Pin-lifter test substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022013388-A1
Application number	US-201817299291-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 3, 2018
Priority date	Dec 3, 2018
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various embodiments include apparatuses to provides an in-situ, non-intrusive verification of substrate pin-lifters while a substrate is in a substrate-processing location on a process tool. The disclosed subject matter can also verify any unexpected substrate movement prior to or while the substrate is being removed from the process tool. In an exemplary embodiment, a pin-lifter test substrate includes a number of motion sensors and at least one force sensor. The motion sensors including at least one type of sensor selected from sensor types including inclinometers and accelerometers. A memory device on the pin-lifter test substrate records data received from the motion sensors. Instead of or in addition to the memory device, a wireless communications device transmits data received from the motion sensors to a remote receiver. Other apparatuses and systems are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A pin-lifter test substrate system, comprising:
a plurality of motion sensors, the motion sensors including at least one type of sensor selected from sensor types including inclinometers and accelerometers; one or more force sensors located in proximity to corresponding locations of a plurality of substrate pin-lifters when the pin-lifter test substrate is placed on a substrate-holding device; a communications device configured to transmit data received from the plurality of motion sensors and the one or more force sensors; and a memory device communicatively coupled to the communications device and configured to record data received from the plurality of motion sensors and the one or more force sensors.

2 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the pin-lifter test substrate has the same or similar dimensions as a silicon wafer.

3 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the pin-lifter test substrate is formed from at least one material selected from materials including stainless steel, aluminum and alloys thereof, and various types of ceramics.

4 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the inclinometers are configured to determine a slope or tilt of the pin-lifter test substrate.

5 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the inclinometers are configured to determine a localized depression of the pin-lifter test substrate.

6 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the inclinometers are configured to determine whether one or more of a plurality of substrate pin-lifters on a substrate-holding device is broken.

7 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more force sensors are configured to determine whether there is a contacting force from the pin-lifter test substrate to the substrate-holding device.

8 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the accelerometers are configured to determine whether air pressure feeding the plurality of substrate pin-lifters is too high.

9 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the accelerometers are configured to determine whether air pressure feeding the plurality of substrate pin-lifters is too low.

10 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the accelerometers are configured to measure vibrations on the pin-lifter test substrate.

11 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the communications device is a wireless communications device configured to transmit data received from the plurality of motion sensors and the one or more force sensors to a remote receiver.

12 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 11 , wherein the wireless communications device is selected from at least one type of wireless communications device including radio-frequency transmitters, Bluetooth transmitters, infrared (IR) transmitters, and optical-communications transmitters.

13 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional sensor including at least sensor type selected from a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and a flow sensor.

14 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 13 , wherein the temperature sensor includes a plurality of temperature sensors that are configured to determine a temperature from various locations of the pin-lifter test substrate.

15 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 13 , wherein the pressure sensor is configured to determine a gas pressure applied on a backside of the pin-lifter test substrate.

16 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of motion sensors, the one or more force sensors, the memory device, and the communications device are directly assembled on the pin-lifter test substrate.

17 . The pin-lifter test substrate system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of motion sensors, the one or more force sensors, the memory device, and the communications device are assembled on a printed circuit board, the printed-circuit board subsequently being mounted on the pin-lifter test substrate.

18 . A substrate-processing system, comprising:
a substrate-holding device having a plurality of substrate pin-lifters; a controller communicatively coupled to the substrate-holding device and having executable instructions configured to:
load, using an end effector of a robot, a pin-lifter test substrate onto the substrate-holding device within at least one process chamber of the substrate-processing system;
receive data from a plurality of motion sensors and a plurality of force sensors mounted on the pin-lifter test substrate, the motion sensors including at least one type of sensor selected from sensor types including inclinometers and accelerometers; and
perform an operation including at least one type of operation selected from operations including transmitting the received data to a receiver located distal from the pin-lifter test substrate and storing the received data to a memory device mounted on the pin-lifter test substrate.

19 . The substrate-processing system of claim 18 , wherein the operation of transmitting the received data is configured to be performed wirelessly.

20 . The substrate-processing system of claim 18 , wherein the controller further includes executable instructions configured to:
keep the end effector of the robot within the process chamber while the pin-lifter test substrate is receiving the data; command the plurality of substrate pin-lifters to move to a raised, pins-up position, and to a lowered, pins-down position, for a predetermined number of cycles per a predetermined pattern; and perform an operation including at least one operation selected from wirelessly transmitting the data received from the plurality of substrate pin-lifters by the motion sensors to the receiver located distal from the pin-lifter test substrate and storing the received data to the memory device mounted on the pin-lifter test substrate.

21 . The substrate-processing system of claim 18 , wherein the controller further includes executable instructions configured to make a determination, based on data received from the raised, pins-up position, and the lowered, pins-down position, whether one or more of the substrate pin-lifters is malfunctioning.

22 . The substrate-processing system of claim 18 , wherein the controller further includes executable instructions configured to make a determination, based on data received from the raised, pins-up position, and the lowered, pins-down position, whether an air hose coupled to the substrate pin-lifters is malfunctioning.

23 . The substrate-processing system of claim 18 , wherein the controller further includes executable instructions configured to retract the end effector of the robot from the process chamber during testing with the pin-lifter test substrate after placing the pin-lifter test substrate onto the substrate-holding device.

24 . The substrate-processing system of claim 23 , wherein the controller further includes executable instructions configured to:
leave an access door to the process chamber in an open position; and wirelessly transmit the received data from the pin-lifter test substrate to a receiver mounted on the robot.

25 . The substrate-processing system of claim 18 , wherein the controller further includes executable instructions config

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Daugherty John E
• Jing Changyou
• Anand Sushil

Classifications

• H10P72/7612

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

• H10P72/0616 Primary

  Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0606 Primary

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