US-12622201-B2 - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

US12622201B2US 12622201 B2US12622201 B2US 12622201B2US-12622201-B2

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a brush processing section configured to perform brush processing on a surface of a substrate taken out from a container; a substrate reversal section configured to flip the substrate before the brush processing and after the brush processing; a substrate imaging section configured to perform pre-processing imaging on the surface before the brush processing, and perform post-processing imaging on the surface after the brush processing and before the substrate is returned to the container; and a controller, wherein the controller determines whether or not the substrate after the brush processing is a good product based on a result of the post-processing imaging, and changes, as necessary, a process condition of the brush processing for the substrate having been subjected to the pre-processing imaging or a substrate to be processed afterward based on at least one of the pre-processing imaging or the post-processing imaging.

Inventors

Yoshitomo Sato

Assignees

TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240522
Priority Date: 20230523

Claims (14)

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a container loading/unloading section on which a container, which accommodates a plurality of substrates each with a first surface facing upward and a second surface facing downward, is placed; a brush processing section configured to perform brush processing for polishing or removing foreign substances on the second surface of the each of the substrates by using a brush; a substrate reversal section configured to flip a first substrate that is taken out from the container, among the plurality of substrates, to face the second surface upward before the first substrate is processed in the brush processing section, and configured to flip the first substrate to face the first surface upward after the first substrate is processed in the brush processing section and before the first substrate is returned to the container; a substrate imaging section configured to perform pre-processing imaging on the second surface of the first substrate that is taken out from the container before the first substrate is processed in the brush processing section, and configured to perform post-processing imaging on the second surface of the first substrate after the first substrate is processed in the brush processing section and before the first substrate is returned to the container; and a controller; wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the first substrate after the brush processing is a defective product based on a result of the post-processing imaging, and further configured to determine whether to change a process condition of the brush processing in the brush processing section for the first substrate or a second substrate to be processed based on at least one of the pre-processing imaging or the post-processing imaging, wherein the brush processing section includes: a substrate holding rotator configured to hold and rotate the first substrate with the second surface of the first substrate facing upward; and a brush drive having a rotator configured to rotate the brush for polishing or removing foreign substances, a presser configured to press the brush against the second surface of the first substrate held by the substrate holding rotator, and a horizontal mover configured to horizontally move the brush on the second surface of the first substrate, and wherein the controller is further configured to change, when it is determined to change the process condition of the brush processing, at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: a rotation speed of a substrate by the substrate holding rotator; a pressing pressure of the brush against a substrate by the presser of the brush drive; and a movement speed of the brush by the horizontal mover of the brush drive.
2 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the first substrate as defective when a state of the second surface of the first substrate after being processed by the brush processing section fails to meet a predetermined criterion, the state being obtained based on the post-processing imaging.
3 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to change the process condition of the brush processing in the brush processing section after a predetermined number of substrates are determined as defective.
4 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether or not to change the process condition of the brush processing in the brush processing section or whether or not to replace the brush, based on a comparison result between the pre-processing imaging and the post-processing imaging for the first substrate after being processed by the brush processing section.
5 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to be able to change the process condition of the brush processing in the brush processing section for the first substrate based on a result of the pre-processing imaging.
6 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate reversal section and the substrate imaging section are integrated to constitute a single substrate reversal inspection section, and wherein the substrate reversal inspection section includes a substrate horizontal transporter configured to horizontally transfer the first substrate between the substrate reversal section and the substrate imaging section inside the substrate reversal inspection section.
7 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the substrate imaging section includes a line camera as an imaging device, and is configured to perform scan-imaging on the second surface of the first substrate by horizontally moving the first substrate by the substrate horizontal transporter.
8 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of substrate reversal sections is provided, and the plurality of substrate reversal sections includes a first substrate reversal section configured to flip the first substrate before being processed in the brush processing section and a second substrate reversal section configured to flip the first substrate after being processed in the brush processing section, and wherein a plurality of substrate imaging sections is provided, and the plurality of substrate imaging sections includes a first substrate imaging section configured to image the first substrate before being processed in the brush processing section and a second substrate imaging section configured to image the first substrate after being processed in the brush processing section.
9 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first substrate reversal section and the first substrate imaging section are integrated to constitute a single first substrate reversal imaging section, wherein the first substrate reversal imaging section includes a first substrate horizontal transporter configured to horizontally transfer the first substrate between the first substrate reversal section and the first substrate imaging section inside that first substrate reversal imaging section, wherein the second substrate reversal section and the second substrate imaging section are integrated to constitute a single second substrate reversal imaging section, and wherein the second substrate reversal imaging section includes a second substrate horizontal transporter configured to horizontally transfer the first substrate between the second substrate reversal section and the second substrate imaging section inside that second substrate reversal imaging section.
10 . A substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus, wherein the substrate processing apparatus comprises: a container loading/unloading section on which a container, which accommodates a plurality of substrates each with a first surface facing upward and a second surface facing downward, is placed; a brush processing section configured to perform brush processing for polishing or removing foreign substances on the second surface of each of the substrates by using a brush; a substrate reversal section configured to flip a first substrate that is taken out from the container, among the plurality of substrates, to face the second surface upward before the first substrate is processed in the brush processing section, and configured to flip the first substrate to face the first surface upward after the first substrate is processed in the brush processing section and before the first substrate is returned to the container; and a substrate imaging section configured to perform pre-processing imaging on the second surface of the first substrate that is taken out from the container before the first substrate is processed in the brush processing section, and configured to perform post-processing imaging on the second surface of the first substrate after the first substrate is processed in the brush processing section and before the first substrate is returned to the container, wherein the substrate processing method comprises: performing, by the substrate imaging section, the pre-processing imaging on the second surface of the first substrate that is taken out from the container before the first substrate is processed in the brush processing section; performing, by the brush processing section, the brush processing on the first substrate after the pre-processing imaging; performing, by the substrate imaging section, the post-processing imaging on the second surface of the first substrate after the first substrate is processed in the brush processing section and before the first substrate is returned to the container; determining whether or not the first substrate after the brush processing is a defective product based on a result of the post-processing imaging; and determining whether to change a process condition of the brush processing in the brush processing section for the first substate or a second substrate to be processed based on at least one of the pre-processing imaging or the post-processing imaging, wherein the brush processing section includes: a substrate holding rotator configured to hold and rotate the first substrate with the second surface of the first substrate facing upward; and a brush drive having a rotator configured to rotate the brush for polishing or removing foreign substances, a presser configured to press the brush against the second surface of the first substrate held by the substrate holding rotator, and a horizontal mover configured to horizontally move the brush on the second surface of the first substrate, and wherein when it is determined to change the process condition of the brush processing, at least one parameter is changed, the at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: a rotation speed of a substrate by the substrate holding rotator; a pressing pressure of the brush against a substrate by the presser of the brush drive; and a movement speed of the brush by the horizontal mover of the brush drive.
11 . The substrate processing method of claim 10 , further comprising determining the first substrate as defective when a state of the second surface of the first substrate after being processed by the brush processing section fails to meet a predetermined criterion, the state being obtained based on the post-processing imaging.
12 . The substrate processing method of claim 11 , wherein the process condition of the brush processing in the brush processing section is changed after a predetermined number of substrates are determined as defective.
13 . The substrate processing method of claim 10 , wherein whether or not to change the process condition of the brush processing in the brush processing section or whether or not to replace the brush is determined based on a comparison result between the pre-processing imaging and the post-processing imaging for the first substrate after being processed by the brush processing section.
14 . The substrate processing method of claim 10 , wherein the process condition of the brush processing in the brush processing section for the first substrate is changed based on a result of the pre-processing imaging.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-084822, filed on May 23, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. BACKGROUND In manufacturing semiconductor devices, for the purpose of addressing defocus issues and the like during an exposure process, brush cleaning is performed to remove foreign substances adhering to a back surface (surface where devices are not formed) of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for performing such brush cleaning. PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS Patent Documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2013-21026 SUMMARY According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a substrate processing apparatus includes: a container loading/unloading section on which a container, which accommodates a plurality of substrates each with a first surface facing upward and a second surface facing downward, is placed; a brush processing section configured to perform brush processing for polishing or removing foreign substances on the second surface of each of the substrates by using a brush; a substrate reversal section configured to flip a substrate that is taken out from the container, among the plurality of substrates, to face the second surface upward before the substrate is processed in the brush processing section, and configured to flip the substrate to face the first surface upward after the substrate is processed in the brush processing section and before the substrate is returned to the container; a substrate imaging section configured to perform pre-processing imaging on the second surface of the substrate that is taken out from the container before the substrate is processed in the brush processing section, and configured to perform post-processing imaging on the second surface of the substrate after the substrate is processed in the brush processing section and before the substrate is returned to the container; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the substrate after the brush processing is a good product based on a result of the post-processing imaging, and further configured to change, as necessary, a process condition of the brush processing in the brush processing section for the substrate having been subjected to the pre-processing imaging or a substrate to be processed afterward based on at least one of the pre-processing imaging or the post-processing imaging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing system according to a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal-sectional view of the substrate processing system illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal-sectional view illustrating an exemplary configuration of a brush cleaning unit capable of being incorporated into the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the brush cleaning unit illustrated in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a brush capable of being used in the brush cleaning unit. FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal-sectional view illustrating an exemplary configuration of a reversal/imaging composite unit capable of being incorporated into the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view illustrating an example of a relationship between a tray of the reversal/imaging composite unit in FIG. 6 and peripheral components. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a reversal mechanism incorporated into the reversal/imaging composite unit in FIG. 6. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing system according to a second embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 10 is a schematic longitudinal-sectional view of the substrate processing system illustrated in FIG. 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known meth