Automated nozzle cleaning sysyem

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020105560-A1
Application number	US-201816204781-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 29, 2018
Priority date	Sep 28, 2018
Publication date	Apr 2, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for automatically cleaning a nozzle of a gas supply system is provided. The apparatus includes a carrier with a gas inlet that is adapted to sealingly mate with the nozzle of the gas supply system and an automated nozzle cleaning system in the carrier. The automated nozzle cleaning system includes a first nozzle cleaning device, a second nozzle cleaning device, and a function switching plate. The function switching plate comprises a plurality of through holes, a first through hole of the plurality of through holes is configured to engage the first nozzle cleaning device with the gas inlet when the function switching plate is positioned at a first position, and a second through hole of the plurality of through holes is configured to engage the second nozzle cleaning device with the gas inlet when the function switching plate is positioned at a second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a carrier comprising a gas inlet, wherein the gas inlet is adapted to sealingly mate with a nozzle of a gas supply system; and an automated nozzle cleaning system in the carrier and operable to remove contaminant particles from the nozzle of the gas supply system, the automated nozzle cleaning system comprising:
a first nozzle cleaning device;
a second nozzle cleaning device; and
a function switching plate, wherein the function switching plate comprises a plurality of through holes, a first through hole of the plurality of through holes is configured to engage the first nozzle cleaning device with the gas inlet when the function switching plate is positioned at a first position, and a second through hole of the plurality of through holes is configured to engage the second nozzle cleaning device with the gas inlet when the function switching plate is positioned at a second position.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle cleaning device is a vacuum.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second nozzle cleaning device is a cleaning brush.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the automated nozzle cleaning system further comprises a connection pipe having an end portion within the first through hole of the plurality of through holes.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the automated nozzle cleaning system further comprises a monitoring device operable to detect a level of the contaminant particles removed from the nozzle.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the monitoring device is a particle counter.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the automated nozzle cleaning system further comprises a connector having a first end connected to the first nozzle cleaning device, a second end connected to the connection pipe, and a third end connected to the monitoring device.

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the connector is configured to
couple, in a first position, the first nozzle cleaning device to the connection pipe, and couple, in a second position, the monitoring device to the connection pipe.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second nozzle cleaning device extends through the second through hole of the plurality of through holes.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the automated nozzle cleaning system further comprises a first driving unit comprising a rotary motor and a linear motor, wherein a first shaft has a first end connected to the rotary motor, and a second end connected to the second nozzle cleaning device.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the automated nozzle cleaning system further comprises a second driving unit and a second shaft connected to the second driving unit, wherein the function switch plate is attached to the second shaft.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the automated nozzle cleaning system further comprises an imaging device operable to capture an image of the nozzle of the gas supply system.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature and humidity sensor.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the imaging device is secured to a third through hole of the plurality through holes of the function switching plate, the third through hole is configured to align the imaging device with the gas inlet at a third position when the function switching plate is rotated to a second direction.

15 . A method of cleaning a nozzle of a gas supply system, comprising:
loading an apparatus comprising a carrier and an automated nozzle cleaning system in the carrier onto a load port comprising a gas supply system, wherein the automated nozzle cleaning system comprises a first nozzle cleaning device, a second nozzle cleaning device and a monitoring device, and the carrier is positioned to enable a gas inlet of the carrier to be connected to a nozzle of the gas supply system; vacuuming contaminant particles from the nozzle using the first nozzle cleaning device; mechanically removing the contaminant particles adhering to the nozzle off the nozzle using the second nozzle cleaning device; and measuring a level of the contaminant particles using the monitoring device.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising rotating a function switching plate to align the second nozzle cleaning device with the gas inlet of the carrier.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising actuating the nozzle to allow a purge gas flowing into the carrier through the gas inlet upon the loading of the apparatus.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the actuating of the nozzle comprises reducing a flow rate of the purge gas for a normal purging operation to a flow rate of the purge gas for a cleaning operation.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising repeating the evacuating step, the mechanically removing step and the measuring step until a predetermined level of the contaminant particles is detected by the monitoring device.

20 . An apparatus, comprising:
a carrier comprising a plurality of gas inlets, wherein each of the plurality of gas inlets is adapted to sealingly mate with a corresponding nozzle of a plurality nozzles of a gas supply system outside the carrier; and an automated nozzle cleaning system in the carrier, the automated nozzle cleaning system comprising:
a first nozzle cleaning device operable to evacuate contaminant particles from the plurality of nozzles;
a plurality of second nozzle cleaning devices operable to mechanically remove contaminant particles remaining on the plurality of nozzles after evacuating;
a monitoring device operable to measure a level of contaminant particles; and
a plurality of function switching plates each rotatable around an axis, wherein each of the plurality of the function switching plates comprises a plurality of through holes, a first through hole of the plurality of through holes is configured to engage the first nozzle cleaning device and the monitoring device to a corresponding gas inlet of the plurality gas inlets when each of the plurality of the function switching plates is at a first position, and a second through hole of the plurality of through holes is configured to engage a corresponding second nozzle cleaning device of the plurality of second nozzle cleaning devices to the corresponding gas inlet of the plurality gas inlets when each of the plurality of the function switching plates is at a second position via rotation.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Guan Jung
• Wang Shi-Ming
• Tsai Chia-Hung
• Feng Yuan-Yu

Classifications

• H10P72/1926 Primary

  characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrier · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/1924 Primary

  characterised by atmosphere control · CPC title

• B08B5/04

  Cleaning by suction, with or without auxiliary action · CPC title

• B08B9/035

  by suction · CPC title