Transparent Substrate Holder for Real-Time Defect Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current substrate processing devices lack effective means to detect cracks or fractures in substrates and leaks of processing solution within substrate holders, leading to inefficiencies in identifying and addressing these issues, which can contaminate subsequent tanks and affect plating quality.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a transparent portion in the substrate holding member and an imaging device to visually inspect the interior of the holder, allowing for real-time monitoring of substrate and holder conditions, enabling early detection of defects and leaks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If substrate holders are made opaque for sealing and structural integrity, then reliability is improved, but the ability to detect defects and leaks is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing integrityVSAvoiddefect detection capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The substrate holder is segmented into opaque portions and a transparent portion, allowing different regions to serve different functions: opaque regions provide sealing and structural integrity, while the transparent region enables optical inspection without compromising overall reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A transparent portion acts as an intermediary element that allows optical inspection to occur through the substrate holder structure, bridging the need for opacity (for sealing) and transparency (for detection)

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If no imaging device is installed to monitor substrate holders, then device complexity is reduced, but the time to identify defects and leaks increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem structureVSAvoiddefect identification time

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The imaging device is positioned to capture images of the substrate holder at predetermined timings (before processing, during processing, after processing), enabling proactive defect detection before issues propagate to subsequent tanks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The imaging device provides visual feedback about the substrate holder condition, allowing operators to identify defects and leaks in real-time and take corrective action, creating a closed-loop monitoring system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If substrate holders are inspected manually for cracks and leaks, then measurement precision can be high, but productivity decreases due to time-consuming inspection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedefect detection accuracyVSAvoidsubstrate processing throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Manual mechanical inspection is replaced with an automated imaging system that captures and analyzes images of the substrate holder, maintaining detection accuracy while eliminating the time loss associated with manual inspection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The imaging device enables the substrate holder inspection process to be self-servicing, automatically capturing and providing visual information about defects without requiring manual intervention, thereby improving productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10818527B2Substrate holding member, substrate processing device, method for controlling substrate processing device, and storage medium storing programs

Publication Date: 2020.10.27 EBARA CORP

AI summary

The present invention provides a substrate holding member comprising: a first holding member; a second holding member that cooperates with the first holding member to hold the substrate therebetween; and a transparent portion provided in at least one of the first and second holding members.