Load Lock Self-Diagnostics for In-Situ Contamination Remediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing load locks in electronic device manufacturing systems suffer from contamination and mechanical degradation, leading to unsatisfactory processing conditions that are often unnoticed and result in decreased throughput and increased costs due to infrequent maintenance and inefficient particle testing.
Innovation Solution
A load lock system equipped with sensors and a computing subsystem for self-diagnosis and automated remedial actions, including an automated clean cycle controlled by a controller, which performs maintenance based on real-time conditions without taking the load lock out of service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional scheduled maintenance and particle testing are performed, then load lock contamination is addressed periodically, but tool down-time increases and throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The load lock system performs self-diagnostics using sensors to monitor contamination levels and automatically initiates clean cycles when contamination thresholds are exceeded, eliminating the need for external particle testing and scheduled maintenance that would require tool down-time
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors continuously monitor load lock conditions and provide real-time feedback to the control system, which automatically triggers remedial clean cycles when contamination is detected, creating a closed-loop system that maintains cleanliness without manual intervention or production interruption
2Measurement precision
If load lock is taken out of service for particle testing, then contamination level is determined, but tool up-time is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors continuously monitor load lock contamination levels during normal operation without interruption, eliminating the need to take the tool out of service for periodic particle testing while maintaining continuous production
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of removing substrates for external metrology measurement is replaced with in-situ sensors that automatically detect contamination levels, eliminating the time loss associated with tool shutdown and external testing
3Productivity
If multiple product substrates are processed in a dirty load lock to wait for testing, then testing frequency is reduced, but substrate quality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Real-time sensor feedback immediately detects contamination and triggers automatic clean cycles, preventing the accumulation of contamination that would occur during extended intervals between particle tests
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary continuous monitoring and detects contamination before it reaches levels that would compromise substrate quality, initiating clean cycles proactively rather than reactively after multiple substrates have been processed
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
The system enables continuous monitoring and immediate remediation of contamination, reducing downtime and maintaining high up-time by performing automated clean cycles as needed, thus preventing substrate contamination and equipment failure.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum pump coupled to the outlet gas line
Implementation Method 2
a controller operatively coupled to the first valve and the vacuum pump, wherein the controller is to perform an automated clean cycle
Data Source
AI summary
A load lock including sensing and recovery subsystems to remediate a measured condition within the load lock. The sensing subsystem can use a variety of sensors to measure the conditions within a processing chamber, and a computing subsystem can selectively activate a the recovery subsystem or remediation subsystem of the recovery subsystem to remediate an aspect of the measured conditions, such as chamber contamination, as deemed necessary based on the measured conditions. The remediation subsystem can include several mechanisms, including a gas purge of the chamber. The overall system can work to regulate chamber contamination, wafer contamination, or chamber component integrity.