Substrate location detection and adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12397435-B2
Application number	US-202017427522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2020
Priority date	Feb 8, 2019
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for positioning a wafer in relation to a datum structure. In one example, a system comprises a camera arrangement including at least two cameras, each of the at least two cameras including a field of view when positioned in the camera arrangement, each field of view including a peripheral edge of the wafer and a peripheral edge of the datum structure. A processor receives positional data from each of the at least two cameras and determines, in relation to each field of view, a gap size between the respective peripheral edges of the wafer and the datum location included in the respective field of view. A controller adjusts a position of the wafer relative to the datum structure based on the determined respective gap sizes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for positioning a wafer relative to a datum structure, the system comprising:
a camera arrangement including at least two cameras, each of the at least two cameras including a field of view when positioned in the camera arrangement, each field of view including a peripheral edge of the wafer and a peripheral edge of the datum structure;
a processor to:
receive positional data from each of the at least two cameras,
identify a first point on an edge of the datum structure in a first field of view and a second point on an edge of the datum structure in a second field of view,
determine a center of the datum structure based on the first and second points,
determine, in relation to each field of view, a gap size between the respective peripheral edges of the wafer and a datum location included in the respective field of view,
identify a first point on the peripheral edge of the wafer in the first field of view based on the first point on the edge of the datum structure and a first gap size, and a second point on the peripheral edge of the wafer in the second field of view based on the second point on the edge of the datum structure and a second gap size,
determine a center of the wafer by circumscribing a first notional circumference around the first point on the peripheral edge of the wafer and a second notional circumference around the second point on the peripheral edge of the wafer, and identifying an intersection of the first and second notional circumferences within a periphery of the wafer as the center of the wafer, and determine an offset between a center of the datum structure and a center of the wafer; and
a controller to adjust a position of the wafer relative to the datum structure based on the determined respective gap sizes and the offset between the center of the datum structure and the center of the wafer.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the datum location includes an edge ring.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the datum location includes a chuck.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera arrangement is provided in a wall of a wafer processing chamber.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera arrangement includes a third camera, the third camera providing positional data in relation to a respective third field of view, to the processor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determined respective gap sizes are compared against respective predetermined gap sizes, the respective predetermined gap sizes associated with a centered or desired position of the wafer in relation to the datum structure.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a robotic arm of a vacuum transfer module (VTM).

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor identifies a center of the wafer based on the determined respective gap sizes.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two cameras consist of two cameras; and
the center of the wafer is determined based on two locations on two peripheral edges of the wafer in two fields of view of the two cameras and a radius of the wafer.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the center of the wafer is determined by operations comprising:
determining, based on the radius of the wafer, two notional circumferences around the two locations on the two peripheral edges of the wafer;
determining an intersection of the two notional circumferences within a periphery of the wafer; and
designating the determined intersection as the center of the wafer.

11. The system of claim 4 , wherein the camera arrangement is provided in a vacuum-seal window within the wall of the wafer processing chamber.

12. A method for positioning a wafer relative to a datum structure, the method comprising:
placing, adjacent a wafer processing chamber, a camera arrangement including at least two cameras, each of the at least two cameras including a field of view when positioned in the camera arrangement, each field of view including a peripheral edge of the wafer and a peripheral edge of the datum structure;
receiving positional data from each of the at least two cameras,
identifying a first point on an edge of the datum structure in a first field of view and a second point on an edge of the datum structure in a second field of view,
determining a center of the datum structure based on the first and second points,
determining, by a processor, in relation to each field of view, a gap size between the respective peripheral edges of the wafer and a datum location included in the respective field of view,
identifying a first point on the peripheral edge of the wafer in the first field of view based on the first point on the edge of the datum structure and a first gap size, and a second point on the peripheral edge of the wafer in the second field of view based on the second point on the edge of the datum structure and a second gap size,
determining a center of the wafer by circumscribing a first notional circumference around the first point on the peripheral edge of the wafer and a second notional circumference around the second point on the peripheral edge of the wafer, and identifying an intersection of the first and second notional circumferences within a periphery of the wafer as the center of the wafer,
and determining, by the processor, an offset between a center of the datum structure and a center of the wafer; and
adjusting, by a controller, a position of the wafer relative to the datum structure based on the determined respective gap sizes and the offset between the center of the datum structure and the center of the wafer.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the datum location includes an edge ring.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the datum location includes a chuck.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing the camera arrangement in a wall of the wafer processing chamber.

16. The method of claim 12 , farther comprising including a third camera in the camera arrangement, and providing positional data from the third camera, in relation to a respective third field of view, to the processor.

17. The method of claim 12 , farther comprising comparing the determined respective gap sizes against respective predetermined gap sizes, the respective predetermined gap sizes associated with a centered or desired position of the wafer in relation to the datum structure or the wafer processing chamber.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising including, in the controller, a robotic arm of a vacuum transfer module (VTM).

19. A system for positioning a wafer relative to a datum structure, the system comprising:
a camera arrangement including one or more cameras, each of the one or more cameras including a field of view when positioned in the camera arrangement, each field of view including a peripheral edge of the wafer and a peripheral edge of the datum structure;
a processor to:
receive positional data from each of the one or more cameras,
identify a first point on an edge of the datum structure in a first field of view and a second point on an edge of the datum structure in a second field of view,
determine a center of the datum structure based on the first and second points,
determine, in relation to each field of view, a gap size between the respective peripheral edges of the wafer and a datum location included in the respective field of view,
identify a first point on the peripheral edge of the wafer in the first field of view based on the first point on the edge of the datum structure and a first gap size, and a sec

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Martin Michael John
• Wang Yuhou
• Paterson Alexander Miller

Classifications

• 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

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/53 Primary

  using optical controlling means · CPC title

• H01J2237/334

  Etching · CPC title