Replacement signal seal

Abstract

A seal for a substrate processing system includes a body comprised of a base material, an outer surface, a marking material disposed in at least one of everywhere of the base material within the body of the seal, in an outer edge region of the seal, in a coating disposed on the outer surface of the seal, and in an interior region of the seal. The marking material is different from the base material.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 343,779, filed May 19, 2022. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to seals for use in substrate processing systems. Background Art

[0003] The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the background of the present disclosure. The work of the currently designated inventors within the scope described in this background section and aspects of the specification that were not determined to be prior art at the time of filing the application are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure.

[0004] Substrate processing systems can be used to perform substrate processing such as deposition or etching of films on substrates such as semiconductor wafers. Substrate processing systems typically include a processing chamber having a substrate support (e.g., a pedestal, a plate, etc.) disposed therein. The substrate support may include an electrostatic chuck (ESC). During processing, the substrate is disposed on the substrate support.

[0005] A gas diffusion device (e.g., a showerhead) may be used to introduce a gas mixture into a processing chamber during substrate processing such as etching, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), atomic layer etch (ALE), remote plasma cleaning (RPC) processes, etc. During processing, a radio frequency (RF) plasma may be used to initiate a chemical reaction. Summary of the invention

[0006] A seal for a substrate handling system comprises: a body composed of a base material; an outer surface; and a marker material disposed at least one of: throughout the base material within the body of the seal, in an outer edge region of the seal, in a coating disposed on the outer surface of the seal, and in an interior region of the seal. The marker material is different from the base material.

[0007] In other features, the base material comprises a perfluoroelastomer and the marker material does not comprise any of fluorine, carbon, and a combination of fluorine and carbon. The marker material does not comprise materials used during processing performed in the substrate processing system. The marker material is disposed throughout the base material within the body of the seal, and the outer edge region of the seal does not comprise the marker material. The concentration of the marker material throughout the body of the seal varies with radial distance from the center of the body of the seal. The outer edge region of the seal comprises the marker material, and the interior region of the seal does not comprise the marker material. The marker material is configured to at least one of: react with materials present during processing performed in the substrate processing system to produce detectable byproducts; and react with components of the surrounding air to indicate a leak.

[0008] A system for determining whether to replace a seal in a substrate processing system comprises: a detection device, which is used to detect the amount of marking material that has fallen off from the seal; and a wear analysis module, which is used to: determine at least one of the cumulative amount of the marking material that has fallen off from the seal and the amount of wear of the seal based on the detected amount of the marking material that has fallen off from the seal, and selectively output a signal indicating that the seal should be replaced based on at least one of the cumulative amount of the marking material and the amount of wear of the seal.

[0009] In other features, the detection device is an infrared detection device, and the infrared detection device is configured to detect the marker material in at least one of the gas in the processing chamber of the substrate processing system and the gas exhausted from the processing chamber. The detection device is a residual gas analyzer, and the residual gas analyzer is configured to detect the marker material in at least one of the gas in the processing chamber of the substrate processing system and the gas exhausted from the processing chamber. The detection device is an optical emission spectrometer, and the optical emission spectrometer is configured to detect the marker material in at least one of the gas in the processing chamber of the substrate processing system and the gas exhausted from the processing chamber.

[0010] In other features, the wear analysis module determines the cumulative amount of the marker material that has been removed from the seal and outputs the signal in response to the cumulative amount of the marker material exceeding a threshold. The wear analysis module determines the cumulative amount of the marker material that has been removed from the seal, determines the amount of wear of the seal based on the cumulative amount of the marker material, and outputs the signal in response to the determined amount of wear exceeding a threshold. The wear analysis module outputs the signal in response to one of any amount of the marker material detected and the amount of the marker material detected exceeding a failure threshold. The wear analysis module outputs the signal in response to the amount of the marker material detected decreasing below a threshold.

[0011] A method for determining whether to replace a seal in a substrate processing system comprises: detecting an amount of marking material that has fallen off from the seal; determining at least one of an accumulated amount of the marking material that has fallen off from the seal and an amount of wear of the seal based on the detected amount of the marking material that has fallen off from the seal; and selectively outputting a signal indicating that the seal should be replaced based on the accumulated amount of the marking material and the at least one of the amount of wear of the seal.

[0012] In other features, the method further includes detecting the marker material in at least one of a gas within a processing chamber of the substrate processing system and a gas exhausted from the processing chamber. Detecting the marker material includes detecting the marker material using at least one of an infrared detection device, a residual gas analyzer, and an optical emission spectrometer. The method further includes determining the cumulative amount of the marker material that has fallen off the seal and outputting the signal in response to the cumulative amount of the marker material exceeding a threshold. The method further includes: determining the cumulative amount of the marker material that has fallen off the seal; determining the amount of wear of the seal based on the cumulative amount of the marker material; and outputting the signal in response to the detected amount of wear exceeding a threshold.

[0013] In other features, the method further includes one of outputting the signal in response to any amount of the marker material detected and outputting the signal in response to the amount of the marker material detected decreasing below a threshold. The method further includes forming the seal with the marker material by one of: diffusing the marker material into the seal, implanting the marker material into the seal, and co-molding the seal with the marker material.

[0014] Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 A functional block diagram of an example of a substrate processing system including a processing chamber is shown;

[0017] Figure 2A An exemplary seal according to the present disclosure is shown disposed between portions of a gas delivery conduit and around a stem of a showerhead;

[0018] Figure 2B An exemplary seal according to the present disclosure is shown disposed around a bonding layer between a bottom plate and a ceramic layer of a substrate support;

[0019] Figure 3A , 3B , 3C, 3D and 3E show cross-sectional views of exemplary seals according to the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of an example detection system according to the present disclosure; and

[0021] Figure 5 Steps of an exemplary method for indicating and detecting whether a seal should be replaced according to the present disclosure are shown.

[0022] Among the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Substrate processing systems contain numerous elastomeric seals to maintain a desired pressure (eg, vacuum pressure) within a processing chamber, prevent leakage of gas mixtures between separate chambers / volumes and to atmosphere, protect components from exposure to plasma, and the like.

[0024] For example, the substrate support may include one or more edge seals configured to protect the bonding layer and other portions of the substrate support from exposure to the plasma. Gas distribution equipment such as showerheads may include one or more seals or O-rings configured to prevent leakage of the gas mixture outside the processing chamber. Similarly, many gas lines, channels, valves, etc. configured to supply a gas mixture or plasma (e.g., in a remote plasma system) to the processing chamber and exhaust the gas supply mixture from the processing chamber include corresponding seals to prevent leakage of the gas mixture into the atmosphere.

[0025] Over time, seals degrade due to exposure to plasma (e.g., fluorine and / or oxygen plasma), corrosive gas mixtures, and high temperatures. As a result, seals eventually fail and need to be replaced. In some examples, seals are replaced periodically (e.g., according to a preventive maintenance plan). The maintenance plan can be determined based on a best estimate of component life. Typically, estimates of component life are conservative to minimize the risk of failure during operation. As a result, seals may eventually be replaced long before any actual risk of failure, which may result in unnecessary downtime and premature replacement of expensive seals.

[0026] The seal and method according to the present disclosure are configured to indicate when the seal is close to failure. In this way, the seal can be replaced before actual failure, rather than when the seal still has significant remaining life. In other words, premature replacement of the seal is minimized.

[0027] As an example, the seal contains a marker or dopant material that is detectable in situ (e.g., within a process chamber, gas supply source, exhaust line, etc.). In other words, as the seal wears over time, the marker material is dislodged from the seal and becomes detectable within the volume of the process chamber and in the gas mixture exhausted from the process chamber. The marker material can be an element, a compound, etc. The marker material can be a polymer containing nitrile / cyanide functional groups, hydrogen sulfide and / or a polymer containing hydrogen sulfide, and / or an inert gas.

[0028] A detection system (e.g., an in-situ infrared detection system) is configured to detect a marker material in a gas within a processing chamber and / or in a gas exhausted from a processing chamber. For example, some substrate processing systems include a detection system that is configured to detect the concentration of a number of materials in a process gas exhausted from a processing chamber. The detection system can be adjusted to detect a specific material. As an example, the detection system can be adjusted to detect the amount of silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4) in the exhaust stream during a remote plasma cleaning process. When the amount of silicon tetrafluoride decreases below a threshold indicating that the processing chamber is sufficiently clean, the remote plasma cleaning process can be stopped. The detection system can be readjusted (e.g., periodically, at several cycles during each process, etc.) to detect marker material emanating from a seal. The amount of marker material detected that exceeds the threshold indicates that the seal should be replaced.

[0029] In another example, some substrate processing systems use a residual gas analyzer. The residual gas analyzer can be configured to detect the marker material according to the principles of the present disclosure. In still other examples, optical emission spectroscopy can be used to detect the marker material.

[0030] Figure 1An example of a substrate processing system 100 is shown that includes a process chamber 104. A substrate support (e.g., a susceptor) 108 is disposed within the process chamber 104. During processing, a substrate 112 is disposed on the substrate support 108. In the process chamber 104, a gas distribution device such as a showerhead 116 is disposed above the substrate support 108.

[0031] The gas delivery system 120 includes gas sources 122-1, 122-2, ..., 122-N (collectively referred to as gas sources 122) and mass flow controllers (MSCs) 126-1, 126-2, ..., 126-N (collectively referred to as MFC 126), the gas sources 122 are connected to valves 124-1, 124-2, ..., 124-N (collectively referred to as valves 124). The MFC 126 controls the flow of gas from the gas sources 122 to a manifold 128 where the gas is mixed. The output of the manifold 128 is supplied to the showerhead 116. The showerhead 116 includes an inner plenum and gas through holes. The showerhead 116 introduces and distributes the process gas into the processing chamber 104 via the gas through holes.

[0032] The RF generation system 130 generates an RF voltage and outputs the RF voltage to the showerhead 116 or the substrate support 108 (the other is DC grounded, AC grounded, or floating). By way of example only, the RF generation system 130 may include an RF voltage generator 132 that generates an RF voltage that is fed to the showerhead 116 or the substrate support 108 by a matching network 134. Plasma is generated when the process gas and RF power are supplied to the showerhead 116.

[0033] In some examples, an inert gas such as argon (Ar) or molecular nitrogen (N2) can be used as a primary purge gas flowing through the showerhead 116 during a purge step while processing the substrate 112 (e.g., during an ALD cycle). Molecular oxygen (O2) or molecular nitrogen (N2) can also be used as a purge gas to prevent or minimize any undesirable deposition at remote areas, such as the backside of the showerhead 116 and the walls and ceiling of the processing chamber 104.

[0034] The controller 150 controls the flow of process gases, monitors process parameters such as temperature, pressure, power, and controls the energization and extinguishing of plasma, removal of reactants, etc. The controller 150 controls the gas delivery from the gas delivery system 120 to supply process and / or purge gases at set intervals during the process. The controller 150 controls the pressure in the processing chamber 104 and / or the exhaust of reactants using valves 160 and pumps 162. The controller 150 controls the temperature of the substrate support 108 and the substrate 112 based on temperature feedback information from sensors (not shown) in the substrate support 108 and / or sensors measuring the cooling temperature (not shown). The purge gas source 170 and corresponding valves can be used by the controller 150 to selectively supply secondary purge gases.

[0035] In some examples, the substrate processing system 100 includes a cleaning gas source 180 and a remote plasma generator 182. For example, the remote plasma generator 182 may include an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) chamber that generates plasma when the cleaning gas source 180 supplies a cleaning gas. Therefore, the remote plasma generator 182 may be referred to as a remote plasma cleaning generator. The plasma generated by the remote plasma generator 182 may be referred to as a pre-activated cleaning gas and / or a remote plasma cleaning (RPC) gas. The controller 150 controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the cleaning gas source 180, and in some examples, controls the pre-activated cleaning gas from the remote plasma generator 182 to clean the processing chamber 104.

[0036] The substrate processing system 100 also includes a plurality of valves 190 to allow the delivery of process gases and purge gases during substrate processing, and to allow the delivery of pre-activated cleaning gases, inert gases, and cleaning gases during chamber cleaning. When processing the substrate 112, the controller 150 controls the valves 190 to supply appropriate process gases and purge gases to the processing chamber 104. When cleaning the processing chamber 104, the controller 150 controls the valves 190 to supply other appropriate gases to the processing chamber 104. The combination or sub-combination of the elements 120, 128, 170, 180, 190 may be collectively referred to as a gas supply system. In some embodiments, the gas supply system may include the element 150 and / or the element 182.

[0037] The substrate processing system 100 includes a number of seals (not shown) disposed within and / or between a number of components and sealed volumes. Figure 1 The gas supply system may include gas lines, channels and valves in the gas supply system, between the gas supply system and the processing chamber 104, between the processing chamber 104 and the atmosphere, between components in the processing chamber 104 and the processing volume (i.e., the plasma in the processing chamber 104), etc.

[0038] The seals in the substrate processing system 100 according to the present disclosure are configured to indicate when the seal is close to failure, as described in more detail below. For example, one or more seals contain a marker or dopant material that is detectable in the gas exhausted from the processing chamber 104 as the seal wears over time.

[0039] The detection system 192 is configured to detect the marker material in the gas within the processing chamber 104 and / or in the gas exhausted from the processing chamber 104. Although shown between the processing chamber 104 and the valve 160, the detection system 192 can be disposed in other locations throughout the substrate processing system 100. For example, all or multiple portions of the detection system 192 can be located downstream of the valve 160 and / or the pump 162, on the processing chamber 104, or within the processing chamber 104, etc. The detection system 192 can be an infrared detection system, a residual gas analyzer, etc., which is adjusted to detect the marker material in the gas exhausted from the processing chamber 104. The detection system 192 outputs a signal 194 based on the detected marker material. For example, the detection system 192 outputs the signal 194 to the controller 150, a display (not shown), or a display device. Figure 1 medium.

[0040] Figure 2A and 2B Exemplary seals 200, 204, 208, 212 are shown that may be configured to indicate wear in accordance with the present disclosure. Figure 2A As shown, seals 200 and 204 are disposed between portions of a gas delivery conduit 216. For example, the gas delivery conduit 216 supplies a purge gas and / or a cleaning gas to a nozzle (e.g., Figure 1 1 and 10. The embodiment of the present invention relates to a showerhead 116 of the present invention. The showerhead 116 of the present invention is provided with a channel 220 between a stem 224 and a collar 228 of the showerhead 116. For example, the collar 228 is configured to attach the stem 224 to a lid 232 of the processing chamber 104. In other examples, the gas delivery conduit 216 supplies the gas mixture via the stem 224. The seals 200 and 204 are disposed between the lid 232 and the collar 228, between multiple portions of the collar 228, etc. The seal 208 is disposed between the collar 228 and the lid 232 around the stem 224.

[0041] Instead, the seal 212 is disposed around the bonding layer 236 of the substrate support 240. For example, the bonding layer 236 is disposed between the bottom plate 244 and the ceramic layer 248 of the substrate support 240. The seal 212 surrounds the bonding layer 236 and protects the bonding layer 236 from exposure to plasma and other process gases within the processing chamber 104.

[0042] Seals 200, 204, 208, and 212 are each exposed to purge gases, cleaning gases, and / or process gases and high temperatures. Over time, seals 200, 204, 208, and 212 degrade and eventually require replacement. Seals 200, 204, 208, and 212 according to the present disclosure are configured to indicate when a seal is approaching failure. The configuration of seals 200, 204, 208, and 212 is shown only as an example, and the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented using seals in any position within substrate processing chamber 100.

[0043] One or more of the seals 200, 204, 208, and 212 according to the present disclosure (e.g., seal 200) includes a marker or dopant material that is detectable in the gas exhausted from the processing chamber 104. In other words, as the seal 200 wears over time, the marker material falls off the seal 200. The detection system 192 is configured to detect the marker material in the gas mixture within the processing chamber 104 and / or in the gas mixture exhausted from the processing chamber 104.

[0044] In some examples, different seals may contain different marker materials. In this way, the detection system 192 can be configured to detect which seal is shedding the detected marker material. The marker material is selected based on the base material of the seal 200 and the materials that are generally available in the substrate processing chamber 100. For example, the marker material is specifically selected to be different from the base material of the seal 200 and the materials that are generally available in the substrate processing chamber 100. In other words, the marker material will only be detected in response to shedding from the seal, and will not be accidentally detected in the gas mixture used during processing, sweeping, cleaning, etc. As an example, if the process being performed is an RPC process with a SiF4 byproduct, the marker material does not include SiF4.

[0045] As an example, the seal 200 is an elastomeric seal comprising a perfluoroelastomer (e.g., FFKM perfluoroelastomer) and may contain both fluorine and carbon. The marking material may be non-reactive or minimally reactive to components of the substrate processing system 100, substrates, and materials in a gas mixture for supply to the substrate processing system 100. In other examples, in order to facilitate detection by optical emission spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) detection, etc., the marking material may be inherently reactive or volatile and / or may react with the process gas to produce volatile byproducts. In one example, the marking material may be configured to react with components of the air (e.g., oxygen and / or nitrogen) to produce detectable byproducts. In this way, if there is a leak of ambient air into the substrate processing system 100, the detection of reaction byproducts between the marking material and the ambient air indicates that there is a leak and the seal 200 needs to be replaced.

[0046] As an example, the marking material is generally evenly distributed throughout the body of the seal 200. In other words, the marking material is distributed throughout the base material of the seal 200. In another example, the marking material is only distributed throughout the inner area of ​​the seal 200 and is not present at or near the outer surface of the seal 200. Therefore, initially, no marking material falls off from the seal 200. Instead, over time, the outer surface of the seal 200 is eroded without shedding the marking material. When a portion of the interior of the seal 200 becomes exposed (i.e., after the outer surface is worn away), the marking material falls off and can then be detected. In another example, an outer layer or coating that does not contain a marking material is provided on the seal 200. After the coating is worn away, the marking material is exposed and falls off and becomes detectable.

[0047] In yet another example, the interior of the seal 200 does not contain the marking material. Instead, only the outer surface, a radially outer edge region adjacent to and / or including the outer surface, a coating disposed on the outer surface of the seal 200, etc., contain the marking material. In an example embodiment, the marking material initially falls off the seal and can be detected by the detection system 192. As the outer surface or coating wears away over time, less marking material may fall off. In other words, in some examples, the amount of marking material that decreases below a threshold value may indicate that the seal 200 should be replaced.

[0048] The detection system 192 is configured to indicate that the detected amount of marking material exceeds a threshold. For example, the detection system 192 determines whether the detected amount of marking material exceeds a threshold, decreases below a threshold, etc., and selectively outputs a signal (e.g., to a display) indicating that the seal should be replaced.

[0049] Many processes can be used to form the seal 200 with the marking material. In one example, the marking material is diffused into the base material of the seal. For example, the base material is exposed to a dopant in a diffusion furnace. In another example, the marking material is directly injected or implanted into the base material. In yet another example (such as shown in Figure 3B and 3C ), a common molding process is used to form the seal 200 containing the marking material. The formation of the seal 200 containing the marking material is not limited to these exemplary processes, and other suitable processes may be used.

[0050] Figure 3A , 3B , 3C, 3D and 3E show cross-sectional views of exemplary seals 300-1, 300-2, 300-3, 300-4 and 300-5 (collectively referred to as seals 300) according to the principles of the present disclosure. Seals 300 may be used Figure 2A and 2BThe seal 300 may be provided in any of the locations shown (i.e., corresponding to any of the seals 200, 204, 208, and 212) and / or in any other location throughout the substrate processing system 100. Although shown as having a generally circular cross-section (e.g., like an O-ring), the seal 300 may have other suitable shapes.

[0051] like Figure 3A As shown, the marking material 304 is generally evenly distributed throughout the body of the seal 300-1. In other words, the marking material 304 is distributed throughout the base material 312 of the seal 300. Figure 3B As shown, the marking material 304 is distributed only throughout the interior of the seal 300 - 2 and is not present at or near the exterior surface 316 of the seal 300 - 2 .

[0052] like Figure 3C As shown, the marking material 304 is generally evenly distributed throughout the body of the seal 300-3. A coating 320 that does not contain the marking material 304 is disposed on the outer surface 316 of the seal 300-3. Figure 3D As shown, the interior of the seal 300-4 does not include the marking material 304. Instead, only the outer surface 316 of the seal 300-4 includes the marking material 304.

[0053] In other examples, the marking material 304 may be distributed unevenly throughout the body of the seal 300 in another manner. Figure 3E As shown, the marker material 304 varies with the radial distance from the center of the body of the seal 300-5. As shown, the concentration of the marker material 304 increases with the distance from the outer surface 316. In other words, the concentration of the marker material 304 increases in the direction toward the center of the seal 300-5. In other examples, the concentration of the marker material 304 decreases in the direction toward the center of the seal 300-5. Therefore, as the seal 300-5 wears over time, the amount of marker material 304 detected in a given sample may increase or decrease.

[0054] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary detection system 400 (e.g., corresponding to detection system 192) according to the present disclosure. Components of detection system 400 may be implemented in one or more controllers (e.g., controller 150). In some examples, detection system 400 may include one or more processors configured to execute instructions stored in a memory.

[0055] The detection system 400 includes a detection device 404 arranged and configured to detect a marker material in a gas 408 exhausted from the processing chamber 104. For example, the detection device 404 may include an infrared detection device, a residual gas analyzer, an emission spectrometer, or another device configured to detect a material in a gas mixture. In one example, all or a portion of the detection device 404 is disposed in an exhaust stream containing the gas 408. For example, the detection device 404 is disposed in an exhaust pipe or conduit configured to exhaust the gas 408 from the processing chamber 104. In other examples, the detection device 404 is configured to capture an image of the gas 408 (e.g., via a window or other opening). In yet other examples, the detection device 404 (e.g., implemented as a residual gas analyzer) is configured to receive or capture a portion of the gas 408.

[0056] The detection device 404 can be selectively adjusted to detect the concentration of a specific material in the process gas exhausted from the processing chamber 104. In other words, the detection device 404 can be adjusted to detect different materials at different times. As an example, the detection device 404 can be adjusted (e.g., in response to the wear analysis module 412) to detect a marking material. In other examples, the detection device 404 can be adjusted to detect a marking material at all times (i.e., during all processing and cleaning performed in the processing chamber 104).

[0057] The detection device 404 outputs a detection signal indicating the detected marker material to the wear analysis module 412. For example, the detection signal can identify the amount (e.g., concentration, percentage, etc.) of the marker material detected in the gas 408. The wear analysis module 412 is configured to calculate an amount of wear of a seal (e.g., any of the seals 300) based on the detection signal. For example, the wear analysis module 412 can receive the detection signal continuously or periodically.

[0058] The wear analysis module 412 calculates and updates a cumulative wear value based on individual samples of the amount of marker material detected. For example, the wear analysis module 412 can correlate the cumulative amount of marker material detected with the amount of wear (e.g., a wear percentage) of the seal 300. When the amount of wear of the seal 300 or the cumulative amount of marker material detected exceeds a threshold, the wear analysis module 412 selectively outputs a signal (e.g., to the display 416) indicating that the seal 300 should be replaced.

[0059] As described above in Examples 3A-3D, the wear analysis module 412 can be configured to indicate that the seal 300 should be replaced, depending on the specific configuration of the seal 300. For example, the wear analysis module 412 can be configured to indicate that the seal 300-1 should be replaced when the detected accumulation amount exceeds a threshold. The wear analysis module 412 can be configured to indicate that the seal 300-2 or 300-3 should be replaced when any marker material is detected. The wear analysis module 412 can be configured to indicate that the seal 300-4 should be replaced when the amount of detected marker material in a given sample decreases below a threshold.

[0060] Figure 5 Steps of an exemplary method 500 for indicating and detecting whether a seal should be replaced according to the present disclosure are shown. At 504, the method 500 (e.g., the substrate processing system 100) performs one or more processes in a processing chamber. The processes may include, but are not limited to, processes performed on a substrate disposed in a processing chamber and cleaning processes (e.g., remote plasma cleaning processes).

[0061] At 508, the method 500 (e.g., the detection system 400) monitors gases within and / or exhausted from the processing chamber. For example, the detection system 400 can be configured to continuously or periodically monitor gases during processing, to monitor gases exhausted from the processing chamber only during a remote plasma cleaning process, and so on.

[0062] At 512, the method 500 (e.g., the detection system 400) optionally reconfigures the detection device 404 to detect the marking material. For example, in some systems, the detection device 404 may be generally configured to detect other materials, such as materials removed from the processing chamber. Therefore, the detection device 404 may be periodically (e.g., once per cleaning cycle) reconfigured to detect the marking material. In other examples, the detection device 404 may always be configured to detect the marking material. In still other examples, the detection device 404 may be configured to detect multiple types of materials.

[0063] At 516 , the method 500 (eg, the detection device 404 ) detects the amount of the marker material in the monitored gas. For example, the detection device 404 outputs a detection signal indicating the amount of the marker material in the gas to the wear analysis module 412 .

[0064] At 520, the method 500 (e.g., the wear analysis module 412) determines whether it is indicated that the seal should be replaced based on the detection signal. For example, the wear analysis module 412 calculates the accumulated amount of the detected marking material, the amount of seal wear, etc. and determines whether the calculated amount exceeds a corresponding threshold. If yes, the method 500 proceeds to 524. If no, the method 500 proceeds to 528.

[0065] In other examples, the detection signal may indicate a large increase in the amount of marker material detected. For example, the amount of marker material detected may be generally fixed (e.g., within a certain percentage) during the life of the seal 300. However, a failure event caused by excessive compression or other stress (due to time, pressure, etc.) may cause a large increase in the amount of marker material detected. Therefore, the wear analysis module 412 may additionally determine whether the amount of marker material detected exceeds a failure event threshold. For example, the failure event threshold may be greater than the average amount of marker material detected per sample during the life of the seal 300 (e.g., more than 150% of the average amount of marker material).

[0066] At 524 , the method 500 optionally outputs a signal indicating that the seal should be replaced. For example, the wear analysis module 412 outputs the signal to the display 416 , which may be configured to display a recommendation to replace the seal to the user. The method 500 then proceeds to 528 .

[0067] At 528, the method 500 (eg, the detection system 400) selectively reconfigures the detection device 404. For example, if the detection device 404 was reconfigured at 512 to detect a marking material, the detection device 404 may be returned to a configuration for detecting other materials.

[0068] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is by no means intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because when studying the drawings, the specification and the appended claims, other modifications will become apparent. It should be understood that, without changing the principles of the present disclosure, one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously). In addition, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described relative to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any other embodiment and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not clearly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other remains within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] Various terms are used to describe the spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, between circuit elements, between semiconductor layers, etc.), including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless the relationship between a first and a second element is explicitly described as "direct," when such a relationship is described in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship, in which there are no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship, in which there are one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted to mean a logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0070] In some implementations, the controller is part of a system, which can be part of the above examples. Such a system can include a semiconductor processing device, which includes one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (wafer pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems can be integrated with electronic devices for controlling their operation before, during, and after the processing of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronic device can be referred to as a "controller", which can control various components or subcomponents of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, the controller can be programmed to control any process disclosed herein, including the delivery of process gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and operation settings, wafer transfer in and out tools and other transfer tools and / or load locks connected or docked with a specific system.

[0071] Broadly speaking, a controller can be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, etc. The integrated circuit can include a chip in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, a digital signal processor (DSP), a chip defined as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). The program instructions can be instructions sent to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that define operating parameters for performing a specific process on or for a semiconductor wafer or system. In some embodiments, the operating parameters can be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to complete one or more processing steps during the manufacture of one or more (kinds of) layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0072] In some implementations, the controller may be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with the system, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the "cloud" or may be all or part of a wafer fab host system that may allow remote access to wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of a manufacturing operation, check the history of past manufacturing operations, check trends or performance criteria for multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of a current process, set processing steps to follow the current process, or start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) may provide a process recipe to the system via a network (which may include a local network or the Internet). The remote computer may include a user interface that enables input or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then sent from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for each processing step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as described above, the controller may be distributed, for example, by including one or more discrete controllers networked together and working toward a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that communicate with one or more integrated circuits remotely (e.g., at a platform level or as part of a remote computer), which combine to control the process on the chamber.

[0073] Example systems may include, but are not limited to, plasma etch chambers or modules, deposition chambers or modules, spin rinse chambers or modules, metal plating chambers or modules, cleaning chambers or modules, chamfer edge etch chambers or modules, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers or modules, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers or modules, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers or modules, atomic layer etch (ALE) chambers or modules, ion implantation chambers or modules, track chambers or modules, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used in the manufacture and / or preparation of semiconductor wafers.

[0074] As described above, depending on one or more processing steps to be performed by the tool, the controller can communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the factory, a host computer, another controller, or tools used in material transport to transport wafer containers to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

Claims

1. A seal for a substrate processing system, the seal comprising: A body made of basic materials; External surface; and a marking material disposed at least one of: (i) throughout the base material within the body, (ii) in an outer edge region of the seal, (iii) in a coating disposed on the outer surface, and (iv) in an interior region of the seal, wherein the marker material is different from the base material. 2 . The seal of claim 1 , wherein the base material comprises a perfluoroelastomer and the marker material does not comprise any of fluorine, carbon, and a combination of fluorine and carbon.

3. The seal of claim 2, wherein the marking material does not contain materials used during processing performed in the substrate processing system.

4. A seal according to claim 1, wherein one of the following two exists: (i) the marking material is disposed throughout the base material within the body of the seal, and the outer edge region of the seal does not contain the marking material; and (ii) the concentration of the marking material throughout the body of the seal varies with the radial distance from the center of the body of the seal.

5. The seal of claim 1, wherein the outer edge region of the seal includes the marking material and the interior region of the seal does not include the marking material.

6. The seal of claim 1 , wherein the marker material is configured to at least one of: (i) react with materials present during processing performed within the substrate processing system to produce detectable byproducts; and (ii) react with components of the surrounding air to indicate a leak.

7. A system for determining whether to replace a seal in a substrate processing system, the system comprising: a detection device for detecting the amount of marking material that has fallen off the seal; and Wear analysis module for: determining at least one of (i) a cumulative amount of the marking material that has fallen off the seal and (ii) an amount of wear of the seal based on the detected amount of the marking material that has fallen off the seal, and A signal indicating that the seal should be replaced is selectively output based on at least one of the accumulated amount of the marking material and the amount of wear of the seal.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the detection device is an infrared detection device configured to detect the marking material in at least one of (i) a gas within a processing chamber of the substrate processing system and (ii) a gas exhausted from the processing chamber.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the detection device is a residual gas analyzer configured to detect the marker material in at least one of (i) a gas within a processing chamber of the substrate processing system and (ii) a gas exhausted from the processing chamber.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the detection device is an optical emission spectroscopy device configured to detect the marker material in at least one of (i) a gas within a processing chamber of the substrate processing system and (ii) a gas exhausted from the processing chamber.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the wear analysis module determines the cumulative amount of the marker material that has been removed from the seal and outputs the signal in response to the cumulative amount of the marker material exceeding a threshold value.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the wear analysis module determines the cumulative amount of the marker material that has fallen off the seal, determines the amount of wear of the seal based on the cumulative amount of the marker material, and outputs the signal in response to the determined amount of wear exceeding a threshold.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the wear analysis module outputs the signal in response to one of (i) any amount of the marker material detected and (ii) the amount of the marker material detected exceeding a failure threshold.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the wear analysis module outputs the signal in response to the detected amount of the marking material decreasing below a threshold value.

15. A method for determining whether to replace a seal in a substrate processing system, the method comprising: detecting an amount of marking material that has fallen off the seal; determining at least one of (i) a cumulative amount of the marking material that has fallen off the seal and (ii) an amount of wear of the seal based on the detected amount of the marking material that has fallen off the seal; and Based on the at least one of the accumulated amount of the marking material and the amount of wear of the seal, a signal is selectively outputted indicating that the seal should be replaced.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting the marker material in at least one of (i) a gas within a processing chamber of the substrate processing system and (ii) a gas exhausted from the processing chamber.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting the marker material comprises detecting the marker material using at least one of an infrared detection device, a residual gas analyzer, and an optical emission spectroscopy device.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining the cumulative amount of the marking material that has fallen off the seal and outputting the signal in response to the cumulative amount of the marking material exceeding a threshold value.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising: determining the cumulative amount of the marking material that has fallen off the seal; determining the amount of wear of the seal based on the cumulative amount of the marking material; and outputting the signal in response to the detected amount of wear exceeding a threshold.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising one of (i) outputting the signal in response to any amount of the marker material detected and (ii) outputting the signal in response to the amount of the marker material detected decreasing below a threshold.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming the seal with the marking material by one of: (i) diffusing the marking material into the seal, (ii) implanting the marking material into the seal, and (iii) co-molding the seal with the marking material.

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