Mapping of replacement parts storage containers

Abstract

To provide a method for detecting the positions of replacement parts stored in a replacement parts storage container, wafers, and empty carriers for replacement parts.SOLUTION: In the electronics processing system 100, the container 122 is received at the load port 120 and contains replacement parts for the processing chambers 114, 116, and 118. The robotic arm is moved according to a first mapping pattern to identify a location of one or more replacement parts in the container using a detection system at a distal end of an end effector of the robotic arm and to determine an area of the container that does not include the replacement parts. The robotic arm moves according to the second mapping pattern to identify, using the detection system, locations in the container of the empty carrier for the wafer or the replacement part within the area of the container that does not include the replacement part, and records a mapping of the locations of the one or more replacement parts and the location of at least one of the empty carrier or the wafer within the container in the storage medium.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and systems for detecting and mapping the condition of replacement parts storage containers.

[0002] An electronics handling system may include one or more load ports for receiving storage containers (e.g., Front Opening Unified Pods (FOUPs)) that house substrates (e.g., wafers). Within a FOUP, a mapping routine may be performed to determine which slots contain substrates and which do not. However, if the FOUP contains objects other than substrates, a collision may occur, potentially resulting in damage to the robot arm, the FOUP, and / or the objects within the FOUP.

[0003] Some of the described embodiments include receiving a container configured to hold replacement parts for a processing chamber of the electronic processing system at a load port of a factory interface of the electronic processing system. The method further includes moving a robot arm through a first mapping pattern to identify the locations of one or more replacement parts within the container. The robot arm identifies the locations using a detection system at a distal end of an end effector of the robot arm. The detection system includes an output component and a sensing component. The detection system detects the object in response to the object interrupting a beam directed from the output component to the sensing component. The method further includes determining an area of ​​the container that does not contain the replacement parts. The method further includes moving the robot arm through a second mapping pattern to identify the locations of at least one of wafers or empty carriers for the replacement parts within the container within the area that does not contain the replacement parts. The locations are identified using the detection system at the distal end of the end effector. The method further includes recording a mapping of the locations of the one or more replacement parts within the container and the locations of at least one of the empty carriers or wafers to a storage medium.

[0004] In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a container configured to house a replacement part for a processing chamber of the electronic processing system at a load port of a factory interface of the electronic processing system. The method further includes determining, using a detection system at a distal end of an end effector of the robot arm, whether the container is configured to house a replacement process kit ring for the processing chamber. The detection system includes an output component and a sensing component. The detection system detects the object in response to the object blocking a beam directed from the output component to the sensing component. The method further includes executing a first container mapping recipe in response to determining that the container is configured to house the replacement process kit ring. The first container mapping recipe includes the steps of moving the robot arm through a first mapping pattern and using a detection system at the distal end of the end effector to identify the locations of one or more replacement process kit rings within the container, determining areas of the container that do not contain replacement process kit rings, moving the robot arm through a second mapping pattern and using a detection system at the distal end of the end effector to identify the locations of empty carriers for wafers or process kit rings within at least one container, and recording in a storage medium a mapping of the locations of the replacement process kit rings within the container and the locations of at least one of the empty carriers or wafers.

[0005] In some embodiments, the electronic device processing system includes a factory interface including a robot arm. The robot arm includes a detection system at a distal end of an end effector of the robot arm. The detection system includes an output component and a sensing component. The detection system detects the object in response to the object intercepting a beam directed from the output component to the sensing component. The electronic device processing system further includes a load port connected to the factory interface. The electronic device processing system further includes a container connected to the load port. The electronic device processing system further includes a controller operably connected to the robot arm. The controller determines whether the container is configured to store a replacement part for a processing chamber of the electronic device processing system. The controller then moves the robot arm through a first mapping pattern and identifies locations within the container using the detection system at the distal end of the end effector of the robot arm. The controller further determines areas of the container that do not contain the replacement part. The controller further moves the robot arm through a second mapping pattern and identifies locations within the container of at least one of wafers or empty carriers for the replacement part using the detection system at the distal end of the end effector. Additionally, the controller records in the storage medium a mapping of the locations of the replacement parts within the container and the locations of the empty carriers and / or wafers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate like elements. It should be noted that different references to "one" or "an" embodiment in the present disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. [Figure 1] 1 is a top schematic view of an example electronic device processing system, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of an example replacement parts storage container according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a top view of a validation wafer, a process kit ring carrier, and a process kit ring disposed on the process kit ring carrier, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a top view of a detection system at the distal end of an end effector of a robotic arm, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] 1 illustrates a first mapping pattern for identifying locations of replacement parts in a first portion of a replacement part storage container according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] 10 illustrates a second mapping pattern for identifying locations of empty carriers for wafers or replacement parts in a second portion of a replacement part storage container according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart of a method for detecting the location of a replacement part, wafer, or empty carrier for a replacement part stored in a replacement part storage container, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart of a method for determining whether a replacement part storage container is configured to store a replacement process kit ring, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of another method for detecting the location of a replacement part, wafer, or empty carrier for a replacement part stored in a replacement part storage container, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 shows an illustration of a machine, an exemplary form of a computing device, capable of executing a set of instructions to cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods described herein. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0007] Embodiments described herein relate to methods and systems for detecting and mapping objects stored in a replacement part storage container. The replacement part storage container can store one or more replacement parts to replace used parts in one or more stations of an electronic processing system. In some embodiments, the replacement part storage container can be a process kit ring enclosure system that stores one or more replacement process kit rings (also referred to as edge rings). The replacement process kit rings can replace used process kit rings in processing chambers of the electronic processing system. In some embodiments, the replacement parts can be placed on a replacement part carrier. For example, process kit rings stored in the process kit enclosure system can be placed on a process kit ring carrier. Also, empty replacement part carriers (i.e., replacement part carriers without replacement parts) can be stored in the process kit ring enclosure system. Additionally, additional objects can be stored in the replacement part storage container. For example, placement verification wafers (i.e., wafers with cameras, wafers with optical reflectance detectors, etc.) can be stored in the process kit ring enclosure system.

[0008] Each object stored in the replacement part storage container can be stored in a section (i.e., slot) of the replacement part storage container. Each slot in the replacement part storage container can be formed by one or more sets of support fins configured to support each object within the replacement part storage container. The objects stored in the replacement part storage container can be removed from the replacement part storage container by an end effector of a robot arm. The end effector can be configured to lift and handle a particular object (e.g., wafer, process kit ring, and / or process kit ring carrier, etc.).

[0009] Occasionally, one or more objects may be improperly stored in a replacement part storage container. For example, an object may be cross-slotted between two slots in a replacement part storage container (i.e., a first portion of the object is placed on a first set of support fins in the first slot, and a second portion of the object is placed on a second set of support fins in the second slot). In other instances, two or more objects may be double-slotted in slots in a replacement part storage container (i.e., a first object is placed directly on top of a second object, resulting in two objects being placed in one slot). Also, one or more objects may be improperly stored in a replacement part storage container when a first type of object is placed in a slot designated for a second type of object (e.g., a replacement part is placed in a slot designated for a replacement part carrier).

[0010] The methods and systems disclosed herein detect the location of one or more objects stored in a replacement part storage container using a detection system at the distal end of the end effector. The detection system may include an emission component (e.g., a laser emitter, an LED emitter, etc.) and a sensing component (also referred to herein as a sensor). The detection system may detect an object in response to the object interrupting a beam (e.g., a laser beam) directed from the emission component to the sensor. The replacement part storage container may be received at a load port of a factory interface of an electronic processing system. A robot arm of a factory interface robot may move through a first mapping pattern to identify the location of one or more replacement parts in the replacement part storage container. One or more slots in the replacement part storage container that do not contain a replacement part may be determined. Furthermore, the robot arm may move through a second mapping pattern to identify the location of either a wafer or an empty replacement part carrier in one or more slots that do not contain a replacement part. In response to determining one or more slots containing a replacement part and one or more slots containing either a wafer or an empty replacement part carrier, a mapping of slot locations of a plurality of different types of objects can be generated and recorded in a storage medium. The recorded location information can include the slot number containing the object, the minimum and maximum height of the object, the amount the object protrudes from the interior of the container, an indication of the type of object, etc.

[0011] In alternative or additional embodiments, the detection system can be used to detect one or more improperly stored objects in a replacement part storage container. The top and bottom of the object in the slot can be identified. The top and bottom positions can be measured. The appropriate thickness of the object can be determined based on the difference between the top position (e.g., vertical position or height) and the bottom position (e.g., vertical position or height) of the object. The type of object (e.g., replacement part, replacement part carrier, wafer, etc.) can be determined based on the approximate thickness of the object. In response to determining that the determined approximate thickness does not correspond to any of a replacement part, replacement part carrier, or wafer, it can be determined that the object is incorrectly stored in the replacement part storage container.

[0012] Conventionally, load ports receive FOUPs containing substrates. However, as described in the embodiments, containers (e.g., FOUPs) containing replacement parts may also be connected to the load port. Standard mapping routines can be used to detect the location of substrates within a conventional FOUP. However, performing such standard mapping routines on containers containing replacement parts may damage the end effector, the container, and / or objects contained within the container. In the embodiments, a flexible mapping routine is provided that avoids the damage that would occur if a standard mapping routine configured to detect the location of a (uniformly sized) substrate were performed.

[0013] As described in embodiments herein, detecting the location of one or more objects within a replacement part storage container increases the likelihood that an end effector will successfully remove an object from a slot, thereby reducing the likelihood of damage to the end effector and / or the object being removed by the end effector. Increasing the likelihood that an end effector will successfully remove each object significantly reduces the number of damaged objects, thereby reducing the costs associated with operating an electronic processing system. Furthermore, in embodiments, increasing the likelihood that the correct replacement part is properly removed can reduce the time it takes to properly remove a replacement part from a replacement part storage container, thereby reducing overall system latency.

[0014] 1 is a schematic top view of an exemplary electronics processing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronics processing system 100 is capable of performing one or more processes on a substrate 102. The substrate 102 may be any suitably rigid, fixed-dimension, planar article (e.g., a silicon-containing disk or wafer, a patterned wafer, a glass plate, etc.) suitable for fabricating electronic devices or circuit components thereon.

[0015] The electronics processing system 100 may include a processing tool 104 and a factory interface 106 coupled to the processing tool 104. The processing 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 disposed around and coupled to the transfer chamber 110. The processing chambers 114, 116, 118 may be coupled to the transfer chamber 110 via respective ports (e.g., slit valves, etc.).

[0016] The processing chambers 114, 116, 118 may perform any number of processes on the substrate 102. The processing chambers 114, 116, and 118 may be adapted to accommodate different substrate processes. The same or different substrate processes may be performed in each of the processing chambers 114, 116, and 118. The substrate processes may include atomic layer deposition (ALD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), etching, annealing, hardening, pre-cleaning, metal or metal oxide removal, and the like. In one example, a PVD process may be performed in one or both of the processing chambers 114, an etching process may be performed in one or both of the processing chambers 116, and an annealing process may be performed in one or both of the processing chambers 118. Other processes may also be performed on substrates therein. The processing chambers 114, 116, and 118 may each include a substrate support assembly. The substrate support assembly may be configured to hold a substrate in place while a substrate process is performed.

[0017] As described above, an etching process may be performed in one or more processing chambers 114, 116, 118. As such, some processing chambers 114, 116, 118 (e.g., etch chambers) may include an edge ring (also referred to as a process kit ring) 132 disposed on a surface of a substrate support assembly. In some embodiments, the process kit ring may undergo replacement from time to time. Replacing the process kit ring in conventional systems involves an operator disassembling the processing chambers 114, 116, 118 to replace the process kit ring. However, the electronic processing system 100 may be configured to facilitate the replacement of the process kit ring without the operator disassembling the processing chambers 114, 116, 118.

[0018] The transfer chamber 110 may also include a transfer chamber robot 112. The transfer chamber robot 112 may include one or more arms, each including one or more end effectors at the end of the 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 Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) robot (e.g., a two-link SCARA robot, a three-link SCARA robot, a four-link SCARA robot, etc.).

[0019] Additionally, a load lock 120 may be coupled to the housing 108 and the transfer chamber 110. The load lock 120 may be configured to interface and couple to the transfer chamber 110 on one side and to interface and couple to the factory interface 106. In some embodiments, the load lock 120 may have an environmentally controlled atmosphere and may be changeable from a vacuum environment (where substrates may be transferred to and from the transfer chamber 110) to an inert gas environment at or near atmospheric pressure (where substrates may be transferred to and from the factory interface 106). 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., one above each other). 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 processing tool 104, while the pair of lower internal chambers may be configured to receive substrates from the factory interface 106 for processing in the processing tool 104. In some embodiments, the load lock 120 may be configured to perform substrate processing (eg, etching or pre-cleaning) on ​​one or more substrates 102 received therein.

[0020] The factory interface 106 may be any suitable enclosure, such as, for example, an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM). The factory interface 106 may be configured to receive 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. In other and / or similar embodiments, the factory interface 106 may be configured to receive replacement parts from a replacement parts storage container 123. The factory interface robot 126 may include one or more robot arms and may be or include a SCARA 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. An end effector can be configured to lift and handle a particular object, such as a wafer. Alternatively or additionally, an end effector can be configured to handle an object, such as a process kit ring. In some embodiments, the factory interface robot 126 can include multiple end effectors. In such embodiments, one or more end effectors can be configured to lift and handle a particular type of object. For example, a first end effector may be configured and / or optimized to lift and handle a process kit ring, and a second end effector may be configured and / or optimized to lift and handle a wafer.

[0021] Any conventional robot type can be used as the factory interface robot 126. In some embodiments, the factory interface 106 can be maintained in a non-reactive gas environment (using, for example, nitrogen as the non-reactive gas), for example, at a slight positive pressure.

[0022] In some embodiments, the transfer chamber 110, the processing chambers 114, 116, 118, and the load lock 120 can be maintained at a vacuum level. The electronic device processing system 100 can include one or more vacuum ports coupled to one or more stations of the electronic device processing system 100. For example, a first vacuum port 130a can couple the factory interface 106 to the load lock 120. A second vacuum port 130b can be coupled to the load lock 120 and disposed between the load lock 120 and the transfer chamber 110.

[0023] The electronic device processing system 100 may also include a system controller 128. The system controller 128 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 units, which may be general-purpose processing units (e.g., microprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), etc.). More specifically, the processing units may be complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessors, reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessors, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessors, or processors that execute other instruction sets or processors that execute combinations of instruction sets. The processing units may also be one or more special-purpose processing units, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), network processors, etc. The system controller 128 may also include data storage devices (e.g., one or more disk drives and / or solid-state drives), main memory, static memory, network interfaces, and / or other components.

[0024] The system controller 128 can execute instructions to perform any one or more of the methods and / or embodiments described herein. The instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which can include main memory, static memory, secondary storage, and / or a processing device (during execution of the instructions). In one embodiment, the instructions include a mapping recipe that can be executed to map the contents of a replacement parts storage container. The processing device of the system controller 128 can execute the instructions to control the factory interface robot 126 to map the contents of a conventional FOUP that stores substrates. In an embodiment, execution of the instructions by the system controller 128 causes the system controller to perform one or more of the methods illustrated in FIGS. 6-8. The system controller 128 can also be configured to allow a human operator to input and display data, operational commands, and the like.

[0025] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the transfer of an edge ring (or other process kit ring) 132 that can be transferred to a processing chamber 114, 116, 118. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the edge ring 132 is retrieved from a replacement part storage container 123 (e.g., a process kit ring enclosure system or FOUP) via a factory interface robot 126 located at a factory interface 106. While an edge ring is described herein, it should be understood that 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. The replacement part storage container 123 can be configured to store at least one of an edge ring, an edge ring carrier, or a wafer (e.g., a placement verification wafer). In an embodiment, the replacement part storage container 123 can be distinguished from the substrate carrier 122 and / or other types of replacement part storage containers based on a registration identifier 134. In other or similar embodiments, the replacement part storage container 123 can be distinguished from the substrate carrier 122 based on one or more external features associated with the replacement part storage container 123. Further details regarding detecting that the replacement parts storage container 123 is not a conventional substrate carrier 122 are provided herein.

[0026] 2 is a front view of an exemplary replacement parts storage container 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The replacement parts storage container 200 securely holds a process kit ring 220 and can be used to enable replacement of the process kit ring 220 in a wafer processing system (e.g., the electronics processing system 100 of FIG. 1).

[0027] The replacement parts storage container 200 includes surfaces that at least partially enclose an interior volume 202 of the replacement parts storage container 200. The surfaces of the replacement parts storage container 200 that enclose the interior volume 202 can include one or more of a sidewall 204, a bottom 206, a base plate 208, a top cover 201, a door frame (not shown), and a door (not shown). The door can be removed from the replacement parts storage container 200 to expose a front interface of the process kit enclosure system 200, allowing the replacement parts storage container 200 to interface with a load port of a wafer processing system (e.g., see the processing system 100 in FIG. 1 ). The replacement parts storage container 200 may meet one or more FOUP standards (e.g., size, weight, interface, handle clearance, etc.). For example, the replacement parts storage container 200 can interface with the same load port of a wafer processing system as a substrate FOUP. The replacement parts storage container 200 may meet one or more SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) standards (e.g., use of FOUP doors per SEMI E15.1, docking on a load port per SEMI 47.1, placement on kinematic pins per SEMI E57, etc.). The replacement parts storage container 200 may also meet one or more standards for manufacturing automation (e.g., overhead transport (OHT) automation, automated guided vehicle (AGV) automation, human guided vehicle (PGV) automation, etc.) and can be managed by existing factory automation. For example, the exterior surface of the OHT-compatible replacement parts storage container 200 may include one or more features configured to engage with an OHT automation component (e.g., a flange on the top surface (i.e., roof surface) of the replacement parts storage container 200, one or more kinematic couplings on the bottom surface (i.e., base surface) of the replacement parts storage container 200 configured to engage with one or more lift pins of an OHT automation component, etc.).In other examples, the size or shape of the replacement parts storage container 200 (eg, the body of the replacement parts storage container 200 having handles on one or more exterior surfaces) may be compatible with OHT automation.

[0028] One or more support structures 210 may be included in the interior volume 202 of the replacement part storage container 200. In some embodiments, two support structures 210 are disposed in the interior volume 202 to support one or more objects. In some embodiments, the support structures 210 are comb structures. The support structures 210 may be formed of plastic (e.g., polyethylene), and reinforcing material may be disposed within the support structures 210 (e.g., carbon fiber fillers, one or more vertical rods of reinforcing material extending through the support structures, etc.). Each support structure 210 may include one or more fins 212 (e.g., substantially horizontal fins) to support each object. Each object may be supported by two or more fins 212 that are substantially horizontal and substantially parallel to one another. The two or more fins 212 may form slots 214 in the replacement part storage container 200. The support structures 210 support each object so that an end effector on a robot arm of a wafer processing system can be inserted under the object to lift it and remove it from the replacement part storage container 200.

[0029] The interior volume 202 of the replacement part storage container 200 can contain at least one process kit ring 220 (e.g., supported by corresponding fins 212 of the support structure 210) for automated transfer to a wafer processing system. In some embodiments, the process kit ring 220 can have an expected thickness of between about 0.5 cm and about 3.0 cm. In some embodiments, the process kit ring 220 can have an expected thickness of about 1.0 cm. A robot arm can remove the process kit ring 220 from the process kit enclosure system 200 for automated transfer to a processing chamber of the wafer processing system. A robot arm can remove a used process kit ring from the processing chamber for automated transfer to the process kit enclosure system 200.

[0030] The process kit ring 220 of the process kit enclosure system 200 can be secured to the upper surface of the process kit ring carrier 230. In some embodiments, the process kit ring carrier 230 can have an expected thickness of between about 2.0 mm and about 3.0 mm. In some embodiments, the process kit ring carrier 230 can have an expected thickness of about 2.5 mm. A robotic arm can remove the process kit ring 242 from the process kit enclosure system 200 by inserting an end effector under the process kit ring carrier 230 within the process kit enclosure system 200, lifting the process kit ring carrier 230 and the process kit ring 220, and then pulling the process kit ring carrier 230 together with the process kit ring 220. The spaces between the fins 212 of the support structure 210 allow the end effector to insert and lift an object without contacting the fins 212.

[0031] As described herein, the process kit ring 220 on the process kit ring carrier 230 can refer to one or more process kit rings disposed on the process kit ring carrier 230. For example, the process kit ring 220 can include two or more of an edge ring, a process ring, a support ring, a sliding ring, a quartz ring, and / or the like disposed on the process kit ring carrier 230.

[0032] In some embodiments, the process kit ring 220 can be placed directly on the fins 212, and a robot arm can retrieve the process kit ring carrier 230 (e.g., from within the wafer processing system) and lift the process kit ring 220. In some embodiments, the robot arm can lift the process kit ring 220 without using the process kit ring carrier 230. One or more process kit rings 220 can be placed on each process kit ring carrier 230. For example, two or three process kit rings 330 can be nested within one another on the process kit ring carrier 230 (e.g., a first process kit ring of a first diameter, a second process kit ring of a second diameter sized to fit within the first process kit ring, and a third process kit ring of a third diameter sized to fit within the second process kit ring, etc.).

[0033] The set of substantially parallel fins 212 of the support structure 210 can support a placement verification wafer 240 (e.g., a multifunction wafer). In some embodiments, the placement verification wafer 240 can be similar in size to wafers handled by the processing system. In some embodiments, the placement verification wafer 240 can have an expected thickness of between about 0.5 mm and about 12 mm. In some embodiments, the verification wafer 240 can have an expected thickness of about 0.8 mm, or between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the placement verification wafer 240 can correspond to the thickness of the process kit ring and / or process kit ring carrier. For example, the thickness of the placement verification wafer 240 can be between about 8 mm and about 10 mm. The placement verification wafer 240 can be placed on the set of substantially parallel fins 212 to enable automated transfer of the placement verification wafer 240 to a wafer processing system to verify the placement of the process ring kit 220 in the wafer processing system. The fins 212 used to support the placement verification wafer 240 may have a different spacing and / or size than the fins used to support the process kit ring and / or process kit ring carrier.

[0034] As described above, each set of substantially parallel fins 212 can form a slot 214 that supports an object. One or more lower slots 214 (e.g., bottom slots) of the replacement part storage container 200 can each support an empty process kit ring carrier 232. An upper slot 214 (e.g., top slot) of the replacement part storage container 200 can support a placement verification wafer 240. One or more middle slots 214 (e.g., above the empty process kit ring carrier 232 and below the placement verification wafer 240) can each support a process kit ring carrier 230 that supports a process kit ring 220. One or more sets of substantially parallel fins 212 (e.g., slots for process kit rings 220 on the process kit ring carrier 230) can include corresponding process kit ring orientation brackets. Each process kit ring orientation bracket has one or more protrusions (e.g., pins) that engage with flat portions of the inner surface of the process kit ring 220 to constrain movement (e.g., rotation, x- and y-direction movement, etc.) of the process kit ring 220. One or more protrusions on the process kit ring orientation bracket and one or more features on the process kit ring carrier 230 (e.g., pin contacts, recesses, etc.) can constrain movement of the process kit ring 220.

[0035] In some embodiments, one or more objects may be improperly positioned within the slots 214. For example, a first portion of the object may be supported by a first set of fins 212 in the first slot 214, and a second portion of the object may be supported by a second set of fins 212 in the second slot 214. The first slot may be an upper slot 214 of the process kit enclosure system 200, while the second slot may be a lower slot 214 of the process kit enclosure system 200. This may be referred to as cross-slotting. In some embodiments, the process kit ring 220 disposed on the process kit ring carrier 230 may be cross-slotted. In some embodiments, one or more objects in the process kit enclosure system 200 may be improperly positioned on top of other objects in the slots 214. This may be referred to as double-slotting.

[0036] As described above, one or more protrusions on the set of fins 212 can be configured to engage one or more features on the process kit ring carrier 220 and constrain movement of the process kit ring 220. In some embodiments, the process kit ring carrier 220 may be improperly positioned within the slot 214, causing one or more pins on the process kit ring carrier 230 to not engage with one or more protrusions on the set of fins 212. For example, the process kit ring carrier 220 may be positioned improperly relative to the set of fins 212, causing the process kit ring carrier 220 to rotate approximately 15° from its intended orientation, causing one or more pins on the process kit ring carrier 230 to not engage with one or more protrusions. In such embodiments, the one or more pins that do not engage with one or more protrusions may engage other portions of one or more fins 212, causing the process kit ring carrier 220 to be positioned at a predetermined angle within the slot 214.

[0037] The robot arm can remove an object (e.g., an empty process kit ring carrier 232, a process kit ring carrier 230 securing a process kit ring 220, etc.) from the lower slot and place the used object in the empty lower slot to prevent contamination from the used object (e.g., a used process kit ring from a wafer processing system) from falling onto other objects (e.g., a new process kit ring 220, a placement verification wafer 240). For example, one or more robot arms can remove the empty process kit ring carrier 232 from the first slot, use the empty process kit ring carrier 232 to retrieve the used process kit ring, and replace the now-full process kit ring carrier 230 and supported used process kit ring in the first slot. Next, the robot arm can remove the new process kit ring 220 secured to the process kit ring carrier 220 from a third slot above the first and second slots, place the process kit ring 220 in a processing chamber, and then return the now-empty process kit ring carrier 232 to the third slot.

[0038] The process kit enclosure system 200 may include registration features 260 (e.g., coupled to or integral with the bottom surface 206). The registration features 260 may allow the replacement part storage container 200 to be identified as a non-wafer enclosure system (e.g., as not a traditional FOUP for transporting wafers). The registration features 260 may allow the process kit enclosure system 200 to be identified as a process kit enclosure system 200. In some embodiments, the registration features 260 may allow identification of a particular process kit enclosure system 200 or type of object of the process kit enclosure system 200. For example, the registration features 260 may indicate that the process kit enclosure system 200 supports a process kit ring 220 disposed on a process kit ring carrier 230. In some embodiments, the registration features 260 are simple tabs, pegs, protrusions, etc. In some embodiments, the registration feature 260 can be configured to be in a first position when the door of the process kit enclosure system 200 is closed and to be in a second position when the door of the process kit enclosure system 200 is open. For example, the registration feature 260 can be stored in a first position when the door is closed and moved to a second position when the door is open.

[0039] In some embodiments, the system controller 128 can determine that the process kit enclosure system 200 is not a conventional FOUP based on one or more external features of the process kit enclosure system 200. For example, a registration feature 260 can be located on the exterior surface of the process kit enclosure system 200. For example, the registration feature 260 can be a registration feature (e.g., a registration number, a bar code, etc.) etched into the exterior wall of the process kit enclosure system 200. The registration feature 260 can be detected by an identification component of the electronic processing system 100 or external to the electronic processing system 100. For example, the registration feature 260 can be scanned by an identification device (e.g., a portable identification device) before the process kit enclosure system 200 interfaces with a load port of a wafer processing system.

[0040] The system controller 128 can determine that the process kit enclosure system 200 is not a conventional FOUP based on other external features associated with the process kit enclosure system 200. For example, the exterior surface of the process kit enclosure system 200 can include one or more structural features that are not included on the exterior surface of a conventional FOUP. Additionally or alternatively, the exterior surface of a conventional FOUP can include one or more structural features that are not included on the exterior surface of the process kit enclosure system 200. The identification component of the electronic device processing system 100 can identify one or more structural features (or the absence of one or more structural features) on the exterior surface of the process kit enclosure system 200 according to the embodiments described above.

[0041] The factory interface robot can be configured to perform mapping of objects within the FOUP to determine the presence and location of objects within the FOUP. In some embodiments, the factory interface robot can be configured to perform mapping in response to determining that the exterior process kit enclosure system 200 includes structural features not included in the exterior of a conventional FOUP or does not include structural features included in the exterior of a conventional FOUP. The robot arm can move an end effector to a first portion of the replacement part storage container 200 and begin the mapping process. In some embodiments, the end effector can encounter a registration feature 260. The presence of the registration feature 260 can provide a signal to the system controller 128 indicating that the replacement part storage container 200 is engaged with a load port rather than a FOUP containing conventional wafers. In response to encountering the registration feature 260, the robot arm can perform mapping according to a first container mapping recipe. In response to not encountering the registration feature 260, the robot arm can perform mapping according to a second container mapping recipe. In some embodiments, in response to encountering registration feature 260, the robotic arm may terminate the mapping process.

[0042] 3 illustrates a top view of a verification wafer 310, a process kit ring carrier 320, and a process kit ring 330 disposed on the process kit ring carrier 320, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The verification wafer 310 may be associated with a first diameter 312, the process kit ring carrier 320 may be associated with a second diameter 322, and the process kit ring 330 may be associated with a third diameter 332. In some embodiments, the first diameter 312, the second diameter 322, and the third diameter 332 may be equal. In other embodiments, the first diameter 312, the second diameter 322, and the third diameter 332 may not be equal. For example, the third diameter 332 may be larger than the second diameter 322, and the second diameter 322 may be larger than the first diameter 312. As a result of the first diameter 312, the second diameter 322, and the third diameter 332 not being equivalent, the validation wafer 310, the process kit ring carrier 320, and the process kit ring 330, when positioned within the replacement part storage container (e.g., at the central reference point 340), may extend to different portions of the replacement part storage container (e.g., different horizontal distances from the central reference point 340). For example, the validation wafer 310 may extend a first distance to the first point 314, the process kit ring carrier 320 may extend a second distance to the second point 324, and the process kit ring 330 positioned on the process kit ring carrier 320 may extend a third distance to the third point 334. The diameter of each type of object that can be stored in the replacement part storage container may be known (e.g., stored in configuration data accessible by the system controller 128). The various points at which the objects are detected (e.g., horizontal distances from the central point) may be used to determine the type of object being detected. For example, in response to the system controller 128 detecting an object at a first point 314, the system controller can determine, based on the configuration data, that the detected object is a verification wafer 310. In response to detecting an object at a second point 324, the system controller 128 can determine, based on the configuration data, that the detected object is an empty process kit ring carrier 320.In response to detecting an object at the third point 334 , the system controller 128 may determine, based on the configuration data, that the detected object is a process kit ring 330 .

[0043] FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of a detection system 410 at the distal end of a robotic arm end effector 400, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the end effector 400 may include two or more blades 412. Each blade 412 may be configured to interact with a portion of an object 450 stored in a slot of a replacement parts storage container. The distal end of at least one blade 412 may include one or more components of the detection system 410. The detection system 410 may include at least an emission component 420 and a sensing component 430 (also referred to as a sensor 430). In some embodiments, the emission component 420 may be a laser emitter or an LED emitter. The emission component 420 may emit a beam 440 (e.g., a laser beam) directed toward the sensor 430. The detection system 410 may detect the object 450 in response to the beam 440 being interrupted by the object 450. In response to the beam 440 being broken, the sensor 430 can send a signal to the system controller 128. The system controller 128 can determine the x, y, z position of the end effector at the point where the beam 440 was broken and store this information in storage.

[0044] In some embodiments, the robot arm's end effector 400 may also include a z-direction encoder (referred to as a z-encoder) (not shown). The z-encoder may be configured to determine the position of the end effector 400 at a particular location. In response to the detection system 410 detecting the object 450, the z-encoder may detect the position of the end effector 400 at the location where the object 450 was detected. The position of the end effector 400 may be transmitted to a controller (e.g., the system controller 128), where it may be used to determine the section of the replacement parts storage container in which the object 450 is housed. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the z-encoder may be configured to determine a first position of the end effector 400 where the beam 440 is first interrupted by the object 450 and a second position of the end effector 400 where the beam 440 is detected by the sensor 430. The first and second positions may be transmitted to the system controller 128, which may use the received first and second positions to determine the approximate thickness of the object in the section of the replacement parts storage container.

[0045] FIG. 5A illustrates a first mapping pattern 510 for identifying the location of a replacement part in a first portion of a replacement part storage container 500, according to aspects of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the replacement part storage container 500 may be a replacement part storage container (e.g., a process kit enclosure system) such as the replacement part storage container described with reference to FIG. 2 . In the above-described embodiment, the replacement part storage container 500 may be received at a load port of a factory interface of an electronic processing system. The replacement part storage container 500 may be configured to store replacement parts 220 (e.g., process kit ring 220 of FIG. 2 ), replacement part carriers 230 with replacement parts 220 disposed thereon, empty replacement part carriers 232, and / or wafers 240. In some embodiments, the replacement part storage container 500 may include a registration feature to identify the replacement part storage container 500 as a process kit enclosure system.

[0046] Mapping of the replacement parts storage container 500 can be initiated in response to the replacement parts storage container 500 being received at a load port of the factory interface. As described herein above, the mapping can be performed by a detection system 550 at the distal end of an end effector 552 of a robotic arm (not shown) under the control of the system controller 128. In some embodiments, the robotic arm can be the robotic arm of a factory interface robot.

[0047] In response to the replacement part storage container 500 being received at a load port of the factory interface, it can be determined whether the replacement part storage container 500 is configured to store a replacement process kit ring. In some embodiments, an indication that the replacement part storage container 500 is a process kit enclosure system can be received. For example, a user (e.g., an operator of the electronic equipment processing system 100) can provide user input indicating that the replacement part storage container 500 is connected to a particular load port. In such embodiments, the detection system 550 can move to a first portion of the replacement part storage container 500 and detect the registration feature 560 indicating that the replacement part storage container 500 is a process kit enclosure system. In other embodiments, no indication indicating that the replacement part storage container 500 is a process kit enclosure system may be received. In such embodiments, the detection system 550 can detect the registration feature 560 in response to executing the first mapping pattern 510 (which, in some embodiments, may be part of a second container mapping recipe used to detect substrates in a substrate transport system) according to embodiments described herein.

[0048] The detection system 550 can be moved to a first position 512 of the replacement part storage container 500. At the first position 512, the detection system 550 can detect a registration feature 560. In response to detecting the registration feature 560, it can be determined that the replacement part storage container 500 is a process kit enclosure system. Additionally or alternatively, as described above, it can be determined that the replacement part storage container 500 is a process kit enclosure system based on one or more structural features on the outer surface of the replacement part storage container 500. In this manner, a first container mapping recipe can be executed. The first container mapping recipe can include a first mapping pattern (illustrated with reference to FIG. 5A ) and a second mapping pattern (illustrated with reference to FIG. 5B ). In response to not detecting the registration feature 560, it can be determined that the replacement part storage container 500 is not a process kit enclosure system. In this manner, a second container mapping recipe can be executed. The second container mapping recipe can include the first mapping pattern but not the second mapping pattern. The first mapping pattern, according to the embodiments described herein, can detect sections 562 (i.e., slots) of the replacement part storage container 500 containing replacement parts 220 and detect whether each replacement part 220 is properly stored in each detected section 562.

[0049] As described above, the first mapping pattern 510 can be executed in response to determining that the replacement part storage container 500 is a process kit enclosure system. The detection system 550 can be positioned a first horizontal distance 514a from a portion of the replacement part storage container 500. In some embodiments, the detection system 550 can be positioned the first horizontal distance 514a from a rear wall 564 or the center of the replacement part storage container 500. The detection system 550 can move from a first height 516a to a second height 516b while the detection system 550 is positioned at the first horizontal distance 514a. As the detection system 550 moves from the first height 516a to the second height 516b, the detection system 550 can determine whether an object in the replacement part storage container 500 extends from the portion of the container to the first horizontal distance 514a. The detection system 550 can detect the object according to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0050] In response to determining that the object extends the first horizontal distance 514a, it can be determined whether the object is a replacement part 220. As described with reference to FIG. 3 , a replacement part can extend the first horizontal distance 514a, while an empty replacement part carrier 532 and / or wafer 240 cannot extend the first horizontal distance 514a because the diameter of the replacement part 220 may be larger than that of the empty replacement part carrier 352 and / or wafer 240. In response to determining that the object is a replacement part 220, a section 562 (e.g., slot) of the replacement part container 500 that contains the replacement part 220 can be determined. The section 562 (i.e., slot) that contains the replacement part 220 can be determined based on the vertical position of the detection system 550 at the point where the replacement part 220 was identified. The position may be relative to a particular section of the replacement part storage container 500. The position of the detection system 550 can be detected by a z-encoder (not shown) of the end effector 552, according to the embodiment described with reference to Figure 4. Additionally, the horizontal distance can be determined based on the x, y position of the end effector, which can be determined by the system controller 128.

[0051] In some embodiments, a top 518a and a bottom 518b of an object extending a first horizontal distance 514a can be identified. A first position of the top 518a and a second position of the bottom 518b can be measured using the detection system 550. The first and second positions can be measured by a z-encoder of a robotic arm to which the end effector 560 is attached, according to the embodiments described above. Based on the first and second positions, an approximate thickness of the object can be determined. Based on the determined approximate thickness of the object, it can be determined that the first object is a replacement part 220. For example, the replacement part 220 can have an expected thickness of between about 0.5 cm and about 2.0 cm. In response to determining that the approximate thickness of the object is about 1.0 cm, it can be determined that the object is a replacement part 220. Furthermore, the amount by which the object extends from the center or back 564 of the container can be used to determine that the object is a replacement part 220. For example, the replacement part can have a known diameter and / or a known horizontal extension from the back or center of the container. In some embodiments, the x,y position of the end effector at which the object is detected and the detected thickness of the object are used together to determine the identity of the object.

[0052] In some embodiments, the determined approximate thickness may not indicate that the object extending the first horizontal distance 514a is replacement part 220. Following the example above, the approximate thickness of the object may be approximately 3.0 cm, which does not match the expected thickness of replacement part 220. In other or additional embodiments, it may be determined that the object is not replacement part 220 based on a determination that the first position of top portion 518a does not correspond to the expected first position of replacement part 220 and / or the second position of bottom portion 518b does not correspond to the expected second position of replacement part 220.

[0053] In some embodiments, it may be determined whether an object is improperly placed in section 562 of the replacement part storage container 500. In some embodiments, the determined approximate thickness may indicate that the object is a wafer 240 or an empty replacement part carrier 232 rather than a replacement part 220. Thus, it may be determined that the wafer or empty replacement part carrier has been erroneously moved within the replacement part storage container 500 to extend the first horizontal distance 514a. In some embodiments, it may be determined that the determined approximate thickness does not correspond to the replacement part 220, wafer 240, or empty replacement part carrier 232. Instead, it may be determined that the determined approximate thickness of the object exceeds the expected thickness for each of the replacement part 220, wafer 240, or empty replacement part carrier 232. In such embodiments, the determined approximate thickness may indicate that the object is cross-slotted (i.e., a first portion of the object is in the first section 750 of the replacement part storage container 500 and a second portion of the object is in the second section 562 of the replacement part storage container 500).

[0054] In some embodiments, it may be determined that the first position of the top portion 518a does not correspond to an expected first position of one or more detected replacement parts 220 and / or that the second position of the bottom portion 518b does not correspond to an expected second position of the replacement parts 220. For example, the first position of the detected first replacement part 220 and the first position of the detected second replacement part 220 may be measured. The difference between the first position of the detected first replacement part 220 and the first position of the detected second replacement part 220 may be less than the expected height of the section 562 of the replacement part storage container 500. In such an example, the difference between the first position of the first detected replacement part 220 and the first position of the second detected replacement part 220 may indicate that the first detected replacement part 220 and the second detected replacement part 220 are double-slotted. Similarly, based on the difference between the second position of the first detected replacement part 220 and the second position of the second detected replacement part 220, it can be determined that the first detected replacement part 220 and the second detected replacement part 220 are double slots.

[0055] In response to determining that the object extending the first horizontal distance 514a is not a replacement part 220 or that the object is improperly placed in section 562 of the replacement part storage container 500, an error message can be transmitted to a controller of the electronics processing system (e.g., system controller 128). The error message can indicate a defect in section 562 of the replacement part storage container 500.

[0056] When performing the first mapping pattern 510, it may be determined that no objects extend to the first horizontal distance 514a. In such an embodiment, the detection system 550 may be positioned a second horizontal distance 514b from the portion of the container. The second horizontal distance 514b may be less than the first horizontal distance 514a. The detection system 550 may move from the second height 516b to the first height 516a while the detection system 550 is positioned at the second horizontal distance 514b. The detection system 550 may identify one or more objects extending to the second horizontal distance 514b. This process may continue, decreasing the distance between the end effector and the portion of the container by a fixed amount followed by a vertical sweep, until one or more objects are detected.

[0057] 5B illustrates a second mapping pattern for identifying locations of empty wafer or replacement part carriers in a second portion of the replacement part storage container 500, according to aspects of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the detection system 550 can determine one or more regions that do not contain replacement parts 220 while performing the first mapping pattern 510. In such embodiments, the robot arm can move through the second mapping pattern 520 to identify the location of at least one wafer 240 and / or at least one empty replacement part carrier 232 within the regions that do not contain replacement parts 220.

[0058] The detection system 550 can be positioned within a first region 530 within the replacement part storage container 500 that does not contain a replacement part 220. According to the embodiments described above, the detection system 550 can be positioned a third horizontal distance 514c from a portion of the replacement part storage container 500. In some embodiments, the third horizontal distance 514c can be less than the second horizontal distance 514b. While the detection system is positioned the third horizontal distance 514c from a portion of the container, the detection system 550 can move from a third height 516c within the first region 530 to a fourth height 516d within the first region 530. As the detection system 550 moves from the third height 516c to the fourth height 516d within the first region 530, the detection system 550 can determine whether an object in the replacement part storage container 500 extends up to the third horizontal distance 514c. The detection system 550 can detect objects according to the embodiments described with reference to FIG. 4. In some embodiments, it can be determined whether the object extends a third horizontal distance 514c at any height between the third height 516c and the fourth height 516d.

[0059] In response to determining that the object extends to the third horizontal distance 514c, it can be determined whether the object is a wafer 240 or an empty replacement part carrier 232. In some embodiments, whether the object is a wafer 240 or an empty replacement part carrier 232 can be determined based on the determined approximate thickness of the object and / or its horizontal extension from the back or center of the container, in accordance with the embodiments described above. In response to determining that the object is a wafer or an empty replacement part carrier 232, the section 562 containing the object can be determined based on the vertical position of the detection system 550 at the point where the object was identified. The position can be associated with a particular section 562 of the replacement part storage container 500. In addition, in accordance with the embodiments described above, it can be determined whether the object is properly stored in the section 562.

[0060] In accordance with the above-described embodiment, in response to determining one or more objects extending to the third horizontal distance 514c in the first region 530, the second mapping pattern 520 can be performed in one or more additional regions determined not to contain replacement parts 220. In response to determining the presence and location of objects in each section 562 of the replacement part storage container 500, a mapping of each object in the replacement part storage container 500 can be generated and stored in a storage medium.

[0061] As described above, the first mapping process 510 and the second mapping process 520 may be performed by a factory interface robot in response to receipt of the replacement part storage container 500 at a load port. In additional embodiments, the first mapping process 510 and / or the second mapping process 520 may be performed by a factory interface robot and / or a transfer chamber robot in response to receipt of the replacement part storage container 500 at any station of the electronic equipment processing system.

[0062] In some embodiments, the load port may include an integrated mapping system configured to perform one or more mapping processes, such as first mapping process 510 and second mapping process 520. In such embodiments, a mapping of each object in the replacement part storage container 500 may be generated and stored in a storage medium according to the embodiments described above. The factory interface robot and / or transfer chamber robot or electronic equipment handling system 100 may retrieve replacement parts from and place replacement parts in the replacement part storage container 500 based on the mapping generated by the integrated mapping system at the load port.

[0063] 6-8 are flow diagrams of various embodiments of methods 600-800 for mapping replacement part storage containers in an electronics processing system. The methods are performed by processing logic, which may include hardware (circuitry, dedicated logic, etc.), software (such as may be executed 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 128 of FIG. 1, which controls a robotic arm.

[0064] For ease of explanation, the methods are described and illustrated as a series of acts. However, acts in accordance with 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 in accordance with the disclosed subject matter. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a methodology could alternatively be represented as a series of interrelated states via a state diagram or events.

[0065] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method 600 for detecting the location of a replacement part, wafer, or empty carrier for a replacement part stored in a replacement part storage container, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In block 610, a container is received at a load port of a factory interface of an electronic processing system. The container can be configured to store replacement parts for a processing chamber of the electronic processing system. In block 620, a robot arm moves through a first mapping pattern to identify the location of one or more replacement parts within the container. A detection system at the distal end of an end effector of the robot arm is used to identify the location. The detection system includes an output component and a sensing component. The detection system detects an object in response to the object interrupting a beam directed from the output component to the sensing component. In block 630, an area of ​​the container that does not contain a replacement part is determined. In block 640, the robot arm moves through a second mapping pattern to identify the location of an empty carrier for a replacement part within the container, within the area of ​​the container that does not contain a replacement part. The detection system at the distal end of the end effector can be used to identify the location. At block 650, the locations of one or more replacement parts and the locations of empty carriers and / or wafers within the container are mapped.

[0066] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method 700 for determining whether a replacement part storage container is configured to store a replacement process kit ring, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. At block 710, a container is received at a load port of a factory interface of an electronics processing system. The container can be configured to store a replacement part for a processing chamber of the electronics processing system. At block 712, it can be determined whether the container is configured to store a replacement process kit ring for the processing chamber. A detection system at a distal end of an end effector of the robot arm can be used, the detection system including an output component and a sensing component. The detection system can detect the object in response to the object interrupting a beam directed from the output component to the sensing component. In response to determining that the container is configured to store a replacement process kit ring, the method 700 can continue at block 714. In response to determining that the container is not configured to store a replacement process kit ring, the method 700 can continue at block 722.

[0067] In block 714, the robot arm may move through a first mapping pattern and identify the locations of one or more replacement process kit rings within the container using a detection system at the distal end of the end effector. In block 716, areas of the container that do not contain replacement process kit rings may be determined. In block 718, the robot arm may move through a second mapping pattern and identify the locations of empty carriers for wafers or process kit rings within the container using the detection system. In block 720, a mapping of the locations of the replacement process kit rings, empty carriers, or wafers may be recorded. In block 722, the detection system of the robot arm may be positioned a first horizontal distance from a portion of the container. In block 724, the detection system may be moved from a first elevation to a second elevation at the first horizontal distance and identify one or more replacement parts. In block 726, it may be determined that one or more replacement parts do not extend the first horizontal distance. In block 728, the detection system may be positioned a second horizontal distance from the first portion of the container. In block 730, the detection system can be moved from a first elevation to a second elevation at a second horizontal distance.

[0068] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of another method 800 for detecting the location of a replacement part, wafer, or empty carrier for a replacement part stored in a replacement part storage container, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In block 810, a controller operably coupled to a robot arm may determine that a container connected to a load port is configured to store replacement parts for a processing chamber of an electronic processing system. In block 820, the controller then moves the robot arm through a first mapping pattern and identifies locations within the container using a detection system at the distal end of the robot arm's end effector. In block 830, areas of the container that do not contain replacement parts are determined. In block 840, the controller moves the robot arm through a second mapping pattern and identifies locations within the container of wafers or replacement parts using a detection system at the distal end of the end effector. In block 850, the controller records a mapping of the locations of replacement parts within the container and the locations of at least one of empty carriers or wafers in a storage medium.

[0069] FIG. 9 is a diagram of a machine in the exemplary form of a computing device 900 upon which a set of instructions for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein may be executed. In alternative embodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a local area network (LAN), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. The machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet computer, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a web appliance, a server, a network router, a switch, a bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by the machine. Furthermore, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” is also intended to include any collection of machines (e.g., computers) that individually or jointly execute a set (or sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. In an embodiment, computing device 900 may correspond to system controller 128 of FIG.

[0070] The exemplary computing device 900 includes a processing device 902, a main memory 904 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), etc.), a static memory 906 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), etc.), and a secondary memory (e.g., data storage device 928), which communicate with each other via a bus 908.

[0071] The processing device 902 may represent one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., microprocessors, central processing units, etc.). More specifically, the processing device 902 may be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, a processor executing other instruction sets, or a processor executing a combination of instruction sets. The processing device 902 may also be one or more special-purpose processing devices (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), a network processor, etc.). The processing device 902 may also be or include a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a programmable logic controller (PLC), or other type of processing device. The processing device 902 is configured to execute processing logic (e.g., instructions 926 for the mapping recipe 950) to perform the operations and processes described herein.

[0072] Additionally, computing device 900 may include a network interface device 922 for communicating with a network 964. Computing device 900 may also include a video display unit 910 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphabetic input device 912 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 914 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generating device 920 (e.g., a speaker).

[0073] The data storage device 928 may include a machine-readable storage medium (more specifically, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) 924 having stored thereon one or more sets of instructions 926 that embody any one or more of the methods or functions described herein. Here, non-transitory storage medium refers to a storage medium other than a carrier wave. Additionally, the instructions 926 may reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 904 and / or the processing device 902 during execution by the computing device 900, with the main memory 904 and the processing device 902 constituting the computer-readable storage medium.

[0074] The computer-readable storage medium 924 may also be used to store the mapping recipe 950. The computer-readable storage medium 924 may also store a software library containing a method for invoking the mapping recipe 950. While the computer-readable storage medium 924 is shown as a single medium in the exemplary embodiment, the term "computer-readable storage medium" should be interpreted to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., centralized or distributed databases and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of instructions. The term "computer-readable storage medium" should also be interpreted to include any medium that can store or encode a set of instructions for execution by a machine, causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methods of the present invention. Accordingly, the term "computer-readable storage medium" should be interpreted to include, but is not limited to, solid-state memory, and optical and magnetic media.

[0075] The foregoing description provides numerous specific details, such as examples of particular systems, components, methods, etc., to facilitate a thorough understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that at least some embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known components or methods have not been described in detail or have been shown in simple block diagram form to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Thus, the specific details described are merely illustrative. Specific implementations may vary from these illustrative details and still be construed as within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0076] References herein to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of "an embodiment" or "one 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 term "about" or "approximately" is used herein, it is intended to mean that the stated nominal value is accurate to within ±10%.

[0077] Although the operations of the methods herein are shown and described in a particular order, the order of the operations of each method may be changed, certain operations may be performed in reverse order, and certain operations may be performed at least in part concurrently with other operations. In other embodiments, instructions or sub-operations of different operations may be performed intermittently and / or interleaved.

[0078] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. 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

[Claim 1] receiving a container configured to contain a replacement part for a processing chamber of the electronic equipment processing system at a load port of a factory interface of the electronic equipment processing system; moving the robot arm through a first mapping pattern and identifying the location of one or more replacement parts within the container using a detection system at a distal end of an end effector of the robot arm, the detection system including an emission component and a sensing component, the detection system detecting the object in response to the object interrupting a beam directed from the emission component to the sensing component; determining an area of ​​the container that does not contain replacement parts; moving the robot arm through a second mapping pattern to recognize the location of at least one of a wafer or an empty carrier for a replacement part within the container using a detection system at a distal end of the end effector within an area of ​​the container that does not contain a replacement part; The method includes recording in a storage medium a mapping of the locations of one or more replacement parts within the container and the locations of at least one of empty carriers or wafers.

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