Substrate Processing Apparatus Gas State Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing technologies face challenges in detecting the state of gases within the processing apparatus during hydrophobic processing, making it difficult to identify abnormalities or errors until they become defects.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus that supplies a first gas and a second gas with different relative humidities into a processing vessel, using a control unit to determine the state of the gas based on relative humidity measurements, allowing for detection of abnormalities and precise control of gas supply and purging processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a preset gas is supplied to the substrate for hydrophobic processing, then the substrate surface can be effectively hydrophobized, but it becomes difficult to detect the state of the gas and identify processing abnormalities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a reference gas with different relative humidity as an intermediary substance to enable indirect detection of the processing gas state. By measuring the relative humidity change caused by the mixing of processing gas and reference gas, the system can detect gas supply abnormalities without directly measuring the processing gas itself
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the relative humidity sensor continuously monitors the gas state in the processing chamber and provides information to the control unit. The control unit compares the measured relative humidity with expected values to detect abnormalities and can adjust the gas supply accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system
2Productivity
If the gas supply state cannot be detected during processing, then the processing can proceed continuously, but abnormalities remain undetected until defects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary detection of gas supply abnormalities during the processing itself, rather than waiting for defects to manifest. By introducing the reference gas and measuring relative humidity changes in real-time, the system can identify issues before they result in substrate defects, enabling early intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The real-time feedback from relative humidity measurements allows the system to maintain both productivity and reliability. The control unit can detect abnormalities during processing and trigger alerts or adjustments, ensuring quality without stopping the production flow
Data Source
AI summary
An abnormal processing can be appropriately detected in a processing of supplying a preset gas to a substrate as a processing target. A hydrophobizing unit U5 includes a processing vessel 21 configured to accommodate therein a wafer W as a processing target; an opening/closing unit 60 (first supply unit) configured to supply air (first gas) into the processing vessel 21; a gas supply unit 30 (second supply unit) configured to supply a HMDS gas (second gas), having a relative humidity different from that of the air, into the processing vessel 21; and a controller 100 (control unit). The controller 100 is configured to determine a state of a gas within the processing vessel 21 based on a relative humidity obtained after a supply of the air by the opening/closing unit 60 and a supply of the HMDS gas by the gas supply unit 30 are performed.