Pre-aligning Carrier and Substrate in Cluster Tool FOUP
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor processing, there is a need for a method to properly align and position a carrier and substrate before deposition processing, ensuring accurate alignment during substrate processing without requiring real-time alignment during the process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a portable electrostatic chuck with flat portions and a notch for alignment within a cluster tool's front opening pod, combined with a factory interface robot and controller to pre-align the carrier and substrate, allowing for precise orientation and positioning before substrate processing, eliminating the need for real-time alignment during processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If real-time alignment is performed during substrate processing, then alignment accuracy is improved, but processing time increases and throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs alignment of the carrier and substrate before the substrate is transferred to the processing chamber. The factory interface robot positions the carrier in a predetermined orientation and location within the FOUP, and the charging station aligns the substrate with the carrier before chucking. This preliminary alignment eliminates the need for real-time alignment during processing, maintaining accuracy while improving throughput.
2Measurement precision
If complex alignment mechanisms are used during processing, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment function is extracted from the processing chamber and relocated to the factory interface area. The FOUP is equipped with alignment features (flat portions and notches) that work with the factory interface robot and charging station to perform alignment before substrate transfer. This removes complex alignment mechanisms from the processing environment, simplifying the overall system while maintaining precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual alignment procedures are used, then flexibility is improved, but operation time increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs self-aligning features where the FOUP shelf has flat portions and notches that automatically guide the carrier and substrate into correct positions. The factory interface robot places the carrier with its flat portions against the shelf sidewalls and the notch aligned with the protrusion, creating a self-aligning mechanism that eliminates manual adjustment while maintaining flexibility for different substrates.
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
Ensures accurate and efficient substrate processing by maintaining proper alignment of the carrier and substrate relative to processing platform components throughout the process, enhancing processing efficiency and reducing alignment errors.
Implementation Method 1
a portable electrostatic chuck configured to hold a substrate on a surface of the portable electrostatic chuck using electro static forces
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes aligning and positioning a carrier in a predetermined orientation and location within a first front opening pod (FOUP) of a cluster tool, transferring the carrier to a charging station of the cluster tool, transferring a substrate from a second front opening pod (FOUP) of the cluster tool to the charging station and chucking the substrate onto the carrier, transferring the carrier having the substrate thereon from the charging station to a factory interface of the cluster tool, aligning the carrier having the substrate thereon in the factory interface of the cluster tool such that during substrate processing within a processing platform of the cluster tool the carrier is properly oriented and positioned relative to components of the processing platform, where the processing platform comprises one or more processing chambers, transferring the aligned carrier having the substrate thereon from the factory interface to the processing platform of the cluster tool for substrate processing, and transferring the aligned carrier having the processed substrate thereon from the processing platform to the factory interface.