Substrate inspection method, computer storage medium and substrate inspection apparatus

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program running on a computer which controls a substrate processing system to cause the substrate processing system to perform a substrate inspection method of inspecting a substrate to be repeatedly treated along a predetermined transfer way in a plurality of kinds of different treatment apparatuses,

• the substrate inspection method comprising:
• a first imaging step of imaging a front surface of a substrate that has been treated in one treatment apparatus of the plurality of kinds of different treatment apparatuses and that is to be transferred out from the one treatment apparatus, to acquire a first substrate image;
• a second imaging step of imaging a front surface of a substrate that has been an object for imaging the first substrate image that has been treated in another treatment apparatus different from the one treatment apparatus after treated in the one treatment apparatus, and that is transferred again into the one treatment apparatus, to acquire a second substrate image;
• a defect determination step of performing defect inspection, based on the first substrate image and the second substrate image, to determine presence or absence of a defect of the substrate;
• and
• a defect cause identification step of identifying, when a defect detected from the second substrate image is not detected from the first substrate image, the defect as being caused by a treatment after the first substrate image is acquired and a treatment before the second substrate image is acquired, and identifying, when the defect detected from the second substrate image is detected also from the first substrate image, the defect as being caused by a treatment before the first substrate image is acquired,
• wherein the first imaging step and the second imaging step are performed with a substrate inspection apparatus provided in the one treatment apparatus,
• wherein the one treatment apparatus provides one kind of treatment, and
• wherein the one treatment apparatus includes a plurality of modules that each provide the one kind of treatment.

A substrate inspection apparatus of inspecting a substrate to be repeatedly treated along a predetermined transfer way in a plurality of kinds of different treatment apparatuses, the substrate inspection apparatus comprising:

• a first imaging apparatus which images a front surface of a substrate that has been treated in one treatment apparatus of the plurality of kinds of different treatment apparatuses and that is to be transferred out from the one treatment apparatus, to acquire a first substrate image;
• a second imaging apparatus which images a front surface of a substrate that has been an object for imaging the first substrate image, that has been treated in another treatment apparatus different from the one treatment apparatus after treated in the one treatment apparatus, and that is transferred again into the one treatment apparatus, to acquire a second substrate image;
• and
• a processor configured to
• perform defect inspection on the substrate, based on the first substrate image and the second substrate image, to determine presence or absence of a defect of the substrate;
• and
• identify, when a defect detected from the second substrate image is not detected from the first substrate image, the defect as being caused by a treatment after the first substrate image is acquired, and identify, when the defect detected from the second substrate image is detected from the first substrate image, the defect as being caused by a treatment before the first substrate image is acquired, and
• wherein the first imaging apparatus and the second imaging apparatus are provided in the one treatment apparatus,
• wherein the one treatment apparatus provides one kind of treatment, and
• wherein the one treatment apparatus includes a plurality of modules that each provide the one kind of treatment.