Charged Particle Chamber Bake-Out for Contamination Downtime
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Solution Overview
Problem
Charged particle assessment systems, such as scanning electron microscopes, are susceptible to contamination, leading to significant downtime during bake-out processes to remove contamination, which disrupts the assessment of substrates and reduces overall yield and throughput in semiconductor manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A charged particle system with a thermal control system that allows independent baking out of different chambers, using heaters and cooling elements to locally control temperature and minimize downtime by targeting specific components for decontamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire system is baked out to remove contamination, then contamination is reduced effectively, but downtime increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum system is divided into multiple independently controllable chambers (first chamber with source, second chamber with charged particle-optical elements). Each chamber can be baked out separately, allowing the bake-out process to be segmented and performed on only the necessary components, thereby reducing overall downtime while maintaining effective contamination removal.
Solution Approach 2:
Different chambers are subjected to different thermal treatment based on their contamination levels and operational requirements. The thermal control system enables localized heating and cooling of specific chambers, applying quality control where needed rather than uniformly to the entire system, thus minimizing unnecessary downtime.
2Reliability
If the system is baked out frequently to maintain performance, then contamination is controlled, but productivity decreases due to repeated downtime
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the vacuum system into independent chambers, the patent enables selective bake-out of only those chambers that require it. This segmentation allows maintenance of system performance without requiring complete system shutdowns, thereby preserving productivity during non-critical periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal control system includes cooling elements that can pre-cool chambers before bake-out operations or maintain operational chambers at optimal temperatures. This preliminary preparation reduces the overall time required for bake-out cycles and minimizes disruption to productivity.
3Reliability
If all components are heated uniformly during bake-out, then contamination is removed from all surfaces, but energy consumption increases and heat-sensitive components may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal control system provides localized thermal control for different chambers, allowing heat to be applied only where contamination removal is needed. This eliminates unnecessary energy consumption in areas that do not require bake-out and protects heat-sensitive components by excluding them from high-temperature zones.
Solution Approach 2:
By dividing the system into separate chambers with independent thermal control, the patent enables segmented heating operations. Each chamber can be heated to the required temperature independently, reducing total energy consumption compared to heating the entire system uniformly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces contamination effectively while minimizing downtime by allowing localized and targeted bake-out of components, thereby maintaining high throughput and yield in semiconductor manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
bake out the system by bringing the components to an elevated temperature to increase the rate of evaporation of contamination
Implementation Method 2
The thermal control system configured to bake out the different chambers independently
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a charged particle system for emitting a beam of charged particles towards a sample for inspecting the sample. The system comprises: a source, a charged particle device, a support, a vacuum system, and a thermal control system. The source is configured to emit a beam of charged particles. The charged particle device is configured to project the beam of charged particles towards a sample. The charged particle device comprises a plurality of charged particle-optical elements along the path of the beam of charged particles. The support is configured to support the sample. The vacuum system includes a plurality of chambers of which different chambers are configured to comprise at least one respective component. The at least one respective component comprises at least one of the source and one or more charged particle-optical element. The thermal control system configured to bake out the different chambers independently.