Patent ID: 12236574

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The above and other advantages and features of the inventive concept, and methods of the inventive concept for achieving them will become apparent from the following description of the following embodiments which are given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and will be described below in detail. However, the inventive concept is not limited by the embodiments disclosed herein but will be realized in various different forms, and the embodiments are provided only to make the disclosure of the inventive concept complete and fully inform the scope of the inventive concept to an ordinary person in the art, to which the inventive concept pertains, and the inventive concept will be defined by the scope of the claims.

Although not defined, all the terms (including technical or scientific terms) used herein may have the same meanings that are generally accepted by the common technologies in the field to which the inventive concept pertains. The terms defined by the general dictionaries may be construed to have the same meanings as those meant in the related technologies and/or the disclosure of the application, and will neither become conceptual nor be construed to be excessively formal even though not clearly defined herein.

The terms such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to the terms. The terms may be used only for the purpose of distinguishing one element from another element. For example, without departing the scope of the inventive concept, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

The terms of a singular form may include plural forms unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, in the drawings, the shapes and sizes of the elements may be exaggerated for clearer description.

The terms used herein are provided to describe the embodiments but not to limit the inventive concept. In the specification, the singular forms include plural forms unless particularly mentioned. The expressions ‘include’ and/or its various conjugated forms, such as ‘including’, which are used in the specification do not exclude existence or addition of one or more compositions, substances, elements, steps, operations, and/or devices. In the specification, the term ‘and/or’ represents enumerated configurations or various combinations thereof.

The term ‘unit’ used in the entire specification is a unit for processing at least one function or operation, and for example, may refer to a hardware element such as an FPGA or an ASIC. However, the ‘unit’ is not limited to software or hardware. The ‘unit’ may be constituted in a storage medium that may perform addressing, and may be configured to reproduce one or more processors.

Accordingly, as an example, the ‘unit’ may include elements such as software elements, object-oriented software elements, class elements, and task elements, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, sub-routines, segments of a program code, drivers, firmware, micro-codes, circuits, data, a database, data structures, tables, arrays, and parameters. The functions provided by the elements and the ‘units’ may be separately performed by a plurality of elements and ‘units’, and may be integrated with other additional elements.

FIG.2is a view illustrating a substrate treating apparatus1according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.

The substrate treating apparatus1ofFIG.2may treat a substrate through discharge liquids discharged from a plurality of nozzle discharge holes11,12,13, and14to a substrate “W”. According to an example, the discharge liquids may be cleaning liquids or chemicals.

According to the substrate treating apparatus1according to the inventive concept, a fixed nozzle10that discharges a treatment liquid to the substrate “W” may be provided. The fixed nozzle10may include the plurality of nozzle discharge holes11,12,13, and14. According to an example ofFIG.2, an example, in which the fixed nozzle includes four nozzle discharge holes11,12,13, and14, is disclosed. Although one fixed nozzle10is disclosed and a configuration, in which the fixed nozzle10includes the plurality of nozzle discharge holes11,12,13, and14, is disclosed in the embodiment ofFIG.2, this is merely an embodiment, and two fixed nozzles may be disclosed and each of the fixed nozzles may include one nozzle discharge hole.

Hereinafter, the substrate treating apparatus1, in which one fixed nozzle10includes the plurality of nozzle discharge holes11,12,13, and14, will be described as an example. According to an example, treatment liquids may be discharged from the plurality of nozzle discharge holes11,12,13, and14. Only some of the plurality of nozzle discharge holes11,12,13, and14may discharge the treatment liquids. The treatment liquids may be provided to a surface of the substrate “W”.

According to an example, the substrate treating apparatus1according to the inventive concept may inspect whether cleaning liquids or chemicals are normally discharged toward target points on the substrate “W”. The cleaning liquids and the like will be referred to as ‘discharge liquids’ in the following. The discharge liquids may be discharged from the fixed nozzle10installed on a side surface of the substrate “W” toward the target points while drawing parabolas.

The substrate treating apparatus1ofFIG.2may include a bowl40provided to surround the substrate “W”.

According to an example, the discharge liquids discharged from the plurality of nozzle discharge holes11,12,13, and14included in the fixed nozzle10have to be seated at specific locations according to specific loci. However, due to various factors, impact points on the substrate may become different as the loci of the discharge liquids become different. In order to determine this, the substrate treating apparatus1may include an imaging unit20and an inspection unit30.

The imaging unit20may photograph the discharge liquids discharged from the fixed nozzle10. According to an example, the imaging unit20may be a vision camera. The imaging unit20may perform photographing at a location, at which the substrate “W” may be viewed as a whole. The imaging unit20may be located at a corner of a chamber, at which the substrate “W” may be viewed as a whole. According to an example, the imaging unit20may photograph the substrate “W” and the discharge liquids discharged to the substrate “W” in real time. The imaging unit20may photograph the loci of one or more discharge liquids discharged from the plurality of nozzle discharge holes included in the fixed nozzle10.

The inspection unit30may be connected to the imaging unit20to inspect whether the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the fixed nozzle10are normal by using an image captured by the imaging unit20. Hereinafter, the inspection unit30will be described in detail with reference toFIG.3.

In the embodiment ofFIG.2, it is illustrated that the imaging unit20and the inspection unit30have separate configurations, but according to another example, the configurations may be embedded in one chamber.

FIG.3is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the inspection unit30according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.

The inspection unit30may calculate the impact points of the one or more discharge liquids discharged from the plurality of nozzle discharge holes and determine whether the impact points of the one or more discharge liquids discharged from the plurality of nozzle discharge holes are normal. The inspection unit30according to the inventive concept may include an image synthesizing unit31, a pre-processing unit32, and a calculation unit33.

The image synthesizing unit31according to the inventive concept may synthesize a plurality of images captured by the imaging unit20. The image synthesizing unit31may image the substrate and the loci of the discharge liquids discharged from the plurality of nozzles by synthesizing the plurality of images and synthesizing a maximum brightness value image of the plurality of images. According to an example, the image synthesizing unit31may synthesize the plurality of images captured continuously. According to an example, the image synthesizing unit31may synthesize six or more images captured continuously.

The pre-processing unit32according to the inventive concept may pre-process image data generated through the image synthesizing unit31. The pre-processing may be a data correcting operation that is performed such that comparison may be made more easily in a process of identifying whether the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzle discharge holes are normal by using the image synthesized by the image synthesizing unit31.

The pre-processing unit32according to the inventive concept may perform distance distortion correction of the image data generated through the image synthesizing unit31. The shape of the substrate captured obliquely may be corrected in a form of a circle through the distance distortion correction. The pre-processing unit32may detect the shape of the substrate from the data, on which the distance distortion correction has been performed, and may calculate a center point of the detected shape of the substrate. Furthermore, the pre-processing unit32may perform the pre-processing by converting a coordinate system into a polar coordinate system with respect to the center point of the shape of the substrate.

The comparison may be easily made by performing the comparison of the impact points and the pre-processing operation for calculation through the pre-processing unit32.

The calculation unit33according to the inventive concept may calculate whether the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the plurality of nozzles are normal by comparing the data processed by the pre-processing unit32. According to an example, the calculation unit33may determine whether the nozzles are normal by comparing whether the impact points of the one or more discharge liquids discharged from the plurality of nozzles correspond to ranges of threshold values of the nozzles by using data values obtained in the polar coordinate system. The threshold value ranges of the nozzles may be ranges of values that are determined in consideration of flow rate values in the nozzles and locations of the loci according to the flow rate values. Through this, it may be determined whether the nozzles are normal by identifying and determining whether angles of the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles are accurate.

FIG.4is a view illustrating a flowchart of a substrate treating method according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.

Referring toFIG.4, in a substrate treating method according to an embodiment of the inventive concept, the plurality of nozzle discharge holes included in the fixed nozzle10discharge the treatment liquids, which are photographed. The imaging unit20that performs photographing may photograph the substrate and the loci of the discharge liquids as a whole, which may be photographed continuously.

A maximum brightness image may be synthesized by using the captured continuous images, and primary pre-processing may be performed by performing the distance distortion correction on the image having the maximum bright value. After the shape of the substrate is detected from the image, on which the distance distortion correction has been performed, the center point of the shape of the substrate may be calculated, and second pre-processing may be performed through conversion of the coordinate system into the polar coordinate system with respect to the center point. Thereafter, the image, on which the pre-processing has been completed, may be binarized, and the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles may be derived through angle values. After specific threshold values are provided depending on the flow rates of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles and the derived angle values and the threshold values are compared, and it is determined that the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles are normal when the comparison result are within a specific range, and it is determined that the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles are abnormal when the comparison result are outside the specific range and an alarm may be generated. Through this, the nozzle corresponding to the abnormal impact point may be identified, and a following measure may be taken.

FIGS.5to9are views illustrating respective operations of inspecting impact points of discharge liquids discharged from a plurality of nozzles.

FIG.5is a view illustrating images obtained by continuously capturing a plurality of images by the imaging unit20according to an example. Referring toFIG.5, an example of using six images is illustrated.

FIG.6is a view illustrating a result image obtained by synthesizing the continuously captured images according to the embodiment ofFIG.5. The image synthesizing unit31may detect discharge lines of the plurality of nozzles more accurately through the synthesizing of the continuously captured images. Furthermore, the image synthesizing unit31may synthesize the images to obtain a maximum brightness value such that the discharge lines may be viewed more clearly. According to an example, an image having the maximum brightness value may be synthesized through the following equation.
IM(i,j)=Max(IN-5(i,j),IN-4(i,j), . . . ,IN(i,j))

FIG.7is a view illustrating a result obtained by performing the distance distortion correction on a result image obtained by synthesizing the continuously captured images according to the embodiment ofFIG.6.

The result image obtained by synthesizing the continuously captured images according to the embodiment ofFIG.6is not provided such that the shape of the wafer is not circular but elliptical as the imaging unit20is disposed obliquely, so that it may be difficult to determine a detailed impact point. Accordingly, the correction for the circular shape may be made to correct a distortion that occurs accordingly.

Referring toFIG.8, because the substrate is corrected in the circular shape when the distance distortion correction is performed, the center point of the substrate may be calculated after the substrate is detected such that the impact point is detected. Furthermore, after the center point is calculated, the coordinate system may be converted into the polar coordinate system According to an example, in the conventional case, the coordinate system is a (x, y) coordinate system, but this may be converted into a (r, θ) coordinate system that is a rectangular coordinate system. This conversion may be made through the following equation.
r=√{square root over (x2+y2)}

θ=tan-1⁢(yx)

Referring toFIG.9, according to an example, the (x, y) coordinate system of the final impact points of the discharge liquid discharged from the nozzles may be converted to the (r, θ) coordinate system that is a polar coordinate system. Through this, angle information that is information related to the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles may be derived.

It may be determined whether the impact points are normal by comparing the derived angle information of the nozzles with impact point information depending on the flow information of the nozzles.

According to an example, the impact point information depending on the flow rate information of the nozzles may be as follows.

Fix nozzle 2Flow rate800900100011001200(cc)θ2216.7218.6220.5221.3222.8Fix nozzle 1Flow rate10001100120013001400(cc)θ1240.2241.3242.5243.4245

That is, according to the table, angles of the impact points may be changed depending on the flow rates of the nozzles. The calculation unit33according to the inventive concept may determine whether the nozzles are normal, by comparing the angles of the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from nozzle, which are derived from the actually captured images, and the angles of the impact points set depending on the flow rates of the discharged liquids discharged from the nozzles. According to an example, the calculation unit33may determine whether the angles of the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles, which are derived from the actually captured images are the same as the angles of the impact points set depending on the flow rates of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles, and may determine that the impact points are normal when they are the same, and may determine that the impact points are abnormal when they are not the same. According to another example, the calculation unit33may determine whether the angles of the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles, which are derived from the actually captured images correspond to error ranges of the angles of the impact points set depending on the flow rates of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles, and may determine that the impact points are normal when they are in the error ranges, and may determine that the impact points are abnormal when they are outside the error ranges. The threshold value ranges set according to the inventive concept may be set by a user in advance. According to an example, the threshold value ranges may correspond to a case in which the angles of the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles, which are derived from the actually captured images are the same as the angles of the impact points, which are set depending on the flow rates of the discharge liquids discharged from the nozzles or are within an error rate range of 1% or less.

According to the inventive concept, the impact points of the nozzles may be inspected regardless of patterns of the substrate.

According to the inventive concept, a process accident due to a change in flow rates and a distortion of nozzles may be prevented in advance by inspecting the impact points of the discharge liquids discharged from the plurality of discharge holes of the fixed nozzle.

The effects of the inventive concept are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and the unmentioned effects can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the inventive concept pertains from the specification and the accompanying drawings.

It is noted that the above embodiments are suggested for understanding of the inventive concept and do not limit the scope of the inventive concept, and various modifiable embodiments also fall within the scope of the inventive concept. The drawings provided according to the inventive concept merely illustrate an optimum embodiment of the inventive concept. It should be understood that the technical protection range of the inventive concept has to be determined by the technical spirit of the claims, and the technical protection range of the inventive concept is not limited to the lexical meaning of the claims but reaches even to the equivalent inventions.