Substrate Transfer Oblique Loading Warpage Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing systems face challenges in accurately estimating substrate warpage, which can lead to positional displacement and increased particle generation during transfer and processing.
Innovation Solution
A substrate transfer method involving a transfer robot that loads a substrate obliquely onto an alignment module, allowing the module to measure eccentricity and estimate warpage, followed by loading the substrate in subsequent modules based on the estimated warpage to correct positional displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a substrate is transferred from an atmospheric transfer module to a vacuum transfer module for processing, then the substrate can undergo vacuum-based processing operations, but substrate warpage causes positional displacement and particle generation during transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment module measures the substrate's eccentricity and estimates warpage before the substrate is transferred to the vacuum transfer module. This preliminary measurement and estimation allow the system to predict and compensate for positional displacement that would occur during transfer, thereby maintaining positioning accuracy and reducing particle generation while enabling reliable vacuum-based processing
2Measurement precision
If substrate warpage is measured using traditional imaging methods, then warpage detection can be performed, but the process is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex imaging-based warpage measurement methods with a simplified approach using eccentricity measurement. The alignment module measures the substrate's eccentricity during the normal alignment process, and the control module estimates warpage from this eccentricity data. This substitution of measurement methodology maintains warpage detection accuracy while dramatically reducing measurement time and complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
A substrate transfer method includes (A) causing a transfer robot to hold a substrate and to load the substrate in an alignment module, and causing the transfer robot to mount the substrate on a stage of the alignment module based on the transfer robot moving past the stage of the alignment module; (B) causing the alignment module to measure an eccentricity of the substrate and estimating an amount of warpage of the substrate based on the measured eccentricity of the substrate; and (C) causing the substrate unloaded from the alignment module to be loaded in a different module based on the estimated amount of warpage of the substrate. The (A), (B), and (C) are performed in this order. In (A), the substrate is moved obliquely downward relative to a stage of the alignment module.