Asm America, Inc.

James J Donald

Ivo Johannes Raaijmakers

Zhimin Lu

Henk De Waard

Robin M De Keyser

Richard Crabb

David A Beginski

An apparatus for detecting the presence of a substrate that is carried by an end effector of a substrate handling assembly positioned within a substrate processing system comprises a receiving member that is coupled to an end effector and a light sensor that is operatively coupled to the receiving member and is configured to detect an amount light transmitted by the receiving member. In a modified embodiment, the apparatus also includes a transmitting member that receives light from a light source and is also coupled to the end effector.

Wafer edge with light sensor

An optical substrate placement device is disclosed employing light from the surface of a rotating substrate in order to generate a signal component which oscillates at the frequency of rotation of the substrate. The magnitude of another signal resulting from filtering the signal component at the frequency of rotation, when processed, reveals whether the substrate is misplaced or 'out-of-pocket.' Preferred embodiments employ reactor heat lamps as the light source. Methods of detecting whether a substrate is misplaced are also provided.

Out-of-pocket detection system using wafer rotation as an indicator

A wafer temperature estimator calibrates contact-type temperature sensor measurements that are used by a temperature controller to control substrate temperature in a high temperature processing chamber. Wafer temperature estimator parameters provide an estimated wafer temperature from contact-type temperature sensor measurements. The estimator parameters are refined using non-contact-type temperature sensor measurements during periods when the substrate temperature is decreasing or the heaters are off. A corresponding temperature control system includes a heater, a contact-type temperature sensor in close proximity to the substrate, and an optical pyrometer placed to read temperature directly from the substrate. A wafer temperature estimator uses the estimator parameters and measurements from the contact-type sensor to determine an estimated wafer temperature. A temperature controller reads the estimated wafer temperature and makes changes to the heater power accordingly. The wafer temperature estimator has a nonlinear neural network system that is trained using inputs from the various sensors.

Pyrometer calibrated wafer temperature estimator

A nonlinear model-based predictive temperature control system is described for use in thermal process reactors. A multivariable temperature response is predicted using a nonlinear parameterized model of a thermal process reactor. The nonlinear parameterized model is implemented using a neural network. Predictions are made in an auto-regressive moving average fashion with a receding prediction horizon. Model predictions are incorporated into a control law for estimating the optimum future control strategy. The high-speed, predictive nature of the controller renders it advantageous in multivariable rapid thermal processing reactors where fast response and high temperature uniformity are needed.

Growing community of inventors

Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

James J Donald