Automated Robot Arm Cleaning via Gas Purge Ports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current substrate processing systems face challenges in efficiently and automatically cleaning robot arms, leading to potential contamination and damage of wafers due to accumulated material, which increases downtime and maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
An automated system with gas purge ports in airlock chambers dispenses a controlled flow of inert gas onto robot arms, removing particulate matter through multiple pump/purge cycles, allowing for efficient cleaning across various robot types and locations within the processing system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual cleaning of robot arms is performed, then cleaning effectiveness can be maintained, but downtime increases and labor costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm cleaning system performs self-service by automatically cleaning its own arm without external intervention. The controller activates gas purge ports that dispense gas onto the robot arm, and the system automatically executes pump/purge cycles to remove particulate matter, eliminating the need for manual cleaning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical cleaning operations with an automated gas-based purification system. Instead of using mechanical brushes or wipes, the system uses gas flow through purge ports to remove contaminants, substituting mechanical cleaning with a gas-phase cleaning mechanism.
2Reliability
If robot arms are not cleaned regularly, then downtime is reduced, but wafer contamination and damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cleaning actions by continuously or periodically removing particulate matter from the robot arm before it can contaminate wafers. The gas purge ports are activated to dispense gas onto the robot arm, preventing contaminant accumulation that could lead to wafer damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system operates with feedback control where the controller monitors the cleaning process and adjusts gas flow through the purge ports accordingly. The system executes pump/purge cycles that respond to the accumulated contamination levels, ensuring wafer quality is maintained while optimizing cleaning frequency.
3Ease of operation
If multiple gas purge ports are used, then cleaning coverage is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas purge system is segmented into multiple distributed purge ports positioned at different locations along the robot arm. Each port is controlled independently by the controller, allowing targeted gas flow to specific areas of the robot arm that require cleaning, improving overall cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas purge system serves multiple functions: it cleans different sections of the robot arm, removes various types of particulate matter, and can be activated selectively based on the robot arm's position and contamination patterns. The same gas flow mechanism handles diverse cleaning requirements across the entire robot arm structure.
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
This solution reduces downtime, maintains tool efficiency, and ensures repeatable, effective cleaning of robot arms, minimizing the risk of wafer contamination and improving productivity by removing particles effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a controller to dispense the gas into the enclosure through one or more of the inlets in response to the robot arm being moved into the enclosure of the substrate processing system
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a plurality of inlets configured to dispense a gas into an enclosure of a substrate processing system. The enclosure is separate from processing chambers of the substrate processing system that process a semiconductor substrate. The system includes a controller configured to move into the enclosure a robot arm used to transport the semiconductor substrate between the processing chambers of the substrate processing system. The controller is configured to dispense the gas into the enclosure through one or more of the inlets in response to the robot arm being moved into the enclosure of the substrate processing system.