Methods and apparatus for shutter disk assembly detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10851453-B2
Application number	US-201815950726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2018
Priority date	Apr 11, 2018
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for detecting a shutter disk assembly in a process chamber using a number of sensors. A first, second, and third sensor in a shutter housing for a shutter disk assembly provide indications of a status of the shutter disk assembly. The indications are used in part to determine the operational status of the shutter disk assembly along with process information from a process controller. The operational status is then used to alter a process of the process chamber when necessary.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of detecting a shutter disk assembly in a process chamber, comprising:
receiving a first sensor varying signal level that is tunable by a process controller and indicates degrees of sensor blockage from a first sensor located in a shutter housing of the process chamber, the first sensor positioned to detect a shutter arm;
receiving a second sensor varying signal level that is tunable by the process controller and indicates degrees of sensor blockage from a second sensor located in the shutter housing of the process chamber, the second sensor positioned to detect a shutter disk;
receiving a third sensor varying signal level that is tunable by the process controller and indicates degrees of sensor blockage from a third sensor located in the shutter housing of the process chamber, the third sensor positioned to detect the shutter disk;
receiving process information from a process controller;
determining an operational status of the shutter disk assembly based, at least in part, on at least one of the first sensor varying signal level, the second sensor varying signal level, the third sensor varying signal level, and the process information; and
altering at least one process of the process chamber, if necessary, based on the operational status of the shutter disk assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
altering at least one process of the process chamber by performing a calibration of the shutter disk assembly.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
altering at least one process of the process chamber by re-positioning the shutter arm.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
altering at least one process of the process chamber by halting the process and setting an alarm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational status of the shutter disk assembly includes, at least, an angle from a shaft sensor of a shaft of the shutter arm.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining if the shutter disk assembly exceeds a time duration threshold during an idle period; and
altering at least one process of the process chamber by halting the process and setting an alarm.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the operational status to not be in error when the first sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage greater than zero, the second sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage equal to zero, the third sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage greater than zero, and the process information indicates shutter disk assembly stored.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the operational status to be in error when the first sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage greater than zero, the second sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage greater than zero, the third sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage equal to zero, and the process information indicates shutter disk assembly stored.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the operational status to be in error when the first sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage equal to zero, the second sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage greater than zero, the third sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage equal to zero, and the process information indicates shutter disk assembly stored.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the operational status to not be in error when the first sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage greater than zero, the second sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage greater than zero, the third sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage equal to zero, and the process information indicates shutter disk assembly stored.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the operational status to be in error when the first sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage greater than zero, the second sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage greater than zero, the third sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage equal to or greater than zero, and the process information indicates shutter arm stored.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the operational status to not be in error when the first sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage greater than zero, the second sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage equal to zero, the third sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage equal to zero, and the process information indicates shutter arm stored.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the operational status to be in error when the first sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage equal to zero, the second sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage equal to zero, the third sensor varying signal level indicates a degree of blockage greater than zero, and the process information indicates shutter disk assembly idle timed out.

14. A method of detecting a shutter disk assembly in a process chamber, comprising:
storing the shutter disk assembly in a shutter housing appended to the process chamber;
receiving a first signal level that is tunable by a process controller and indicates degrees of sensor blockage from a first sensor varying signal from a first sensor located in a shutter housing of the process chamber, the first sensor positioned to detect a shutter arm;
setting, by the process controller, a first sensor detection threshold based on the first signal level, the first sensor detection threshold indicating that a shutter disk arm is correctly stored;
receiving a second signal level that is tunable by the process controller and indicates degrees of sensor blockage from a second sensor varying signal from a second sensor located in the shutter housing of the process chamber, the second sensor positioned to detect a shutter disk;
setting, by the process controller, a second sensor detection threshold based on the second signal level, the second sensor detection threshold indicating that a shutter disk is correctly stored;
receiving a third signal level that is tunable by the process controller and indicates degrees of sensor blockage from a third sensor varying signal from a third sensor located in the shutter housing of the process chamber, the third sensor positioned to detect the shutter disk;
setting, by the process controller, a third sensor detection threshold based on the third signal level, the third sensor detection threshold indicating that the shutter disk is correctly stored;
storing the first sensor detection threshold, the second sensor detection threshold, and the third sensor detection threshold; and
retrieving the first sensor detection threshold, the second sensor detection threshold, or the third sensor detection threshold during a process to determine an operational status of the shutter disk assembly.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
comparing, by the process controller, the first sensor detection threshold, the second sensor detection threshold, or the third sensor detection threshold to current sensor detection information of the first sensor, the second sensor, or the third sensor to determine a status of the shutter disk assembly.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving, by the process controller, process informati

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Tsai Cheng-Hsiung
• Jupudi Ananthkrishna
• Asahina Eiji
• Babu Sarath

Classifications

• C23C14/22

  characterised by the process of coating · CPC title

• C23C14/021 Primary

  Cleaning or etching treatments · CPC title

• C23C14/564

  Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases · CPC title

• C23C14/54

  Controlling or regulating the coating process · CPC title

• C23C14/52 Primary

  Means for observation of the coating process · CPC title