Automated cleaning of robot arms of substrate processing systems
A system includes a plurality of inlets configured to dispense a gas into an enclosure of a substrate processing system. The enclosure is separate from processing chambers of the substrate processing system that process a semiconductor substrate. The system includes a controller configured to move into the enclosure a robot arm used to transport the semiconductor substrate between the processing chambers of the substrate processing system. The controller is configured to dispense the gas into the enclosure through one or more of the inlets in response to the robot arm being moved into the enclosure of the substrate processing system.
1 . A system comprising:
an enclosure for a substrate processing system, the enclosure being separate from processing chambers of the substrate processing system that process a semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of inlets arranged around the enclosure, the plurality of inlets being configured to dispense only a gas into the enclosure; and
a controller configured to:
move into the enclosure a robot arm used to transport the semiconductor substrate between the processing chambers of the substrate processing system; and
dispense the gas into the enclosure through the inlets at different flow rates in response to the robot arm being moved into the enclosure of the substrate processing system to clean the robot arm.
2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the enclosure includes one or more of an airlock chamber, a vacuum transfer module (VTM), and an equipment front end module (EFEM) of the substrate processing system.
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to move the robot arm in multiple directions within the enclosure while the gas is being dispensed into the enclosure of the substrate processing system.
4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to move the robot arm within the enclosure in a predetermined pattern while the gas is being dispensed into the enclosure of the substrate processing system.
5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to dispense the gas through the inlets by operating the inlets in a predetermined sequence.
6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to dispense the gas through the inlets at a predetermined flow rate.
7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to:
dispense the gas through a first set of the inlets in response to the robot arm being of a first type; and
dispense the gas through a second set of the inlets in response to the robot arm being of a second type,
wherein the second set of the inlets is different than the first set of the inlets.
8 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a gas source configured to supply the gas; and
a plurality of regulators configured to regulate delivery of the gas from the gas source to the plurality of inlets, respectively,
wherein the controller is configured to control the regulators while delivering the gas to the plurality of inlets.
9 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a valve and a pump configured to exhaust from the enclosure the gas dispensed into the enclosure and particulate matter ejected from the robot arm into the enclosure by the gas dispensed into the enclosure.
10 . The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to vibrate the robot arm within the enclosure while the gas is being dispensed into the enclosure of the substrate processing system.
11 . A method comprising:
moving a robot arm used to transport a semiconductor substrate in a substrate processing system into an enclosure of the substrate processing system, the enclosure being separate from processing chambers of the substrate processing system that process the semiconductor substrate; and
dispensing only a gas through a plurality of inlets arranged around the enclosure into the enclosure of the substrate processing system at different flow rates in response to moving the robot arm into the enclosure of the substrate processing system to clean the robot arm.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the enclosure includes one or more of an airlock chamber, a vacuum transfer module (VTM), and an equipment front end module (EFEM) of the substrate processing system.
13 . The method of claim 11 further comprising moving the robot arm in multiple directions within the enclosure while dispensing the gas into the enclosure of the substrate processing system.
14 . The method of claim 11 further comprising moving the robot arm within the enclosure in a predetermined pattern while dispensing the gas into the enclosure of the substrate processing system.
15 . The method of claim 11 further comprising dispensing the gas through the inlets by operating the inlets in a predetermined sequence.
16 . The method of claim 11 further comprising dispensing the gas through the inlets at a predetermined flow rate.
17 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:
dispensing the gas through a first set of the inlets in response to the robot arm being of a first type; and
dispensing the gas through a second set of the inlets in response to the robot arm being of a second type,
wherein the second set of the inlets is different than the first set of the inlets.
18 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:
supplying the gas from a gas source;
regulating delivery of the gas from the gas source to the plurality of inlets via a plurality of regulators, respectively; and
controlling the regulators while delivering the gas to the plurality of inlets.
19 . The method of claim 11 further comprising expelling from the enclosure the gas dispensed into the enclosure and particulate matter ejected from the robot arm into the enclosure by the gas dispensed into the enclosure.
20 . The method of claim 11 further comprising vibrating the robot arm within the enclosure while dispensing the gas into the enclosure of the substrate processing system.