# US 11,908,752 B2 · Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,908,752 B2 - Document ID: US11908752B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/281,281 - Filed: 2019-09-25 - Published: 2022-01-06 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-05 - Assignees: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd. - Applicants: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hideji Naohara; Yuji Okita; Hiroaki Kakuma; Tatsuya Masui - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908752B2 ## CPC - H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects} - B05C 11/00: Component parts, details or accessories not specifically provided for in groups B05C1/00 - B05C9/00 (means for manipulating or holding work B05C13/00; enclosures for apparatus, booths B05C15/00; spray booths B05B16/00) - B05C 11/08: Spreading liquid or other fluent material by manipulating the work, e.g. tilting - B05C 11/10: Storage, supply or control of liquid or other fluent material; Recovery of excess liquid or other fluent material {(B05C1/0813, B05C5/0225, B05C17/002 and B05C19/06 take precedence)} - B05D 1/40: Distributing applied liquids or other fluent materials by members moving relatively to surface - B05D 3/00: Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials (successively applying liquids or other fluent materials B05D1/36; drying ovens F26B) - B05D 3/10: by other chemical means - G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection} - G06T 7/11: Region-based segmentation - G06T 7/73: using feature-based methods - H04N 23/58: Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors - H04N 23/695: Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects - H10P 50/642: {Chemical etching} - H10P 72/0414: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - H10P 72/0424: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - H10P 72/0606: {Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection} - H10P 72/0616: {Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like} - G06T 2207/20081: Training; Learning - G06T 2207/20216: Image averaging - G06T 2207/30148: Semiconductor; IC; Wafer - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A substrate processing apparatus that includes a substrate holder, a cup member, an elevating mechanism, a first nozzle, and a camera. The substrate holder holds a substrate and rotates the substrate. The cup member surrounds the outer circumference of the substrate holder. The elevating mechanism moves up the cup member so that the upper end portion of the cup member is located at the upper end position higher than the substrate held by the substrate holder. The first nozzle has a discharge port at a position lower than the upper end position, and discharges first processing liquid from the discharge port to an end portion of the substrate. The camera images an imaging region that includes the first processing liquid discharged from the discharge port of the first nozzle and is viewed from an imaging position above the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holder that holds a substrate and rotates said substrate; a cup member that surrounds an outer circumference of said substrate holder; an elevating mechanism that moves up said cup member so that an upper end portion of said cup member is located at an upper end position higher than said substrate held by said substrate holder; a first nozzle that has a discharge port at a position lower than said upper end position and discharges first processing liquid from said discharge port to an end portion of said substrate; and a camera that images an imaging region that includes the first processing liquid discharged from said discharge port of said first nozzle and is viewed from an imaging position above said substrate, wherein a radial direction of said imaging position with respect to said substrate is located closer to a center of said substrate than a radial direction of said first nozzle. ### Claim 2 A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holder that holds a substrate and rotates said substrate; a cup member that surrounds an outer circumference of said substrate holder; an elevating mechanism that moves up said cup member so that an upper end portion of said cup member is located at an upper end position higher than said substrate held by said substrate holder; a first nozzle that has a discharge port at a position lower than said upper end position and discharges first processing liquid from said discharge port to an end portion of said substrate; a camera that images an imaging region that includes the first processing liquid discharged from said discharge port of said first nozzle and is viewed from an imaging position above said substrate, and a moving mechanism that moves said camera to said imaging position above said substrate, wherein said imaging position is a position where a height position of a lower end of a light receiving surface of said camera is same as said upper end position of said cup member or a position lower than the upper end position. ### Claim 3 A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holder that holds a substrate and rotates said substrate; a cup member that surrounds an outer circumference of said substrate holder; an elevating mechanism that moves up said cup member so that an upper end portion of said cup member is located at an upper end position higher than said substrate held by said substrate holder; a first nozzle that has a discharge port at a position lower than said upper end position and discharges first processing liquid from said discharge port to an end portion of said substrate; a camera that images an imaging region that includes the first processing liquid discharged from said discharge port of said first nozzle and is viewed from an imaging position above said substrate, a mirror; and a moving mechanism that moves said mirror, wherein said camera is arranged in a region other than above said substrate, and said moving mechanism moves said mirror to said imaging position above said substrate to cause said mirror to reflect light from said imaging region to said camera. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said moving mechanism moves said mirror to a position where a lower end of a reflecting surface of said mirror is same as said upper end position of said cup member or a position lower than the upper end position. ### Claim 5 A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holder that holds a substrate and rotates said substrate; a cup member that surrounds an outer circumference of said substrate holder; an elevating mechanism that moves up said cup member so that an upper end portion of said cup member is located at an upper end position higher than said substrate held by said substrate holder; a first nozzle that has a discharge port at a position lower than said upper end position and discharges first processing liquid from said discharge port to an end portion of said substrate; a camera that images an imaging region that includes the first processing liquid discharged from said discharge port of said first nozzle and is viewed from an imaging position above said substrate, wherein said imaging position is a position on an upstream side in a rotation direction of said substrate with respect to said first nozzle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a moving mechanism that moves said camera to said imaging position above said substrate, wherein said first processing liquid contains hydrofluoric acid, and a lower portion of said camera is covered with chemical resistant resin or metal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a fixing member for fixing said first nozzle; and a moving mechanism that displaces said fixing member to move said first nozzle to above said end portion of said substrate, wherein said camera is fixed to said fixing member. ### Claim 8 A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holder that holds a substrate and rotates said substrate; a cup member that surrounds an outer circumference of said substrate holder; an elevating mechanism that moves up said cup member so that an upper end portion of said cup member is located at an upper end position higher than said substrate held by said substrate holder; a first nozzle that has a discharge port at a position lower than said upper end position and discharges first processing liquid from said discharge port to an end portion of said substrate; a camera that images an imaging region that includes the first processing liquid discharged from said discharge port of said first nozzle and is viewed from an imaging position above said substrate, a second nozzle that discharges second processing liquid to said substrate; a fixing member for fixing said second nozzle; and a first moving mechanism that displaces said fixing member to move said second nozzle to above said substrate, wherein said camera is fixed to said fixing member. ### Claim 9 A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holder that holds a substrate and rotates said substrate; a cup member that surrounds an outer circumference of said substrate holder; an elevating mechanism that moves up said cup member so that an upper end portion of said cup member is located at an upper end position higher than said substrate held by said substrate holder; a first nozzle that has a discharge port at a position lower than said upper end position and discharges first processing liquid from said discharge port to an end portion of said substrate; a camera that images an imaging region that includes the first processing liquid discharged from said discharge port of said first nozzle and is viewed from an imaging position above said substrate, wherein said imaging region is an imaging region viewed along a direction closer to a circumferential direction than a radial direction of said substrate. ### Claim 10 A substrate processing method comprising, in the substrate processing apparatus including a substrate holder that holds a substrate and rotates said substrate; a cup member that surrounds an outer circumference of said substrate holder; an elevating mechanism that moves up said cup member so that an upper end portion of said cup member is located at an upper end position higher than said substrate held by said substrate holder; a first nozzle that has a discharge port at a position lower than said upper end position and discharges first processing liquid from said discharge port to an end portion of said substrate; a camera that images an imaging region that includes the first processing liquid discharged from said discharge port of said first nozzle and is viewed from an imaging position above said substrate: a holding step of holding a substrate by said substrate holder; a substrate rotation step of rotating said substrate holder that holds said substrate; a bevel processing step of discharging said first processing liquid from said first nozzle to an end portion of said substrate; and a bevel monitoring step of monitoring a discharge state of said first processing liquid based on a captured image acquired by said camera imaging said imaging region, wherein in said bevel monitoring step, a discharge state amount, which is a liquid column width or a discharge position of processing liquid discharged from a tip of said first nozzle, is obtained based on luminance values of pixels in a region located directly below said first nozzle and longer in a lateral direction than a length in a vertical direction in said captured image, and said region is set to a position including a part of said first processing liquid reflected on an upper surface of a substrate by specular reflection in said captured image. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein in said bevel processing step, said first processing liquid is discharged to said substrate from two or more discharge ports. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein said bevel monitoring step includes a step of obtaining a median or an average value of the discharge state amounts as a reference value, and a step of determining that abnormality has occurred in said first processing liquid when a difference between said discharge state amount and said reference value is equal to or more than a predetermined value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein exposure time of said camera is set to time required for one rotation of a substrate or longer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein said discharge state amount is obtained based on luminance values of pixels in said region in a captured image obtained by integrating or averaging a plurality of captured images acquired by said camera within time required for one rotation of a substrate or longer. ### Claim 15 A substrate processing method comprising, in the substrate processing apparatus including a substrate holder that holds a substrate and rotates said substrate; a cup member that surrounds an outer circumference of said substrate holder; an elevating mechanism that moves up said cup member so that an upper end portion of said cup member is located at an upper end position higher than said substrate held by said substrate holder; a first nozzle that has a discharge port at a position lower than said upper end position and discharges first processing liquid from said discharge port to an end portion of said substrate; a camera that images an imaging region that includes the first processing liquid discharged from said discharge port of said first nozzle and is viewed from an imaging position above said substrate: a holding step of holding a substrate by said substrate holder; a substrate rotation step of rotating said substrate holder that holds said substrate; a bevel processing step of discharging said first processing liquid from said first nozzle to an end portion of said substrate; and a bevel monitoring step of monitoring a discharge state of said first processing liquid based on a captured image acquired by said camera imaging said imaging region, wherein in said bevel monitoring step, a machine-learned classifier classifies said captured image into either a category without abnormality regarding a liquid column width or a discharge position of processing liquid discharged from a tip of said first nozzle, or a category with abnormality. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The substrate processing method according to claim 15, wherein in said bevel monitoring step, a region located directly below said first nozzle and longer in a lateral direction than a length in a vertical direction is cut out from said captured image, and an image of the cut out region is input to said classifier. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein said captured image includes a part of a peripheral edge of said substrate, and said bevel processing step includes a step of obtaining a substrate peripheral position of a part of a peripheral edge of said substrate based on said captured image, and a step of moving said first nozzle to a processing position on a central side of said substrate by a predetermined width from said substrate peripheral position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second nozzle that discharges second processing liquid to said substrate; a fixing member for fixing said second nozzle; and a moving mechanism that displaces said fixing member to move said second nozzle to above said substrate, wherein said camera is fixed to said fixing member. ### Claim 19 (depends on 8) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: a second moving mechanism to move said first nozzle, said second moving mechanism different form said first moving mechanism.