Exchange signal transmission seal

Abstract

A seal for a substrate processing system includes a body composed of a base material, an outer surface, and a marker material disposed in at least one of the outer edge region of the seal on the outer surface of the seal, in a coating disposed over the entire base material within the body of the seal, and in the inner region of the seal. The marker material is different from the base material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications 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.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to seals for substrate processing systems.

Background Art

[0003] The description of the background art provided herein is intended to generally present the context of the present disclosure. The research of the inventors, as currently named, is not admitted as prior art to the present disclosure, either expressly or implicitly, to the extent that such description of their research, which is within the scope of their research described in this background art section, may not be considered as prior art at the time of filing.

[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 generally include a processing chamber having a substrate support (such as a pedestal, plate, etc.) disposed therein. The substrate support may include an electrostatic chuck (ESC). The substrate is disposed on the substrate support during processing.

[0005] During substrate processing, a gas mixture can be introduced into the processing chamber using a gas diffusion device such as a showerhead for processes such as etching, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), atomic layer etching (ALE), remote plasma clean (RCP) processes, etc. Radio frequency (RF) plasma can be used during processing to activate chemical reactions.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] ​A seal for a substrate processing system includes a body composed of a base material, an outer surface, and a marker material disposed in at least one of the entire base material within the body of the seal, in an outer edge region of the seal on the outer surface of the seal, and in an internal region of the seal. The marker material is different from the base material.

[0007] In other features, the base material includes a perfluoroelastomer, and the marker material does not include any of fluorine, carbon, and combinations of fluorine and carbon. The marker material does not include 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 is devoid of the marker material. As the radial distance from the center of the body of the seal varies, the concentration of the marker material across the body of the seal varies. The outer edge region of the seal is provided with the marker material, and the internal region of the seal is devoid of the marker material. The marker material is configured to perform at least one of reacting with materials present during processing performed within the substrate processing system to produce detectable by-products and reacting with components of the ambient air to indicate leakage.

[0008] A system for determining whether to replace a seal in a substrate processing system includes a detection device for detecting the amount of marker material shed from the seal, determining at least one of the cumulative amount of marker material released from the seal and the amount of wear of the seal based on the detected amount of marker material released from the seal, and selectively outputting a signal indicating that the seal should be replaced based on at least one of the cumulative amount of marker material and the amount of wear of the seal, and a wear analysis module for performing the above.

[0009] In other features, the detection device is an infrared detection device arranged to detect a marker material from 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 arranged to detect a marker material from 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 spectroscopy device arranged to detect a marker material from 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 released 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 released 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 either any amount of the marker material being detected or the amount of the marker material being detected exceeding a failure threshold. The wear analysis module outputs the signal in response to the detected amount of the marker material decreasing below a threshold.

[0011] A method for determining whether to replace a seal in a substrate processing system includes detecting the amount of marker material released from the seal, determining at least one of the cumulative amount of the marker material released from the seal and the amount of wear of the seal based on the detected amount of the marker material released from the seal, and selectively outputting a signal indicating that the seal should be replaced based on at least one of the cumulative amount of the marker material and the amount of wear of the seal.

[0012] In other features, the method further includes detecting a marker material from at least one of a gas in a processing chamber of a 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 emission spectroscopy device. The method further includes determining a cumulative amount of the marker material released from the seal and outputting the signal in response to the cumulative amount of the marker material exceeding a threshold. The method further includes determining a cumulative amount of the marker material released from the seal, determining an amount of wear of the seal based on the cumulative amount of the marker material, and outputting the signal in response to the determined 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 being detected and outputting the signal in response to the detected amount of the marker material 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, injecting the marker material into the seal, and co-molding the seal with the marker material.

[0014] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims and the drawings herein. The detailed description and specific examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0015] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

[0017]

Figure 2A

[0018]

Figure 2B

[0019]

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

Figure 3D

Figure 3E

[0020]

Figure 4

[0021]

Figure 5

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and / or equivalent elements.

[0023] A substrate processing system includes various elastomeric seals for maintaining a desired pressure (e.g., a vacuum pressure) within a processing chamber, preventing leakage of a gas mixture between separate chambers / volumes and into the atmosphere, protecting components from exposure to plasma, etc.

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

[0025] Over time, the seals degrade due to exposure to plasma (e.g., fluorine and / or oxygen plasma), corrosive gas mixtures, and high temperatures. Thus, the seals will ultimately fail and need to be replaced. In some examples, the seals are replaced periodically (e.g., according to a preventive maintenance schedule). The maintenance schedule can be determined based on the best estimate of the component lifespan. Generally, the estimate of the component lifespan is conservative to minimize the risk of in-operation failure. Thus, the seals can ultimately be replaced well before the actual risk of failure, which can result in unnecessary downtime and premature replacement of costly seals.

[0026] The seals and methods according to the present disclosure are configured to indicate when a seal is approaching failure. In this way, the seals can be replaced before actual failure, but will not be replaced while they still have a significant remaining lifespan. In other words, premature replacement of the seals is minimized.

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

[0028] A detection system (e.g., an in-situ infrared detection system) is configured to detect the marker material in the gas within and / or exhausted from the processing chamber. For example, some substrate processing systems include a detection system configured to detect the concentration of various materials in the process gas exhausted from the 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. The remote plasma cleaning process can be stopped when the amount of silicon tetrafluoride decreases below a threshold indicating that the processing chamber is sufficiently clean. The detection system can be re-adjusted (e.g., periodically, during a certain period of each process, etc.) to detect the marker material emitted from the seal. The detected amount of the marker material exceeding 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 yet another example, emission spectroscopy can be used to detect the marker material.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an example of a substrate processing system 100 including a processing chamber 104. A substrate support (e.g., a pedestal) 108 is disposed within the processing chamber 104. A substrate 112 is disposed on the substrate support 108 during processing. A gas dispersion device such as a showerhead 116 is disposed above the substrate support 108 within the processing chamber 104.

[0031] A gas delivery system 120 includes gas sources 122-1, 122-2, ..., and 122-N (collectively gas sources 122) connected to valves 124-1, 124-2, ..., and 124-N (collectively valves 124), and mass flow controllers 126-1, 126-2, ..., and 126-N (collectively MFCs 126). The MFCs 126 control the flow rate of gas from the gas sources 122 to a manifold 128 where the gases are mixed. The output of the manifold 128 is supplied to the showerhead 116. The showerhead 116 includes an internal plenum and gas through-holes. The showerhead 116 introduces and disperses process gas into the processing chamber 104 through the gas through-holes.

[0032] An RF generation system 130 generates an RF voltage and outputs it to the showerhead 116 or the substrate support 108 (the other being 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, and the RF voltage is fed to the showerhead 116 or the substrate support 108 by a matching network 134. When process gas and RF power are supplied to the showerhead 116, plasma is generated.

[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). Also, molecular oxygen (O2) or molecular nitrogen (N2) can be used as a purge gas to prevent or minimize unwanted depositions in remote areas, such as the backside of the showerhead 116 and the walls and upper plate of the processing chamber 104.

[0034] The controller 150 controls the flow of process gases, monitors process parameters such as temperature, pressure, power, etc., and controls striking and extinguishing plasma, removal of reactants, etc. The controller 150 controls the gas delivery from the gas delivery system 120 to supply process gases and / or purge gases at set intervals during the process. The controller 150 uses the valve 160 and the pump 162 to control the pressure in the processing chamber 104 and / or the discharge of reactants. The controller 150 controls the temperature of the substrate support 108 and the substrate 112 based on temperature feedback from sensors (not shown) in the substrate support 108 and / or sensors (not shown) that measure the coolant temperature. A purge gas source 170 and corresponding valves can be used by the controller 150 to selectively supply a secondary purge gas.

[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, which generates plasma when the cleaning gas source 180 supplies a cleaning gas. Thus, 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, the supply of the pre-activated cleaning gas from the remote plasma generator 182 to clean the processing chamber 104.

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

[0037] The substrate processing system 100 includes various seals (not shown in FIG. 1) disposed within and / or between various components and enclosed volumes, such as within the gas lines, channels, and valves of the gas supply system, between the gas supply system and the processing chamber 104, between the processing chamber 104 and the atmosphere, and between the components within the processing chamber 104 and the processing volume (i.e., the plasma within the processing chamber 104).

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

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

[0040] Figures 2A and 2B show exemplary seals 200, 204, 208, and 212 that can be configured to indicate wear according to the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2A, seals 200 and 204 are disposed between portions of a gas delivery conduit 216. For example, gas delivery conduit 216 supplies a purge gas and / or a cleaning gas mixture to a channel 220 defined between a stem 224 of a showerhead (e.g., showerhead 116 of Figure 1) and a collar 228. For example, collar 228 is configured to attach stem 224 to a lid 232 of a processing chamber 104. In other examples, gas delivery conduit 216 supplies a gas mixture through stem 224. Seals 200 and 204 are disposed between lid 232 and collar 228, between separate portions of collar 228, etc. Seal 208 is disposed between collar 228 and lid 232 around stem 224.

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

[0042] Seals 200, 204, 208, and 212 are each exposed to various purge gases, cleaning gases, and / or process gases, as well as high temperatures. Over time, seals 200, 204, 208, and 212 degrade and ultimately need to be replaced. Seals 200, 204, 208, and 212 according to the present disclosure are configured to indicate when a seal is approaching failure. The placement of seals 200, 204, 208, and 212 is shown by way of example only, and the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented using seals at any location within substrate processing system 100.

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

[0044] In some examples, different seals may comprise different marker materials. In this way, detection system 192 can be configured to detect which seal is releasing the detected marker material. The marker material is selected according to the base material of seal 200 and materials generally used within substrate processing system 100. For example, the marker material is selected to be different, in particular, from the base material of seal 200 and materials generally used within substrate processing system 100. In other words, the marker material will only be detected in response to being released from the seal and will not be inadvertently detected in the gas mixture used during processing, purging, cleaning, etc. or otherwise present. As an example, if the process being implemented is an RPC process involving SiF4 by-products, the marker material does not include SiF4.

[0045] As an example, the seal 200 is an elastomeric seal that includes a perfluoroelastomer (e.g., FFKM perfluoroelastomer) and may contain both fluorine and carbon. The marker material may be non-reactive or minimally reactive with the components of the substrate processing system 100, the substrate, and the materials used in the gas mixture supplied to the substrate processing system 100. In other examples, the marker material is inherently reactive or volatile and / or reacts with process gases to produce volatile by-products to facilitate detection, such as by emission spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) detection, etc. In one example, the marker material may be configured to react with components of air (e.g., oxygen and / or nitrogen) to produce detectable by-products. In this way, if there is a leak of ambient air into the substrate processing system 100, detection of the by-products of the reaction between the marker material and the ambient air indicates the leak and the need to replace the seal 200.

[0046] As an example, the marker material is generally uniformly dispersed throughout the body of the seal 200. In other words, the marker material is dispersed throughout the base material of the seal 200. In another example, the marker material is dispersed only throughout the internal region of the seal 200 and is not present on or near the outer surface of the seal 200. Thus, none of the marker material is initially released from the seal 200. Instead, over time, the outer surface of the seal 200 corrodes without releasing the marker material. When a portion of the interior of the seal 200 is exposed (i.e., after the outer surface has worn away), the marker material can be released and then detected. In another example, an outer layer or coating without the marker material is disposed on the seal 200. After the coating has worn away, the marker material is exposed, released, and becomes detectable.

[0047] In yet another example, the interior of the seal 200 does not comprise a marker material. Instead, only the outer surface, the radially outer edge region adjacent to and / or including the outer surface, a coating disposed on the outer surface of the seal 200, etc. comprise the marker material. In an exemplary implementation, the marker material is first released from the seal and is detectable by the detection system 192. As the outer surface or coating wears away over time, the amount of marker material released can decrease. In other words, in some examples, a decrease in the amount of marker material below a threshold may indicate that the seal 200 should be replaced.

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

[0049] Various processes can be used to form the seal 200 with the marker material. In one example, the marker 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 marker material is directly introduced or injected into the base material. In yet another example (e.g., the example shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C), a co - forming process is used to form the seal 200 that includes the marker material. The formation of the seal 200 that includes the marker material is not limited to these exemplary processes, and other suitable processes can be used.

[0050] Figures 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 seal 300) according to the principles of the present disclosure. Seal 300 can be used at any of the locations shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B (i.e., corresponding to any of seals 200, 204, 208, and 212), and / or at any other location throughout substrate processing system 100. Although shown as having a generally circular cross-section (e.g., as an O-ring), seal 300 can have other suitable shapes.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3A, marker material 304 is generally uniformly dispersed throughout the body of seal 300-1. In other words, marker material 304 is dispersed throughout base material 312 of seal 300. As shown in FIG. 3B, marker material 304 is dispersed only throughout the interior region of seal 300-2 and is not present on or near outer surface 316 of seal 300-2.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3C, marker material 304 is generally uniformly dispersed throughout the body of seal 300-3. A coating 320 without marker material 304 is disposed on outer surface 316 of seal 300-3. As shown in FIG. 3D, the interior of seal 300-4 does not include marker material 304. Instead, only outer surface 316 of seal 300-4 includes marker material 304.

[0053] In other examples, the marker material 304 can be non-uniformly distributed across the entire body of the seal 300 in another manner. For example, as shown in FIG. 3E, as the radial distance from the center of the body of the seal 300-5 varies, the marker material 304 varies. As shown, as the distance from the outer surface 316 increases, the concentration of the marker material 304 increases. In other words, the concentration of the marker material 304 increases in the direction towards the center of the seal 300-5. In other examples, the concentration of the marker material 304 decreases in the direction towards the center of the seal 300-5. Thus, as the seal 300-5 wears over time, the amount of marker material 304 detected in a given sample can increase or decrease.

[0054] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary detection system 400 (e.g., corresponding to the detection system 192) according to the present disclosure. The components of the detection system 400 can be implemented in one or more controllers (e.g., the controller 150). In some examples, the detection system 400 can 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 the 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 spectroscopy device, or another device configured to detect materials in a gas mixture. In one example, all or a portion of the detection device 404 is disposed within the exhaust stream containing the gas 408. For example, the detection device 404 is disposed within an exhaust pipe or conduit configured to exhaust the gas 408 from the processing chamber 104. In other examples, the detection device 404 is arranged to capture an image of the gas 408 (e.g., through 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 marker material. In other examples, the detection device 404 can be adjusted to always detect the marker material (i.e., during all processes and cleans 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, ratio, etc.) of the marker material detected in the gas 408. The wear analysis module 412 is configured to calculate the 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 the cumulative wear value based on the detected amounts of the marker material for individual samples. For example, the wear analysis module 412 may correlate the cumulative amount of the detected marker material with the wear amount (e.g., wear rate) of the seal 300. When the wear amount of the seal 300 or the cumulative amount of the detected marker material exceeds a threshold value, the wear analysis module 412 selectively outputs (e.g., to the display 416) a signal indicating that the seal 300 should be replaced.

[0059] As described in the above Examples 3A - 3D, the wear analysis module 412 can be configured to indicate that the seal 300 should be replaced according to a 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 cumulative detected amount exceeds a threshold value. 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 detected amount of the marker material in a given sample is below a threshold value.

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

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

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

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

[0064] At 520, method 500 (e.g., wear analysis module 412) determines whether the seal should be indicated as needing to be replaced based on the detection signal. For example, wear analysis module 412 calculates the cumulative amount of the detected marker material, the amount of wear of the seal, etc., and determines whether the calculated amount exceeds a corresponding threshold. If true, method 500 proceeds to 524. If false, 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 generally be constant (e.g., within a certain percentage) over the life of seal 300. However, a failure event caused by excessive compression or other stresses (such as due to time, temperature, etc.) may cause a large increase in the amount of marker material detected. Accordingly, wear analysis module 412 may further determine whether the detected amount of marker material exceeds a failure event threshold. For example, the failure event threshold may be greater than (e.g., 150% or more) the average amount of marker material detected per sample over the life of seal 300.

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

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

[0068] The foregoing description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Accordingly, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It should be understood that one or more steps within a method may be executed in a different order (or concurrently) without altering the principles of the disclosure. Further, although each of the embodiments has been described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the disclosure can be implemented in and / or combined with any of the features of any of the other embodiments, whether or not such combination is explicitly described, and this is done even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and substituting one or more of the embodiments for one another remains within the scope of the disclosure.

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

[0070] In some implementations, the controller can be part of a system, which can be part of the examples described above. Such a system can comprise semiconductor processing equipment including one or more processing tools for processing, one or more chambers, one or more platforms, and / or certain processing components (such as wafer pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems can be integrated with electronics for controlling their operation before, during, and after the processing of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronics may be referred to as a "controller", which can control various components or sub - parts of one or more systems. The controller can be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, including delivery of processing gases, temperature setting (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure setting, vacuum setting, power setting, radio frequency (RF) generator setting, RF matching circuit setting, frequency setting, flow rate setting, fluid delivery setting, position and motion setting, wafer transfer including tools connected to or interfaced with a particular system and other transfer tools and / or load locks entering and exiting.

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

[0072] In some implementations, the controller can be part of a computer that is integrated with, coupled to, or networked to the system, or coupled to that computer, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller can be in the "cloud" or in all or part of a fab host computer system that enables remote access to wafer processing. The computer can monitor the current progress of the fabrication operation, examine the history of past fabrication operations, and examine trends or performance metrics from multiple fabrication operations to change the parameters of the current process, set the process steps to follow the current process, or initiate a new process, and can enable remote access to the system. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide a process recipe to the system over a network that can include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer can include a user interface that enables entry or programming of parameters and / or settings, and the parameters and / or settings are then communicated from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for each of the process steps to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters can 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 can be distributed, such as by comprising one or more individual controllers that are networked together and function towards a common purpose such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose would be one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that communicate with one or more remote integrated circuits (such as at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) that are combined to control the process on the chamber.

[0073] Although not limited, exemplary systems can include a plasma etching chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel edge etching chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etching (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that can be associated with or used in the fabrication and / or manufacture of semiconductor wafers.

[0074] As described above, depending on one or more process steps to be performed by the tool, the controller can communicate with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the factory, the main computer, another controller, or tools used in the transfer of the wafer container between 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 composed of a base material; an outer surface; a marker material disposed in 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 internal region of the seal; and the marker material being different from the base material, the seal.

2. The seal according to claim 1, wherein the base material includes a perfluoroelastomer and the marker material does not include any of fluorine, carbon, and combinations of fluorine and carbon, the seal.

3. The seal according to claim 2, wherein the marker material does not include materials used during processing performed in the substrate processing system, the seal.

4. The seal according to claim 1, wherein (i) 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 include the marker material, and (ii) as the radial distance from the center of the body of the seal varies, the concentration of the marker material across the body of the seal varies, the seal being one of these.

5. The seal according to claim 1, wherein the outer edge region of the seal includes the marker material and the internal region of the seal does not include the marker material, the seal.

6. The seal according to claim 1, wherein the marker material is configured to perform at least one of (i) reacting with materials present during processing performed within the substrate processing system to produce detectable by-products and (i) reacting with components of the ambient air to indicate leakage, the seal.

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 marker material released from the seal; determining at least one of (i) the cumulative amount of the marker material released from the seal and (ii) the amount of wear of the seal based on the detected amount of the marker material released from the seal; Selectively outputting a signal indicating that the seal should be replaced based on at least one of the cumulative amount of the marker material and the amount of wear of the seal; A wear analysis module for performing the above; A system comprising the above.

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

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

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

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

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the wear analysis module determines the cumulative amount of the marker material released 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 value.

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

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

15. A method for determining whether a seal should be replaced in a substrate processing system, the method comprising: detecting an amount of marker material released from the seal; determining at least one of (i) a cumulative amount of the marker material released from the seal and (ii) an amount of wear of the seal based on the detected amount of the marker material released from the seal; selectively outputting a signal indicating that the seal should be replaced based on at least one of the cumulative amount of the marker material and the amount of wear of the seal; A method comprising.

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

17. The method according to 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 emission spectroscopy device.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising determining the cumulative amount of the marker material released from the seal and outputting the signal in response to the cumulative amount of the marker material exceeding a threshold value.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising determining the cumulative amount of the marker material released from 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 determined amount of wear exceeding a threshold value.

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

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

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