Integrated adaptive positioning systems and routines for automated wafer-handling robot teach and health check

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12341040-B2
Application number	US-202017629752-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2020
Priority date	Jul 26, 2019
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

Systems and techniques for determining and using multiple types of offsets for providing wafers to a wafer support of a wafer station of a semiconductor processing tool are disclosed; such techniques and systems may use an autocalibration wafer that may include a plurality of sensors, including a plurality of edge-located imaging sensors that may be used to image fiducials associated with two different structures located in a selected wafer station.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising: a semiconductor processing tool including: a wafer-handling robot; one or more wafer stations; and a first controller, wherein: each wafer station includes one or more corresponding wafer supports, the wafer-handling robot and the first controller are communicatively connected; and an autocalibration wafer including: a substrate sized to be carried by the wafer-handling robot and having a first side that is configured to contact an end effector of the wafer-handling robot when the substrate is carried by the wafer-handling robot; a plurality of first imaging sensors supported by the substrate and positioned at locations offset from a common point of the substrate, each first imaging sensor having a downward-facing field of view when the substrate is oriented with the first side facing downwards; and a second controller, wherein: the second controller is communicatively connected with each of the first imaging sensors, and the second controller and the first controller, in aggregate, are configured to: a) select a first wafer support of the one or more wafer supports of a first wafer station of the one or more wafer stations, b) cause the wafer-handling robot to position the autocalibration wafer above the first wafer station, c) cause each first imaging sensor to obtain a corresponding first image of a fiducial of the first wafer support while the autocalibration wafer is positioned above the first wafer support, d) cause the wafer-handling robot to retrieve a first edge ring, e) cause the wafer-handling robot to transfer the first edge ring to the first wafer support such that a center point of the first edge ring is nominally centered on a center point of the first wafer support when viewed along a vertical axis, f) cause the wafer-handling robot to position the autocalibration wafer over the first wafer support and the first edge ring, g) cause each first imaging sensor to obtain a corresponding second image of a fiducial of the first wafer support and a fiducial of the first edge ring while the autocalibration wafer is positioned over the first wafer support and the first edge ring, and h) determine an edge ring/wafer support horizontal offset between the center point of the first edge ring and the center point of the first wafer support based on gap sizes between the fiducials of the first wafer support and the first edge ring in the second images.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first imaging sensors are arranged in a circular array about the common point.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is nominally circular and has the same diameter as semiconductor wafers that the semiconductor processing tool is configured to process.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is nominally circular and has the same diameter as an edge ring that the semiconductor processing tool is configured to use.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is nominally circular and has a diameter in between an outer diameter and an inner diameter of an edge ring that the semiconductor processing tool is configured to use.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is nominally circular and has a diameter within|10% of the average between an outer diameter and an inner diameter of an edge ring that the semiconductor processing tool is configured to use.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein: the autocalibration wafer further includes a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to at least the second controller and the first imaging sensors; and the autocalibration wafer further includes a wireless charging feature configured to charge the rechargeable battery when interfaced with an electromagnetic field.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein: the autocalibration wafer further includes a first wireless communications interface, the first wireless communications interface includes one or more wireless communications interfaces selected from the group consisting of: a Bluetooth transceiver and a WiFi transceiver, and the first wireless communications interface is communicatively connected with the second controller.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein: the autocalibration wafer further includes one or more orientation sensors, each orientation sensor is selected from the group consisting of: an inclinometer and an accelerometer, and the one or more orientation sensors are communicatively connected with the second controller.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein: the autocalibration wafer further includes one or more vibration sensors, each vibration sensor is selected from the group consisting of: an accelerometer, a laser microphone, and an optical distance measurement sensor, and the one or more vibration sensors are communicatively connected with the first second controller.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein: the autocalibration wafer further includes one or more proximity sensors each configured to measure a distance between the first side and an object located beneath that proximity sensor when the first side is facing downward, each proximity sensor is selected from the group consisting of: an optical proximity sensor, an inductive proximity sensor, and a capacitive proximity sensor, and the one or more proximity sensors are communicatively connected with the second controller.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein: the first imaging sensors are arranged in a circular array about the common point, the substrate is nominally circular and has the same diameter as semiconductor wafers that the semiconductor processing tool is configured to process, the substrate is a nominally circular disk having a diameter selected from the group consisting of: 200 mm, 300 mm, and 450 mm, and the autocalibration wafer further includes: a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to at least the second controller and the first imaging sensors, a wireless charging feature configured to charge the rechargeable battery when interfaced with an electromagnetic field, a first wireless communications interface that is communicatively connected with the second controller and includes one or more wireless communications interfaces selected from the group consisting of: a Bluetooth transceiver and a WiFi transceiver, one or more vibration sensors communicatively connected with the second controller, and one or more proximity sensors, each proximity sensor communicatively connected with the second controller and configured to measure a distance between the first side and an object located beneath that proximity sensor when the first side is facing downward.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second controller and the first controller, in aggregate, are further configured to: i) determine location information for a center point of the first wafer support based on the first images, j) cause the wafer-handling robot to retrieve a calibration wafer, k) cause the wafer-handling robot to transfer the calibration wafer to the first wafer support such that a center point of the calibration wafer is nominally centered on a center point of the first wafer support when viewed along a vertical axis, l) cause the wafer-handling robot to position the autocalibration wafer over the first wafer support and the calibration wafer, m) cause each first imaging sensor to obtain a corresponding second image of a fiducial of the first wafer support and a fiducial of the calibration wafer while the autocalibration wafer is positioned over the first wafer support and the calibration wafer, and n) determine a wafer/wafer support horizontal offset between the center point of the calibration wafer and the center point of the first wafer support based on gap sizes betw

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Sadeghi Hossein
• Blank Richard M
• Thaulad Peter S
• Emerson Mark E
• Jeyapalan Arulselvam Simon
• Piccigallo Marco

Classifications

• H10P72/7612

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

• H10P72/7606

  characterised by edge clamping, e.g. clamping ring · CPC title

• H10P72/7602

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title

• H10P72/0606 Primary

  Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection · CPC title

• H10P72/3411

  involving loading and unloading of wafers · CPC title