Applied Materials, Inc.

Patrick L Smith

Lin Zhang

Xuesong Lu

Andrew V Le

Shawyon Jafari

Jang Seok Oh

Ralph Peter Antonio

Fa Ji

Bo Zhang

Ilias Iliopoulos

Songfu Jiang

An FI having an in-situ particle detector and a method for particle detection therein are provided. In one aspect, the FI includes a fan, a substrate support, a particle detector, and an exhaust outlet. The fan, substrate support, and particle detector are arranged such that, in operation, the fan directs air towards the exhaust outlet and over a substrate on the substrate support to create laminar flow. The particle detector, positioned downstream from the substrate support and upstream from the exhaust outlet, analyzes the air and detects particle concentration before the particles are exhausted. The collected particle detection data may be combined with data from other sensors in the FI and used to identify the source of particle contamination. The particle detector may also be incorporated into other system components, including but not limited to, a load-lock or buffer chamber to detect particle concentration therein.

Advanced in-situ particle detection system for semiconductor substrate processing systems

Embodiments presented herein provide techniques for controlling deposition processes in a process chamber based on monitoring contaminant gas levels in a chamber. Embodiments include generating a data model defining acceptable levels within the chamber for each of a plurality of gas types. Gas levels of the plurality of gas types within the chamber are monitored using one or more sensor devices within the chamber. Upon determining that at least one gas level within the chamber violates the acceptable level for the respective gas type within the data model, embodiments perform a corrective action for the chamber.

Chamber leak and gas contaimination detection

Growing community of inventors

Vancouver, WA, United States of America

Patrick L Smith