Coating apparatus and coating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9836844-B2
Application number	US-201514663814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 26, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a coating apparatus. A first imaging unit captures an image of the substrate disposed on the stage. A second imaging unit captures an image of the substrate disposed on the stage with a narrower viewing angle and higher resolution than the first imaging unit. The control unit performs a pre-alignment processing of capturing an image of a circular pre-alignment mark formed on the substrate using the first imaging unit and performing positioning of the substrate by controlling the moving mechanism and the rotating mechanism based on the captured image and, after the pre-alignment processing, performs a fine-alignment processing of capturing an image of a circular fine-alignment mark formed on the substrate using the second imaging unit and performing positioning of the substrate by controlling the moving mechanism and the rotating mechanism based on the captured image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coating apparatus comprising:
a stage on which a substrate is disposed;
a moving mechanism configured to move the stage in a horizontal direction;
a rotating mechanism configured to rotate the stage around a vertical axis;
a plurality of nozzles arranged side by side in a horizontal direction above the stage so as to coat a coating material on the substrate disposed on the stage;
one or more first imaging units configured to capture an image of the substrate disposed on the stage;
one or more second imaging units configured to capture an image of the substrate disposed on the stage with a narrower viewing angle and higher resolution than the first imaging units; and
a control unit configured to control the moving mechanism, the rotating mechanism, the first imaging units, and the second imaging units,
wherein the control unit performs:
a pre-alignment processing of capturing one or more images of one or more circular pre-alignment marks formed on the substrate using the first imaging units and performing positioning of the substrate by controlling the moving mechanism and the rotating mechanism based on the captured images; and
after the pre-alignment processing, a fine-alignment processing of capturing one or more images of one or more circular fine-alignment marks formed on the substrate using the second imaging units and performing positioning of the substrate by controlling the moving mechanism and the rotating mechanism based on the captured images, and
the control unit captures the images of the pre-alignment marks, having a greater diameter than a diameter of the fine-alignment marks, using the first imaging units.

2. The coating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the coating apparatus includes two first imaging units configured to capture images of two pre-alignment marks formed on the substrate, respectively, and three second imaging units configured to capture images of three fine-alignment marks formed on the substrate, respectively.

3. The coating apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the fine-alignment marks include:
a first mark formed in a vicinity of one corner portion among corner portions of the substrate having a rectangular shape;
a second mark formed near another corner portion adjacent to the one corner portion among the corner portions of the substrate; and
a third mark formed at a location other than a location on a line passing the first mark and the second mark, and
in the fine-alignment processing, the control unit estimates a center position of a bank forming region on the substrate based on positions of the first mark, the second mark, and the third mark, of which the images are captured by the three second imaging units, respectively, and matches the estimated center position with a preset reference position.

4. The coating apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit calculates each of a center of gravity of the pre-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the first imaging units, and a center of gravity of the fine-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the second imaging units, and detects the calculated centers of gravity as positions of the pre-alignment marks and the fine-alignment marks.

5. The coating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit approximates the pre-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the first imaging units, and the fine-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the second imaging units, to a true circle, and then, calculates the centers of gravity of the pre-alignment marks and the fine-alignment marks.

6. The coating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit calculates each of a center of gravity of the pre-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the first imaging units, and a center of gravity of the fine-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the second imaging units, and detects the calculated centers of gravity as positions of the pre-alignment marks and the fine-alignment marks.

7. The coating apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit approximates the pre-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the first imaging units, and the fine-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the second imaging units, to a true circle, and then, calculates the centers of gravity of the pre-alignment marks and the fine-alignment marks.

8. The coating apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit calculates each of a center of gravity of the pre-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the first imaging units, and a center of gravity of the fine-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the second imaging units, and detects the calculated centers of gravity as positions of the pre-alignment marks and the fine-alignment marks.

9. The coating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit approximates the pre-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the first imaging units, and the fine-alignment marks, of which the images are captured by the second imaging units, to a true circle, and then, calculates the centers of gravity of the pre-alignment marks and the fine-alignment marks.

10. A coating method comprising:
a disposition process of horizontally disposing a substrate on a stage configured to be movable in a horizontal direction by a moving mechanism and rotatable around a vertical axis by a rotating mechanism;
a pre-alignment process of capturing an image of a circular pre-alignment mark formed on the substrate using a first imaging unit and performing positioning of the substrate by controlling the moving mechanism and the rotating mechanism based on the captured image;
after the pre-alignment process, a fine-alignment process of capturing an image of a circular fine-alignment mark, having a smaller diameter than the pre-alignment mark and formed on the substrate, using a second imaging unit with a narrower viewing angle and higher resolution than the first imaging unit, and performing positioning of the substrate by controlling the moving mechanism and the rotating mechanism based on the captured images; and
after the fine-alignment process, a coating process of coating a coating material on the substrate using a plurality of nozzles, located above the stage and arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, while moving the substrate using the moving mechanism.

11. A coating apparatus comprising:
a stage on which a substrate is disposed;
a moving mechanism configured to move the stage in a horizontal direction;
a rotating mechanism configured to rotate the stage around a vertical axis;
a plurality of nozzles arranged side by side in a horizontal direction above the stage so as to coat a coating material on the substrate disposed on the stage;
one or more first imaging units configured to capture an image of the substrate disposed on the stage;
one or more second imaging units configured to capture an image of the substrate disposed on the stage with a narrower viewing angle and higher resolution than the first imaging units; and
a control unit configured to control the moving mechanism, the rotating mechanism, the first imaging units, and the second imaging units,
wherein two of the first imaging units are configured to capture images of two pre-alignment marks formed on the substrate, respectively, and three of the second imaging units are configured to capture images of three fine-alignment marks formed on the substrate, respectively,
the fine-alignment marks include:
a first mark formed in a vicinity of one corner portion among corner portions of the substrate having a

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Miyazaki Kazuhito
• Kakino Akira

Classifications

• G05B2219/45013

  Spraying, coating, painting · CPC title

• G06T7/0024 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G05B2219/37572

  Camera, tv, vision · CPC title

• G06T7/73 Primary

  using feature-based methods · CPC title

• G05B19/402

  characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position (G05B19/19 takes precedence) · CPC title