Advanced temperature monitoring system and method for semiconductor manufacturing productivity

Abstract

Embodiments herein provide methods for monitoring the temperature of fluid delivery pipelines and other components and monitoring systems associated with the methods, wherein the fluid delivery pipeline is used to deliver fluid to a processing space of a processing chamber used in the manufacture of electronic devices, and the other components are outside the processing space of the processing chamber. In one embodiment, a method for monitoring a processing system includes the following steps: receiving temperature information from one or more temperature sensors via a data acquisition device, and receiving background information from a system controller, wherein the system controller is coupled to a processing system including a processing chamber communication room. Here, one or more temperature sensors are disposed in one or more locations outside the processing space of the processing chamber. The background information is related to instructions executed by the system controller to control one or more operations of the processing system.

Description

[0001] background

[0002] field

[0003] Embodiments described herein relate generally to the field of semiconductor device manufacturing, and more particularly, to methods of monitoring the temperature of components outside a processing volume of a processing chamber used in electronic device manufacturing and monitoring systems associated with the methods.

[0004] Description of related technologies

[0005] As circuit density increases and transistor dimensions continue to shrink in next generation devices, a clean, contamination-free substrate processing environment becomes increasingly important. This is because unwanted particle contamination on the substrate surface before, during, and / or after substrate processing can adversely affect device performance and / or inhibit device yield (the percentage of devices that meet performance specifications out of the total number of devices manufactured). One known source of particle contamination is caused by condensation of gaseous precursors in fluid delivery conduits between a gaseous precursor source and a processing volume of a processing chamber.

[0006] Gas phase delivery systems (also known as vaporized liquid delivery systems) are commonly used in deposition processes, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes, atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes, or etching processes, in which vapor phase and sometimes gas precursors react with and / or on a substrate surface to deposit a layer of material on the substrate surface or remove a portion of a layer of material from the substrate surface. Gas phase delivery systems provide gas flow control and delivery of precursors that are in liquid or solid phase at ambient temperature and below, at, and above atmospheric pressure.

[0007] Gas phase delivery systems typically use an evaporation source (e.g., a heating container) to convert a precursor from a liquid or solid phase to a gas phase. Typically, during processing of a substrate, a gas phase precursor flows into a processing space of a processing chamber (such as a CVD processing chamber, an ALD processing chamber, or an etching processing chamber) via a delivery conduit, and the substrate surface is exposed to the gas phase precursor. Typically, the delivery conduit is heated, for example, using a flexible polymer heater jacket (jacket) (including a resistive heating element) or using a heater tape wrapped around the delivery conduit and an insulating (insulating) covering disposed on the delivery conduit. Heating the delivery conduit along the length of the delivery conduit prevents condensation of the gas phase precursor in the delivery conduit. Nevertheless, uneven temperatures (such as cold spots) along the walls of the delivery conduit may result in undesirable condensation and / or precursor deposition on the inner surface of the delivery conduit.

[0008] Unfortunately, undesirable condensation or deposition of the precursor in the delivery conduit results in undesirable particle contamination in the processing space and on the surface of the substrate disposed in the processing space. In addition, because the flow rate of the vapor precursor into the processing space is generally dependent on the temperature of both the evaporation source and the delivery conduit, non-uniform temperatures may have an undesirable effect on the flow rate of the vapor precursor. Variations in the flow rate of the vapor precursor may affect the deposition rate and the material properties of the material layer deposited on the substrate surface.

[0009] Uneven temperatures along the delivery conduit may be due to improper installation of the heater jacket, failure of the heating element in the heater jacket, or partial failure of the heating element. Uneven temperatures may also be due to undesired repositioning of the heater jacket during processing system maintenance, thereby during system maintenance, during facility maintenance, or due to inadvertent contact with the heater jacket. Typically, the uneven temperatures along the delivery conduit are not discovered until after condensation generated in the delivery line causes a process excursion (such as a defect excursion), wherein particle contamination is not discovered on the substrate surface after substrate processing, or when suppressed device yields are traced back to the processing chamber via the commonality of substrates (having suppressed device yields) processed by the processing chamber.

[0010] Furthermore, conventional substrate processing systems are typically configured to monitor temperature measurements associated with a substrate processing environment within a processing space of the substrate processing system. Generally, these processing systems lack the ability and flexibility to monitor temperature information associated with processing components outside of the substrate processing environment. High substrate processing temperatures (e.g., greater than about 650° C.) within the processing space may adversely affect the performance and reliability of processing system components that are external to (but in thermal communication with) the processing space.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need in the art for methods of monitoring the temperature of delivery piping connected to a process space of a process chamber used in electronic device manufacturing and other components outside the process space of a process chamber used in electronic device manufacturing and monitoring systems related to the methods. Summary of the invention

[0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to substrate processing systems used in electronic device manufacturing processes. More specifically, embodiments herein relate to methods for monitoring the temperature of delivery pipes connected to a processing space of a processing chamber used in electronic device manufacturing and other components outside the processing space of the processing chamber used in electronic device manufacturing and monitoring systems associated with the methods.

[0013] In one embodiment that may be combined with one or more other embodiments disclosed herein, a method for monitoring a processing system comprises the steps of receiving temperature information from one or more temperature sensors via a data acquisition device, and receiving context information from a system controller coupled to a processing system, the processing system comprising a processing chamber. Here, the one or more temperature sensors are disposed in one or more locations outside a processing space of the processing chamber. The context information is associated with instructions executed by the system controller to control one or more operations of the processing system.

[0014] In another embodiment that may be combined with one or more other embodiments disclosed herein, a method for monitoring a gas phase precursor delivery conduit comprises the following steps: receiving temperature information from a plurality of temperature sensors via a data acquisition device, and receiving background information from a system controller, the system controller being coupled to a processing system. The processing system comprises a processing chamber and a gas phase precursor source. The gas phase precursor source is fluidly coupled to a processing volume of the processing chamber via a gas phase delivery conduit. A plurality of temperature sensors are positioned at respective plurality of locations along at least a portion of the length of the gas phase precursor delivery conduit. The background information is associated with instructions executed by the system controller to control the operation of the processing system.

[0015] In another embodiment that may be combined with one or more other embodiments disclosed herein, a temperature monitoring system includes a data acquisition device and a remote monitor, the data acquisition device being configured to receive information from one or more temperature sensors via one or more corresponding communication links, the remote monitor being communicatively coupled to the data acquisition device and communicatively coupled to a system controller of a processing system. The processing system includes a processing chamber, and the one or more temperature sensors are respectively positioned at one or more locations outside a processing space of the processing chamber.

[0016] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to understand in detail the manner in which the above-recorded features of the present disclosure are used, a more particular description of the present disclosure briefly summarized above may be obtained by reference to the embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is noted, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of the scope of the present disclosure, as the present disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a single chamber processing system and a schematic diagram of a remote monitoring system for use with the single chamber processing system according to one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2Ais a schematic plan view of a multi-chamber processing system adapted to benefit from the embodiments described herein.

[0020] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of a remote monitoring system adapted for use with a plurality of multi-chamber processing systems according to one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method of monitoring a gas phase precursor delivery pipeline according to one embodiment.

[0022] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method of monitoring a processing system according to one embodiment.

[0023] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to substrate processing systems used in electronic device manufacturing processes. More specifically, embodiments herein relate to methods for monitoring the temperature of fluid delivery pipes connected to a processing space of a processing chamber used in electronic device manufacturing and other components outside the processing space of the processing chamber used in electronic device manufacturing and monitoring systems associated with the methods.

[0025] Figure 1 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a processing system according to one embodiment and a schematic diagram of a remote monitoring system used with the processing system. The processing system 100 includes a processing chamber 102 and a gas source 140, the gas source 140 including a gas precursor source 141. Here, the processing chamber 102 is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber, specifically a plasma enhanced CVD chamber. In other embodiments, the processing chamber is any processing chamber configured to process a substrate using a gas precursor by exposing the substrate surface to the gas precursor, or any processing chamber that requires remote monitoring of components outside the processing space of the processing chamber. For example, in some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein are adapted for use with a thermal CVD chamber, an ALD chamber including a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber, an etching chamber (such as a plasma enhanced etching chamber), a thermal treatment chamber, an implant chamber, or a combination of the above chambers.

[0026] Here, the processing chamber 102 has a lid assembly 103, one or more sidewalls 104, and a chamber bottom 105, which together define a processing space 106. A gas distributor 107, commonly referred to as a showerhead, having a plurality of openings 108 disposed therethrough is disposed in the lid assembly 103 and is used to uniformly distribute processing gases (including gaseous precursors) from a gas inlet 109 into the processing space 106. The gas distributor 107 is coupled to a power source 110 (such as an RF or VHF power source), which supplies power to ignite and maintain a processing plasma (here, plasma 111) consisting of a processing gas via a capacitive energy coupled to the power source 110. The processing space 106 is fluidly coupled to a chamber exhaust 117, such as coupled to one or more dedicated vacuum pumps, such as a turbo pump, a rough pump, or a combination of the above pumps, via a vacuum outlet 112. The chamber exhaust 117 maintains the process space 106 under sub-atmospheric conditions and exhausts process gases and other gases from the process space 106 .

[0027] In some embodiments, an exhaust conduit 161 fluidly coupling the processing volume 106 to the chamber exhaust 117 is heated to prevent condensation of unreacted gaseous precursors or to prevent deposition of precursors in the exhaust conduit 161 at a location proximate to the processing volume 106. The substrate support assembly 113 (disposed in the processing volume 106) is disposed on a support shaft 114 that extends sealingly through the chamber bottom 105. A first bellows 115 circumscribes the support shaft 114 and is coupled to the chamber bottom 105 and the first actuator 116 to provide a flexible seal between the chamber bottom 105 and the first actuator 116 and maintain vacuum integrity of the processing volume 106. The support shaft 114 is coupled to a first actuator 116 that is configured to raise and lower the support shaft 114 , and thus raise and lower the substrate support assembly 113 disposed on the support shaft 114 , to facilitate processing and transferring the substrate 119 to and from the processing chamber 102 .

[0028] The substrate 119 is loaded into and removed from the processing volume 106 through an opening 120 in one of the one or more sidewalls 104, which is typically sealed with a door or valve (not shown) during substrate processing. A plurality of lift pins 121 disposed above but engageable with a lift pin hoop 122 are movably disposed through the substrate support assembly 113 to facilitate transfer of the substrate 119 to and from a substrate receiving surface of the substrate support assembly 113. The lift pin hoop 122 is coupled to a lift ring shaft 123 extending through the chamber bottom 105, which raises and lowers the lift pin hoop 122 using a second actuator 124 coupled to the lift ring shaft 123. The second bellows 125 circumscribes the lift ring shaft 123 and is coupled to the chamber bottom 105 and the second actuator 124 to provide a flexible seal between the chamber bottom 105 and the second actuator 124 and maintain the vacuum integrity of the processing volume 106. When the lift pin ring 122 is in the raised position, the plurality of lift pins 121 are contacted from below and moved to extend above the substrate receiving surface of the substrate support assembly 113, thereby lifting the substrate 119 from the substrate support assembly 113 and enabling access to the substrate 119 by a robot handler (not shown). When the lift pin ring 122 is in the lowered position, the tops of the plurality of lift pins 121 are flush with or below the receiving surface of the substrate support assembly, and the substrate 119 is placed on the plurality of lift pins 121.

[0029] Typically, the substrate support assembly 113 includes a support base 126 and a substrate support 127 that is thermally coupled to and disposed on the support base 126. In some embodiments, the support base 126 is used to regulate the temperature of the substrate support 127 and the substrate 119 disposed on the substrate receiving surface of the substrate support 127 during processing. The support base 126 herein includes one or more cooling channels 128 disposed in the support base 126 that are fluidly coupled to and in fluid communication with a coolant source 130 via one or more coolant lines 129. Typically, the coolant source 130 is a refrigerant source or water source having a relatively high electrical resistance.

[0030] Herein, the support base 126 is formed of a corrosion-resistant, thermally conductive material, such as a corrosion-resistant metal, such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or stainless steel, and is thermally coupled to the substrate support 127 with an adhesive or by mechanical means. The substrate support 127 is typically formed of a dielectric material, such as a metal oxide or metal nitride, such as alumina, and in some embodiments, the substrate support 127 includes one or more heaters 131, such as one or more resistive heating elements embedded in the substrate support 127. In some embodiments, the substrate support assembly 113 includes both one or more heaters 131 and cooling channels 128 to achieve fine temperature control of the temperature of the substrate support 127 and the substrate 119 disposed on the substrate support 127. Typically, the substrate 119 is secured to the substrate support 127 by means of an electrostatic suction (ESC) force. The suction force is a function of the voltage applied to a suction electrode (not shown) embedded in the dielectric material of the substrate support 127 and the potential between the substrate 119 disposed on the substrate support 127. In some embodiments, the substrate support assembly 113 further includes one or more bias electrodes (not shown) embedded in the dielectric material of the substrate support 127 , wherein the one or more bias electrodes are coupled to one or more bias power supplies (not shown).

[0031] The processing system 100 further includes a gas source 140, which includes one or more gas-phase precursor sources 141 disposed in or coupled to a gas supply cabinet 142. The gas-phase precursor source 141 uses a heat and / or vacuum enhanced vaporization process to vaporize a liquid precursor provided by a liquid precursor ampoule 143 in fluid communication with the gas-phase precursor source 141. In other embodiments, the gas-phase precursor source 141 is a liquid injection vaporizer configured to provide a mixture of a gas-phase precursor and a carrier gas to the processing volume 106 of the processing chamber 102. In some embodiments, the gas-phase precursor source 141 is configured to vaporize or sublime a solid precursor.

[0032] During substrate processing operations, one or more vapor-phase precursors flow into the processing volume 106 via a delivery conduit 144 that is in fluid communication with the processing volume 106. Typically, the delivery conduit 144 is disposed in a heater sheath 146 that is configured to provide thermal energy to maintain the delivery conduit 144 at a desired temperature along the length of the delivery conduit 144. In some embodiments, the heater sheath 146 is formed of a flexible polymer material and includes one or more resistive heating elements (not shown), wherein the one or more resistive heating elements are disposed proximate to, disposed on, and / or in close contact with the delivery conduit 144. In other embodiments, the delivery conduit 144 is maintained at a desired temperature using a heater tape (not shown) that is wrapped around the conduit along the length of the conduit or along a portion of the length of the conduit.

[0033] The gas source 140 herein may be positioned away from the processing chamber 102, such as in a sub-fab (typically a building floor below the floor where the processing chamber 102 is located, i.e., below the clean room area where the processing chamber 102 is located), or may be positioned close to and / or adjacent to the processing chamber.

[0034] The processing system 100 further includes a system controller 132. The system controller 132 here includes a central processing unit (CPU 133 in this case), a memory 134, and support circuits 135. The system controller 132 is used to control the process sequence, regulate the flow of gas (including gaseous precursors) from the gas source 140 into the processing volume 106, heat / cool and / or maintain the substrate support 127 and / or the substrate 119 disposed on the substrate receiving surface of the substrate support 127, ignite and maintain the plasma 111 by controlling the power provided to the lid assembly 103 by the power supply 110, and control the substrate transfer operation (including raising and lowering the support shaft 114 and / or the lifting ring shaft 123 through the first actuator 116 and the second actuator 124, respectively). The CPU 133 is a general-purpose computer processor configured for use in an industrial environment to control the processing chamber and a sub-processor associated with the general-purpose computer processor. The memory 134 here includes random access memory, read-only memory, floppy disk or hard disk drive, or other suitable form of digital storage device (local or remote). Support circuits 135 are typically coupled to CPU 133 and include cache, clock circuits, input / output subsystems, power supplies, and the like and combinations thereof. In some implementations, system controller 132 further includes one or more computer-readable media (not shown).

[0035] Computer readable media herein include any device located at either local or remote of system controller 132, capable of storing information that can be retrieved by a computing device. Examples of computer readable media that can be used with embodiments of the present disclosure include solid-state memory, floppy disk, internal or external hard disk drive, and optical storage (CD, DVD, BR-D, etc.). In one embodiment, computer readable media include memory 134. In addition, any connection is appropriately referred to as computer readable media. For example, when instructions are transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technology (such as infrared (IR), radio, and microwave), coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technology (such as infrared, radio, and microwave) are included in the definition of the medium. When CPU 133 executes a software routine, the software routine converts the CPU into a special-purpose computer (here, system controller 132) that controls the operation of the processing system 100, so that the process is executed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the software routine is stored and / or executed by a second controller (not shown) located away from the processing system 100. In other embodiments, the processes or portions of the processes described herein are performed by one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or other types of hardware implementations. In some other embodiments, the processes described herein are performed by a combination of software routines, ASICs, and / or other types of hardware implementations.

[0036] The remote monitoring system 150 includes a plurality of first sensors 145, a data acquisition (DAQ) device 152, a plurality of communication links 151 communicatively coupling the plurality of first sensors 145 to the DAQ device 152, and a remote monitor 155 communicatively coupled to the DAQ device 152 via a communication link 156. The plurality of first sensors 145 (here, a plurality of temperature sensors, such as a plurality of thermocouples) are disposed in a heater sheath 146, which is proximate to, adjacent to, and / or in close contact with the transport pipe 144 at a corresponding plurality of locations along the length of the transport pipe 144. Each of the plurality of first sensors 145 measures a temperature of a surface of the transport pipe 144 and / or a temperature proximate to a surface of the transport pipe 144 at a corresponding location along the length of the transport pipe 144.

[0037] In some embodiments, one or more of the plurality of first sensors 145 are positioned at locations where non-uniform temperature deviations are thought to be more likely to occur, such as where the delivery duct passes through an opening formed in a sheet metal wall (such as an opening formed in a gas supply cabinet, or an opening formed in a floor between a sub-fabrication area and a clean room), or at a bend in the delivery duct 144, or where the delivery duct 144 and / or the heater jacket 146 may be inadvertently contacted (such as in a high foot traffic area), or where one or more portions of the heater jacket 146 are connected. In some embodiments, the plurality of first sensors 145 are spaced at regular intervals along the length of the delivery duct 144 or along portions of the length of the delivery duct 144.

[0038] In further or other embodiments, the remote monitoring system 150 includes one or more second sensors 185, which are one or more temperature sensors, such as one or more thermocouples. Here, the one or more second sensors 185 are disposed on a surface of a component of the processing system 100, positioned close to a surface of a component of the processing system 100, positioned adjacent to a surface of a component of the processing system 100, or in close contact with a surface of a component of the processing system 100. For example, in some embodiments, the one or more second sensors 185 are disposed on an exhaust conduit 161, which fluidically couples the processing space 106 to the chamber exhaust 117. In some embodiments, the one or more second sensors 185 are disposed on a gas supply cabinet 142, disposed in a gas supply cabinet 142, and / or disposed close to a gas supply cabinet 142, and / or disposed on a liquid precursor ampoule 143, so that the gas supply cabinet environment and / or the precursor ampoule can be monitored, respectively. In some embodiments, the one or more second sensors 185 are disposed on a surface of the processing chamber 102 outside the processing volume 106, such as on and / or in proximity to a door or valve (not shown) used to seal the opening 120 to the processing volume 106. In some embodiments, the one or more second sensors 185 are disposed on a support shaft 114 of a substrate support assembly 113 in a location outside the processing volume 106, or on a lift ring shaft 123 in a location outside the processing volume 106, and / or on respective actuators 116, 124 coupled to the support shaft 114, lift ring shaft 123.

[0039] In other embodiments, the remote monitoring system 150 provides a flexible configuration in which one or more second sensors 185 can be positioned at one or more desired locations on and / or proximate to the processing system 100 for troubleshooting process and / or equipment performance issues associated with the processing chamber 100. Embodiments of the remote monitoring system 150 including one or more second sensors 185 disposed in locations external to the processing volume of the processing chamber are suitable for use with any substrate processing system requiring remote monitoring of the temperature of the processing system, including use with CVD chambers, ALD chambers, etch chambers, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers, implant chambers, and / or thermal processing chambers.

[0040] Each of the sensors 145, 185 converts the corresponding measured temperature into an electrical signal (here, a voltage), which is communicated to the DAQ device 152 via a corresponding communication link 151. Here, the communication link 151 is a wired connection. In other embodiments, the communication link 151 includes a wireless communication protocol in which each of the sensors 145, 185 is communicatively coupled to a remote communication device (such as a radio frequency (RF) device) that sends information received from the sensors 145, 185 to one or more interrogators in communication with the DAQ device 152. Here, the DAQ device 152 includes appropriate circuitry and a multi-channel analog-to-digital (A / D) converter for converting a plurality of analog voltage signals received from the sensors 145, 185 into digitized information, which is then sent to the remote monitor 155 via the communication link 156. In some implementations, the DAQ device 152 is further communicatively coupled to the system controller 132 using a communication link 158 that allows the system controller 132 to receive digitized information from or transmit information to the DAQ device 152. Typically, the communication links 156, 158 comprise a wired connection (e.g., Ethernet). In other implementations, one or both of the communication links 156, 158 comprise a wireless communication protocol.

[0041] The remote monitor 155 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 173, a memory 174, and support circuits 175. The remote monitor 155 is used to convert the digitized information received from the DAQ device 152 into temperature data for each sensor of the sensors 145, 185, monitor the temperature data in real time for undesirable temperature deviations, generate historical data for storage, perform statistical analysis of the historical data, and / or flag temperature deviations (i.e., temperature changes that exceed the acceptable range for the user). The CPU 173 is a general-purpose computer processor configured for use in an industrial environment for collecting and monitoring data received from one or more sensors via the DAQ device 152. The memory 174 herein includes random access memory, read-only memory, a floppy disk or hard disk drive, or other suitable form of digital storage (local or remote). The support circuits 175 are typically coupled to the CPU 173 and include cache, clock circuits, input / output subsystems, power supplies, and the like and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the remote monitor 155 further includes one or more computer-readable media (not shown), such as the computer-readable media described with respect to the system controller 132. When executed by the CPU 173, the software routines transform the CPU into a special purpose computer, here the remote monitor 155. Typically, the remote monitor 155 is also communicatively coupled to the system controller 132 via a wired communication link 157, such as an Ethernet cable. In other embodiments, the wired communication link 157 comprises a wireless communication protocol.

[0042] Here, the system controller 132 provides background information, such as substrate processing information and / or maintenance operation information, to the remote monitor 155 via the communication link 157. The background information here is related to the instructions executed by the system controller 132 to control the operation of the processing system 100. In some embodiments, the background information further includes the status of the processing system 100 (such as the substrate processing status), and the status of the processing system 100 is communicated to the system controller 132 through a processing status sensor (such as a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and / or a flow rate sensor (including a flow meter)) disposed in, on, near, or adjacent to the processing system. Typically, a system controller (such as the system controller 132) configured for use with a substrate processing system in semiconductor device manufacturing has at least two modes for controlling the operation of the processing system 100. The first mode (processing mode) controls substrate processing and processing system operations related to substrate processing. The second mode (maintenance mode) allows a user (usually a maintenance technician or engineer) to perform maintenance procedures on the processing system, such as venting the processing space of the processing chamber to the atmosphere so that the user can open the processing chamber and enter the processing chamber.

[0043] When the processing system 100 is in the processing mode, the context information related to the substrate processing includes the start of the substrate processing sequence, the end of the substrate processing sequence, and / or the start and / or end of the substrate processing sequence activities between the start and the end. Examples of the start of the processing sequence include the start and end of pumping the processing volume 106 to the desired processing pressure, flowing the processing gas into the processing volume 106, igniting the plasma 111, and / or sucking the substrate 119 to the substrate support 127. In some embodiments, the context information further includes the processing chamber state before, during, and / or after processing the substrate in the processing chamber, for example, the pressure in the processing volume 106, the temperature of the substrate support 127, and sometimes the temperature of the substrate 119.

[0044] In some embodiments, the context information further includes a process recipe corresponding to a process sequence (an instruction provided by the system controller 132 regarding the processing state of a particular substrate or substrate type). Context information related to equipment maintenance generally includes the start of a maintenance mode (an instruction of the system controller 132 that allows a user to access maintenance functions performed by the system controller 132), the end of a maintenance mode, and / or the start and / or end of maintenance activities performed using the system controller 132 between the start of the maintenance mode and the end of the maintenance mode, such as venting the process space 106 to atmosphere to enable entry into the process space, or pumping the process space 106 to a desired vacuum state after the process space is closed. In some embodiments, the context information further includes process chamber states, such as pressure and temperature during maintenance operations on the process chamber. Here, the context information is received by the remote monitor 155 simultaneously with the background event (such as the start of a substrate processing sequence) and in parallel with the digitized sensor information received from the DAQ device 152.

[0045] In one embodiment, the remote monitor 155 uses the background information and the digitized sensor information (received in parallel) to generate historical data for storage and retrieval and / or concurrent statistical data analysis. Here, historical data refers to a subset of the digitized information provided to the remote monitor 155 from the DAQ device 152 that is suitable for storage and retrieval and / or use with conventional statistical process control methods. For example, in one embodiment, the historical data generated by the remote monitor includes an individual temperature (here, T ) measured by each of the plurality of first sensors 145 at locations along the transport pipeline 144. n ), corresponding background information and corresponding date and time corresponding to the individual temperature. In another embodiment, the historical data includes an average value (here T) of the temperature measured by the plurality of first sensors 145 at locations along the transport pipeline 144. avg), the corresponding background information and the corresponding date and time corresponding to the average value of the temperature.

[0046] In another embodiment, the historical data includes temperature differences (such as the difference between the maximum measured temperature and the minimum measured temperature (hereinafter ΔT) and / or the standard deviation of the measured temperatures (hereinafter T) measured by the plurality of first sensors 145 disposed at locations along the transport pipeline 144. stdev )), corresponding background information and the date and time corresponding to the temperature difference and / or standard deviation. In other embodiments, the historical data includes individual temperatures measured by one or more sensors in the second sensor 185, the corresponding background information and the corresponding date and time corresponding to the individual temperatures.

[0047] In some embodiments, the remote monitor 155 is configured to monitor the historical data using conventional statistical process control methods. For example, in some embodiments, the historical data is plotted on a graph with predetermined control limits and / or otherwise compared to one or more predetermined control limits, and the historical data is flagged if a data point (e.g., one or more temperature measurements, or one or more values ​​calculated using a plurality of temperature measurements) for a particular background event (e.g., the start of a substrate processing sequence) is below and / or above one or more predetermined control limits. In some embodiments, the remote monitor is configured to alert a user of an out-of-control event (when one or more data points fall outside of one or more predetermined control limits). Typically, upon receipt of an alert, the user will initiate a predetermined action plan to troubleshoot the out-of-control event (also referred to as an out-of-control action plan (OCAP)), typically a flow chart that guides the user in responding to the out-of-control event.

[0048] Here, alerting a user of an out-of-control event includes any form of alert designed to communicate the out-of-control event to a desired user, including visual and audible alerts and / or electronic messages (such as automatically generated emails and / or automatically generated text messages). In some embodiments, the remote monitor 155 is configured to communicate the out-of-control event to the system controller 132, and the system controller 132 is configured to issue an alert and / or suspend substrate processing operations. In some embodiments, the remote monitor 155 is configured to communicate historical data and / or out-of-control events to a fab-level control system 160, which is communicatively coupled to the remote monitor 155.

[0049] In some embodiments, the remote monitor 155 is configured to simultaneously monitor the digitized information received from the DAQ device 152 and trigger an alarm event when the digitized information falls outside of a predetermined control limit. In some of these embodiments, the remote monitor 155 is configured to generate and store historical data related to the alarm event.

[0050] Figure 2A 2 is a schematic top view of a multi-chamber processing system adapted to benefit from the embodiments described herein, according to one embodiment. Here, the multi-chamber processing system 200A includes a plurality of processing systems (e.g., Figure 1 ), each processing system includes a processing chamber 102A-102E fluidly coupled to a corresponding gas source 140a-140e via a corresponding delivery conduit 144a-144e, one or more load lock chambers 204, and a transfer chamber 205 (shown with the top removed) having a robot conveyor 203 disposed in the transfer chamber 205. Here, the gas source 140a-140e includes one or more gas-phase precursor sources, such as Figure 1 The multi-chamber processing system 200A is coupled to a system controller 232, which may be the same as described above. Figure 1 The same system controller as the system controller 132 described in Figure 1 The system controller 232 is used to control the operation of the load lock chamber 204, the transfer chamber 205, and the robot conveyor 203 disposed in the transfer chamber 205 and the individual operation of each of the plurality of processing systems, the plurality of processing systems respectively including the processing chambers 102A-102E and the corresponding gas sources 140a-140e fluidly coupled to the processing chambers 102A-102E. In some embodiments, the multi-chamber processing system 200A includes a plurality of sub-controllers (not shown), wherein each of the plurality of sub-controllers is communicatively coupled to the system controller 232, and each of the plurality of sub-controllers is configured to control the operation of one or more of the processing systems 100a-100e, for example Figure 1 In some implementations, the system controller 232 is communicatively coupled to the DAQ device 152 using a communication link 158 .

[0051] Here, each of the plurality of delivery pipes 144a-144e is disposed in a corresponding heater jacket 146a-146e. Each of the delivery pipes 144a-144e has a corresponding plurality of first sensors 145a-145e disposed on the delivery pipes 144a-144e at corresponding plurality of positions along the length of the delivery pipes, disposed proximate to the delivery pipes 144a-144e, and / or in close contact with the delivery pipes 144a-144e. Each of the plurality of first sensors 145a-145e is communicatively coupled to a DAQ device 152 via a plurality of corresponding communication links 151. The DAQ device 152 is communicatively coupled to a remote monitor 155 via a communication link 156. In some embodiments, the remote monitor 155 is communicatively coupled to the plurality of DAQ devices 152, wherein each of the plurality of DAQ devices is configured to receive and digitize sensor information from a corresponding plurality of first sensors 145a-145e corresponding to one or more of the delivery pipelines 144a-144e.

[0052] In some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the remote monitoring system 150 for the multi-chamber processing system 200A includes one or more second sensors 185a-185e, such as Figure 1 Here, one or more second sensors 185a-185e are disposed on, positioned close to, adjacent to, and / or in close contact with a surface of the processing system 200A, the surface of the processing system 200A being outside the processing space of the plurality of chambers 102A-102E, for example Figure 1 In some embodiments, the one or more second sensors 185 are disposed on, positioned proximate to, positioned adjacent to, and / or in close contact with the load lock chamber 204, the transfer chamber 205, and the robot conveyor 203 disposed in the transfer chamber 205, and / or components thereof or components associated with the above items (such as a motor coupled to the robot conveyor 203). For example, in some embodiments, one or more second sensors (such as Figure 1102E) is disposed on, proximate to, adjacent to, and / or in close contact with a door or valve disposed between the load lock chamber 204 and the transfer chamber 205, or a door or valve disposed between the transfer chamber 205 and the processing chambers 102A-102E. In those embodiments, the one or more second sensors 185 are communicatively coupled to the DAQ device 152 via one or more corresponding communication links (e.g., communication link 151). In some other embodiments, the remote monitoring system 150 includes a plurality of DAQ devices, wherein each DAQ device 152 receives information from the first sensor 145 and the second sensor corresponding to one or more of the plurality of processing systems 100a-100e.

[0053] Figure 2B 2. An exemplary embodiment of a multi-chamber processing system 200A-200E is shown in FIG. Figure 1 Typically, the remote monitor 155 receives digitized information from one or more DAQ devices 152A-152B, each DAQ device 152A-152B corresponding to a multi-chamber processing system, wherein each of the one or more DAQ devices AB is communicatively coupled to one or more plural first sensors 145a-145e and one or more second sensors (not shown) via a corresponding communication link 151.

[0054] Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method for monitoring a gas phase precursor delivery conduit according to one embodiment. At activity 305, method 300 includes the following steps: receiving temperature information from a plurality of temperature sensors via a data acquisition device, the plurality of temperature sensors being positioned at a corresponding plurality of locations along at least a portion of the length of the gas phase precursor delivery conduit. Here, the gas phase precursor delivery conduit fluidically couples a gas phase precursor source to a processing volume of a processing chamber. At activity 310, method 300 includes the following steps: receiving background information from a system controller, the system controller being coupled to a processing system, wherein the processing system includes a gas phase precursor source and a processing chamber. Here, the background information is associated with instructions executed by the system controller to control the operation of the processing system.

[0055] In some embodiments of the method 300, one or more of the plurality of temperature sensors are disposed on, adjacent to, proximate to, or in close contact with the gas-phase precursor delivery conduit. In some embodiments of the method 300, the plurality of temperature sensors include one or more thermocouples. In some embodiments of the method 300, the gas-phase precursor delivery conduit is disposed in a heater sheath along at least a portion of the length of the gas-phase precursor delivery conduit. In some embodiments of the method 300, the heater sheath (using one or more heating elements disposed in the heater sheath) is configured to maintain the gas-phase precursor delivery conduit at a desired temperature.

[0056] In some embodiments, method 300 further comprises the step of monitoring the temperature of the vapor precursor delivery conduit using a remote monitor, wherein the remote monitor is communicatively coupled to the data acquisition device, and wherein the remote monitor is communicatively coupled to the system controller. In some embodiments, method 300 further comprises the step of generating historical data, wherein the historical data comprises temperature information, context information, and date and time information. In some embodiments, method 300 further comprises the step of storing the historical data in a memory of the remote monitor. In some embodiments, method 300 further comprises the step of comparing the historical data with one or more predetermined control limits. In some embodiments, method 300 further comprises the step of communicating an out-of-control event to a user, wherein the out-of-control event comprises one or more historical data points that are above or below one or more predetermined control limits. In some embodiments of method 300, the processing chamber is a CVD chamber, an ALD chamber, or an etching chamber. In some embodiments of method 300, the context information comprises substrate processing information, maintenance operation information, or a combination of the above. Although the above description of a single chamber processing system (e.g. Figure 1 The method 300 is described with reference to the single chamber processing system 100 of FIG. 1 , but it is contemplated that the method 300 may be applied to Figure 2A-2B One or more of the multi-chamber processing systems 200A-200B described in or a combination of the multi-chamber processing systems 200A-200B.

[0057] Method 300 enables a remote monitoring system (e.g. Figure 1 and Figure 2A-2BA user of the remote monitoring system 150 described in the claims can simultaneously observe temperature measurements of the gas phase precursor delivery pipeline at a plurality of locations along the length of the gas phase precursor delivery pipeline or a portion of the length or the temperature measurements of the gas phase precursor delivery pipeline in close proximity to the gas phase precursor delivery pipeline. In addition, in some embodiments, the remote monitor is configured using sensor identification information to display the approximate corresponding location of each temperature measurement, which is conducive to troubleshooting and / or standard maintenance process purposes. For example, when troubleshooting a temperature deviation, the user can use the corresponding sensor identification information displayed by the remote monitor to determine and estimate the location of the deviation. In another example, using the remote monitoring system, the maintenance process may require the user to ensure that the temperature of the gas phase delivery pipeline is at a uniform desired temperature along the length of the gas phase delivery pipeline before the user returns the system controller to the substrate processing mode. By ensuring that the temperature of the gas phase delivery pipeline is at a uniform desired temperature before the gas phase precursor is flowed into the gas phase delivery pipeline, undesirable condensation in the gas phase delivery pipeline and particle contamination problems associated with condensation can be avoided.

[0058] The method 300 further enables process development and improvement and improved statistical process control based on statistical analysis of historical information of one or more background events. For example, the statistical analysis of historical information may reveal some temperature deviations associated with a particular process sequence or sequence activity, and the variation of the sequence or sequence activity may significantly reduce and / or eliminate the temperature deviations, and thus reduce or eliminate particle contamination problems associated with temperature deviations.

[0059] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for monitoring a processing system according to one embodiment. At activity 405, method 400 includes the following steps: receiving temperature information from one or more temperature sensors via a data acquisition device, wherein the one or more temperature sensors are disposed in a location outside of a processing space of a processing chamber. At activity 410, method 400 includes the following steps: receiving context information from a system controller coupled to the processing chamber, wherein the context information is related to instructions executed by the system controller to control the operation of the processing system. In some embodiments, method 400 further includes the following steps: generating historical data, wherein the historical data includes temperature information, context information, and date and time information. In some embodiments, method 400 further includes the following steps: storing the historical data in a memory of a remote monitor. Although the above description of a single chamber processing system (e.g. Figure 1 The method 400 is described with reference to the single chamber processing system 100 of FIG. 1 , but it is contemplated that the method 400 may be applied to Figure 2A-2B One or more of the multi-chamber processing systems 200A-200B described in or a combination of the multi-chamber processing systems 200A-200B.

[0060] Method 400 enables a remote monitoring system (e.g. Figure 1 and Figure 2A-2B A user of the remote monitoring system 150 described in the foregoing can simultaneously view temperature measurements of desired components of a processing system or temperature measurements near a processing system. Additionally, in some embodiments, the remote monitoring system is configured using sensor identification information to display the approximate corresponding location of each temperature measurement, which is useful for troubleshooting and / or standard maintenance procedures purposes.

[0061] The method 400 further enables process development and improvement and improved statistical process control based on statistical analysis of historical information of one or more background events. In addition, the method 400 enables informed equipment design improvements by providing historical information that can be related to equipment performance in a high-volume manufacturing facility. For example, in a processing system configured to process substrates at relatively high temperatures (e.g., greater than 650° C.), the historical information may include temperature measurements of and / or near processing components (e.g., substrate supports) that are thermally connected to components disposed in a processing space of a processing chamber and components disposed near the processing components. Statistical analysis of the historical information may be used to improve the design of components, including thermal interactions between components, and thereby improve processing system reliability. For example, statistical analysis of the historical information may reveal previously unknown undesirable thermal conditions (overheating) of components of the processing system, and improvements to the processing system may include new and / or improved cooling system designs, processing system configurations, and / or material selections for processing components.

[0062] Embodiments described herein provide remote monitoring of process system temperature at various locations outside of a process volume of a process chamber. Remote monitoring and the collection and analysis of historical data associated with remote monitoring advantageously enable improved process control methods and provide data that can be used to ensure stable and repeatable process system performance.

[0063] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope of the disclosure, and the scope of the disclosure is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a processing system, comprising the following steps: receiving temperature information at a remote monitor from one or more temperature sensors disposed in one or more locations outside of a processing volume of the processing chamber; receiving context information from a system controller coupled to a processing system including the processing chamber, wherein the context information is associated with instructions executed by the system controller to control one or more operations of the processing system; and Based on the temperature information and the background information, monitoring the processing system using the remote monitor, wherein the monitoring comprises: generating historical data, the historical data comprising temperature information, background information, and date and time information corresponding to the temperature information and the background information; and storing the historical data in a memory of the remote monitor; and The historical data is compared to one or more predetermined control limits.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more temperature sensors are disposed on or adjacent to one or more surfaces of the processing system, wherein the one or more surfaces are selected from the group consisting of: one or more load lock chambers, one or more transfer chambers, one or more robot conveyors, one or more motors respectively coupled to the one or more robot conveyors, one or more doors or valves disposed between the one or more transfer chambers and one or more processing chambers, one or more doors or valves disposed between the one or more transfer chambers and the one or more load lock chambers, one or more gas supply cabinets, one or more liquid a precursor ampoule, a corresponding substrate support shaft of the one or more processing chambers, a corresponding lifting ring shaft of the one or more processing chambers, one or more first actuators respectively coupled to the substrate support shaft of the one or more processing chambers, one or more second actuators respectively coupled to the lifting ring shaft of the one or more processing chambers, a corresponding exhaust conduit fluidly coupled to the one or more processing chambers, a corresponding dedicated chamber exhaust pump, a corresponding chamber wall of the one or more processing chambers, a corresponding chamber lid assembly of the one or more processing chambers, a corresponding chamber base of the one or more processing chambers, a plurality of locations along at least a portion of the length of one or more gas phase delivery conduits, and combinations of the above.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: The temperature information is compared to one or more predetermined control limits.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of: An out-of-control event is communicated to a user, wherein the out-of-control event includes a temperature measurement that is above or below the one or more predetermined control limits.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: The temperature information received from the one or more temperature sensors is monitored using the remote monitor, wherein the remote monitor is communicatively coupled to a data acquisition device, and wherein the remote monitor is communicatively coupled to the system controller.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: An out-of-control event is communicated to a user, wherein the out-of-control event includes one or more historical data points that are above or below one or more predetermined control limits, the historical data points comprising temperature measurements or values ​​calculated from one or more temperature measurements.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein: The processing system further includes a vapor-phase precursor source and a vapor-phase precursor delivery conduit fluidly coupling the vapor-phase precursor source to the processing volume; and One or more temperature sensors are disposed on the gas-phase precursor delivery pipeline, or disposed adjacent to the gas-phase precursor delivery pipeline.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of: The temperature information received from the one or more temperature sensors is monitored using the remote monitor, wherein the remote monitor is communicatively coupled to a data acquisition device, and wherein the remote monitor is communicatively coupled to the system controller.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of: comparing one or more temperature measurements of the vapor precursor delivery conduit to one or more predetermined control limits; and An out-of-control event is communicated to a user, wherein the out-of-control event includes a temperature measurement that is above or below the one or more predetermined control limits.

10. A method for monitoring a gas phase precursor delivery pipeline, comprising the following steps: receiving temperature information at a remote monitor from a plurality of temperature sensors positioned at a corresponding plurality of locations along at least a portion of a length of the vapor precursor delivery conduit, wherein the vapor precursor delivery conduit fluidly couples a vapor precursor source to a processing volume of a processing chamber; receiving, at the remote monitor, context information from a system controller coupled to a processing system, wherein the processing system includes the vapor-phase precursor source and the processing chamber, and wherein the context information is associated with instructions executed by the system controller to control operation of the processing system; and Based on the temperature information and the background information, monitoring the processing system, wherein the monitoring comprises: generating historical data, the historical data comprising the temperature information, the background information, and date and time information corresponding to the temperature information and the background information; and storing the historical data in a memory of the remote monitor; and The historical data is compared to one or more predetermined control limits.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of: One or more temperatures of the vapor-phase precursor delivery conduit are monitored using the remote monitor, wherein the remote monitor is communicatively coupled to a data acquisition device, and wherein the remote monitor is communicatively coupled to the system controller.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of: comparing the temperature information to one or more predetermined control limits; and An out-of-control event is communicated to a user, wherein the out-of-control event includes a temperature measurement that is above or below the one or more predetermined control limits.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of: An out-of-control event is communicated to a user, wherein the out-of-control event includes one or more historical data points that are above or below one or more predetermined control limits, the one or more historical data points comprising temperature measurements or values ​​calculated from one or more temperature measurements.

14. A temperature monitoring system, comprising: A remote monitor configured to receive temperature information from one or more temperature sensors, wherein the one or more temperature sensors are respectively positioned at one or more locations outside a processing volume of a processing chamber, the remote monitor being communicatively coupled to a system controller of a processing system, the processing system including the processing chamber, the remote monitor being configured to receive context information from the system controller, wherein the context information is related to instructions executed by the system controller to control one or more operations of the processing system, and wherein the remote monitor is configured to monitor the processing system based on the temperature information and the context information, wherein the monitoring comprises: generating historical data, the historical data comprising temperature information, background information, and date and time information corresponding to the temperature information and the background information; and storing the historical data in a memory of the remote monitor; and The historical data is compared to one or more predetermined control limits.

15. The temperature monitoring system of claim 14, further comprising: A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for performing a method when the instructions are executed by a processor, the method comprising the steps of: receiving temperature information from the one or more temperature sensors via a data acquisition device; receiving background information from the system controller, the system controller coupled to the processing system; monitoring, using the remote monitor, one or more temperatures measured at a location external to the process volume of the process chamber; comparing the temperature measurement to one or more predetermined control limits; and An out-of-control event is communicated to a user, wherein the out-of-control event includes a temperature measurement that is above or below the one or more predetermined control limits.

16. A temperature monitoring system as described in claim 14, wherein one or more temperature sensors are respectively positioned at one or more locations along at least a portion of the length of a gas-phase precursor delivery conduit, wherein the gas-phase precursor delivery conduit fluidically couples a gas-phase precursor source to the processing space, and wherein the gas-phase precursor delivery conduit is heated along at least the portion of the length of the gas-phase precursor delivery conduit.

17. The temperature monitoring system of claim 14, further comprising: A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for performing a method when the instructions are executed by a processor, the method comprising the steps of: receiving temperature information from one or more temperature sensors via a data acquisition device, the one or more temperature sensors being respectively positioned at one or more locations along at least a portion of the length of the vapor-phase precursor delivery conduit; receiving background information from the system controller, the system controller coupled to the processing system, wherein the processing system further comprises a vapor-phase precursor source; monitoring one or more temperatures measured at locations along the vapor-phase precursor delivery conduit; comparing the temperature measurement to one or more predetermined control limits; and An out-of-control event is communicated to a user, wherein the out-of-control event includes a temperature measurement that is above or below the one or more predetermined control limits.

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