IP Library Granted Patent US 11,823,922
Granted Patent B2
US 11,823,922 · App. 18/110,419 · Granted Nov 21, 2023

Substrate inspection apparatus, substrate processing apparatus, substrate inspection method, and computer-readable recording medium

Inventors: Akiko Kiyotomi (Kumamoto, JP); Masato Hosaka (Kumamoto, JP); Tadashi Nishiyama (Kumamoto, JP); Kazuya Hisano (Kumamoto, JP)
Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
H01L21/67178G03F7/7065G06Q20/08G06Q20/22G06V10/44G06V10/98H01L21/67259
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,823,922
App. No.
18/110,419
Granted
Nov 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate inspection apparatus includes: a storage configured to store inspection image data obtained from a captured image of a periphery of a substrate on which a film is formed, and an inspection recipe; an edge detector configured to detect a target edge as an edge of an inspection target film on the basis of the inspection image data stored in the storage by using the inspection recipe stored in the storage; a periphery calculator configured to calculate a position of a theoretical periphery of the substrate; and a width calculator configured to calculate a width between the theoretical periphery of the substrate and the target edge on the basis of position data of the theoretical periphery of the substrate obtained by the periphery calculator and position data of the target edge obtained by the edge detector.

Claims (53)

1. A substrate inspection apparatus comprising:

a storage configured to store inspection image data obtained from a captured image of a periphery of a substrate on which a film is formed, and an inspection recipe;

an edge detector configured to detect a target edge as an edge of an inspection target film on the basis of the inspection image data stored in the storage by using the inspection recipe stored in the storage;

a periphery calculator configured to calculate a position of a theoretical periphery of the substrate; and

a width calculator configured to calculate a width between the theoretical periphery of the substrate and the target edge on the basis of position data of the theoretical periphery of the substrate obtained by the periphery calculator and position data of the target edge obtained by the edge detector,

wherein the film continuously extends circumferentially along the periphery of the substrate, and

the periphery calculator is configured to calculate a position of a theoretical periphery of a reference substrate obtained with respect to a center of the reference substrate, as the position of the theoretical periphery of the substrate.

2. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the periphery calculator is configured to execute a process including:

calculating position data of a reference position preset on the reference substrate on the basis of reference image data obtained from a captured image of a periphery of the reference substrate;

calculating a difference between a design dimension of a radius of the substrate, and a distance from the center of the reference substrate to the reference position; and

calculating position data of the theoretical periphery of the reference substrate on the basis of the position data of the reference position and the difference.

3. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the periphery calculator is configured to execute a process including:

calculating position data of the periphery of the substrate on the basis of the inspection image data;

calculating an eccentric state of the substrate on the basis of the position data of the periphery of the substrate; and

calculating the position data of the theoretical periphery of the substrate in consideration of the eccentric state of the substrate.

4. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the periphery calculator is configured to calculate position data of the periphery of the substrate on the basis of the inspection image data, and

the width calculator is configured to calculate a width between the periphery of the substrate and the target edge on the basis of the position data of the periphery of the substrate obtained in the periphery calculator, and the position data of the target edge obtained in the edge detector.

5. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an edge position adjustor configured to calculate an adjustment value according to a deviation between the removal width calculated by the determiner and a target value, and adjust a relative position between a nozzle and a separate substrate according the adjustment value.

6. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a film forming processor configured to form a film on a substrate;

a camera configured to acquire a captured image by imaging a periphery of the substrate; and

a controller configured to inspect a target edge as an edge of an inspection target film,

wherein the controller includes:

a storage configured to store inspection image data obtained from the captured image, and an inspection recipe;

an edge detector configured to detect the target edge on the basis of the inspection image data stored in the storage by using the inspection recipe stored in the storage;

a periphery calculator configured to calculate a position of a theoretical periphery of the substrate; and

a width calculator configured to calculate a width between the theoretical periphery of the substrate and the target edge on the basis of position data of the theoretical periphery of the substrate obtained in the periphery calculator and position data of the target edge obtained in the edge detector,

wherein the film continuously extends circumferentially along the periphery of the substrate, and

the periphery calculator is configured to calculate a position of a theoretical periphery of a reference substrate obtained with respect to a center of the reference substrate, as the position of the theoretical periphery of the substrate.

7. A substrate processing apparatus comprising

a film forming processor configured to form a plurality of films on a substrate;

a camera configured to acquire a captured image by imaging a periphery of the substrate; and

a controller configured to inspect a target edge as an edge of an inspection target film among the films,

wherein the controller includes:

a storage configured to store inspection image data obtained from the captured image, a first inspection recipe, and a second inspection recipe;

an edge detector configured to detect a first target edge as an edge of one inspection target film among the films on the basis of the inspection image data stored in the storage, by using the first inspection recipe stored in the storage, and configured to detect a second target edge as an edge of another inspection target film among the films on the basis of the inspection image data stored in the storage, by using the second inspection recipe stored in the storage;

a periphery calculator configured to calculate a position of a theoretical periphery of the substrate; and

a width calculator configured to calculate a width between the theoretical periphery of the substrate and the target edge on the basis of position data of the theoretical periphery of the substrate obtained in the periphery calculator and position data of the target edge obtained in the edge detector,

wherein each film continuously extends circumferentially along the periphery of the substrate,

the periphery calculator is configured to calculate a position of a theoretical periphery of a reference substrate obtained with respect to a center of the reference substrate, as the position of the theoretical periphery of the substrate,

each of the first and second inspection recipes is configured by combining parameters each of which has one option specified among a plurality of options, and

a combination of the parameters constituting the first inspection recipe is different from a combination of the parameters constituting the second inspection recipe.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the film forming processor includes a first nozzle that ejects a processing liquid for forming the first target edge, and a second nozzle that ejects a processing liquid for forming the second target edge, and

the controller further includes an edge position adjustor configured to adjust a relative position between each of the first and second nozzles and a separate substrate when the processing liquid is ejected, on the basis of detection results of the first and second target edges, such that positions of edges which correspond to the first and second target edges and are included in a plurality of films to be formed on the separate substrate in the film forming processor approach target values after the films including the first and second target edges are formed.

9. A substrate inspection method comprising:

generating inspection image data from a captured image of a periphery of a substrate on which a film is formed; and

detecting, by an edge detector, a target edge as an edge of an inspection target film on the basis of the inspection image data by using an inspection recipe,

calculating, by a periphery calculator, a position of a theoretical periphery of the substrate; and

calculating a width between the theoretical periphery of the substrate and the target edge on the basis of position data of the theoretical periphery of the substrate obtained in the periphery calculator and position data of the target edge obtained in the edge detector,

wherein the film continuously extends circumferentially along the periphery of the substrate, and

the periphery calculator is configured to calculate a position of a theoretical periphery of a reference substrate obtained with respect to a center of the reference substrate, as the position of the theoretical periphery of the substrate.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein a program for causing a substrate inspection apparatus to execute the substrate inspection method according to claim 9 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2023
From: KIYOTOMI, AKIKO; HOSAKA, MASATO; NISHIYAMA, TADASHI; HISANO, KAZUYA
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 062765/0839 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2019-038414 · Mar 4, 2019 · national
JP 2019-204944 · Nov 12, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16804159 · Feb 28, 2020
Related Publication 20230197480A1 · Jun 22, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,478,997