Substrate Transport Alignment for Multi-Chamber Wafer Placement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing systems face challenges in accurately positioning multiple substrates during simultaneous transport due to positional errors, which affect the efficiency and throughput of the processing system.
Innovation Solution
A substrate transport method and system that includes a vacuum transport device and an atmospheric transport device, equipped with sensors to detect positional errors, and a controller to correct these errors by computing and applying correction amounts to ensure precise placement of substrates on stages within processing chambers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple substrates are simultaneously transported from the load lock chamber to the processing chambers, then the productivity is improved, but the positional accuracy of substrate placement deteriorates due to accumulated positional errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system acquires relative positional errors in advance for each processing chamber and uses this information to determine corrected placement positions on the load lock chamber stage before transport. This preliminary correction action ensures that even when multiple substrates are simultaneously transported, their placement positions are pre-adjusted to compensate for known positional errors in the processing chambers, thereby maintaining both high productivity and accurate substrate placement.
2Device complexity
If the substrate placement position is fixed on the load lock chamber stage, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different processing chambers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system determines placement positions dynamically based on the specific processing chamber destination and pre-acquired relative positional error data. Rather than using a fixed placement position, the load lock chamber stage adapts its placement coordinates according to which processing chamber the substrate is being transported to, enabling the system to maintain simplicity while achieving high adaptability across different chambers.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate transport method is employed in a substrate processing system including a plurality of processing chambers, a load lock chamber, a vacuum transport device provided in a vacuum transport chamber connecting the load lock chamber and the plurality of processing chambers and configured to simultaneously transport a plurality of substrates, and an atmospheric transport device provided in an atmospheric transport chamber and configured to transport a substrate from a carrier to the load lock chamber. The substrate transport method includes acquiring in advance a relative positional error for a case where the plurality of substrates are transported from the load lock chamber to the plurality of processing chambers and placed on a stage in the plurality of processing chambers, and placing the plurality of substrates on a stage in the load lock chamber, based on a transport path of the plurality of substrates and the relative positional error.