Methods and mechanisms for coupling sensors to transfer chamber robot

Inventors: Phillip Criminale (Liberty Hill, TX); Andrew Myles (Sunnyvale, CA); Chunlei Zhang (Santa Clara, CA); Vivek B. Shah (Santa Clara, CA); Upendra Ummethala (Cupertino, CA)

Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.

H10P72/7602 B65G47/90 G06N3/08 H10P72/0454 H10P72/06

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12696728
App. No.: 17/903,581
Granted: Jul 28, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

An electronic device manufacturing system includes a transfer chamber, a tool station situated within the transfer chamber, a process chamber coupled to the transfer chamber, and a transfer chamber robot. The transfer chamber robot is configured to transfer substrates to and from the process chamber. The transfer chamber robot is further configured to be coupled to a sensor tool comprising one or more sensors configured to take measurements inside the process chamber. The sensor tool is retrievable from the tool station by an end effector of the transfer chamber robot.

Claims (22)

1 . An electronic device manufacturing system, comprising:

a transfer chamber;

a tool station situated within the transfer chamber;

a process chamber coupled to the transfer chamber; and

a transfer chamber robot configured to transfer substrates to and from the process chamber, wherein the transfer chamber robot is configured to be coupled to a sensor tool comprising one or more sensors configured to take measurements inside the process chamber, wherein the sensor tool is retrievable from the tool station by an end effector of the transfer chamber robot.

2 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor tool further comprises an electronics module capable of facilitating wireless communication via a network.

3 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor tool further comprises a power element capable of providing electrical power to the one or more sensors.

4 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 3 , wherein the sensor tool further comprises a power-up circuit capable of charging the power element via a charging port of the tool station.

5 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the end effector comprises one or more electrical connectors for providing at least one of data or electrical power to the sensor tool.

6 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor tool comprises one or more electrical connectors for receiving at least one of data or electrical power from the transfer chamber robot.

7 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an accelerometer, a distance sensor, a camera, a capacitive sensor, a reflectometer, a pyrometer, a laser induced florescence spectroscope, a fiber optic probe, a surface acoustic sensor, an eddy current sensor, a borescope, a photodiode sensor, a photo multiplier tube, a solid state detector, a thermocouple, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, or a resistance sensor.

8 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor tool comprises a connector element configured to couple the sensor tool to the end effector.

9 . An electronic device manufacturing system, comprising:

a load lock;

a transfer chamber coupled to the load lock;

a process chamber coupled to the transfer chamber; and

a transfer chamber robot configured to transfer substrates to and from the process chamber, wherein the transfer chamber robot is configured to be coupled to a sensor disc comprising one or more sensors configured to take measurements inside the process chamber, wherein the sensor disc is retrievable from the load lock by an end effector of the transfer chamber robot.

10 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein the end effector comprises one or more electrical connectors for providing at least one of data or electrical power to the sensor disc.

11 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein the sensor disc comprises one or more electrical connectors for receiving at least one of data or electrical power from the transfer chamber robot.

12 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein the sensor disc comprises a data-link capable of sending the measurements to a user interface or a data storage system.

13 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an accelerometer, a distance sensor, a camera, a capacitive sensor, a reflectometer, a pyrometer, a laser induced florescence spectroscope, a fiber optic probe, a surface acoustic sensor, an eddy current sensor, a borescope, a photodiode sensor, a photo multiplier tube, a solid state detector, a thermocouple, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, or a resistance sensor.

14 . The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein the sensor disc further comprises an electronics module capable of facilitating wireless communication via a network.