Calibration of aligner station of processing system

Abstract

To provide a method for calibrating an aligner station of an electronics processing system.SOLUTION: A method includes: retrieving, by a first robot arm of a transfer chamber, a calibration object from a processing chamber, the calibration object having a target orientation in the processing chamber; placing the calibration object in a load lock; retrieving the calibration object from the load lock by a second robot arm of a factory interface connected to the load lock; placing the calibration object at an aligner station connected to the factory interface; and determining a difference between a first orientation and an initial target orientation at the aligner station. The method also includes: determining a first characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber based on the difference between the first orientation and the initial target orientation; and recording the first characteristic error value in a storage medium. The aligner station uses the first characteristic error value for alignment of objects in the processing chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and systems for calibrating an aligner station of an electronic processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] An electronic processing system may include one or more robot arms for transporting a substrate from a first station of the electronic processing system to a second station of the electronic processing system. In the electronic processing system, a substrate or object is to be moved from the first station and placed in a target orientation at the second station. One or more system errors associated with the first station and / or the second station often prevent the robot arm from placing the substrate or object in the target orientation at the second station. For example, the electronic processing system may include an aligner station and a processing chamber, from which the robot arm may retrieve the substrate or object for transfer to the processing chamber in the target orientation. The aligner station and / or the processing chamber may be associated with characteristic errors resulting from a variety of causes (e.g., the aligner station and / or the processing chamber were not properly installed during construction of the processing system, small errors in the positioning and / or orientation of the robot arm, etc.). Therefore, when the substrate or object is transferred from the aligner station and ultimately to the processing chamber, the substrate or object may have small errors in orientation and / or positioning. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Some described embodiments are directed to a method including retrieving a calibration object from a processing chamber connected to the transfer chamber by a first robot arm of the transfer chamber. The calibration object has a target orientation within the processing chamber. The method further includes placing the calibration object in a load lock connected to the transfer chamber by the first robot arm. The method further includes retrieving the calibration object from the load lock by a second robot arm of a factory interface connected to the load lock. The method further includes placing the calibration object in an aligner station housed in or connected to the factory interface by the second robot arm. The calibration object has a first orientation at the aligner station. The method further includes determining a difference between the first orientation at the aligner station and an initial target orientation at the aligner station. The initial target orientation at the aligner station is associated with a target orientation within the processing chamber. The method further includes determining a characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber based on the difference between the first orientation and the initial target orientation. The method further includes recording the characteristic error value in a storage medium. The aligner station uses the characteristic error values ​​to align objects placed in the processing chamber.

[0004] In some embodiments, a method includes placing a calibration object in a processing chamber. The method further includes capturing, with a first camera in the processing chamber, a first calibration object image showing a first orientation of the calibration object in the processing chamber. The method further includes retrieving the calibration object from the processing chamber with a first robot arm of a transfer chamber connected to the processing chamber. The method further includes placing the calibration object in a load lock connected to the transfer chamber with the first robot arm. The method further includes retrieving the calibration object from the load lock with a second robot arm of a factory interface connected to the load lock. The method further includes placing the calibration object in an aligner station housed in or connected to the factory interface with the second robot arm. The calibration object has a second orientation in the aligner station. The method further includes determining, based on the second orientation and the first orientation shown in the first calibration object image, a characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber based on a difference between the first orientation and an initial target orientation. The method further includes recording the characteristic error value in a storage medium. The aligner uses the characteristic error value to align an object disposed in the processing chamber.

[0005] In some embodiments, the electronic processing system includes a transfer chamber including a first robot arm, a set of one or more processing chambers connected to the transfer chamber, a load lock connected to the transfer chamber, a factory interface connected to the load lock including a second robot arm and an aligner station, and a controller operably connected to the first robot arm, the second robot arm, and the aligner station. The controller causes the second robot arm to pick up a process kit ring from a storage location and place the process kit ring in the aligner station. The controller further determines that the process kit ring is to be placed in a first processing chamber of the set of processing chambers. The controller further causes the process kit ring to be aligned in the aligner station using a first characteristic error value associated with the first processing chamber. The aligner station aligns the process kit ring to a corrected target orientation based on the initial target orientation adjusted by the first characteristic error value. The controller further causes the second robot arm to pick up the first process kit ring from the aligner and place the first process kit ring in the load lock. The controller further causes the first robot arm to pick up the first process kit ring from the load lock and place the first process kit ring in the first processing chamber, the first process kit ring placed in the processing chamber having approximately the target orientation within the first processing chamber.

[0006]

[0006] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate like elements. It should be noted that different references to "a" or "one" embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily references to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of an example electronic processing system, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1A-B illustrate an exemplary first orientation and an exemplary target orientation of an object in a processing chamber according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1A-B illustrate an exemplary first orientation and an exemplary initial target orientation of an object in an aligner of an electronic processing system, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 illustrates calibration of an aligner station of an exemplary electronic processing system, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 illustrates another calibration of the aligner station of the exemplary electronic processing system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a method for calibrating an aligner station of an electronic processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 10 is another method for calibrating an aligner station of an electronic processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 10 is another method for calibrating an aligner station of an electronic processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008]

[0015] Embodiments described herein relate to methods and systems for calibrating an aligner station of an electronic processing system. A calibration object, such as a calibration ring, a process kit ring, or a calibration wafer, is used to determine characteristic error values ​​associated with a processing chamber of the electronic processing system. In some embodiments, the calibration object can be placed in a target orientation in the processing chamber. A first robot arm of a first robot can retrieve the calibration object and place the calibration object in a load lock of the electronic processing system. The calibration object can be retrieved from the load lock by a second robot arm of a second robot and placed in an aligner station of the electronic processing system in a first orientation. A difference between the first orientation and the initial target orientation can be determined.

[0009]

[0016] A characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber may be determined based on a difference between the first orientation and the initial target orientation. The characteristic error value may be stored in a storage medium. After the characteristic error value is determined and stored in the storage medium, the object may be received at an aligner station for processing in the processing chamber. The characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber may be read from the storage medium, and the object may be aligned to the initial target orientation based on the characteristic error value.

[0010]

[0017] In some embodiments, a first camera in the processing chamber may capture a first calibration object image prior to the calibration object being placed in the processing chamber. In response to the calibration object being placed in the aligner station, a second camera in the aligner station may capture a second calibration object image. The first and second calibration object images may be processed to determine a characteristic error associated with the process chamber. The characteristic error may indicate a difference between a target orientation in the processing chamber and an actual orientation that the object would have if aligned to the initial target orientation in the aligner station.

[0011]

[0018] By calibrating the aligner station using the calibration object described in embodiments herein before placing an object (e.g., a replaceable part or component of the process chamber, such as a process kit ring) in the process chamber, the likelihood that each object will be placed in the target orientation in the process chamber is increased. Increasing the likelihood that each object will be positioned in the target orientation reduces the number of alignment steps performed in the process chamber, thereby reducing overall system wait time. Furthermore, the accuracy of the orientation (e.g., yaw) of the placed object is dramatically improved over conventional systems in embodiments, with orientation accuracy as high as ±0.00001°. Similarly, reducing the number of alignment steps performed in the process chamber reduces the likelihood of damage to the object or the robot arm placing the object in the process chamber as a result of erroneous X-axis, Y-axis, or yaw axis movement. Furthermore, in embodiments, the time it takes to properly insert a new replaceable part (e.g., a process kit ring) into a process chamber may be reduced by ensuring that the part is inserted in the proper orientation on the first attempt.

[0012]

[0019] 1 is a schematic top view of an exemplary electronic processing system 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic processing system 100 may perform one or more processes on a substrate 102. The substrate 102 may be any suitable rigid, fixed-dimensional, planar article suitable for fabricating electronic devices or circuit components thereon, such as, for example, a silicon-containing disk or wafer, a patterned wafer, a glass plate, or the like.

[0013]

[0020] The electronic processing system 100 may include a process tool 104 and a factory interface 106 coupled to the process tool 104. The process tool 104 may include a housing 108 having a transfer chamber 110 therein. The transfer chamber 110 may include one or more processing chambers (also referred to as process chambers) 114, 116, 118 arranged around and coupled to the transfer chamber 110. The processing chambers 114, 116, 118 may be coupled to the transfer chamber 110 through respective ports, such as slit valves.

[0014]

[0021] The processing chambers 114, 116, and 118 may be adapted to perform any number of processes on the substrate 102. The same or different substrate processes may be performed in each processing chamber 114, 116, and 118. The substrate processes may include atomic layer deposition (ALD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), etching, annealing, curing, pre-cleaning, metal or metal oxide removal, and the like. In one example, a PVD process may be performed in one or both processing chambers 114, an etching process may be performed in one or both processing chambers 116, and an annealing process may be performed in one or both processing chambers 118. Other processes may also be performed on the substrate therein. The processing chambers 114, 116, and 118 may each include a substrate support assembly. The substrate support assembly may be configured to hold the substrate in place while the substrate process is being performed.

[0015]

[0022] As described above, an etching process may be performed in one or more processing chambers 114, 116, 118. To this end, some processing chambers 114, 116, 118 (e.g., etch chambers) may include an edge ring (also referred to as a process kit ring) 136 disposed on a surface of the substrate support assembly. In some embodiments, the process kit ring may be replaced from time to time. While replacing a process kit ring in conventional systems involves an operator disassembling the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 to replace the process kit ring, the electronic processing system 100 may be configured to facilitate replacing the process kit ring without an operator disassembling the processing chambers 114, 116, 118.

[0016]

[0023] In some embodiments, the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 may include at least one of a heating element or a cooling element disposed therein. The heating element may be configured to increase the temperature inside the processing chamber. The cooling element may be configured to decrease the temperature inside the processing chamber. In some embodiments, the heating element and the cooling element may be the same element.

[0017]

[0024] The transfer chamber 110 may also include a transfer chamber robot 112. The transfer chamber robot 112 may include one or more arms, each arm including one or more end effectors at the end of each arm. The end effectors may be configured to handle particular objects, such as wafers. Alternatively or additionally, the end effectors may be configured to handle objects, such as process kit rings. In some embodiments, the transfer chamber robot 112 may be a selectively compliant assembly robot arm (SCARA) robot, such as a two-link SCARA robot, a three-link SCARA robot, or a four-link SCARA robot.

[0018]

[0025] The load lock 120 may also be coupled to the housing 108 and the transfer chamber 110. The load lock 120 may be configured to mate and couple with the transfer chamber 110 on one side and with the factory interface 106. The load lock 120, in some embodiments, may have an environmentally controlled atmosphere that can be changed from a vacuum environment (where substrates may be transferred in and out of the transfer chamber 110) to an atmospheric pressure inert gas environment (where substrates may be transferred in and out of the factory interface 106) or a near-atmospheric pressure inert gas environment. In some embodiments, the load lock 120 may be a stacked load lock having a pair of upper internal chambers and a pair of lower internal chambers located at different vertical levels (e.g., above and below). In some embodiments, the pair of upper internal chambers may be configured to receive processed substrates from the transfer chamber 110 for removal from the process tool 104, and the pair of lower internal chambers may be configured to receive substrates from the factory interface 106 for processing within the process tool 104. In some embodiments, the load lock 120 may be configured to perform a substrate process (eg, etching or pre-cleaning) on ​​one or more substrates 102 received therein.

[0019]

[0026] The factory interface 106 may be any suitable enclosure, such as, for example, a front-end equipment module (EFEM). The factory interface 106 may be configured to accept substrates 102 from substrate carriers 122 (e.g., front-opening unified pods (FOUPs)) docked to various load ports 124 of the factory interface 106. A factory interface robot 126 (shown in dotted lines) may be configured to transfer substrates 102 between the substrate carriers (also called containers) 122 and the load locks 120. The factory interface robot 126 may include one or more robot arms and may be or may include a SCARA-type robot. In some embodiments, the factory interface robot 126 may have more links and / or more degrees of freedom than the transfer chamber robot 112. The factory interface robot 126 may include an end effector at the end of each robot arm. The end effector may be configured to pick up and handle specific objects, such as wafers. Alternatively or additionally, the end effector may be configured to handle an object such as a process kit ring.

[0020]

[0027] Any conventional robot can be used for the factory interface robot 126. Transfers can be performed in any order or direction. The factory interface 106, in some embodiments, can be maintained in a non-reactive gas environment (using, for example, nitrogen as the non-reactive gas) at a slight positive pressure, for example.

[0021]

[0028] In some embodiments, the transfer chamber 110, the process chambers 114, 116, and 118, and the load lock 120 may be maintained at a vacuum level. The electronic processing system 100 may include one or more vacuum ports coupled to one or more stations of the electronic processing system 100. For example, a first vacuum port 130a may couple the factory interface 106 to the load lock 120. A second vacuum port 130b may be coupled to the load lock 120 and disposed between the load lock 120 and the transfer chamber 110.

[0022]

[0029] The electronic processing system 100 may also include a system controller 132. The system controller 132 may be and / or include a computing device such as a personal computer, a server computer, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a microcontroller, etc. The system controller 132 may include one or more processing devices, which may be general-purpose processing devices such as a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), etc. More specifically, the processing device may be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or a processor implementing other instruction sets or combinations of instruction sets. The processing device 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, etc. The system controller 132 may include a data storage device (e.g., one or more disk drives and / or solid-state drives), main memory, static memory, a network interface, and / or other components. System controller 132 may execute instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies and / or embodiments described herein. The instructions may be stored (during execution of the instructions) in a computer-readable storage medium, which may include a main memory, a static memory, a secondary storage device, and / or a processing unit. System controller 132 may also be configured to allow input and display of data, operational commands, etc. by a human operator.

[0023]

[0030] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the transfer of an edge ring (or other process kit ring) 136 to a processing chamber 114, 116, 118. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the edge ring 136 is removed from a substrate carrier 122 (e.g., a FOUP) via a factory interface robot 126 located at the factory interface 106, or loaded directly into the factory interface 106. While an edge ring is described herein, it should be understood that the embodiments described with reference to an edge ring also apply to other process kit rings and other replaceable parts or components of a processing chamber other than a process kit ring. In some embodiments, the system controller 132 may determine a transfer recipe for the edge ring 136. The transfer recipe may indicate a transfer path that the edge ring 136 should follow during transport from the substrate carrier 122 to a particular processing chamber 114, 116, 118. For example, the transfer recipe may indicate that the edge ring 136 is moved from the aligner station 128 to a particular load lock 120 and then to the processing chamber 116.

[0024]

[0031] The electronic processing system 100 may include an aligner station 128. The aligner station 128 may be housed in the factory interface 106. Alternatively, the aligner station 128 may be coupled to the factory interface 106. The aligner station 128 may be configured to align the edge ring 136 to achieve a target orientation of the edge ring 136 in the processing chamber 114, 116, or 118. The aligner station 128 may rotate the edge ring 136 in a positive or negative yaw axis direction (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise) to achieve an initial target orientation of the edge ring 136 in the aligner station 128. In some embodiments, the aligner station 128 may translate the edge ring 136 in a positive or negative x-axis direction and / or y-axis direction to align the edge ring 136 in the aligner station 128.

[0025]

[0032] The initial target orientation of the edge ring 136 in the aligner station 128 may nominally correspond to the target orientation of the edge ring 136 in the processing chambers 114, 116, or 118. For example, the edge ring 136 may include a flat portion that aligns with a corresponding flat portion of the substrate support assembly around which the edge ring 136 is disposed. Failure to accurately position the edge ring 136 in the target orientation within a processing chamber can cause non-uniformity in the plasma generated during processing, uneven wear of the edge ring 136, and / or other problems. In an ideal configuration, free of robot position and / or rotation errors, misalignment of a processing chamber relative to a transfer chamber, etc., the edge ring aligned to the initial target orientation in the aligner station would ultimately be oriented to have the target orientation within any processing chamber once placed in that processing chamber. However, different robot errors may occur in the positioning of the edge ring 136 within each processing chamber. Furthermore, one or more of the processing chambers may have slight misalignments or misalignments. The embodiments described herein provide a calibration procedure to correct for any of the above robotic errors, misalignments and / or misalignments, as described in more detail below.

[0026]

[0033] In one embodiment, the factory interface robot 126 positions the edge ring 136 at a first orientation at the aligner station 128. The system controller 132 can determine an alignment recipe to be executed at the aligner station 128 to align the edge ring 136 to a corrected target orientation based on a transfer recipe for the edge ring 136. The corrected target orientation can correspond to the initial target orientation at the aligner station 128 adjusted by a characteristic error value (e.g., a characteristic angle error) associated with the transfer recipe. In one embodiment, the characteristic error value is associated with a specific processing chamber. In one embodiment, the characteristic error value is associated with a specific load lock chamber in addition to a specific processing chamber. The alignment recipe can include the characteristic error value. In some embodiments, the aligner station 128 may align the edge ring 136 according to an alignment recipe, which may include moving the edge ring 136 in at least one of a positive or negative X-axis direction, a positive or negative Y-axis direction, or a positive or negative yaw-axis direction to properly orient the edge ring 136 in the corrected target orientation at the aligner station 128. The alignment recipe may be associated with a transfer recipe for the edge ring 136. In response to the alignment of the edge ring 136 at the aligner station, the factory interface robot 126 may then retrieve the edge ring 136 from the aligner station 128, with the retrieved edge ring 136 having the corrected target orientation, and place the edge ring 136 in the corrected orientation in the load lock 120 through the vacuum port 130a.

[0027]

[0034] The transfer chamber robot 112 can remove the edge ring 136 from the load lock 120 through the second vacuum port 130b. The transfer chamber robot 112 can move the edge ring 136 to the transfer chamber 110, where it can be transferred to the destination processing chamber 114, 116, 118. The edge ring 136 placed in the destination processing chamber 114, 115, 118 can have a target orientation in the processing chamber. If the edge ring 136 had been oriented to an initial target orientation in the aligner station 128, the edge ring would have had a characteristic error when ultimately placed in the processing chamber. However, because the edge ring 136 was oriented to a corrected target orientation in the aligner station (which may include the initial target orientation minus an angle adjustment corresponding to the characteristic error value), the edge ring 136 placed in the processing chamber has the target orientation in the processing chamber.

[0028]

[0035] 1 for clarity, transfer of edge ring 136 can occur while edge ring 136 is positioned in a carrier or adapter, and a robot end effector can pick up and place the carrier or adapter holding edge ring 136. This may allow an end effector configured for handling wafers to also be used to handle edge ring 136.

[0029]

[0036] 2A and 2B illustrate an exemplary first orientation 216 and an exemplary target orientation 218 of an edge ring 210 in a processing chamber in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The processing chamber may correspond to at least one of the processing chambers 114, 116, or 118 of the electronic processing system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the processing chamber may include a substrate support assembly 212 configured to support a substrate during substrate processing. The edge ring 210 may be configured to be disposed around the substrate support assembly 212. As previously described, the edge ring 210 may be positioned in the first orientation 216 in the substrate support assembly 212 by a transfer chamber robot (not shown). In some embodiments, the first orientation 216 may include an orientation error 220. The orientation error 220 may refer to a difference in angle of a flat portion 222 of the edge ring 210 relative to an angle of a flat portion 224 of the substrate support assembly 212. In an embodiment, the flat portion 222 is configured to mate with the flat portion 224. The orientation error 220 may be caused by at least a characteristic error associated with the processing chamber. The characteristic error may result from a variety of causes (e.g., errors in the robot angle and / or positioning, improper installation of the processing chamber during construction of the processing system, etc.) and may be represented by a characteristic error value. In some embodiments, the transfer recipe may include a combination of characteristic error values, which may be summed to determine a total characteristic error associated with the placement of the edge ring in the processing chamber. The characteristic error value may account for, for example, a first characteristic error associated with the processing chamber and a second characteristic error associated with at least another station of the electronic processing system (i.e., load lock 120, load port 124, etc.).

[0030]

[0037] As described above, orientation error 220 may be determined based on the angle formed between flat portion 222 and flat portion 224. In some embodiments, target orientation 218 in the processing chamber may not include orientation error 220 (i.e., there is no difference between the angle of flat portion 222 and the angle of flat portion 224).

[0031]

[0038] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an exemplary initial target orientation 314 and an exemplary corrected target orientation 316 of an edge ring 312 in an aligner station 310 of an electronic processing system, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As previously described, the edge ring 312 may typically be aligned to the initial target orientation 314 by the aligner station. The edge ring 312 may initially have some angular error that may occur during placement of the edge ring on a container (e.g., a FOUP), transportation of the container, and / or installation of the container at a factory interface. The aligner station may eliminate such error by aligning the edge ring 312 to the initial target orientation 314. In one example, the initial target orientation 314 may include a flat portion of the edge ring 312 aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of an end effector that picks up the edge ring 312 from the aligner station.

[0032]

[0039] As described above, moving the edge ring from the aligner station to the destination processing chamber may introduce some characteristic error (e.g., angular error) into the edge ring 312. Therefore, the aligner station 310 may intentionally introduce the inverse of the characteristic error into the orientation of the edge ring 312 during the alignment process. The initial target orientation adjusted by the characteristic error may correspond to the corrected target orientation 316. Therefore, by introducing the inverse of the characteristic error into the edge ring during alignment, the intentionally introduced error cancels out the characteristic error, so that the edge ring finally placed in the processing chamber does not have the characteristic error. In some embodiments, the aligner 310 may rotate the edge ring 312 along the yaw axis 318 to position the edge ring 312 in the corrected target orientation 316. In some embodiments, the aligner 310 may position the edge ring 312 in the corrected target orientation 316 based on an alignment recipe stored in a controller, such as the system controller 132 described with reference to FIG. 1 .

[0033]

[0040] As described above, orientation errors are intentionally introduced into the edge ring using stored characteristic error values ​​during edge ring alignment. Each processing chamber may be associated with a unique characteristic error value that may differ from the characteristic error values ​​of other processing chambers. Furthermore, each load lock may be associated with a unique characteristic error value. Thus, an edge ring moved through a first load lock to a first processing chamber may have a different combined characteristic error value than an edge ring moved through a second load lock to the first processing chamber. A calibration procedure may be performed to determine the characteristic error value associated with each processing chamber (and / or each load lock or other station).

[0034]

[0041] 4 illustrates calibration of the aligner station 128 of the exemplary electronic processing system 100, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. A calibration object 410 may be placed in a target orientation in a processing chamber 114, 116, 118 of the electronic processing system 100. The target orientation in the processing chamber may be an orientation of the object (i.e., calibration object 410, substrate 102, etc.) in the processing chamber 114, 116, 118 that meets or exceeds a threshold accuracy (i.e., includes an orientation error that exceeds a threshold orientation error). For example, the target orientation may be an orientation of the object that is accurate to within 0.001°. In some embodiments, the target orientation in the processing chamber may be the same as the target orientation 218 described with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0035]

[0042] In some embodiments, the calibration object 410 may be at least one of a calibration ring, a calibration wafer, or a standard edge ring (process kit ring). The calibration ring may be a custom-designed ring configured to fit around a substrate support assembly of the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 so that the calibration ring has a target orientation at the substrate support assembly within a target accuracy (e.g., to an accuracy of 0.0001°). Similarly, the calibration wafer may be a custom-designed process wafer configured to fit in, on, over, or around the support assembly so that the calibration wafer has a target orientation at the substrate support assembly within a target accuracy, or so that the orientation of the wafer relative to the target orientation within a target accuracy can be determined. In some embodiments, at least one of the calibration ring, edge ring, or calibration wafer is placed in a target orientation in the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 by an operator of the electronic processing system 100.

[0036]

[0043] In some embodiments, the substrate support assembly may include one or more coupling components, such as lift pins. The calibration object 410 may include one or more coupling receivers configured to engage with one or more coupling components of the substrate support assembly. In some embodiments, the one or more coupling receivers may be kinematic coupling receivers. In some embodiments, the calibration object 410 may be placed on the substrate support assembly of the processing chambers 114, 116, and 118 by the transfer chamber robot 112. When placed on the substrate support assembly, the calibration object 410 may have an orientation error, such as the orientation error 220 described with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B. Depending on the placement of the calibration object 410 on the substrate support assembly, each coupling component of the substrate support assembly may engage with a corresponding coupling receiver. By engaging each coupling component with a corresponding coupling receiver, the orientation error associated with the calibration object 410 may be eliminated and the calibration object 410 may be positioned in a target orientation. In some embodiments, the calibration object 410 may be a calibration wafer.

[0037]

[0044] In some embodiments, the calibration object 410 may be a calibration ring made of a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, and the substrate support assembly may have a second coefficient of thermal expansion. In some embodiments, the second coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate support assembly may be lower than the first coefficient of thermal expansion of the calibration object 410. In some embodiments, the calibration object 410 may be placed on the substrate support assembly of the processing chamber 114, 116, 118 by the transfer chamber robot 112. When placed on the substrate support assembly, the calibration ring may have an orientation error, as illustrated in FIG. 2A . Depending on the placement of the calibration object 410 on the substrate support assembly, the interior of the processing chamber 114, 116, 118 may be heated. As a result of the heating of the interior of the processing chamber 114, 116, 118, the calibration object 410 may expand more than the substrate support assembly, which may cause a change in the orientation of the calibration object 410 and eliminate the orientation error. The interior of the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 may be cooled, and the calibration object 410 may have a target orientation after cooling.

[0038]

[0045] In some embodiments, the calibration object 410 may be a process kit ring used during substrate processing in the processing chambers 114, 116, 118. The process kit ring may be placed on the substrate support assembly of the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 by the transfer chamber robot 112. When placed on the substrate support assembly, the process kit ring may have orientation errors, as described with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0039]

[0046] After the calibration object 410 is placed in the target orientation in the processing chambers 114, 116, and 118, the transfer chamber robot 112 may retrieve the calibration object 410 from the processing chambers 114, 116, and 118 and place it in the load lock 120 connected to the transfer chamber 110. The factory interface robot 126 may retrieve the calibration object 410 from the load lock 120 and place it in the aligner station 128. The calibration object 410 may be placed in the aligner station 128 in a first orientation. The first orientation may include a characteristic error associated with the processing chamber. For example, the first orientation may include the reciprocal of a characteristic error that would be introduced if the edge ring were aligned to an initial target orientation in the aligner station 128 and then moved to a processing chamber.

[0040]

[0047] Upon placement of the calibration object 410 in the aligner station 128, a difference between the first orientation and an initial target orientation at the aligner station can be determined. The initial target orientation at the aligner can be an orientation of the object (i.e., the calibration object 410, the substrate 102) that should nominally be positioned in a target orientation when the object is received in the processing chamber 114, 116, 118 upon transfer of the object from the aligner station 128 to the processing chamber 114, 116, 118. However, due to characteristic errors, the object oriented in the initial target orientation at the aligner station will not have the target orientation in the processing chamber.

[0041]

[0048] The difference between the first orientation and the initial target orientation may indicate a first characteristic error value (or the reciprocal of the characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber 114, 116, 118) associated with the processing chamber 114, 116, 118. The characteristic error value may quantify a characteristic orientation error associated with the processing chamber 114, 116, 118. The characteristic error value may be recorded in a storage medium (i.e., a data storage device of the system controller 132). In some embodiments, the characteristic error value may be read from the storage medium and used by the system controller 132 for alignment of an object placed in the processing chamber 114, 116, 118 associated with the characteristic error value, as described above.

[0042]

[0049] In addition to determining characteristic error values ​​associated with the processing chambers 114, 116, and 118, characteristic errors associated with one or more stations of the electronic processing system (i.e., load lock 120, load port 124, etc.) can be determined. For example, the calibration object 410 can be aligned to a target orientation in the load lock, retrieved by the factory interface robot 126, and placed in a second orientation at the aligner station 128. A difference between the second orientation and the initial target orientation can be determined. This difference can indicate an orientation error caused by the characteristic error value of the load lock 120. The characteristic error value of the load lock can be recorded in a storage medium. In some embodiments, the characteristic error values ​​and the characteristic error value of the load lock described above can be read from the storage medium and used by the system controller 132 to align objects placed in the processing chambers 114, 116, and 118 after being placed in the load lock 120. The same (and / or similar) process can be performed to determine a characteristic error value associated with the load port 124. In some embodiments, a single load lock is used to transport the edge ring to the processing chamber, and therefore, in such embodiments, the property error value associated with the processing chamber may also include any property error value attributable to the single load lock.

[0043]

[0050] In some embodiments, the target object may be an edge ring. An initial correction target alignment may be determined depending on a calibration performed on the edge ring in the aligner station 128. One or more robot arms (e.g., the factory interface robot 126 and / or the transfer chamber robot 112) may transfer the edge ring to a destination processing chamber 114, 116, 118 and precisely position the edge ring in a target orientation in the processing chamber. In other or similar embodiments, the target object may be a process kit ring. The process kit ring may be retrieved from a storage location, such as a substrate carrier 122 (e.g., a FOUP), by the factory interface robot 126. The process kit ring may be placed in the aligner station 128 by the factory interface robot 126. In some embodiments, it may be determined that the process kit ring will be placed in a particular processing chamber 114, 116, 118. For example, it may be determined that the process kit ring will be placed in the processing chamber 116. In an additional embodiment, a determination may be made that a process kit ring will be placed in a particular load lock 120 prior to being placed in a processing chamber 116. In response to determining that a process kit ring will be placed in a processing chamber 116 and, optionally, a particular load lock 120, a first characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber 116 and / or a second characteristic error value associated with the load lock 120 may be read from the storage medium. The process kit ring may be aligned to a corrected target orientation using at least the first characteristic error value and the second characteristic error value. The corrected target orientation may be based on an initial target orientation adjusted by at least the first characteristic error value and / or the second characteristic error value. In response to aligning the process kit ring to the corrected target orientation, the factory interface robot 126 may retrieve the process kit ring from the aligner station 128 and place it in the load lock 120. The transfer chamber robot 112 may then retrieve the process kit ring from the load lock 120 and place it in the processing chamber 116.In some embodiments, the process kit ring can be positioned in a target orientation within the processing chamber 116 to within about 0.1° to 0.0000001°. In some embodiments, the process kit ring can be positioned in a target orientation within the processing chamber 116 to within about 0.001° to 0.00001°. In some embodiments, the process kit ring can be positioned in a target orientation within the processing chamber 115 to within 0.00001°.

[0044]

[0051] In some embodiments, a separate characteristic error value may be determined for each processing chamber 114, 116, 118, according to the embodiments described above. For example, a first characteristic error value may be associated with processing chamber 116. A third characteristic error value associated with processing chamber 114 may be similarly determined.

[0045]

[0052] 5 illustrates another calibration of the aligner station 128 of the exemplary electronic processing system 100 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. A calibration object 410 may be placed in the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 of the electronic processing system 100. The calibration object 410 may be a process kit ring, a process wafer, or a process kit ring used during substrate processing. In some embodiments, the calibration object 410 may be placed on the substrate support assembly of the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 by an operator of the electronic processing system 100. In other embodiments, the calibration object 410 may be placed on the substrate support assembly by the factory interface robot 126.

[0046]

[0053] In some embodiments, the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 may include a first camera 510. The first camera 510 may be configured to capture one or more images indicative of the orientation of a calibration object disposed on a substrate support assembly of the processing chambers 114, 116, 118. The first camera 510 may be a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera and / or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera. Alternatively, the first camera 510 may include an X-ray emitter (e.g., an X-ray laser) and an X-ray detector. In some embodiments, the first camera 510 may be a component of the calibration object 410. For example, the calibration object may be a camera wafer, and the first camera 510 may be a component of the camera wafer. In some embodiments, the aligner station 128 may include a second camera 520. The second camera 520 may be configured to capture one or more images indicative of the orientation of an object disposed on the aligner station 128. The second camera 520 may be a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera and / or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera. Alternatively, the first camera 510 may include an X-ray emitter (e.g., an X-ray laser) and an X-ray detector. In some embodiments, at least one of the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 or the aligner 128 may be opened to install the first camera 510 or the second camera 520, respectively.

[0047]

[0054] The first camera 510 may capture a first calibration object image. The first calibration object image may indicate a first orientation of the calibration object within the processing chambers 114, 116, 118. In response to capturing the first calibration object image, the transfer chamber robot 112 may retrieve the calibration object 410 from the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 and place the calibration object 410 in the load lock 120. In response to placing the calibration object 410 in the load lock 120, the factory interface robot 126 retrieves the calibration object 410 from the load lock 120 and places it in the aligner station 128 in a second orientation.

[0048]

[0055] Based on the second orientation of the calibration object 410 at the aligner station 128 and the first orientation shown in the first calibration object image, a characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber 114, 116, 118 can be determined. The first orientation of the calibration object 410 can be determined by performing image processing on the first calibration object image. For example, the calibration object 410 can have a known shape and / or can include one or more registration features (e.g., flats, notches, fiducials, etc.). Image processing can be performed to determine the orientation of the one or more registration features. In some embodiments, a Hough transform can be performed to determine the orientation of the one or more registration features. Using the Hough transform and prior knowledge of the object's shape (e.g., flats on the object), the orientation of the flats can be determined. Other standard image processing techniques, such as edge detection, gradient calculations, voting algorithms, and Orientation Fast and Rotation Brief (ORB) image processing techniques, can be used to determine the orientation of the object.

[0049]

[0056] A first orientation error may be determined associated with a first orientation of the calibration object 410 shown in the first calibration object image by comparing the orientation of the flat portion determined for the first calibration object image to the orientation of static components of the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 according to the embodiment described with respect to Figures 2A and 2B.

[0050]

[0057] In some embodiments, a second calibration object image may be captured at the aligner station 128 by the second camera 320, the second calibration object image indicating a second orientation of the calibration object 410 at the aligner station 128. The second orientation of the calibration object 410 at the aligner station 128 may be determined by performing image processing on the second calibration object image according to previously described embodiments. A second orientation error associated with the second orientation of the calibration object 410 shown in the second calibration object image may be determined according to previously described embodiments. A difference between the first orientation error and the second orientation error may be determined. The difference between the first orientation error and the second orientation error may indicate a characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber 114, 116, 118. The characteristic error value may be recorded in a storage medium (i.e., a data storage device of the system controller 132 or the motion controller 134). In some embodiments, the characteristic error value may be read from the storage medium by the system controller 132 and used to align an object placed in the process chamber 114, 116, 118 associated with the characteristic error value.

[0051]

[0058] In some embodiments, a first boundary limit for a set of orientations and a set of positions within the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 can be determined. The first boundary limit can indicate one or more sets of orientations of the object in the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 that satisfy a target orientation threshold. The calibration object 410 can be positioned at each of the sets of orientations and at each of the sets of positions. Each orientation in the set of orientations can be different from the target orientation of the calibration object 410 in the processing chambers 114, 116, 118; for example, the calibration object 410 can be positioned in the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 at a first orientation where the difference between the first orientation and the target orientation is approximately 0.01°. The calibration object 410 can also be positioned at a second orientation where the difference between the second orientation and the target orientation is approximately 0.1°. A first camera 510 may capture a set of calibration object images, each calibration object image showing one orientation from a set of orientations and one position from a set of positions.

[0052]

[0059] In some embodiments, each calibration object image may be processed according to the previously described embodiments. Based on each processed calibration object image, a set of orientation errors may be determined, and each orientation error may correspond to an orientation of the calibration object shown in the orientation object image. A first boundary limit may be determined based on the set of orientation errors. The first boundary limit may be used to set an orientation error threshold. The orientation error threshold may indicate an orientation in which an object placed in that orientation within the processing chamber 114, 116, 118 would be mispositioned.

[0053]

[0060] In response to determining the first boundary limits of the sets of orientations and positions in the processing chambers 114, 116, and 118, second boundary limits of the sets of orientations and positions in the aligner station 128 can be determined. The second boundary limits can indicate a set of object orientations in the aligner station 128 that meets an initial target orientation threshold (e.g., such that an edge ring that falls within the second boundary limit when placed in the processing chamber also falls within the first boundary limit). The second boundary condition can be determined by recording a first orientation and / or position of the calibration object in the processing chamber using a first calibration object image (which can have zero orientation and / or position error), placing the calibration object in the aligner station, and recording a second orientation and / or position of the calibration object in the aligner station using a second calibration object image. Each orientation and / or position can include a corresponding orientation and / or position error. The first boundary condition for the first orientation and / or position can be known. Thus, the second boundary conditions may be mapped around the second orientation and / or position based on a known relationship between the first orientation and / or position and the first boundary conditions.

[0054]

[0061] Once the used edge rings are removed from the processing chamber, they are placed on the aligner station 128, and the orientation and / or position of the used edge rings on the aligner station can be determined. The orientation and / or position can then be compared to a second boundary condition that was associated with the processing chamber. If the orientation and / or position deviates from the second boundary condition, a determination can be made that the processing chamber should undergo maintenance and / or an error can be generated.

[0055]

[0062] As previously described, in some embodiments, the first camera 510 may be a component of the calibration object 410. In such embodiments, the first camera 510 may capture a first calibration object image indicative of a first orientation of the calibration object 410 in the processing chamber 114, 116, 118 according to previously described embodiments. The first calibration object image may be processed according to previously described embodiments. Based on the processed first calibration object image, a first orientation error may be determined. The calibration object may be moved to an aligner station, where a second calibration object image may be captured by the first camera 510. Based on the processed second calibration object image, a second orientation error may be determined. A difference between the first orientation error and the second orientation error may be determined. This difference may correspond to a characteristic error value of the processing chamber.

[0056]

[0063] 6-8 are flow diagrams of various embodiments of methods 600-800 for calibrating an aligner in an electronic processing system. The methods are performed by processing logic, which may include hardware (circuitry, dedicated logic, etc.), software (such as running on a general-purpose computer system or a dedicated machine), firmware, or some combination thereof. Some of the methods 600-800 may be performed by a computing device, such as the system controller 132 or motion controller 134 of FIG. 1, which controls a robotic arm.

[0057]

[0064] For ease of explanation, the methods are depicted and described as a series of acts. However, acts according to the present disclosure may occur in various orders and / or simultaneously, and with other acts not shown and described herein. Moreover, not all illustrated acts may be performed to implement a methodology according to the disclosed subject matter. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that the methodology could alternatively be represented as a series of interrelated states via a state diagram or events.

[0058]

[0065] 6 illustrates a method 600 for calibrating an aligner of an electronic processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In block 610, a calibration object may be removed from a processing chamber connected to the transfer chamber by a first robot arm of the transfer chamber. The calibration object may have a target orientation within the processing chamber. In some embodiments, the calibration object may be at least one of a calibration ring, a calibration wafer, or a process kit ring. The calibration object may be placed in the processing chamber according to previously described embodiments. In block 620, the calibration object may be placed in a load lock connected to the transfer chamber by a first robot arm. In block 630, the calibration object may be removed from the load lock by a second robot arm of the factory interface connected to the load lock.

[0059]

[0066] In block 640, the calibration object may be placed in a first orientation by a second robotic arm in an aligner station housed in or connected to the factory interface. In block 650, a difference between the first orientation in the aligner station and an initial target orientation in the aligner station may be determined. In block 660, a characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber may be determined. In block 670, the characteristic error value may be recorded in a storage medium. In response to the object being accepted by the aligner station for placement in the processing chamber, the characteristic error value is received from the storage medium. The aligner station may move the object to position it in the target orientation based on the characteristic error value.

[0060]

[0067] 7 illustrates another method for calibrating an aligner station of a processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In block 710, a calibration object may be placed in a processing chamber. The calibration object may be at least one of a calibration ring, a calibration wafer, or a process kit ring. The calibration object may be placed in the processing chamber according to previously described embodiments. In block 720, a first calibration object image indicating a first orientation of the calibration object may be captured by a first camera in the processing chamber. In block 730, the calibration object may be removed from the processing chamber by a first robot arm of a transfer chamber connected to the processing chamber. In block 740, the calibration object may be placed in a load lock connected to the transfer chamber by the first robot arm. In block 750, the calibration object may be removed from the load lock by a second robot arm of a factory interface connected to the load lock.

[0061]

[0068] In block 760, the calibration object may be placed in a second orientation by a second robotic arm in an aligner station housed in or connected to the factory interface. In block 780, a characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber may be determined. The characteristic error value may be determined based on the second orientation and the first orientation shown in the first calibration object image. In block 790, the characteristic error value may be stored in a storage medium. In response to the object being accepted by the aligner station for placement in the processing chamber, the characteristic error value may be received from the storage medium. The aligner station may move the object to position it in the target orientation based on the characteristic error value.

[0062]

[0069] 8 illustrates a method for placing a process kit ring in a target orientation in a processing chamber based on a determined characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In block 810, a controller operably coupled to the first robot arm, the second robot arm, and the aligner station may cause the second robot arm to pick up a first process kit ring from a storage location and place the first process kit ring in the aligner station. In block 820, it may be determined that the first process kit ring is to be placed in a first processing chamber of a plurality of processing chambers.

[0063]

[0070] In block 830, the controller may cause the first process kit to be aligned at the aligner station using the first characteristic error value. The first characteristic error value may be associated with the first processing chamber according to previously described embodiments. The aligner station may align the first process kit to a corrected target orientation based on the initial target orientation adjusted by the first characteristic error value.

[0064]

[0071] In block 840, the controller may cause the second robot arm to pick up the first process kit ring from the aligner station and place the first process kit ring in the load lock. In block 850, the controller may cause the first robot arm to pick up the first process kit ring from the load lock and place the first process kit ring in the first processing chamber. The first process kit ring may be placed in the first processing chamber at approximately the target orientation within the first processing chamber.

[0065]

[0072] The foregoing description sets forth numerous specific details, such as examples of particular systems, components, methods, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least some embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known components or methods are not described in detail or are presented in simple block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Thus, the specific details described are merely exemplary. Particular implementations may differ from these example details and still be considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0066]

[0073] References throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of phrases such as "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or." When the terms "about" or "approximately" are used herein, they are intended to mean that the stated nominal value is accurate to within ±10%.

[0067]

[0074] Although the steps of the methods herein have been shown and described in a particular order, the order of the steps of each method may be changed such that certain steps may be performed in reverse order, thereby at least partially concurrently with other steps. In other embodiments, the indications of separate steps or substeps may be intermittent and / or alternating.

[0068]

[0075] It should be understood that the above description is illustrative and not limiting. Many other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims

1. removing, by a first robot arm of a transfer chamber, a calibration object having a target orientation within a processing chamber from the processing chamber connected to the transfer chamber; placing the calibration object in a load lock connected to the transfer chamber by the first robotic arm; removing the calibration object from the load lock by a second robotic arm of a factory interface connected to the load lock; placing, by the second robotic arm, the calibration object at an aligner station housed in or connected to the factory interface, the calibration object having a first orientation at the aligner station; determining a difference between the first orientation at the aligner station and an initial target orientation at the aligner station, the initial target orientation at the aligner station being related to the target orientation in the processing chamber; determining a first characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber based on the difference between the first orientation and the initial target orientation; recording the first characteristic error value in a storage medium, wherein the aligner station uses the first characteristic error value to align an object disposed in the processing chamber; and A method comprising:

2. retrieving a process kit ring from a storage location with the second robotic arm; placing the process kit ring at the aligner station by the second robot arm; determining that the process kit ring is positioned within the processing chamber; aligning the process kit ring using the first characteristic error value, wherein the aligner station aligns the process kit ring to a corrected target orientation based on the initial target orientation adjusted by the first characteristic error value; removing the process kit ring from the aligner with the second robot arm; placing the process kit ring in the load lock; removing the process kit ring from the load lock with the first robotic arm; placing the process kit ring within the processing chamber by the first robot arm, the process kit ring disposed within the processing chamber having approximately the target orientation within the processing chamber; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the process kit ring disposed within the processing chamber has the target orientation within the processing chamber to within 0.00001 degrees.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calibration object is a calibration ring.

5. The substrate support of the processing chamber includes one or more coupling components, the calibration object includes one or more coupling receptacles, and the method further comprises:

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: placing the calibration object in the processing chamber by the first robot arm before removing the calibration object from the processing chamber; and wherein, in response to the calibration object being placed on the substrate support in the processing chamber, each coupling part engages with a coupling receptacle, thereby positioning the calibration object in the target orientation.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the calibration object comprises a calibration wafer, the one or more coupling components comprise one or more lift pins, and the one or more coupling receivers comprise kinematic coupling receivers.

7. The calibration object includes a calibration ring constructed from a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, and the substrate support of the processing chamber has a second coefficient of thermal expansion lower than the first coefficient of thermal expansion, and the method further comprises: positioning the calibration ring around the substrate support within the processing chamber with the first robot arm prior to removing the calibration ring from the processing chamber, wherein the calibration ring has an orientation error associated with the first characteristic error value when positioned within the processing chamber; heating the interior of the processing chamber, wherein in response to the heating, the calibration ring expands more than the substrate support, causing a change in orientation of the calibration ring to eliminate the orientation error; cooling the interior of the processing chamber, wherein after cooling, the calibration ring has the target orientation within the processing chamber; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

8. placing the calibration object in the load lock with the second robotic arm; removing the calibration object from the load lock by the second robotic arm; placing the calibration object at the aligner station by the second robotic arm, the calibration object having a second orientation at the aligner station; determining a difference between the first orientation at the aligner station and the second orientation at the aligner station; determining a second characteristic error value associated with the load lock based on the difference between the first orientation and the second orientation; recording the second characteristic error value in the storage medium, wherein the aligner station further uses the second characteristic error value in aligning an object placed in the load lock before being placed in the processing chamber; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

9. placing a calibration object in a processing chamber; capturing, with a first camera in the processing chamber, a first calibration object image indicative of a first orientation of the calibration object within the processing chamber; removing the calibration object from the processing chamber by a first robotic arm of a transfer chamber connected to the processing chamber; placing the calibration object in a load lock connected to the transfer chamber by the first robotic arm; removing the calibration object from the load lock by a second robotic arm of a factory interface connected to the load lock; placing, by the second robotic arm, the calibration object at an aligner station housed in or connected to the factory interface, the calibration object having a second orientation at the aligner station; determining a characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber based on the second orientation and the first orientation shown in the first calibration object image; recording the characteristic error values ​​on a recording medium, wherein the aligner station uses the characteristic error values ​​to align an object disposed in the processing chamber; and A method comprising:

10. Determining the characteristic error value comprises: capturing a second calibration object image with a second camera at the aligner station, the second calibration object image being indicative of the second orientation of the calibration object; determining a first orientation error associated with the first orientation shown in the first calibration object image; determining a second orientation error associated with the second orientation shown in the second calibration object image; determining a difference between the first orientation error and the second orientation error; 10. The method of claim 9, comprising:

11. placing the calibration object in a plurality of orientations and a plurality of positions within the processing chamber; capturing, with the first camera, calibration object images illustrating each of the plurality of orientations and each of the plurality of positions of the calibration object; determining first boundary limits of the plurality of orientations and the plurality of positions within the processing chamber; determining second boundary limits for the plurality of orientations and the plurality of positions at the aligner station based on the characteristic error values; The method of claim 10 further comprising:

12. retrieving a process kit ring from a storage location with the second robotic arm; placing the process kit ring at the aligner station by the second robot arm; determining that the process kit ring is positioned within the processing chamber; aligning the process kit ring using the characteristic error value, wherein the aligner station aligns the process kit ring to a corrected target orientation based on an initial target orientation adjusted by the characteristic error value; removing the process kit ring from the aligner with the second robot arm; placing the process kit ring in the load lock; removing the process kit ring from the load lock with the first robotic arm; placing the process kit ring within the processing chamber by the first robot arm, the process kit ring disposed within the processing chamber having an approximately target orientation within the processing chamber; The method of claim 9 further comprising:

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first camera is a component of the calibration object.

14. 1. An electronic processing system comprising: a transfer chamber including a first robotic arm; a plurality of processing chambers connected to the transfer chamber; a load lock connected to the transfer chamber; a factory interface connected to the load lock and including a second robot arm and an aligner station; a controller operatively connected to the first robotic arm, the second robotic arm, and the aligner station; Equipped with The controller causing the second robot arm to pick up a first process kit ring from a storage location and place the first process kit ring at the aligner station; determining that the first process kit ring is disposed in a first processing chamber of the plurality of processing chambers; aligning the first process kit ring at the aligner station using a first characteristic error value associated with the first processing chamber, the aligner station aligning the first process kit ring to a corrected target orientation based on an initial target orientation adjusted by the first characteristic error value; causing the second robot arm to pick up the first process kit ring from the aligner station and place the first process kit ring in the load lock; causing the first robot arm to pick up the first process kit ring from the load lock and place the first process kit ring in the first processing chamber, the first process kit ring placed in the first processing chamber having approximately a target orientation within the first processing chamber; An electronic processing system that performs the above.

15. 15. The electronic processing system of claim 14, wherein the first process kit ring disposed in the first processing chamber has the target orientation within the first processing chamber to within 0.0001 degrees.

16. To determine the first characteristic error value, the controller: causing the first robot arm to pick up a calibration object from the first processing chamber having a target orientation within the first processing chamber and place the calibration object in the load lock; causing the second robot arm to pick up the calibration object from the load lock and place the calibration object at the aligner station, the calibration object having a first orientation at the aligner station; determining a difference between the first orientation at the aligner station and an initial target orientation at the aligner station, the initial target orientation at the aligner station being related to the target orientation in the first processing chamber; determining the first characteristic error value associated with the first processing chamber based on the difference between the first orientation and the initial target orientation; recording the first characteristic error value in a storage medium of the controller; The electronic processing system of claim 14 .

17. The controller further comprises: causing the second robot arm to pick up a second process kit ring from the storage location and place the second process kit ring at the aligner station; determining that the second process kit ring is disposed in a second processing chamber of the plurality of processing chambers; aligning the second process kit ring at the aligner station using a second characteristic error value associated with the second processing chamber, the aligner station aligning the second process kit ring to a second corrected target orientation based on the initial target orientation adjusted by the second characteristic error value; causing the second robot arm to pick up the second process kit ring from the aligner station and place the second process kit ring in the load lock; causing the first robot arm to pick up the second process kit ring from the load lock and place the second process kit ring in the second processing chamber, the second process kit ring placed in the second processing chamber having approximately the target orientation within the second processing chamber; 17. The electronic processing system of claim 16,

18. the substrate support of the first processing chamber includes one or more coupling components, the calibration object includes one or more coupling receptacles, and the controller further causing the first robot arm to place the calibration object in the first processing chamber, wherein, in response to placing the calibration object on the substrate support of the first processing chamber, coupling components engage with coupling receptacles to place the calibration object in the target orientation; 17. The electronic processing system of claim 16,

19. 20. The electronic processing system of claim 18, wherein the calibration object comprises a calibration wafer, the one or more coupling components comprise one or more lift pins, and the one or more coupling receivers comprise kinematic coupling receivers.

20. the calibration object includes a calibration ring constructed of a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, and the substrate support of the first processing chamber has a second coefficient of thermal expansion lower than the first coefficient of thermal expansion, and the controller further comprises: and causing the first robot arm to position the calibration ring around the substrate support in the first processing chamber prior to removing the calibration ring from the first processing chamber, wherein the calibration ring has an orientation error associated with the first characteristic error value when positioned in the first processing chamber. heating the interior of the first processing chamber, wherein in response to the heating, the calibration ring expands more than the substrate support, causing a change in orientation of the calibration ring to eliminate the orientation error; allowing the interior of the first processing chamber to cool, wherein after the cooling, the calibration ring has the target orientation within the first processing chamber; 17. The electronic processing system of claim 16,

Images