Applied Materials, Inc.

Sokudo Co., Ltd.

Chongyang Wang

Michael Robert Rice

Helen R Armer

Jeffrey C Hudgens

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Robert B Lowrance

Charles T Carlson

William Tyler Weaver

Harald Herchen

Jay D Pinson, Ii

Leon Volfovski

David H Quach

Rick J Roberts

Mohsen Salek

John A Backer

Brian C Lue

Zhihong J Lin

Brian Lu

Eric Andrew Englhardt

Steve S Hongkham

Shay Assaf

Adrian Rhee

Krishna Kumar Kuttannair

Venkatesh Babu

Robert D Flores

Brendan Hickey

Song J Park

A method includes determining queue times associated with operations of a sequence recipe. The operations are associated with production of substrates in a substrate processing system. The method further includes generating a schedule based on the queue times. The method further includes transmitting the schedule to a controller of the substrate processing system. The controller is to control the substrate processing system to produce the substrates based on the schedule.

Scheduling substrate routing and processing

A method includes generating a queue of a plurality of operations in a sequence recipe, the plurality of operations being associated with substrate processing. The method further includes sorting the plurality of operations in the queue based on a plurality of completion times corresponding to the plurality of operations. The method further includes, for each operation of the plurality of operations in the queue, obtaining a next operation in the queue and setting a virtual time axis to time leap to a corresponding completion time of the next operation until each operation of the plurality of operations in the queue are completed to generate a schedule for the sequence recipe.

Sequencer time leaping execution

Methods and systems for cleaning process sequence management are provided. An indication is received from a client device of a sequence of cleaning operations associated with a substrate process at a manufacturing system. An indication of one or more cleaning criteria that trigger initiation of the sequence of cleaning operations during a cleaning process at a process chamber of the manufacturing system is also received. A set of instructions corresponding to the sequence of cleaning operations is generated. In response to a detection that at least one of the one or more cleaning criteria is satisfied, the generated set of instructions are executed to initiate the sequence of cleaning operations at the process chamber.

Methods and systems for cleaning process sequence management

A method includes receiving a plurality of operations in a sequence recipe. The plurality of operations are associated with processing a plurality of substrates in a substrate processing system. The method further includes identifying a plurality of completion times corresponding to the plurality of operations. Each completion time of the plurality of completion times corresponds to completion of a respective operation of the plurality of operations. The method further includes simulating the plurality of operations by setting a virtual time axis to each of the plurality of completion times to generate a schedule for the sequence recipe. The method further includes causing, based on the schedule, the plurality of substrates to be processed or performance of a corrective action.

A method includes identifying a bottleneck operation of a plurality of operations in a sequence recipe. The plurality of operations are associated with transporting and processing a plurality of substrates in a substrate processing system. The method further includes determining, based on the bottleneck operation, a takt time for the plurality of substrates. The takt time is an amount of time between a first substrate entering the substrate processing system and a second substrate entering the substrate processing system. The method further includes determining a plurality of queue times. Each of the plurality of queue times corresponds to a respective operation of the plurality of operations. The method further includes causing, based on the takt time and the plurality of queue times, the plurality of substrates to be processed by the substrate processing system.

Embodiments of the invention generally include a robot assembly comprising a robot operable to position a substrate at one or more points within a plane, and a motion assembly having a motor operable to position the robot in a direction generally parallel to a first direction. The motion assembly comprises a robot support interface having the robot coupled thereto, and one or more walls that form an interior region in which the motor is enclosed. The walls define an elongated opening through which the robot support interface travels, and the motor is operable to move the robot support interface laterally in the elongated opening. The motion assembly further comprises one or more fan assemblies that are in fluid communication with the interior region. The fan assemblies are operable to create a subatmospheric pressure in the interior region thereby causing gas to flow through the elongated opening into the interior region.

Cluster tool architecture for processing a substrate

A method and system for managing process jobs in a semiconductor fabrication facility is described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a plurality of process jobs associated with one or more priorities. The method further includes executing the plurality of process jobs in an order reflecting the priorities. The order is modifiable in real time upon receiving a new process job with a priority higher than the priorities of the plurality of process jobs.

Method and system for managing process jobs in a semiconductor fabrication facility

Embodiments generally provide an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, substrates processed in the cluster tool have a more repeatable wafer history, and also the cluster tool has a smaller system footprint. In one embodiment, a cluster tool for processing a substrate includes a first processing rack, a first robot assembly and a second robot assembly operable to transfer substrates to substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack, and a horizontal motion assembly. The horizontal motion assembly includes one or more walls that form an interior region in which a motor is enclosed. The one or more walls defining an elongated opening through which a robot support interface travels, the robot support interface supporting a robot of the horizontal motion assembly.

An apparatus for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, a smaller system footprint, and a more repeatable wafer history. Embodiments provide for a cluster tool comprising first and second processing racks, each having two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers, a first robot assembly able to access the first processing rack from a first side, a second robot assembly able to access the first processing rack from a second side and the second processing rack from a first side, a third robot assembly able to access the second processing rack from a second side, and a fourth robot assembly able to access the first and second processing racks and to load substrates in a cassette.

Embodiments generally provide an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, substrates processed in the cluster tool have a more repeatable wafer history, and also the cluster tool has a smaller system footprint. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to improve the coater chamber, the developer chamber, the post exposure bake chamber, the chill chamber, and the bake chamber process results. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to increase the reliability of the substrate transfer process to reduce system down time.

Methods and apparatus for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput and repeatable wafer processing history are provided. In one embodiment a first substrate is transferred from a first position to a second position and then the first substrate is transferred from the second position to a third position using a first robot. A second substrate is transferred from a first position to a second position and then the second substrate is transferred from the second position to a third position using a second robot. The movement of the first and second robots is synchronized so that the movement from the first position to the second position by the first and second robot is performed within a first time interval.

Scheduling method for processing equipment

Embodiments generally provide an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, substrates processed in the cluster tool have a more repeatable wafer history, and also the cluster tool has a smaller system footprint. In one embodiment of the cluster tool, grouping substrates together, and transferring and processing the substrates in groups of two or more, improves system throughput, and reduces the number of moves a robot has to make to transfer a batch of substrates between the processing chambers, thus reducing wear on the robot and increasing system reliability. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to increase the reliability of the substrate transfer process to reduce system down time.

Embodiments generally provide an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool). In one embodiment, the cluster tool is adapted to perform a track lithography process in which a photosensitive material is applied to a substrate, patterned in a stepper/scanner, and then removed in a developing process completed in the cluster tool. In one embodiment of the cluster tool, substrates are grouped together in groups of two or more for transfer or processing to improve system throughput, reduce the number of moves a robot has to make to transfer a batch of substrates between the processing chambers, and thus increase system reliability. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to increase the reliability of the substrate transfer process to reduce system down time.

Methods and apparatus for increasing the processing throughput of multiple lots of semiconductor wafers through a cluster tool while maintaining a constant wafer history for each lot are provided. A first lot of wafers containing one through n-th wafers is introduced into a cluster tool containing one or more processing chambers. The first lot of wafers is processed for a first time period. A second lot of wafers containing one through n-th wafers is introduced into the cluster tool prior to completion of the first time period, wherein the second lot is introduced so as to minimize a time gap between the n-th wafer of the first lot of wafers and the first wafer of the second lot of wafers while maintaining a first constant wafer history for each wafer within the first lot and maintaining a second constant wafer history for each wafer in the second lot.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Chongyang Wang