Dual Controller Architecture for High-Speed ALD Gas Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional processing apparatuses for semiconductor devices using ALD methods face limitations in flexibility and efficiency due to the need to rapidly switch processing gases, particularly when control steps requiring high-speed control coexist with those that do not, leading to prolonged recipe times and processing durations.
Innovation Solution
The processing apparatus incorporates a low-level controller and a module controller to specify and transmit control steps that satisfy specific conditions, allowing the low-level controller to perform high-speed control of end devices in units of 1 ms, thereby separating and optimizing the execution of high-speed and non-high-speed control steps within the recipe.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a single controller executes all control steps of a recipe, then the control logic is simple and unified, but the processing time increases because high-speed control steps cannot be executed rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is divided into a module controller that manages high-level recipe execution and a low-level controller that executes time-critical control steps at 1ms intervals. This segmentation allows high-speed execution of specific control steps while keeping the overall control logic organized and maintainable.
Solution Approach 2:
The low-level controller acts as an intermediary between the module controller and the end devices. It receives control steps from the module controller and executes them rapidly, mediating between the higher-level control logic and the physical actuators to achieve both simplicity and speed.
2Productivity
If the controller executes all control steps sequentially, then the control logic is easy to manage, but the recipe time is prolonged due to lack of optimized execution
Solution Approach 1:
The low-level controller is pre-configured with the capability to execute control steps at 1ms intervals. When the module controller identifies time-critical control steps in the recipe, these are transmitted to the low-level controller for rapid execution, eliminating delays that would occur with sequential processing by a single controller.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts execution speed based on the requirements of different control steps. Time-critical steps are executed at 1ms intervals by the low-level controller, while other steps continue to be managed by the module controller, creating a dynamic execution pattern that optimizes overall recipe time.
3Loss of time
If high-speed control is implemented for all control steps, then the processing time is reduced, but the system complexity increases and non-high-speed control steps are over-engineered
Solution Approach 1:
High-speed control capability is applied locally only to the specific control steps that require it, rather than uniformly to all control steps. The low-level controller handles only the time-critical portions of the recipe, while the module controller manages the remaining steps, creating a differentiated control architecture that avoids over-engineering.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system changes the execution parameter (time interval) based on the specific requirements of different control steps. For steps requiring rapid response, the execution interval is reduced to 1ms by the low-level controller, while other steps use standard timing, allowing the system to adapt its speed parameter to match the actual needs of each control step.
Data Source
AI summary
A processing apparatus for processing a substrate includes: a plurality of end devices; a low-level controller configured to control specific end devices among the plurality of end devices; and a module controller configured to execute a recipe for processing the substrate, to specify control steps satisfying a specific condition among a plurality of control steps of the recipe, and to transmit the specified control steps to the low-level controller, wherein the low-level controller controls the specific end devices based on the control steps received from the module controller.