Defect inspection method, defect inspection apparatus, and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

In the present invention, an image pickup device moving by drive of a drive unit picks up an image of a substrate on a mounting table. The drive unit is controlled by a driving signal from a first controller. The driving signal outputted to the first controller is outputted also to a second controller, so that the second controller controls the image pickup device based on the driving signal. The movement of the image pickup device itself is synchronized with the image pickup by the image pickup device. According to the present invention, at the time when the mounting table mounting the substrate thereon and the image pickup device are relatively moved to capture the image of the substrate, a precise image without image distortion can be captured for accurate inspection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the plane of a coating and developing treatment system including a defect inspection apparatus according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the front of the coating and developing treatment system in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the rear of the coating and developing treatment system in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a side section of a defect inspection apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a plane section of the defect inspection apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the outline of a configuration of a control system of the defect inspection apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the outline of a configuration of a control system of a defect inspection apparatus according to another embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the outline of a configuration of a control system of a defect inspection apparatus according to another embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the outline of a configuration of a control system of a defect inspection apparatus according to another embodiment, including a light quantity adjusting unit;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a side section of a defect inspection apparatus according to another embodiment;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the plane of a coating and developing treatment system including a defect inspection apparatus according to another embodiment;

FIG. 12 is an explanatory view of a side section of a defect inspection apparatus according to another embodiment;

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of a plane section of a portion of a defect inspection apparatus according to another embodiment;

FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing an appearance in the defect inspection apparatus when a wafer is returned by a mounting table to a wafer transfer-in/out position;

FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing an appearance in the defect inspection apparatus when the wafer is lifted by a buffer arm;

FIG. 16 is an explanatory view showing an appearance in the defect inspection apparatus when a next wafer is transferred thereinto;

FIG. 17 is an explanatory view showing an appearance in the defect inspection apparatus when the preceding wafer is transferred therefrom; and

FIG. 18 is an explanatory view showing an appearance in the defect inspection apparatus when the buffer arm is lowered.

Claims

1. A defect inspection method of picking up an image of a substrate on a mounting table by an image pickup device while relatively moving the image pickup device and the substrate in a predetermined direction to inspect the substrate for a defect, wherein drive of the image pickup device or the mounting table to realize the relative movement is synchronized with the image pickup by the image pickup device when the image pickup device picks up the image of the substrate.

2. The defect inspection method as set forth in claim 1, wherein image capture by the image pickup device is controlled based on a driving signal outputted from a controller to a drive unit for driving the image pickup device or the mounting table.

3. The defect inspection method as set forth in claim 1, wherein image capture by the image pickup device is controlled based on a feedback signal outputted to a controller from a drive unit for driving the image pickup device or the mounting table.

4. The defect inspection method as set forth in claim 1, wherein drive of the image pickup device or the mounting table is controlled based on a control signal for controlling a timing of image capture by the image pickup device.

5. The defect inspection method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the image capture timing is changed depending on a luminance on the substrate.

6. The defect inspection method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the image pickup device picks up the image of the substrate on the mounting table with the image pickup device fixed and the mounting table being moved with respect to the image pickup device.

7. A defect inspection apparatus for picking up an image of a substrate on a mounting table by an image pickup device while relatively moving said image pickup device and the substrate on said mounting table in a predetermined direction by a drive unit to inspect the substrate for a defect, comprising: a first controller for controlling said drive unit; anda second controller for controlling the image pickup by said image pickup device,wherein a driving signal outputted from said first controller or outputted to said first controller in order to drive said drive unit is outputted also to said second controller, and said second controller controls the image pickup by said image pickup device based on the driving signal.

8. A defect inspection apparatus for picking up an image of a substrate on a mounting table by an image pickup device while relatively moving said image pickup device and the substrate on said mounting table in a predetermined direction by a drive unit to inspect the substrate for a defect, comprising: a first controller for controlling said drive unit; anda second controller for controlling the image pickup by said image pickup device,wherein a feedback signal outputted from said drive unit to said first controller is outputted also to said second controller from said first controller directly or via another controller, and said second controller controls the image pickup by said image pickup device based on the feedback signal.

9. A defect inspection apparatus for picking up an image of a substrate on a mounting table by an image pickup device while relatively moving said image pickup device and the substrate on said mounting table in a predetermined direction by a drive unit to inspect the substrate for a defect, comprising: a first controller for controlling said drive unit; anda second controller for controlling the image pickup by said image pickup device,wherein said second controller includes a reference clock for controlling a timing of image capture by said image pickup device, a driving signal is outputted to said first controller directly or via another controller based on said reference clock, and said first controller controls said drive unit based on the driving signal.

10. The defect inspection apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further comprising: a control unit for changing a cycle of said reference clock based on luminance information on the substrate being an image pickup object.

11. The defect inspection apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said reference clock is provided in said image pickup device or the other controller.

12. The defect inspection apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said image pickup device picks up the image of the substrate on said mounting table with said image pickup device fixed and said mounting table being moved with respect to said image pickup device by said drive unit.

13. The defect inspection apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said image pickup device picks up the image of the substrate on said mounting table with said image pickup device fixed and said mounting table being moved with respect to said image pickup device by said drive unit.

14. The defect inspection apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said image pickup device picks up the image of the substrate on said mounting table with said image pickup device fixed and said mounting table being moved with respect to said image pickup device by said drive unit.

15. A computer readable storage medium storing a program running on a computer in a control unit for controlling a defect inspection apparatus for causing the defect inspection apparatus to perform a substrate defect inspection method, said defect inspection method comprising:picking up an image of a substrate on a mounting table by an image pickup device while relatively moving the image pickup device and the substrate in a predetermined direction to inspect the substrate for a defect,wherein drive of the image pickup device or the mounting table to realize the relative movement is synchronized with the image pickup by the image pickup device when the image pickup device picks up the image of the substrate.