Semiconductor processing equipment alignment apparatus and methods using reflected light measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018366358-A1
Application number	US-201715789082-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 20, 2017
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for determining alignment of semiconductor processing equipment includes a sensing unit comprising a light emitting unit configured to irradiate a reflection substrate positioned opposite the apparatus and a light accepting unit configured to receive reflected light from the reflection substrate, a control unit configured to determine a gap between the sensing unit and the reflection substrate based on the received reflected light, and a wireless communication unit configured to transmit data regarding the determined gap to an electronic device. Methods of aligning semiconductor processing equipment and methods of fabricating semiconductor devices are also disclosed.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for determining alignment of semiconductor processing equipment, the apparatus comprising:
a sensing unit comprising a light emitting unit configured to irradiate a reflection substrate positioned opposite the apparatus and a light accepting unit configured to receive reflected light from the reflection substrate; a control unit configured to determine a gap between the sensing unit and the reflection substrate based on the received reflected light; and a wireless communication unit configured to transmit data regarding the determined gap to an electronic device.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit identifies the gap using a lookup table.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the lookup table comprises information about first reflected light at a known first gap and information about second reflected light at a known second gap.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the lookup table comprises:
information about third reflected light at a known third gap and information about fourth reflected light at a known fourth gap for a reflection substrate having first material properties; and information about fifth reflected light at a known fifth gap and information about sixth reflected light at a known sixth gap for a reflection substrate having second material properties.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light is infrared light, and wherein the light accepting unit comprises a phototransistor.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to generate a digital value corresponding to the determined gap using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and to transmit the digital value the wireless communication unit.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor processing equipment comprises a wafer support and wherein the apparatus has a wafer form factor and is configured to be mounted on the support.

8 . The gap measuring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit comprises at least three sensors.

9 .- 20 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shin Jin
• Lee Seung Jae
• Park Sang Geun
• Baek Dong Seok

Classifications

• H10P72/0606 Primary

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

• H10P72/53 Primary

  using optical controlling means · CPC title

• C23C16/52

  Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01B11/272

  using photoelectric detection means · CPC title

• G01B11/14

  for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00) · CPC title