Chemical dispensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025279290-A1
Application number	US-202519211749-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2025
Priority date	May 29, 2020
Publication date	Sep 4, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A chemical dispensing system is capable of simultaneously supplying a semiconductor processing chemical for production and testing through the use of independent chemical supply lines, which reduces production downtime of an associated semiconductor process, increases throughput and capability of the semiconductor process, and/or the like. Moreover, the capability to simultaneously supply the semiconductor processing chemical for production and testing allows for an increased quantity of semiconductor processing chemical batches to be tested with minimal impact to production, which increases quality control over the semiconductor processing chemical. In addition, the independent chemical supply lines may be used to supply the semiconductor processing chemical to production while independently filtering semiconductor processing chemical directly from a storage drum through a filtration loop.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A chemical dispensing system, comprising:
a first chemical supply line configured to:
provide a semiconductor processing chemical in a day tank to a production point of use (POU) manifold when the chemical dispensing system is in a first independent production and test configuration, and
,provide the semiconductor processing chemical in the day tank to a chemical test POU manifold when the chemical dispensing system is in a second independent production and test configuration; and
a second chemical supply line configured to:
provide the semiconductor processing chemical in a storage drum to the chemical test POU manifold when the chemical dispensing system is in the first independent production and test configuration, and
provide the semiconductor processing chemical in the storage drum to the production POU manifold when the chemical dispensing system is in the second independent production and test configuration,
wherein the first chemical supply line is different from the second chemical supply line when the chemical dispensing system is in the second independent production and test configuration, and
wherein the first chemical supply line is configured to simultaneously provide the semiconductor processing chemical in the day tank to the chemical test POU manifold while the second chemical supply line provides the semiconductor processing chemical in the storage drum to the production POU manifold when the chemical dispensing system is in the second independent production and test configuration.

2 . The chemical dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to cause the chemical dispensing system to be transitioned from a production supply configuration to the second independent production and test configuration.

3 . The chemical dispensing system of claim 2 , wherein the controller, to cause the chemical dispensing system to be transitioned from the production supply configuration to the second independent production and test configuration, is configured to one or more of:
close one or more first valves, open one or more second valves, activate one or more first pumps, deactivate one or more second pumps, reconfigure one or more filters, rearrange the one or more filters, reconfigure one or more pipes, rearrange the one or more pipes, reconfigure one or more fittings, or rearrange the one or more fittings.

4 . The chemical dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the first chemical supply line is connected to the day tank, the production POU manifold, and the chemical test POU manifold when the chemical dispensing system is in a production supply configuration.

5 . The chemical dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to generate wafer test data based on a test performed while the chemical dispensing system is the first independent production and test configuration.

6 . The chemical dispensing system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the chemical dispensing system to transition to a production supply configuration based on a result of the test.

7 . The chemical dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the first chemical supply line is configured to use one or more of a different valve, a different pump, a different filter, or a different pipe from the second chemical supply line when the chemical dispensing system is in the second independent production and test configuration.

8 . A method, comprising:
determining, by one or more processors, that a test is to be performed for a semiconductor processing chemical in a storage drum of a chemical dispensing system; causing, by the one or more processors and based on determining that the test is to be performed, the chemical dispensing system to operate in an independent production and test configuration; causing, by the one or more processors and based on the chemical dispensing system operating in the independent production and test configuration, a first chemical supply line of the chemical dispensing system to provide the semiconductor processing chemical in a day tank to a first one of a production point of use (POU) manifold or a chemical test POU manifold; and causing, by the one or more processors and based on the chemical dispensing system operating in the independent production and test configuration, a second chemical supply line of the chemical dispensing system to provide the semiconductor processing chemical in the storage drum to a second one of the production POU manifold or the chemical test POU manifold.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
causing, based on the chemical dispensing system being configured in the independent production and test configuration, the first chemical supply line to provide the semiconductor processing chemical in the day tank to the production POU manifold simultaneously with the second chemical supply line providing the semiconductor processing chemical in the storage drum to the chemical test POU manifold.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
causing, based on the chemical dispensing system being configured in the independent production and test configuration, the first chemical supply line to provide the semiconductor processing chemical in the day tank to the chemical test POU manifold simultaneously with the second chemical supply line providing the semiconductor processing chemical in the storage drum to the production POU manifold.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
generating wafer test data based on performing a test while the chemical dispensing system is operating in the independent production and test configuration.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
performing a flushing of the first chemical supply line or the second chemical supply line based on the wafer test data indicating that the test failed.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
restarting the test based on performing the flushing.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
causing the chemical dispensing system to transition to a production supply configuration based on the wafer test data indicating that the test passed.

15 . A device, comprising:
one or more memories; and one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:
determine that a test is to be performed for a semiconductor processing chemical in a storage drum of a chemical dispensing system;
cause, based on a determination that the test is to be performed, the chemical dispensing system to operate in an independent production and test configuration;
cause, based on the independent production and test configuration, a first chemical supply line of the chemical dispensing system to provide the semiconductor processing chemical in a day tank to a first one of a production point of use (POU) manifold or a chemical test POU manifold; and
cause, based on the independent production and test configuration, a second chemical supply line of the chemical dispensing system to provide the semiconductor processing chemical in the storage drum to a second one of the production POU manifold or the chemical test POU manifold.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
cause, based on the independent production and test configuration, the first chemical supply line to provide the semiconductor processing chemical in the day tank to the production POU manifold simultaneously with the second chemical supply line providing the semiconductor proce

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hsu Ming-Chieh
• Chen Yung-Long
• Chiang Fang-Pin
• Yang Feng-An
• Hsu Ching-Jung
• Lai Chi-Tung

Classifications

• H10P50/00

  Etching of wafers, substrates or parts of devices · CPC title

• H10P72/0402 Primary

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10P72/0612

  Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput · CPC title

• H10P72/04 Primary

  Apparatus for manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H01L21/306

  Electricity · mapped topic