Electronic device manufacturing systems, methods, and apparatus for heating substrates and reducing contamination in loadlocks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10796935-B2
Application number	US-201715462203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 17, 2017
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

An electronic device manufacturing system may include a loadlock. The loadlock may include a plurality of gas line heaters for providing a heated gas to the loadlock to heat a processed substrate therein. Heating a processed substrate may reduce corrosion in the loadlock and subsequent contamination of substrates therein. The loadlock may also include a plurality of embedded heaters in the loadlock housing to reduce moisture therein, further reducing corrosion and contamination. Methods of heating a substrate in a loadlock are also provided, as are other aspects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A loadlock of an electronic device manufacturing system comprising:
a housing having a first interior chamber configured to receive a substrate therein from a transfer chamber of the electronic device manufacturing system;
a plurality of gas lines coupled to the first interior chamber;
a plurality of gas line heaters configured to heat a gas in one or more of the plurality of gas lines to deliver heated gas to the first interior chamber;
a plurality of gas line temperature sensors coupled at different locations to the plurality of gas lines; and
a gas line heater controller configured to receive one or more sensed gas temperatures from one or more of the plurality of gas line temperature sensors and to adjust a setting of one or more of the plurality of gas line heaters in response to receiving the one or more sensed gas temperatures.

2. The loadlock of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing has a second interior chamber configured to receive a substrate therein from the transfer chamber of the electronic device manufacturing system;
the plurality of gas lines is coupled to the second interior chamber; and
the plurality of gas line heaters is configured to heat a gas to be delivered to the second interior chamber.

3. The loadlock of claim 1 , wherein the gas delivered to the first interior chamber is an inert gas.

4. The loadlock of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of gas line temperature sensors is a thermocouple.

5. The loadlock of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of cartridge heaters embedded in the housing and configured to heat the housing.

6. The loadlock of claim 5 , wherein a first sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters is included in a first loadlock heating zone and a second sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters is included in a second loadlock heating zone.

7. The loadlock of claim 6 , wherein some of the first sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters have a lower maximum heat output than others of the first sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters.

8. The loadlock of claim 6 , further comprising a loadlock heater controller configured to provide a set temperature of the loadlock housing by adjusting settings of the first sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters, the second sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters, or both in response to receiving one or more temperatures sensed at different locations within the loadlock housing.

9. An electronic device manufacturing system, comprising:
a process tool including a transfer chamber;
a factory interface; and
a loadlock coupled between the transfer chamber and the factory interface, the loadlock comprising:
a housing having a first interior chamber configured to receive a substrate therein from the transfer chamber;
a plurality of gas line heaters configured to heat a gas in one or more gas lines coupled to deliver heated gas to the first interior chamber;
a plurality of gas line temperature sensors coupled at different locations to the one or more gas lines; and
a gas line heater controller configured to receive one or more sensed gas temperatures from one or more of the plurality of gas line temperature sensors and to adjust a setting of one or more of the plurality of gas line heaters in response to receiving the one or more sensed gas temperatures.

10. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a plurality of cartridge heaters embedded in the housing and configured to heat the housing;
a plurality of loadlock temperature sensors coupled at different locations in the housing; and
a loadlock heater controller configured to provide a set temperature of the loadlock housing by adjusting settings of one or more of the plurality of cartridge heaters in response to receiving one or more temperatures sensed by one or more of the plurality of loadlock temperature sensors.

11. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of cartridge heaters comprises eight cartridge heaters, a first four of the eight cartridge heaters included in a first heating zone and a second four of the eight cartridge heaters included in a second heating zone, the first and second heating zones each separately controlled by the loadlock heater controller.

12. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein the gas heated and delivered to the first interior chamber is an inert gas.

13. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of gas line heaters comprises at least three gas line heaters, each included in a different heating zone separately controlled by the gas line heater controller.

14. A method comprising:
receiving, by a loadlock of an electronic device manufacturing system, a substrate into a first interior chamber of a housing from a transfer chamber of the electronic device manufacturing system;
heating, by a plurality of gas line heaters, gas in one or more of a plurality of gas lines coupled to the first interior chamber;
receiving a gas temperature from gas line temperature sensors coupled at different locations to the plurality of gas lines; and
adjusting a setting of one or more of the plurality of gas line heaters in response to receiving the one or more sensed gas temperatures.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving a second substrate into a second interior chamber of the housing from the transfer chamber; and
heating, by the plurality of gas line heaters, gas in one or more of the plurality of gas lines that are also coupled to the second interior chamber.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the gas delivered to the first interior chamber is an inert gas.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising heating the housing with a plurality of cartridge heaters embedded in the housing.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
positioning a first sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters in a first loadlock heating zone of the electronic device manufacturing system; and
positioning a second sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters in a second loadlock heating zone of the electronic device manufacturing system.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein some of the first sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters have a lower maximum heat output than others of the first sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising providing, by a loadlock heater controller, a set temperature of the loadlock by adjusting settings of the first sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters, the second sub-plurality of the cartridge heaters, or both in response to receiving one or more temperatures sensed at different locations within the loadlock housing.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Wyatt Adam J
• Ng Edward
• Nguyen Andrew

Classifications

• H10P72/0466 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the load-lock chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/0602 Primary

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/06

  Apparatus for monitoring, sorting, marking, testing or measuring · CPC title