Integrated optical sensor controller for device manufacturing machines

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments describe an integrated sensor controller comprising sensor circuitry and logic circuitry. The sensor circuitry includes a light source driver for generating a drive signal, a demultiplexer for generating multiple output drive signals to be transmitted to one of a plurality of sensors using the drive signal, and an amplifier for receiving a first signal from a first sensor and generating a second signal, the first signal being associated with a first event representing the position of a substrate within a device manufacturing machine. The sensor circuitry further includes an analog-to-digital converter for receiving the second signal and generating a third signal. The logic circuitry includes a memory device and a processing device coupled to the memory device, the processing device obtaining information about the position of the substrate based on the third signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification generally relates to controlling the quality of substrate yields in systems (such as various processing chambers) used in electronic device manufacturing. More specifically, this specification relates to accurately detecting substrate placement while substrates are being transported by robotic blades to various destinations within a device manufacturing machine. Background Technology

[0002] The fabrication of modern materials often involves various deposition techniques, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD), in which one or more selected types of atoms are deposited onto a substrate held in a low- or high-vacuum environment provided by a vacuum processing chamber (e.g., deposition, etching, etc.). Materials manufactured in this way can include single crystals, semiconductor films, fine coatings, and several other substances used in practical applications (electronic device manufacturing). Many of these applications rely on the purity of the materials grown in the processing chamber. The advantages of maintaining the isolation between chamber environments and minimizing the exposure of this environment to the surrounding atmosphere and contaminants have led to several robotic techniques for sample handling and chamber inspection. Improving the accuracy, reliability, and efficiency of such robotic techniques presents several technical challenges for the continued advancement of electronic device manufacturing. This is especially important given the ever-increasing quality requirements for chamber-manufactured products. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one embodiment, a sensor controller including sensor circuitry and logic circuitry is disclosed. The sensor circuitry includes a light source driver and a demultiplexer. The light source driver generates a drive signal, and the demultiplexer generates a plurality of output drive signals using the drive signal, each of which is transmitted to one of a plurality of sensors. The sensor circuitry further includes an amplifier coupled to each of the plurality of sensors, the amplifier being configured to: receive a first signal from a first sensor, wherein the first signal is associated with a first event representing the position of a substrate within a device manufacturing machine, and generate a second signal based on the received first signal. The sensor circuitry further includes an analog-to-digital converter for receiving the second signal and generating a third signal based on the second signal. The logic circuitry includes a memory device storing instructions and a processing device coupled to the memory device, wherein the processing device uses the stored instructions and the third signal to obtain information about the position of the substrate.

[0004] In another embodiment, a method is disclosed, comprising the steps of: generating a drive signal by a light source driver, generating a plurality of output drive signals by a demultiplexer using the drive signal, and transmitting each of the plurality of output drive signals to a corresponding one of a plurality of sensors. The method further comprises: receiving a first signal from a first sensor of the plurality of sensors by an amplifier, the first signal being associated with an event representing the position of a substrate within a device manufacturing machine; and generating a second signal by the amplifier and based on the received first signal. The method further comprises: receiving the second signal by an analog-to-digital converter, generating a third signal by the analog-to-digital converter and based on the second signal, and obtaining information regarding the position of the substrate by a processing device and based on the third signal.

[0005] In another embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon is disclosed, which, when executed by a processing device, cause a sensor controller to perform the following operations: generate a drive signal by a light source driver; generate a plurality of output drive signals by a demultiplexer using the drive signals; and transmit each of the plurality of output drive signals to a corresponding one of a plurality of sensors. The instructions further enable the sensor controller to receive a first signal from a first sensor of the plurality of sensors via an amplifier, the first signal being associated with an event representing the position of a substrate within a device manufacturing machine; and to generate a second signal by the amplifier based on the received first signal. The instructions further enable the sensor controller to receive the second signal via an analog-to-digital converter; to generate a third signal by the analog-to-digital converter based on the second signal; and to obtain information about the position of the substrate based on the third signal. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 An example implementation of a manufacturing machine is illustrated, which supports accurate optical sensing of a substrate being transferred on a moving blade to a processing chamber.

[0007] Figure 2 The illustration shows an exemplary integrated circuit architecture according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, which can provide precise optical detection of substrate positioning before, during, or after the substrate is transferred into or out of a processing chamber.

[0008] Figure 3 The illustration shows an exemplary architecture of the logic circuitry of an integrated sensor controller according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, which is capable of providing precise optical detection of substrate positioning.

[0009] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of one possible implementation of a method for accurately optically sensing the positioning of a substrate transported by a moving blade, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 5 A block diagram depicts an example processing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, which operates according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure and is capable of accurate optical sensing of a substrate being transported on a moving blade into a processing chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0011] The embodiments disclosed herein provide an integrated sensor controller for precise optical detection of substrate positioning while the substrate is being transported to or between processing chambers (which may include deposition chambers, etching chambers, plasma chambers, etc.). For example, the disclosed embodiments assist in accurately determining the substrate's positioning on a robot blade and provide data to the robot blade's controller to correct or compensate for incorrect substrate positioning before the substrate is delivered to its destination location.

[0012] Robotic systems allow for the rapid and efficient transfer of substrates to and from processing chambers, as well as the automated retrieval of substrates from these chambers. While robotic transfer / retrieval systems significantly increase manufacturing throughput, they also present specific quality control challenges. As substrates are picked up by robotic blades (e.g., from substrate carriers, such as front-opening unified ports) and transported through factory (front-end) interfaces, loading chambers, transfer chambers, etc., to one of the processing chambers of a device fabrication machine, the substrate's position on the blade may differ from its ideal position relative to the blade, potentially leading to incorrect positioning of the substrate upon arrival at the processing chamber. This can result in non-compliance of the physical and / or chemical properties of the final product (e.g., incorrect placement of dopants on the substrate, uneven film thickness deposited on the substrate surface, and similar issues). To improve product quality, systems using optical sensors connected to a microcontroller can be used to determine the precise moment when the substrate (or its edge) arrives at a specific point in space. Based on the difference between the actual arrival time and the (ideal) reference arrival time, the microcontroller can determine the actual position of the substrate on the robot blade (e.g., displacement and angular misalignment) for several specific points in space. Subsequently, the blade control module can determine what corrective actions (e.g., compensatory changes to the blade trajectory) can be performed to compensate for errors in substrate positioning.

[0013] In one implementation, the optical sensor operates by outputting a light signal and detecting the precise moment when an event associated with the output light occurs. In some implementations, this event may be when the output light reflects off an arriving substrate and enters a photodetector. In other implementations, the output light may continuously strike the detector but be blocked by the arriving substrate, and so on. The light output by the sensor and detected by the photodetector may undergo processing by an optical amplifier. In existing implementations, dedicated amplifiers are typically associated with each individual sensor. Each amplifier may therefore require separate calibration and maintenance. This increases the cost of the optical detector. Each individual optical amplifier circuit (and the associated optical signal's optical path) may have its own detection delay time (the time spent by the optical and electronic circuitry to detect and process the event) or even its own delay time distribution. This distribution for each amplifier circuit may be centered around different delay time values ​​and may have different widths. In various devices, the resulting overall delay time distribution may be quite wide, for example, 30 microseconds or even more.

[0014] The aspects and embodiments of this disclosure address such and other technical deficiencies by improving the tunability, consistency, and accuracy of optical sensing technologies used in substrate processing. An integrated optical sensing controller is described herein, in which optical amplifiers and other optical circuitry (e.g., light-emitting diode (LED) drivers, one or more optical multiplexers (demultiplexers), analog-to-digital converters, etc.) can support multiple optical sensors. Further disclosed is the configurability of the optical circuitry implemented in software using a microcontroller integrated with the optical circuitry. This integration of optical circuitry, analog electronics, and digital electronics into a single component reduces system costs, improves the accuracy of optical sensing, and allows for real-time software control. This reduces or eliminates the need for manual calibration and maintenance of optical amplifiers in conventional sensing devices equipped with separate amplifiers serving individual sensors.

[0015] Figure 1 The illustration depicts an example embodiment of a manufacturing machine 100 capable of supporting accurate optical sensing of substrates 112 entering and / or exiting processing chamber 106 (as shown schematically in the position of the substrate within chamber 116) on a moving blade. The embodiments described regarding optical sensing of substrates entering or exiting the processing chamber also apply to optical sensing of substrates entering or exiting loading stations (e.g., loading locks) and / or other sites. In one embodiment, the manufacturing machine 100 includes a loading station 102, a transfer chamber 104, and one or more processing chambers 106. In some embodiments, processing chambers 106 are docked to transfer chambers 104 via transfer ports (not shown). The number of processing chambers(s) associated with transfer chambers 104 can vary (for example, ...). Figure 1 The diagram shows three processing chambers. Additionally, the design and shape of the transfer chamber 104 can vary. In the illustrated embodiment, the transfer chamber 104 has a hexagonal shape with each side having a substantially equal width. In other embodiments, the transfer chamber 104 may have four, five, seven, eight, or more sides. Furthermore, different sides may have different widths or lengths. For example, the transfer chamber 104 may have four sides and be rectangular or square. In another example, the transfer chamber may have five sides and be wedge-shaped. As shown, each side of the transfer chamber 104 is connected to a single processing chamber 106. However, in other embodiments, one or more of these sides may be connected to multiple processing chambers. For example, a first side may be connected to two processing chambers, while a second side may be connected to one processing chamber.

[0016] The substrate 112 can be a silicon wafer (e.g., a crystalline or amorphous silicon wafer), a glass wafer, a thin film or a stack of thin films, a wafer package (such as a thin wafer on a carrier), and the like. In some embodiments, the substrate 112 can be a processing kit component, such as an edge ring or any other replaceable component of a manufacturing machine. The substrate 112 can be a diagnostic device (such as an optical inspection tool) that is introduced into a processing chamber (loading chamber, or any other component of a manufacturing machine) for inspection, replacement, and / or maintenance.

[0017] The transfer chamber 104 includes a robot 108, a robot blade 110, and an optical sensing tool for accurately optically sensing the positioning of a substrate 112 being transported by the robot blade 110 for processing in one of the processing chambers 106. The optical sensing tool may additionally or alternatively be positioned to optically sense the positioning of the substrate 112 being transported by the robot blade 110 to or from loading station 102 and / or other processing chambers 106. The transfer chamber 104 may be maintained at a pressure higher or lower than atmospheric pressure. For example, the transfer chamber 104 may be maintained under a vacuum. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the transfer chamber 104 may be maintained at an elevated temperature. The robot blade 110 may be attached to an extendable arm sufficient to move the robot blade 110 into the processing chamber 106 to transfer the substrate to the chamber before processing and to retrieve the substrate from the chamber after processing.

[0018] Robotic blade 110 is configured to enter (multiple) processing chambers 106 through a slit valve port (not shown) while the covers of (multiple) processing chambers 106 are kept closed. The (multiple) processing chambers 106 may contain processing gases, plasma, and various particles used in the deposition process. A magnetic field may exist inside the (multiple) processing chambers 106. The interior of the (multiple) processing chambers 106 may be maintained at a temperature and pressure different from the exterior temperature and pressure of the (multiple) processing chambers 106.

[0019] Manufacturing machine 100 includes an integrated sensor controller (ISC) 150, which is coupled to a plurality of sensors 114. Each sensor 114 includes a sensor head to output an optical signal. In some embodiments, the sensor head includes a light-emitting diode (LED). In some embodiments, the sensor head is an optical fiber end that transmits light generated elsewhere (e.g., inside ISC 150). Each sensor 114 includes a photodetector to detect the light output by the respective sensor head. In some embodiments, the photodetector is an optical detector configured to transmit a received (RX) optical signal to ISC 150. For example, some or each of the optical detectors may be an optical fiber end connected to ISC 150. In other embodiments, the photodetector is a light-emitting detector configured to transmit an electrical signal to ISC 150. The light transmitted (TX) to the optical head may be in the visible light range, infrared light range, ultraviolet light range, or any other electromagnetic radiation range suitable for the task of sensing substrate position. In some embodiments, the sensor 114 is mounted on the door of the transfer chamber 104, inside the transfer chamber 104, inside the slit valve assembly, inside the loading port, inside the loading station 102, and / or inside any one of the processing chambers 106.

[0020] The main computing device 118 can control the operation of the robot 108 and can also receive optical sensing data from the ISC 150, including processed information derived from data obtained from the sensor 114. In some embodiments, the main computing device 118 reconfigures the ISC 150 at runtime. In some embodiments, communication between the main computing device 118 and the ISC 150 is wireless. The main computing device 118 may include a blade control module 120. The blade control module is capable of correcting the position of the substrate 112 on the robot blade 110 based on information obtained from the ISC 150, for example, to determine whether the position is outside the tolerances of the manufacturing process. In some embodiments, some of the functions of the blade control module 120 are implemented as part of the ISC 150.

[0021] Figure 2The illustration shows an exemplary integrated circuit architecture 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, which provides precise optical detection of substrate positioning before, during, or after substrate transport into and out of a processing chamber. The integrated circuit architecture 200 includes a plurality of sensors 114 (numbered from 114-1 to 114-n, where n is the number of sensors), a sensor connector 206, sensor circuitry 210, isolation circuitry 220, and / or logic circuitry 240. In some embodiments, the sensor connector 206, sensor circuitry 210, isolation circuitry 220, and logic circuitry 240 are integrated into a single system-on-chip (SoC) sensor controller. Sensor circuitry 210 may include one or more light source drivers 212, such as LED drivers. The LED drivers can adjust the amount of power delivered to the sensor 114. Electrical signals generated by the light source drivers(s) 212 can be selectively routed to the sensor 114 via blocks of sensor connectorry 206. In embodiments, blocks of sensor connectorry 206 may be programmed by logic circuitry 240 and / or main computing device 118. Specifically, the sensor connector 206 block may include a set of switches. In some embodiments, the logic circuit 240 has a preset configuration of several switches that will be selected according to the processing task being performed, such as transferring an unprocessed substrate to a processing chamber, transferring a partially processed substrate between different processing chambers, retrieving a fully processed chamber, and the like.

[0022] In some embodiments, the optical driver outputs an optical (rather than electrical) signal to the sensor 114. In such embodiments, the sensor connector 206 includes a block of optical connectors and switches to deliver a pre-configured amount of optical power to each (or some) of the sensors 114. For example, the sensor connector 206 may include one or more demultiplexers to separate the drive (optical or electrical) signals generated by one or more of the light source drivers 212 and deliver each of the separated signals to the corresponding sensor head.

[0023] In one embodiment, sensor heads 202-1…202-n output their respective optical signals (TX). Photodetectors 204-1…204-n can receive the signals (RX) output by the respective sensor heads 202. In some embodiments, the RX signal is generated when the corresponding TX signal is reflected from the surface of the substrate 112. In other embodiments, the RX signal is the TX signal that propagates (in the air) from the sensor head 202 to the photodetector 204. Each of the photodetectors 204 is capable of detecting events associated with the propagation of light from the sensor head 202. Such events can be associated with light reflection from the substrate, termination of TX signal detection due to substrate obstruction, resumption of TX signal detection due to substrate removal, etc. In some embodiments, the RX signal generated by the photodetector 204 is an optical signal. For example, the RX signal may represent the amount of light emitted from one end of the first optical fiber (sensor head 202) and then captured by one end of the second optical fiber (photodetector 204). In some implementations, the RX signal is an electrical signal generated by an optoelectronic device (within photodetector 204) under the influence of the incident optical TX signal.

[0024] The RX signal can be received and processed by one or more amplifiers 214. In some embodiments, a single amplifier 214 receives RX signals from all sensors 114. In some embodiments, multiple amplifiers 214 receive RX signals, and some or all of these amplifiers 214 receive RX signals from multiple sensors 114. In those embodiments where the photodetector 204 is an optical device-based detector, the amplifier 214 is an electronic amplifier. In embodiments where the photodetector 204 is an optical detector, the amplifier 214 is an optical amplifier. In the latter case, the sensor circuit 210 may include additional components to convert the optical RX signal into an electrical signal. The RX signal amplified by amplifier 214 may be further processed by analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 216.

[0025] In one implementation, the digital signals output by ADC 216 are received by logic circuitry 240. These signals may be received by logic circuitry 240 via isolation circuitry 220. The isolation circuitry prevents electrical signals from being transmitted back from logic circuitry 240 to sensor circuitry 210 and / or further to sensor 114, preventing stray noise from logic circuitry 240 from affecting the accuracy of optical sensing, including the propagation of the TX signal, the detection and processing of the RX signal. Logic circuitry 240 can process the data received from sensor circuitry 210 and provide configurable functionality for sensor circuitry 210. Logic circuitry 240 may include processing device 242, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or some other processor. Logic circuitry 240 may further include integrated circuit 244 to facilitate communication between sensor controller 150 and external computing devices, such as main computing device 118 or other computing devices on the same network to which sensor controller 150 is connected. In some implementations, integrated circuit 244 is application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 244. In some implementations, sensor controller 150 communicates with host computing device 118 (or other network computing device) via a suitable ASIC 244 using the EtherCAT data exchange protocol. In other implementations, sensor controller 150 communicates with host computing device 118 using other fieldbus protocols. For example, sensor controller 150 may communicate with host computing device 118 via ASIC 244 using AS-Interface, Interbus, Profibus, or any other suitable fieldbus protocol. ASIC 244 may be configurable and customizable to define the profiles of sensor controller 150 (e.g., as a node on an EtherCAT network) to determine how sensor controller 150 exchanges data with the master node of the network (e.g., host computing device 118), depending on the functionality currently provided by sensor controller 150.

[0026] Processing device 242 (e.g., an FPGA or any other processor) may include hardware (a logic gate array and one or more memory devices) and software to set up and control the operation of sensor circuitry 210 and sensor 114. Processing device 242 may be fully customizable. Upon power-up, processing device 242 may implement preset configurations of sensor circuitry 210, including configuring light source driver 212 and amplifier 214. During operation of sensor controller 150, processing device 242 may receive data generated by sensor 114 and processed and digitized by sensor circuitry 210. Processing device 242 may output information to main computing device 118 representing the position of substrate 112 on robot blade 110. Depending on the processing task being performed (e.g., transferring substrate to or between specific processing chambers), processing device 242 may be reconfigured during runtime (“on the fly”) using various preset configurations stored in memory accessible to processing device 242. For example, based on the processing task of transferring a substrate to a chemical vapor deposition chamber, the main computing device 118 may transmit an instruction to the processing device 242 (via ASIC 244) to reconfigure the sensor controller 150 to a first preset configuration corresponding to transferring the substrate to the vapor deposition chamber. As another example, at a later time, when the substrate is transferred for processing in the plasma environment of an etching chamber, the main computing device 118 may transmit another instruction to the processing device 242 to reconfigure the sensor controller 150 to a second preset configuration corresponding to transferring the substrate to the etching chamber.

[0027] The sensor controller 150 may be equipped with a power supply, which in some embodiments may include power circuitry 230, such as an ISO DC / DC power converter. In some embodiments, the power converter converts a 12V or 24V power signal (used by sensor circuitry 210) into a 3.3V power signal used by logic circuitry 240. In other embodiments, different input and output voltages may be used. In some embodiments, the power converter may be a bidirectional converter.

[0028] Figure 2 The various components shown in the image communicate via several communication interfaces and protocols (such as...). Figure 2 (As indicated in the image) to communicate, such as the Synchronous Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), which is a serial communication interface, I 2 C serial bus, peripheral input / output (PIO) interface, general purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, dual-port memory interface (DPM), etc.

[0029] Figure 2The integrated circuit illustrated in the diagram can generate data and provide inputs regarding a substrate (e.g., a wafer), processing kits, diagnostic tools, and any other objects transferred to or already present in the various chambers of manufacturing machine 100. For example, the integrated circuit can provide various characteristics of different types of processed or unprocessed wafers, thin films, combinations of wafers and / or thin films, and the like. These characteristics can include location (including presence or absence), size, orientation, uniformity, thickness, chemical, physical, and optical properties, and the like. Additionally, the integrated circuit can provide data regarding various algorithms used for transferring and / or disposing of the substrate (or other objects transferred into the processing chambers).

[0030] In addition to generating data to accurately place the substrate into the processing chamber, Figure 2 The integrated circuit controller shown in the diagram can be expanded / adapted to provide sensor input to the substrate handling control system for automated substrate handling calibration, in-situ substrate handling monitoring and diagnostics, and other similar functions, wherein the sensors can use vertical, horizontal, or tilted beams to detect the robot body and / or select features.

[0031] Figure 3 The illustration shows an exemplary architecture of logic circuitry 240 of an integrated circuit architecture 200 capable of providing precise optical detection for substrate positioning, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Logic circuitry 240 includes processing device 242 (e.g., FPGA), which can utilize various integration technologies to implement embedded system 360. In one embodiment, embedded system 360 integrates embedded processor 362, which can be a hard core (e.g.,...). SoC) or soft core (e.g. The embedded system 360 may further include an on-chip random access memory (RAM) 364, a dual-port memory 366 for fast memory operations, a general purpose input-output (GPIO) module 368, and other components not explicitly described (such as a system clock). The embedded system 360 may be coupled to custom logic 370, non-volatile memory 372 (such as serial flash memory or any other type of non-volatile memory), and synchronous random access memory (SDRAM) 373. The embedded system 360 may be coupled to a JTAG interface 374 for programming and debugging.

[0032] Before the sensor controller 150 is powered on, the software for the embedded processor 362 and the configuration file for the processing device 242 initially reside in non-volatile memory 372. During startup, the software stored in non-volatile memory 372 is used to configure the processing device 242 to instantiate the embedded system 360 and the custom HDL logic 370. The embedded processor 362 in the embedded system 360 then fetches the controller software from non-volatile memory 372 and begins the application logic for the embedded system 360. The application program and libraries can be written to external memory, such as synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM) 373 (or on-chip RAM 364). The custom logic 370 can be a software component that implements application-specific functions of the sensor controller 150. The custom logic 370 can be written in a programming language (e.g., C or C++) and translated (using a suitable compiler) into a hardware description language (HDL).

[0033] During the operation of the sensor controller 150, data received from the sensor circuit 210 can be processed by custom logic 370 or embedded processor 362 and transmitted to the main computing device 118 via ASIC 244. The data conveyed by custom logic 370 may include (but is not limited to) some of the following: indications of events associated with TX and / or RX output / detected by sensor 114 (e.g., arrival or departure of a substrate), including the exact type of the detected event, an indication of the time the detected event occurred, an identifier of the channel used to detect the event (e.g., of a particular sensor 114), and the like. In some embodiments, when a reconfiguration (reprogramming) instruction received from main computing device 118 is received by ASIC 244, ASIC 244 may send instructions to embedded processor 362 to reconfigure the application stored in on-chip RAM 364 or SDRAM 373 to change one or more settings of the application (e.g., to reflect new types of tasks performed by robot 108 or new parameters for events detected by sensor 114). In some embodiments, when a reconfiguration (reprogramming) instruction received from main computing device 118 is received by ASIC 244, ASIC 244 may directly reconfigure registers in dual-port memory 366 to change application settings.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating possible embodiments of a method 400 for accurately optically sensing the positioning of a substrate transported by a moving blade, according to some embodiments of this disclosure. It can be utilized... Figures 1-3Method 400 may be performed by the systems and components shown herein, or any combination thereof. Method 400 may be performed by an integrated sensor controller 150. Some blocks of method 400 are selective. In some embodiments, some or all of the blocks of method 400 may be performed in response to instructions from the processing device 242 of the sensor controller 150. In some embodiments, some or all of the blocks of method 400 may be performed in response to instructions from the main computing device 118, such as instructions from one or more processing devices (e.g., central processing units) of the main computing device 118 coupled to one or more memory devices. Method 400 may be performed concurrently with a manufacturing process (such as manufacturing machine 100) on multiple substrates. In some embodiments, method 400 may be implemented when or from a substrate is being transported by a robot blade of a robot to or from a processing chamber, loading chamber, transfer chamber, and the like, for example, when robot blade 110 is transferring a substrate from loading station 102 through transfer chamber 104 toward processing chamber 106. For example, robot 108 can extend robot blade 110 from transfer chamber 104 into loading station 102 and transfer (via transfer port) a substrate (position 116) for processing to processing chamber 106. Robot blade 110 can then be retracted into transfer chamber 104. Precise optical inspection of substrate positioning can be performed simultaneously with the substrate being inside loading station 102, inside transfer chamber 104, and / or inside processing chamber 106. Precise optical inspection of substrate positioning can be performed while robot blade 110 is performing standard transfer or retrieval procedures without slowing down the movement of robot blade. Therefore, precise optical inspection of substrate positioning can be performed without delaying the manufacturing process.

[0035] Method 400 may involve an integrated sensor controller 150 (independent or in communication with a main computing device 118) generating (e.g., via one or more light source drivers) drive signals (block 410). The light source driver may be an optical driver (e.g., a driver that generates an optical signal) or an electrical driver (e.g., a driver that generates an electrical signal that will be transmitted to an electrically powered light source). Accordingly, the optical or electrical drive signals may be used to generate (e.g., by an optical or electronic demultiplexer) multiple output drive signals (block 420).

[0036] Method 400 may continue to transmit each of a plurality of output drive signals to a corresponding one of a plurality of sensors (block 430). For example, the output drive signals may be transmitted to one or more sensor heads 202. Method 400 may further include receiving (e.g., via amplifier 214) one or more first signals from one or more sensors (e.g., from photodetector 204), the one or more first signals being associated with various optical events representing the position of the substrate within a device fabrication machine (block 440). Such events may include direct light from sensor head 202 striking photodetector 204, the direct light being shielded (blocked) outside the photodetector by the substrate. Such events may further include light reflected (or transmitted through the substrate) striking (or being shielded) the photodetector, or any other optical event representing the position of the substrate. In some embodiments, the first signal may be an optical signal (e.g., corresponding to light captured by fiber optic detector 204). In some embodiments, the first signal may be an electrical signal (e.g., corresponding to a signal generated by photodetector 204).

[0037] Method 400 may continue to generate (e.g., via amplifier 214 and based on the received first signal(s)) one or more second signals (block 450). The second signal may be an amplified first signal and may have the same type as the first signal. For example, in embodiments where the first signal is an optical signal, amplifier 214 may be an optical amplifier and the generated second signal may also be an optical signal. In embodiments where the first signal is an electrical signal, amplifier 214 may be an electrical signal multiplier and the generated second signal may be an electrical signal. In some embodiments where the first signal is an optical signal, amplifier 214 may be an optical amplifier but may additionally include a photoelectric signal converter such that the generated second signal may be an electrical signal.

[0038] In block 460, the generated second signal can be received by an analog-to-digital converter (e.g., ADC 216), which (in block 470) can generate one or more third signals based on the second signal. The generated third signal can be received by a processing device (e.g., processing device 242). In some embodiments, the third signal can be transmitted via isolation circuit 220, which is configured to prevent noise and other spurious signals from logic circuit 240 from affecting the circuitry of sensor circuit 210. In block 480, the processing device can use the third signal to obtain information about the position of the substrate. The processing device can extract data from the third signal representing one or more potential optical events, such as the type of event (e.g., light incident, obstruction, reflection, transmission, and the like), the time of the event, the channel (e.g., the identifier of the sensor that detected the event), the location of the event (e.g., based on the known location of the identified sensor), and so on. Based on this data, the processing device can obtain information about the exact position of the substrate relative to the robot blade. In some implementations, this information may be obtained (in part) based on the known position (and dynamics) of the robot blade, which may be obtained from the blade control module 120, which resides in the main computing device 118 or some other computing device available on a network (e.g., an EtherCAT network).

[0039] In some embodiments, method 400 may continue, with the processing device providing information about the position of the substrate to the main computing device 118 (or another computing device of the main control blade control module 120), so that the blade control module can compensate for errors in the positioning of the substrate, for example by adjusting the trajectory of the blades so that the substrate reaches its intended correct destination.

[0040] In some implementations, method 400 may include receiving reprogramming instructions via a processing device to change the settings of one of the circuits or devices of sensor circuit 210, such as amplifier 214, one or more light source drivers 212, and / or one or more sensors 114.

[0041] Figure 5 A block diagram depicting an example processing apparatus 500 operating according to one or more aspects of this disclosure, which, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, is capable of accurately optically sensing a substrate transported on a moving blade into a processing chamber. In embodiments, the processing apparatus 500 may be... Figure 1 A's computing device 118 or Figure 1 B's microcontroller 152.

[0042] Example processing device 500 may be connected to other processing devices in a LAN, internal network, external network, and / or internetwork. Processing device 500 may be a personal computer (PC), set-top box (STB), server, network router, switch or bridge, or any device capable of executing a set of instructions (sequentially or otherwise) specifying the actions to be taken by the device. Furthermore, although only a single example processing device is illustrated, the term "processing device" should also be considered as including a collection of any processing devices (e.g., computers) that individually or jointly execute a set (or more) of instructions to perform any or more of the methods discussed herein.

[0043] Example processing device 500 may include processor 502 (e.g., CPU), main memory 504 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), etc.), static memory 506 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), etc.) and auxiliary memory (e.g., data storage device 518), which can communicate with each other via bus 530.

[0044] Processor 502 represents one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as a microprocessor, a central processing unit, or the like. More specifically, processor 502 may be a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) microprocessor, a Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) microprocessor, a Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) microprocessor, a processor implementing other instruction sets, or a processor implementing a combination of instruction sets. Processor 502 may also be one or more special-purpose processing devices, such as an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Network Processor, or the like. According to one or more aspects of this disclosure, processor 502 may be configured to execute instructions that implement method 400 for accurately optically sensing the positioning of a substrate transported by a moving blade.

[0045] The example processing device 500 may further include a network interface device 508 communicatively coupled to a network 520. The example processing device 500 may further include a video display 510 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch screen, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 512 (e.g., a keyboard), an input control device 514 (e.g., a cursor control device, a touch screen control device, a mouse), and a signal generation device 516 (e.g., a speaker).

[0046] Data storage device 518 may include a computer-readable storage medium (or more specifically, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) 528 on which one or more sets of executable instructions 522 are stored. According to one or more aspects of this disclosure, the executable instructions 522 may include executable instructions for implementing a method 400 for accurately optically sensing the positioning of a substrate transported by a moving blade.

[0047] The executable instructions 522 may also reside ( wholly or at least partially) in main memory 504 and / or in processing device 502 during execution by example processing device 500, which also constitute computer-readable storage media. The executable instructions 522 may further be sent or received over a network via network interface device 508.

[0048] Although computer-readable storage medium 528 is in Figure 5 While the term "computer-readable storage medium" is used as a single medium, it should be understood to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., centralized or distributed databases, and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of operational instructions. The term "computer-readable storage medium" should also be understood to include any medium capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for execution by a machine to cause the machine to perform any one or more methods described herein. Therefore, the term "computer-readable storage medium" should be understood to include (but is not limited to) solid-state memory, as well as optical and magnetic media.

[0049] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be exemplary and not restrictive. Many other examples of implementation will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. Although this disclosure describes specific examples, it will be recognized that the systems and methods of this disclosure are not limited to the examples described herein and can be implemented with modifications within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings are to be regarded as exemplary and not restrictive. The scope of this disclosure should therefore be determined by reference to the appended claims, together with the full scope of their equivalents.

[0050] The methods, hardware, software, firmware, or code sets described above can be implemented via instructions or code stored on a machine-accessible, machine-readable, computer-accessible, or computer-readable medium, which can be executed by a processing device. "Memory" includes any mechanism that provides (i.e., stores and / or transmits) information in a machine-readable form, such as a computer or electronic system. For example, "memory" includes random access memory (RAM), such as static RAM (SRAM) or dynamic RAM (DRAM); ROM; magnetic or optical storage media; flash memory devices; electrical storage devices; optical storage devices; acoustic storage devices; and any type of tangible machine-readable medium suitable for storing or transmitting electronic instructions or information in a machine-readable form, such as a computer.

[0051] Throughout this specification, the reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in that embodiment being included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing in different places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner.

[0052] The foregoing description has provided detailed descriptions with reference to specific exemplary embodiments. However, it will be apparent that various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of this disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. Therefore, the description and drawings should be considered exemplary rather than limiting. Furthermore, the above use of implementation methods, embodiments, and / or other exemplary language does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or the same example, but may refer to different and dissimilar embodiments, as well as potentially identical embodiments.

[0053] The terms “example” or “exemplary” are used herein to mean as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “example” or “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as superior or more advantageous than other aspects or designs. Rather, the use of the terms “example” or “exemplary” is intended to present a concept in a specific manner. As used herein, the term “or” is intended to represent an inclusive “or” rather than a mutually exclusive “or.” In other words, unless otherwise stated or clearly understood from the context, “X includes A or B” is intended to represent any naturally inclusive arrangement. This means that if X includes A; X includes B; or X includes both A and B, then “X includes A or B” is satisfied in any of the foregoing examples. Additionally, the articles “a” and “an” used in this application and the appended claims should be generally interpreted as meaning “one or more” unless otherwise stated or clearly understood from the context to relate to the singular form. Furthermore, the use of the terms "implementation method," "one implementation method," "a specific implementation method," or "an embodiment" throughout the text is not intended to indicate the same implementation or method unless otherwise stated. Also, the terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc., used in this document are intended as labels to distinguish different devices and do not necessarily have an ordered meaning according to their numerical designations.

Claims

1. A sensor controller, comprising: Sensor circuit, the sensor circuit comprising: A light source driver, which generates a drive signal; A demultiplexer is used to generate multiple output drive signals using the drive signal, each of which will be transmitted to one of multiple sensors. An amplifier, coupled to each of the plurality of sensors, is used for: Receive a first signal from a first sensor among the plurality of sensors, wherein the first signal is associated with a first event, the first event representing the position of the substrate within a device manufacturing machine; and Based on the received first signal, a second signal is generated; and An analog-to-digital converter, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is used to receive the second signal and generate a third signal based on the second signal; and Logic circuit, the logic circuit comprising: A memory device that stores instructions; and A processing device coupled to the memory device, wherein the processing device is used to obtain information about the position of the substrate using the stored instructions and based on the third signal.

2. The sensor controller of claim 1, wherein the position of the substrate within the device manufacturing machine is the position of the substrate relative to a robot blade, the robot blade being used to transport the substrate within the device manufacturing machine.

3. The sensor controller of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensors comprises a light-emitting diode (LED), the light source driver is an LED driver, and the driving signal is an electrical signal.

4. The sensor controller according to claim 3, wherein the demultiplexer is an electronic demultiplexer.

5. The sensor controller of claim 1, wherein the drive signal is an optical signal, and wherein each of the plurality of output drive signals is transmitted via an optical fiber to a corresponding sensor among the plurality of sensors.

6. The sensor controller according to claim 1, wherein the demultiplexer is an optical demultiplexer.

7. The sensor controller of claim 1, wherein the first sensor among the plurality of sensors comprises: A sensor head, wherein the sensor head is used to output an optical signal driven by a corresponding output drive signal among the plurality of output drive signals; and A photodetector is used to detect the light signal output by the sensor head and to generate a first signal associated with the first event representing the location of the substrate.

8. The sensor controller of claim 7, wherein the sensor head includes an output optical fiber, and wherein the photodetector includes an input optical fiber.

9. The sensor controller of claim 7, wherein the photodetector comprises a photoelectric device, and wherein the first signal is generated by the photoelectric device.

10. The sensor controller of claim 1, wherein the processing means comprises a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and custom logic, the custom logic comprising software components configured to obtain the information about the position of the substrate based on the third signal.

11. The sensor controller of claim 10, further comprising a dual-port memory device for storing the software components when the sensor controller is powered on.

12. The sensor controller of claim 1, wherein the logic circuitry further comprises an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for identifying the sensor controller to an external network.

13. The sensor controller of claim 12, wherein the external network includes a main computing device, and wherein the information regarding the location of the substrate is output to the main computing device.

14. The sensor controller of claim 13, wherein the sensor controller is reprogrammable by the main computing device.

15. The sensor controller according to claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit is used for: A fourth signal is received from a second sensor among the plurality of sensors, wherein the fourth signal is associated with a second event, the second event representing the position of the substrate; and A fifth signal is generated based on the received fourth signal; and The information about the position of the substrate obtained by the processing device is further based on the received fifth signal.

16. A method for optically sensing the positioning of a substrate, comprising the following steps: The drive signal is generated by the light source driver; The demultiplexer uses the drive signal to generate multiple output drive signals; Each of the plurality of output drive signals is transmitted to a corresponding one of the plurality of sensors; An amplifier receives a first signal from a first sensor among the plurality of sensors, the first signal being correlated with an event representing the position of the substrate within the device manufacturing machine; The amplifier generates a second signal based on the received first signal; The second signal is received by an analog-to-digital converter; The analog-to-digital converter generates the third signal based on the second signal; and The processing device obtains information about the position of the substrate based on the third signal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the following steps: The processing device provides the main computing device with the information regarding the location of the substrate.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the following steps: The processing device receives a reprogramming instruction for changing the settings of one or more of the amplifier, the light source driver, or the plurality of sensors.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processing device, cause a sensor controller to perform the following operations: The drive signal is generated by the light source driver; The demultiplexer uses the drive signal to generate multiple output drive signals; Each of the plurality of output drive signals is transmitted to a corresponding one of the plurality of sensors; An amplifier receives a first signal from a first sensor among the plurality of sensors, the first signal being associated with an event representing the position of the substrate within a device manufacturing machine; The amplifier generates a second signal based on the received first signal; The second signal is received by an analog-to-digital converter; The analog-to-digital converter generates a third signal based on the second signal; and Information about the position of the substrate is obtained based on the third signal.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the sensor controller to perform the following operations: The information about the location of the substrate is provided to the main computing device.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the sensor controller to perform the following operations: Receive a reprogramming instruction for changing the settings of one or more of the amplifier or the plurality of sensors.

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