Substrate Placement Using Profile Maps to Reduce Edge Tilt
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Solution Overview
Problem
The placement of substrates in processing chambers is not optimized, leading to variations in product quality and increased scrapping due to factors like tilt near the edge of the substrate, which affects etch rates and chamber component conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses substrate measurement data to generate profile maps, process them through a model, and determine recommended placements for substrates relative to chamber components, optimizing substrate placement to minimize tilt and improve processing outcomes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If substrates are placed in process chambers using conventional placement methods, then the processing can be performed, but variations in product quality occur due to unoptimized placement relative to chamber components
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurements of substrate surface profiles before processing and uses this data to determine optimal placement positions in advance. Profile maps are generated and analyzed to identify the best substrate placement location relative to chamber components before the actual processing occurs, preventing quality variations rather than correcting them afterward.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where substrate surface profile measurements are continuously taken, processed through models to determine optimal placement, and then used to adjust subsequent substrate placements. The measured surface profiles provide feedback that refines the placement optimization for improving substrate quality consistency.
2Productivity
If substrates are processed without optimized placement, then the processing flow remains simple, but scrap rates increase due to tilt and edge-related issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables substrates to essentially self-optimize their placement by measuring their own surface profiles and using this self-generated data to determine optimal placement positions. The substrate's own measurement data serves the function of guiding its placement optimization, reducing the need for external intervention while increasing yield.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the placement parameters (position and orientation) of substrates based on their measured surface profile characteristics. By adjusting placement parameters according to actual substrate measurements rather than using fixed placement rules, the system increases the proportion of substrates meeting quality specifications and reduces scrap rates.
3Reliability
If conventional substrate placement is used, then the processing chamber operation is straightforward, but tilt near substrate edges affects etch rates and processing outcomes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary surface profile measurements and generates profile maps before processing to identify and correct placement issues in advance. By measuring and analyzing substrate surfaces beforehand, the system can determine optimal placement positions that prevent tilt-related processing problems rather than allowing them to occur during standard processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces mechanical trial-and-error placement adjustment with computational analysis. Instead of relying on mechanical positioning systems alone, the patent uses computer-based profile mapping, modeling, and calculation to determine optimal placement positions, substituting computational intelligence for purely mechanical placement control.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes processing a first substrate in a process chamber of a substrate processing system according to a recipe while the first substrate is supported by a substrate support of the process chamber. The first substrate includes a first surface profile after the processing. The method further includes generating a first profile map of the first surface profile of the first substrate using a substrate measurement system of the substrate processing system. The method further includes processing data from the first profile map using a model. The model outputs a first estimated substrate placement value for a placement of the first substrate relative to one or more components of the substrate support. The method further includes determining a recommended placement for substrates on the substrate support based on the first estimated substrate placement value.