SUBSTRATE POSITION DETECTION APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE POSITION DETECTION METHOD, FILM DEPOSITION APPARATUS, FILM DEPOSITION METHOD, AND A COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20100124610A1
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: AIKAWA, KATSUYOSHI, HONMA, MANABU
• Application Number:
  US12/617,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20100124610A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/255.280
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4584 the substrate being rotated
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67259 Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/681 using optical controlling means

Abstract

A disclosed substrate position detection apparatus includes an imaging portion configured to take an image of a substrate subject to a position detection; a panel member provided between the imaging portion and the substrate and including a first opening that ensures a field of view for the imaging portion with respect to the substrate, the panel member having a light scattering property; a first illuminating portion configured to illuminate the panel member; and a processing portion capable of determining a position of the substrate in accordance with the image taken through the first opening by the imaging portion.

Claims

1. A substrate position detection apparatus, comprising:

an imaging portion configured to take an image of a substrate subject to a position detection;

a panel member provided between the imaging portion and the substrate and including a first opening that ensures a field of view for the imaging portion with respect to the substrate, the panel member having a light scattering property;

a first illuminating portion configured to illuminate the panel member; and

a processing portion capable of determining a position of the substrate in accordance with the image taken through the first opening by the imaging portion.

2. The substrate position detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first illuminating portion illuminates a first surface of the panel member, the first surface facing the substrate.

3. The substrate position detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first illuminating portion illuminates a second surface of the panel member, the second surface facing the imaging portion.

4. The substrate position detection apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a second illuminating portion configured to illuminate the substrate.

5. The substrate position detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first illuminating portion configured to illuminate the first surface of the panel member may swivel in order to illuminate the substrate.

6. The substrate position detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the panel member is made of a resin including light scattering particles.

7. The substrate position detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the panel member is made of a transparent resin plate on which a pigment is painted.

8. The substrate position detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one surface of a first surface and a second surface of the panel member is roughened.

9. The substrate position detection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a chassis in which the imaging portion is housed, the chassis including

an opening facing toward the substrate subject to the position detection;

an inlet port from which gas is introduced to the chassis, and

an evacuation port from which the gas introduced from the inlet port flows out from the chassis; and

wherein the panel member is provided between the opening and the imaging portion in the chassis, and

wherein the panel member further includes a second opening through which the gas may flow.

10. The substrate position detection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a detection portion provided in a rotational driving mechanism for rotating a susceptor on which the substrate subject to the position detection is placed, the detection portion detecting a position detection mark provided in the susceptor, and

wherein the processing portion detects whether the position detection mark is within a predetermined range from the image taken by the imaging portion.

11. The substrate position detection apparatus of claim 10, wherein the detection portion includes

a stator piece provided in the rotational driving mechanism;

and

a rotating piece that is provided in a rotation portion of the rotational driving mechanism and cooperates with the stator piece.

17. A film deposition apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate by carrying out a cycle of alternately supplying at least two kinds of reaction gases that react with each other to the substrate to produce a layer of a reaction product in a chamber, the film deposition apparatus comprising:

a susceptor rotatably provided in the chamber;

a substrate receiving portion that is provided in one surface of the susceptor and the substrate is placed in;

a substrate position detection apparatus of claim 1 for detecting a position of the substrate placed in the substrate receiving portion;

a first reaction gas supplying portion configured to supply a first reaction gas to the one surface;

a second reaction gas supplying portion configured to supply a second reaction gas to the one surface, the second reaction gas supplying portion being separated from the first reaction gas supplying portion along a rotation direction of the susceptor;

a separation area located along the rotation direction between a first process area in which the first reaction gas is supplied and a second process area in which the second reaction gas is supplied;

a center area that is located substantially in a center portion of the chamber in order to separate the first process area and the second process area, and has an ejection hole that ejects a first separation gas along the one surface; and

an evacuation opening provided in the chamber in order to evacuate the chamber;

wherein the separation area includes a separation gas supplying portion that supplies a second separation gas, and a ceiling surface that creates in relation to the one surface of the susceptor a thin space in which the second separation gas may flow from the separation area to the process area side in relation to the rotation direction.

18. A film deposition method for depositing a film on a substrate, using the film deposition apparatus recited in claim 17, the film deposition method comprising steps of:

placing the substrate on the substrate receiving portion provided in one surface of the susceptor rotatably provided in the chamber;

illuminating the panel member including the first opening and having a light scattering property;

taking an image of an area including the substrate and the substrate receiving portion through the first opening;

estimating a position of the substrate receiving portion in accordance with the image of the area;

estimating a position of the substrate in accordance with the image of the area; and

determining whether the substrate is in a predetermined position from the positions of the substrate and the substrate receiving portion;

rotating the susceptor on which the substrate is placed, when it is determined that the substrate is in the predetermined position in the step of determining;

supplying the first reaction gas from the first reaction gas supplying portion to the susceptor;

supplying the second reaction gas from the second reaction gas supplying portion to the susceptor, the second reaction gas supplying portion being separated from the first reaction gas supplying portion along the rotation direction of the susceptor;

supplying the first separation gas from the separation gas supplying portion provided in the separation area located between the first process area in which the first reaction gas is supplied from the first reaction gas supplying portion and the second process area in which the second reaction gas is supplied from the second reaction gas supplying portion, in order to flow the first separation gas from the separation area to the process area relative to the rotation direction of the susceptor in the thin space created between the ceiling surface of the separation area and the susceptor;

supplying the second separation gas from the ejection hole formed in the center area located in the center portion of the chamber; and

evacuating the chamber.

19. A computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing the substrate position detection apparatus of claim 1 to perform a substrate position detection method comprising steps of:

placing the substrate subject to the position detection in the substrate receiving portion of the susceptor;

illuminating the panel member provided above the substrate and including the first opening, the panel member having a light scattering property;

taking an image of an area including the substrate and the substrate receiving portion through the first opening;

estimating a position of the substrate receiving portion in accordance with the image of the area;

estimating a position of the substrate in accordance with the image of the area; and

determining whether the substrate is in a predetermined position from the positions of the substrate and the substrate receiving portion.

20. A computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing the film deposition apparatus of claim 17 to perform a film deposition method comprising steps of:

placing the substrate on the substrate receiving portion provided in one surface of the susceptor rotatably provided in the chamber;

illuminating the panel member provided above the substrate and including the first opening, the panel member having a light scattering property;

taking an image of an area including the substrate and the substrate receiving portion through the first opening;

estimating a position of the substrate receiving portion in accordance with the image of the area;

estimating a position of the substrate in accordance with the image of the area; and

determining whether the substrate is in predetermined position from the positions of the substrate and the substrate receiving portion;

rotating the susceptor on which the substrate is placed, when it is determined that the substrate is in the predetermined position in the step of determining;

supplying the first reaction gas from the first reaction gas supplying portion to the susceptor;

supplying the second reaction gas from the second reaction gas supplying portion to the susceptor, the second reaction gas supplying portion being separated from the first reaction gas supplying portion along the rotation direction of the susceptor;

supplying the first separation gas from the separation gas supplying portion provided in the separation area located between the first process area in which the first reaction gas is supplied from the first reaction gas supplying portion and the second process area in which the second reaction gas is supplied from the second reaction gas supplying portion, in order to flow the first separation gas from the separation area to the process area relative to the rotation direction of the susceptor in the thin space created between the ceiling surface of the separation area and the susceptor;

supplying the second separation gas from the ejection hole formed in the center area located in the center portion of the chamber; and

evacuating the chamber.

12. A substrate position detection method comprising steps of:

placing a substrate subject to a position detection in a substrate receiving portion of a susceptor;

illuminating a panel member including a first opening and having a light scattering property;

taking an image of an area including the substrate and the substrate receiving portion through the first opening;

estimating a position of the substrate receiving portion in accordance with the image of the area;

estimating a position of the substrate in accordance with the image of the area; and

determining whether the substrate is in a predetermined position from the positions of the substrate and the substrate receiving portion.

13. The substrate position detection method of claim 12, wherein the step of estimating the position of the substrate receiving portion includes a step of detecting a position detection mark provided in the susceptor.

14. The substrate position detection method of claim 12, wherein the step of estimating the position of the substrate includes a step of recognizing an edge portion of the substrate placed in the substrate receiving portion.

15. The substrate position detection method of claim 13, wherein the step of estimating the position of the substrate receiving portion includes steps of:

detecting whether the position detection mark is within a predetermined range, in accordance with the image;

adjusting a position of the susceptor so that the position detection mark falls within the predetermined range, in accordance with a detection result obtained by a detection portion provided in a rotational driving mechanism for rotating the susceptor, when it is determined in the step of detecting that the position detection mark is not within the predetermined range; and

detecting the position detection mark within the predetermined range, in order to adjust the susceptor so that the position detection mark is positioned in a predetermined position, in accordance with a detection result of detecting the position detection mark within the predetermined range.

16. The substrate position detection method of claim 15, wherein the detection portion includes

a stator piece provided in the rotational driving mechanism;

and

a rotating piece that is provided in a rotation portion of the rotational driving mechanism and cooperates with the stator piece.