KR-102962867-B1 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

(Problem) To provide an effective device for easily estimating the film thickness of a film formed on the surface of a substrate with high reliability. (Solution) A substrate processing device comprises an imaging unit for acquiring a surface image of a film formed on the surface of a substrate, an optical property estimation unit for estimating the optical properties of the film based on process information acquired during the formation of the film, and a film thickness estimation unit for estimating the film thickness based on the surface image and the estimation result of the optical properties.

Inventors

• 교카네 히로카즈
• 마츠이 히데후미
• 후쿠모토 도시유키
• 이토 사토시
• 이마나카 마사시
• 츠루다 도요히사
• 에노모토 마사시
• 야나기사와 마사히로

Assignees

• 도쿄엘렉트론가부시키가이샤

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20220902

Priority Date

20210914

Claims (17)

1. An imaging unit that acquires a surface image of a film formed on the surface of a substrate, and An optical property model generated in advance to represent the relationship between process information acquired during the formation of the film and the optical properties of the film, and an optical property estimation unit that estimates the optical properties based on the process information, The film thickness estimation unit estimates the film thickness of the film based on the surface image and the estimation result of the optical properties. The above film thickness estimation unit is, A film thickness model generated in advance to represent the relationship between the surface image and the film thickness, and the film thickness estimated based on the surface image, An error model generated in advance to represent the relationship between the error of the optical properties and the film thickness, and the error is estimated based on the optical properties estimated by the optical property estimation unit, and Estimating the film thickness by correcting the provisional estimate result of the film thickness based on the estimation result of the above error, Substrate processing device.
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5. In Article 1, The above film thickness model is generated in advance to represent the relationship between the surface image and the film thickness at multiple locations on the substrate surface, and The film thickness estimation unit estimates the film thickness at the plurality of locations based on the film thickness model and the surface image. Substrate processing device.
6. In Article 5, The above optical property model is generated in advance to represent the relationship between the process information and the optical properties at the plurality of locations, and The optical property estimation unit estimates the optical properties at the plurality of locations based on the optical property model and the process information, and The film thickness estimation unit corrects the provisional estimation results of the film thickness at each of the plurality of locations based on the estimation results of the optical properties at the plurality of locations. Substrate processing device.
7. In any one of Articles 1, 5, and 6, The apparatus further comprises an optical property model generation unit that generates the optical property model by machine learning based on a process database accumulated by correlating the process information and the actual measurement results of the optical property, and a film thickness model generation unit that generates the film thickness model by machine learning based on an image database accumulated by correlating the surface image and the actual measurement results of the film thickness. The optical property estimation unit estimates the optical property based on the optical property model generated by the optical property model generation unit, and The film thickness estimation unit estimates the film thickness based on the film thickness model generated by the film thickness model generation unit. Substrate processing device.
8. In Article 7, A substrate processing apparatus further comprising a film thickness model correction unit that corrects the film thickness model based on a comparison between the film thickness estimation result by the film thickness estimation unit and the actual measurement result of the film thickness.
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12. In any one of Articles 1, 5, and 6, The above optical properties are a substrate processing apparatus that indicates the effect of the film on light entering the film.
13. In Article 12, The above optical properties include at least one of a refractive index and an extinction coefficient, in a substrate processing apparatus.
14. In any one of Articles 1, 5, and 6, A substrate processing device comprising the above process information, wherein the above process information includes surrounding environment information of the substrate when forming the film on the surface of the substrate.
15. In any one of Articles 1, 5, and 6, A substrate processing apparatus comprising the above process information, wherein the above process information includes surrounding environment information of the substrate when partially removing the film formed on the surface of the substrate.
16. Acquiring a surface image of a film formed on the surface of a substrate, and A pre-generated optical property model to represent the relationship between process information acquired during the formation of the above film and the optical properties of the above film, and estimating the optical properties based on the process information, and It includes estimating the film thickness of the film based on the surface image and the estimation result of the optical properties, and Estimating the film thickness of the above film is, A pre-generated film thickness model to represent the relationship between the surface image and the film thickness, and estimating the film thickness based on the surface image, and A prior error model to represent the relationship between the error of the optical properties and the film thickness, and estimating the error based on the estimated optical properties, and Estimating the film thickness by correcting the provisional estimate result of the film thickness based on the estimation result of the above error. Substrate processing method.
17. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for executing the substrate processing method described in claim 16 on a device.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, and storage medium The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a memory medium. Patent Document 1 discloses a film thickness measuring device that calculates the film thickness of a film formed on a substrate to be measured based on an image of a substrate, correlation data of the film thickness of a film formed on the substrate, and an image of the substrate to be measured. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the general configuration of a substrate processing device. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the general configuration of the imaging unit. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a control device. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a control device. Figure 5 is a table illustrating the contents of a database for learning. Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a control device. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the model estimation sequence. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the substrate processing sequence. Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the sequence of film thickness estimation. Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same reference numerals are used for identical elements or elements having the same function, and redundant descriptions are omitted. [Substrate Processing Device] The substrate processing device (1) shown in FIG. 1 is a device for forming a film on the surface of a substrate. Specific examples of the substrate may include a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate, a mask substrate, or an FPD (Flat Panel Display). The substrate includes a semiconductor wafer, etc., on which a film, etc. is formed during the preceding processing. The substrate processing device (1) has a loader module (10), a processing module (20), and a control device (100). The loader module (10) introduces a substrate W into a substrate processing device (1) and extracts a substrate W from the substrate processing device (1). For example, the loader module (10) has a transfer arm (11) built into a case that supports a plurality of carriers (12) (receiving portions) for the substrate W and whose interior is set to atmospheric pressure. The carriers (12) accommodate, for example, a plurality of circular substrates W. The transfer arm (11) extracts the substrate W from the carriers (12) and transmits it to the load lock module (25) (described later) of the processing module (20), and receives the substrate W from the load lock module (25) and returns it to the carriers (12). An aligner (13) for correcting the position of the substrate W may be connected to the loader module (10). The processing module (20) performs a process for forming a film on the surface of the substrate W. The process for forming the film may be a process for forming a film or a process for partially removing the formed film. The process for forming the film may include both the process for forming a film and the process for partially removing the formed film. Specific examples of a process for forming a film include a process for growing a film on the surface of substrate W, or a process for applying a film material to the surface of substrate W. Specific examples of a process for growing a film on the surface of substrate W include Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), or Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). Specific examples of a process for applying a film material to the surface of substrate W include spin coating, which applies a liquid film material to the surface of substrate W by rotating substrate W. Specific examples of a process for partially removing the formed film include wet etching, dry etching, or polishing. For example, the processing module (20) has a pressure-reducing return chamber (24), a return arm (21) provided within the return chamber (24), one or more process units (22) connected to the return chamber (24) via a gate valve, one or more imaging units (23), and one or more load lock modules (25). The return arm (21) receives and returns a substrate W from the load lock module (25). The load lock module (25) is capable of converting its interior between atmospheric pressure and vacuum pressure and is connected to the loader module (10) via a gate valve. Each of one or more process units (22) performs a process to form a film on the surface of a substrate W that is returned by a return arm (21). For example, the process unit (22) performs a process to form a film on the surface of the substrate W. As an example, the process unit (22) forms a TiN film on the surface of the substrate W by the ALD described above. For example, the process unit (22) performs thermal ALD by heating the substrate W to promote the reaction while supplying a reaction gas and a purge gas to the surface of the su