal image data generated by the camera capturing the inside of the processing tank in normal condition, in which the controller is configured to determine whether there is an abnormality in the processing tank based on comparison between the smoothed image data and the reference image data. Also in the reference image data, the brightness distribution of the waving on the liquid surface can be smoothed. Therefore, the influence of the waving on the liquid surface can be suppressed in the comparison between the smoothed image data and the reference image data. Therefore, the influence of the waving on the liquid surface is suppressed and whether there is an abnormality inside the processing tank can be determined with higher accuracy. Preferably, a frame rate of the camera is set according to a frequency of the waving caused on the liquid surface of the processing liquid. The Brightness distribution of the waving can be smoothed more appropriately. Preferably,