Substrate Processing Display for Film Thickness Uniformity Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current substrate processing systems require significant operator effort to input and calculate film thickness measurements across multiple points, leading to increased operator burden and potential errors, especially when data needs to be manually recorded and transmitted for optimizing in-plane uniformity of film thickness.
Innovation Solution
The substrate processing system employs an information processing device that inputs summary data instead of individual film thickness measurements, using this data to estimate and calculate film thickness values at multiple points, thereby reducing operator load and enabling optimized recipe settings for uniform film formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual measurement and calculation of film thickness at multiple points is performed, then measurement precision is improved, but operator burden increases and errors may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a camera to capture an image of the substrate and creates a digital copy (image data) of the film surface. This digital copy is then processed to extract film thickness information, replacing the need for manual physical measurements at multiple points. The image data serves as a copy that contains all necessary measurement information without requiring operator intervention for each measurement point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement operations with automated image processing. Instead of operators physically measuring film thickness at multiple points, the system uses image capture and automated calculation to obtain film thickness distribution, substituting mechanical measurement with optical and computational methods.
2Loss of information
If extensive manual data input is required for film thickness measurements, then data completeness is improved, but processing time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by capturing the entire film thickness distribution in a single image before any measurement or calculation occurs. The camera captures all necessary data points simultaneously, and the system automatically processes this complete dataset without requiring sequential manual input, thereby preserving data completeness while dramatically reducing processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a complete digital replica of the film thickness distribution through image capture, preserving all measurement information in digital form. This digital copy allows for complete data analysis without manual transcription, maintaining information integrity while eliminating time-consuming manual data entry processes.
3Manufacturing precision
If individual film thickness measurements at multiple points are calculated manually, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual calculation processes with automated image processing algorithms. The system automatically extracts film thickness information from the captured image and calculates in-plane uniformity metrics, substituting manual computational complexity with automated computational methods that achieve the same manufacturing precision goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses image data as a comprehensive copy of the film thickness distribution, allowing automated extraction of all necessary measurement points and uniformity calculations from this single digital source, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while simplifying the overall measurement and analysis process.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing system includes a substrate processing apparatus including a processing container and a boat for transferring a plurality of substrates into the processing container; a measuring device that measures a substrate processing result of a substrate in the substrate processing apparatus; and an information processing device that estimates substrate processing results at a plurality of points on the substrate, based on the substrate processing result. The information processing device of the substrate processing system includes an input unit that inputs summary data extracted from the substrate processing result measured by the measuring device, a calculation unit that calculates a plurality of estimated values indicating the substrate processing results at the plurality of points on the substrate based on the summary data; and a display control unit that displays the plurality of estimated values on a display device.