Autonomous substrate processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12265377-B2
Application number	US-202318325918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2023
Priority date	Jan 6, 2021
Publication date	Apr 1, 2025
Grant date	Apr 1, 2025

Abstract

A cool cluster comprises one or more transfer chambers; a plurality of process chambers connected to the one or more transfer chambers; and a computing device of the tool cluster. The computing device is to receive first measurements generated by sensors of a first process chamber during or after a process is performed within the first process chamber; determine that the first process chamber is due for maintenance based on processing the first measurements using a first trained machine learning model; after maintenance has been performed on the first process chamber, receive second measurements generated by the sensors during or after a seasoning process is performed within the first process chamber; and determine that the first process chamber is ready to be brought back into service based on processing the second measurements using a second trained machine learning model.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tool cluster for substrate processing, comprising:
one or more transfer chambers;
a plurality of process chambers connected to the one or more transfer chambers, the plurality of process chambers comprising a first process chamber comprising a first plurality of sensors and a second process chamber comprising a second plurality of sensors; and
a computing device at the tool cluster, wherein the computing device is to:
receive a first set of measurements from at least one of the first plurality of sensors of the first process chamber during or after a first instance of a process performed within the first process chamber, wherein the first set of measurements comprise optical measurements, power measurements, and pressure measurements;
process the first set of measurements using a trained machine learning model, wherein the trained machine learning model is to generate a first output based on processing of the first set of measurements;
cause a first action to be performed with respect to the first process chamber based on the first output of the trained machine learning model;
determine a first result of the first action; and
update a training of the trained machine learning model based on the first set of measurements, the first output, and the first result of the first action.

2. The tool cluster of claim 1 , wherein the process is a semiconductor manufacturing process, and wherein the plurality of process chambers are configured to perform the semiconductor manufacturing process.

3. The tool cluster of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further to:
receive one or more second measurements from at least one of the second plurality of sensors of the second process chamber during or after a second instance of the process performed within the second process chamber;
process the one or more second measurements using the trained machine learning model to generate a second output;
cause a second action to be performed with respect to the second process chamber based on the second output of the trained machine learning model;
determine a second result of the second action; and
update the training of the trained machine learning model based on the one or more second measurements, the second output, and the second result of the second action.

4. The tool cluster of claim 1 , further comprising:
a factory interface connected to the one or more transfer chambers via one or more load lock;
wherein the computing device is an on-tool computing device that is attached to at least one of a transfer chamber of the one or more transfer chambers, a process chamber of the plurality of process chambers, or the factory interface; and
wherein the computing device is to update the training of the trained machine learning model without first transmitting the first set of measurements to a remote computing device.

5. The tool cluster of claim 1 , wherein the first process chamber and the second process chamber are etch chambers, and wherein the process is an etch process.

6. The tool cluster of claim 5 , wherein the first set of measurements comprise a reflectometry measurement of a film on a substrate generated during the first instance of the process, wherein the first output comprises at least one of an estimated thickness or an estimated trench depth of the film, wherein the first action comprises stopping the etch process, and wherein the first result of the first action comprises at least one of a) a difference between a measured thickness of the film and the estimated film thickness of the film or b) a difference between a measured trench depth of the film and the estimated trench depth of the film.

7. The tool cluster of claim 1 , wherein the process comprises a seasoning process performed on the first process chamber after performing maintenance on the first process chamber, wherein the first output comprises an indication that the first process chamber is ready to be brought back into service, wherein the first action comprises a test process to be run on a test substrate in the first process chamber, and wherein the first result of the first action comprises one or more measurements of the test substrate generated during or after the test process.

8. The tool cluster of claim 1 , wherein the process comprises a deposition process or an etch process performed on a substrate in the first process chamber, wherein the first output comprises an indication that the first process chamber is due for maintenance, wherein the first action comprises flagging the first process chamber for maintenance, and wherein the first result of the first action comprises an indication as to whether the maintenance was required.

9. The tool cluster of claim 1 , wherein the trained machine learning model comprises a neural network.

10. The tool cluster of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further to:
determine when to perform preventative maintenance on the first process chamber and when to perform preventative maintenance on the second process chamber;
after preventative maintenance has been performed on the first process chamber, determine when to bring the first process chamber back into service; and
after preventative maintenance has been performed on the second process chamber, determine when to bring the second process chamber back into service.

11. A system for substrate processing, comprising:
a process chamber;
a plurality of sensors connected to the process chamber; and
a computing device at the process chamber, wherein the computing device is to:
receive one or more measurements from at least one of the plurality of sensors during or after a process performed within the process chamber;
process a first set of measurements using a trained machine learning model, wherein the first set of measurements comprise optical measurements, power measurements, and pressure measurements, and wherein the trained machine learning model is to generate an output based on processing of the first set of measurements;
cause an action to be performed with respect to the process chamber based on the output of the trained machine learning model;
determine a result of the action; and
update a training of the trained machine learning model based on the first set of measurements, the output, and the result of the action.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first set of measurements comprise a reflectometry measurement of a film on a substrate generated during the process, wherein the output comprises at least one of an estimated thickness or an estimated depth of the film, and wherein the action comprises stopping the process.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the process comprises a seasoning process performed on the process chamber after performing maintenance on the process chamber, and wherein the output comprises an indication that the process chamber is ready to be brought back into service.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the output comprises an indication that the process chamber is due for maintenance, and wherein the action comprises flagging the process chamber for maintenance.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the trained machine learning model comprises a neural network.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the computing device is further to:
determine when to perform preventative maintenance on the process chamber; and
after preventative maintenance has been performed on the process chamber, determine when to bring the process chamber back into service.

17. A tool cluster for substrate processing, comprising:
one or more trans

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Panda Priyadarshi
• Lian Lei
• Han Pengyu
• Egan Todd J
• Aji Prashant
• Mor Eli
• Tom Alex J
• Tedeschi Leonard Michael

Classifications

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0612

  Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput · CPC title

• H10P72/0461

  characterised by the presence of two or more transfer chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/06

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

• H10P72/0454

  surrounding a central transfer chamber · CPC title