US 2018/0323085 A1 · SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD FOR DISCHARGE OF PROCESSING LIQUID FROM NOZZLE

Abstract

An upper processing liquid nozzle moves back and forth between a processing position above a substrate held on a spin chuck and a standby position outside a processing cup. Before a processing liquid is discharged from the upper processing liquid nozzle having moved to the processing position, a camera takes a discharge standard image of an imaging region including the tip of the upper processing liquid nozzle. Then, multiple monitor target images of the imaging region taken successively by the camera are compared sequentially to the discharge standard image to determine discharge of a processing liquid from the upper processing liquid nozzle. The discharge standard image is obtained for each process on a new target substrate. This eliminates influence of a substrate surface to appear as a background both of the monitor target image and the discharge standard image. Thus, discharge of a processing liquid can be detected reliably.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A substrate processing method of discharging a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:

(a) holding a new target substrate with a substrate holder;
(b) after said new target substrate is held by said substrate holder, moving a nozzle from which a processing liquid is discharged from a standby position outside a cup surrounding said substrate holder toward a processing position above said substrate held by said substrate holder;
(c) taking an image of an imaging region including a tip of said nozzle placed in said processing position with an imaging part;
and
(d) determining discharge of a processing liquid from said nozzle by comparing a first standard image and a monitor target image, said first standard image being an image of said imaging region taken by said imaging part before a processing liquid is discharged from said nozzle having moved to said processing position, said monitor target image being an image of said imaging region taken thereafter by said imaging part,
wherein in said step (c), said first standard image is obtained each time said substrate holder holds a new target substrate and said nozzle moves to said processing position.

3 more elements

A substrate processing method of discharging a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:

(a) specifying the coordinate of a nozzle from which a processing liquid is discharged in a position standard image and setting a rectangular region including a tip of said nozzle as a reference pattern, said position standard image being an image of an imaging region including said tip of said nozzle in a processing position taken by an imaging part when said nozzle is placed in said processing position correctly, said processing position being above a substrate to be held by a substrate holder;
and
(b) determining position abnormality of said nozzle in said processing position by comparing an image of a partial region to said reference pattern in said position standard image, said image of said partial region corresponding to said reference pattern and being a part of an image of said imaging region taken by said imaging part when said substrate holder holds a target substrate and said nozzle has moved from a standby position outside a cup surrounding said substrate holder to said processing position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method for discharge of processing liquid from nozzle

Life of this patent

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method for discharge of processing liquid from nozzle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19