KR-102962795-B1 - PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION APPARATUS, PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

KR102962795B1KR 102962795 B1KR102962795 B1KR 102962795B1KR-102962795-B1

Abstract

(Project) Provides a technology that can efficiently optimize control parameters. (Solution) The parameter determination unit (913) determines the control parameter to be evaluated next using the acquired plurality of film thickness information. The film thickness information acquisition unit (914) acquires film thickness information TH1 based on the measurement result of the film thickness of the coating film formed by controlling the coating device using the control parameter P1 determined by the parameter determination unit (913). The film thickness information estimation unit (915) estimates film thickness information corresponding to the control parameter P2 determined by the parameter determination unit (913) using an estimation model (Y) that takes the control parameter and process information as input and outputs film thickness information. The loop control unit (918) controls the first processing, including the processing of the parameter determination unit (913) and the processing of the film thickness information acquisition unit (914), and the second processing, including the processing of the parameter determination unit (913) and the processing of the film thickness information estimation unit (915), to be executed alternately.

Inventors

오카모토 사토시
기무라 다카야
아베 유지
다나카 이츠키
사토 유타
아오키 가츠노리
지츠이 유스케

Assignees

가부시키가이샤 스크린 홀딩스

Dates

Publication Date: 20260508
Application Date: 20241203
Priority Date: 20240322

Claims (7)

A parameter optimization device for optimizing control parameters for controlling a coating device that forms a coating film by dispensing a processing liquid onto a substrate, A parameter determination unit that determines the next control parameter to be evaluated using multiple film thickness information, each corresponding to a specific control parameter, and A film thickness information acquisition unit that acquires film thickness information based on the measurement result of the film thickness of a coating film formed by controlling a coating device using control parameters determined by the above parameter determination unit, and A film thickness information estimation unit that estimates film thickness information corresponding to a control parameter determined by the parameter determination unit using an estimation model that takes control parameters and process information as inputs and outputs film thickness information, and A parameter optimization device comprising a loop control unit that controls the parameter determination unit, the film thickness information acquisition unit, and the film thickness information estimation unit so that a first process including the processing of the parameter determination unit and the processing of the film thickness information acquisition unit, and a second process including the processing of the parameter determination unit and the processing of the film thickness information estimation unit are executed alternately.
In Article 1, A parameter optimization device further comprising a learning unit that learns the estimation model using film thickness information acquired by the film thickness information acquisition unit.
In Article 1 or Article 2, The second processing above is a processing that repeats the processing of the parameter determination unit and the processing of the film thickness information estimation unit multiple times, and The loop control unit is a parameter optimization device that executes the first processing when, in the second processing, the number of times film thickness information is estimated by the film thickness information estimation unit reaches a predetermined number.
In Article 1 or Article 2, The parameter determining unit calculates an evaluation value from the film thickness information and, based on the evaluation value, determines a control parameter to be evaluated next, thereby forming a parameter optimization device.
In Article 4, The parameter determining unit is a parameter optimization device that determines the control parameter to be evaluated next using a multitask Bayesian optimization algorithm.
A parameter optimization method for optimizing parameters for controlling a coating device that forms a coating film by dispensing a processing liquid onto a substrate, a) A parameter determination process for determining the next control parameter to be evaluated using multiple film thickness information, each corresponding to a specific parameter, and b) A film thickness information acquisition process for acquiring film thickness information based on the measurement results of a coating film formed by controlling a coating device using control parameters determined by the above parameter determination process, and c) A film thickness information estimation process that estimates film thickness information corresponding to the control parameters determined by the parameter determination process using an estimation model that takes control parameters and process information as inputs and outputs film thickness information, and A parameter optimization method comprising a first process including the parameter determination process and the film thickness information acquisition process, and a second process including the parameter determination process and the film thickness information estimation process, which are executed alternately.
As a computer program recorded on a recording medium that is executable by a computer, A computer program recorded on a recording medium that executes the parameter optimization method described in claim 6 on the computer.

Description

Parameter Optimization Apparatus, Parameter Optimization Method and Computer Program The subject matter disclosed in this specification relates to a parameter optimization device, a parameter optimization method, and a computer program. In the manufacturing process of flat panel displays, a device called a coater is used. A coater is a substrate processing device that discharges a processing liquid from a slit nozzle by driving a pump and applies the processing liquid to the entire substrate being conveyed. With the recent increase in product quality, such coaters require that the processing liquid be applied in such a way that the film thickness of the processing liquid becomes uniform across the entire substrate. For example, in Patent Document 1, optimization is performed by adjusting parameters for controlling the pump by repeatedly measuring the discharge characteristics when the processing liquid is discharged. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a coating device related to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a drawing showing the configuration of a treatment liquid supply mechanism equipped with the coating device shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control unit along with the flow of data. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of optimization processing of control parameters by the control unit. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Furthermore, the components described in these embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these alone. In the drawings, the dimensions or number of parts may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary to facilitate understanding. <1. Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a coating device (1) related to an embodiment. The coating device (1) is a substrate processing device that forms a coating film on a substrate (S) by discharging a processing liquid onto the upper surface (Sf) of a substrate (S). As described below, the coating device (1) has the function of a parameter optimization device that optimizes parameters for controlling the discharge of the processing liquid. The substrate (S) is, for example, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device. In addition, the substrate (S) may be various substrates to be processed for electronic devices such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for photomasks, glass substrates for plasma displays, glass or ceramic substrates for magnetic or optical discs, glass substrates for organic ELs, glass substrates or silicon substrates for solar cells, other flexible substrates, and printed circuit boards. The coating device (1) is, for example, a slit coater. In FIG. 1, an XYZ coordinate system is defined to explain the arrangement relationship of each element of the coating device (1). The conveying direction of the substrate (S) is the "X direction." In the X direction, the direction in which the substrate (S) moves (toward the downstream of the conveying direction) is the +X direction, and the opposite direction (toward the upstream of the conveying direction) is the -X direction. Also, the direction orthogonal to the X direction is the Y direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the X direction and the Y direction is the Z direction. In the following description, the Z direction is considered the vertical direction, and the X direction and the Y direction are considered the horizontal directions. In the Z direction, the +Z direction is considered the upward direction and the -Z direction is considered the downward direction. Furthermore, these directions are not intended to limit the arrangement of the coating device. The coating device (1) is equipped with an input conveyor (100), an input transfer section (2), a floating stage section (3), an output transfer section (4), and an output conveyor (110) in order toward the +X direction. The input conveyor (100), the input transfer section (2), the floating stage section (3), the output transfer section (4), and the output conveyor (110) form a conveying path through which a substrate (S) passes. Additionally, the coating device (1) is further equipped with a substrate transfer section (5), a coating mechanism (7), a processing liquid supply mechanism (8), and a control section (9). A substrate (S) is conveyed to an input conveyor (100) from a device upstream of the coating device (1). The input conveyor (100) is equipped with a roller conveyor (101) and a rotary drive mechanism (102). The rotary drive mechanism (102) rotates each roller of the roller conveyor (101). By rotating each roller of the roller conveyor (101), the substrate (S) is conveyed downstream (+X direction) in a horizontal position. "Horizontal position" refers to a state in which th