System and method for maintenance of rotation-lift assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11774306-B2
Application number	US-201916451444-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2019
Priority date	Jun 26, 2018
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for semiconductor processing, more particularly, to a system and method for monitoring a rotation-lift assembly of a process chamber. The rotation-lift assembly outputs a torque feedback signal which is processed by a controller to determine if the rotation-lift assembly has a fault or is near failure. The controller determines torque data from the torque feedback signal, compares the torque data to preexisting torque data, and, based on the comparison, issue a notice of a state of the rotation-lift assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring a rotation-lift assembly of a process chamber, the method comprising:
rotating, based on a drive signal, a susceptor of the process chamber and a substrate disposed on the susceptor via the rotation-lift assembly to process the substrate;
receiving a torque feedback signal from the rotation-lift assembly, the torque feedback signal corresponding to an amount of torque output by the rotation-lift assembly to rotate the susceptor of the process chamber and the substrate based on the drive signal;
processing the torque feedback signal to identify torque data;
comparing the torque data to preexisting torque data; and
issuing a notice of a state of the rotation-lift assembly based on the comparison of the torque data to the preexisting torque data, wherein issuing the notice of the state of the rotation-lift assembly comprises at least one of adjusting processing of the substrate, communicating an alert message, and turning on an indicator light.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the torque data comprises generating a graph of torque percentage over time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the torque data to the preexisting torque data comprises determining if a difference between the torque data and the preexisting torque data exceeds a threshold amount.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the difference between the torque data and the preexisting torque data comprises determining if a variance of the torque data exceeds a variance of the preexisting torque data by the threshold amount.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the variance of the torque data corresponds to a difference between a peak and a valley of the torque data and the variance of the preexisting torque data corresponds to a difference between a peak and a valley of the preexisting torque data.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the difference between the torque data and the preexisting torque data comprises generating a box plot of the torque data and a box plot of the preexisting torque data.

7. A substrate process chamber comprising:
a susceptor comprising a support shaft, the susceptor is configured to support a substrate for processing within the substrate process chamber;
a rotation-lift assembly configured to:
rotate the susceptor and the substrate disposed on the susceptor during processing; and
output a torque feedback signal corresponding to an amount of torque output by the rotation-lift assembly to rotate the susceptor and the substrate; and
a controller coupled to the rotation-lift assembly and configured to:
receive the torque feedback signal;
process the torque feedback signal to identify torque data corresponding to torque output by the rotation-lift assembly when rotating the susceptor and the substrate;
compare the torque data to preexisting torque data; and
issue a notice of a state of the rotation-lift assembly based on the comparison of the torque data to the preexisting torque data, wherein issuing the notice of the state of the rotation-lift assembly comprises at least one of stopping processing within the substrate process chamber, communicating an alert message, and turning on an indicator light.

8. The substrate process chamber of claim 7 , wherein identifying the torque data comprises generating a graph of torque percentage over time.

9. The substrate process chamber of claim 7 , wherein comparing the torque data to the preexisting torque data comprises determining if a difference between the torque data and the preexisting torque data exceeds a threshold amount.

10. The substrate process chamber of claim 9 , wherein determining the difference between the torque data and the preexisting torque data comprises determining if a variance of the torque data exceeds a variance of the preexisting torque data by the threshold amount.

11. The substrate process chamber of claim 10 , wherein the variance of the torque data corresponds to a difference between a peak and a valley of the torque data and the variance of the preexisting torque data corresponds to a difference between a peak and a valley of the preexisting torque data.

12. The substrate process chamber of claim 9 , wherein determining the difference between the torque data and the preexisting torque data comprises generating a box plot of the torque data and a box plot the preexisting torque data.

13. The substrate process chamber of claim 9 , wherein the preexisting torque data corresponds a second rotation-lift assembly that is free of faults.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for monitoring a rotation-lift assembly for a process chamber, the method comprising:
rotating, based on a drive signal, a susceptor of the process chamber and a substrate via the rotation-lift assembly to process the substrate within the process chamber;
receiving a torque feedback signal from the rotation-lift assembly, the torque feedback signal corresponding to an amount of torque output by the rotation-lift assembly to rotate the susceptor of the process chamber and the substrate based on the drive signal;
processing the torque feedback signal to identify torque data;
comparing the torque data to preexisting torque data; and
issuing a notice of a state of the rotation-lift assembly based on the comparison of the torque data to the preexisting torque data, wherein issuing the notice of the state of the rotation-lift assembly comprises at least one of adjusting processing of the substrate, communicating an alert message, and turning on an indicator light.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein identifying the torque data comprises generating a graph of torque percentage over time.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein comparing the torque data to the preexisting torque data comprises determining if a difference between the torque data and the preexisting torque data exceeds a threshold amount.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein determining the difference between the torque data and the preexisting torque data comprises determining if a variance of the torque data exceeds a variance of the preexisting torque data by the threshold amount.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein determining the difference between the torque data and the preexisting torque data comprises generating a box plot of the torque data and a box plot of the preexisting torque data.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Ackermann Thomas
• Fankhaenel Torsten

Classifications

• H10P72/7626

  characterised by the construction of the shaft · CPC title

• H10P72/7624

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• G01L5/00 Primary

  Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title

• H10P72/7612

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title