Prevention of contamination of substrates during gas purging
Disclosed are implementations for efficient purging of substrate carriers (and content held therein) and preventing external contaminants from entering a gas purge apparatus by coupling the gas purge apparatus to a substrate carrier, performing a first gas purging session of an environment of the substrate carrier, receiving a first signal of a first signal type, responsive to receiving the first signal, keeping the gas purge apparatus coupled to the substrate carrier, performing a second gas purging session of the environment of the substrate carrier, receiving a second signal of a second signal type, and, responsive to receiving the second signal, decoupling the purge apparatus from the substrate carrier.
1. A method comprising:
coupling one or more nozzles of a gas purge apparatus to a substrate carrier;
performing, via the one or more nozzles coupled to the substrate carrier, a first gas purging session of an environment of the substrate carrier;
receiving, by a controller of the gas purge apparatus, a first signal, wherein the first signal is of a first signal type;
responsive to receiving the first signal, keeping the one or more nozzles coupled to the substrate carrier;
performing a second gas purging session of the environment of the substrate carrier via the one or more nozzles coupled to the substrate carrier;
receiving, by the controller of the gas purge apparatus, a second signal, wherein the second signal is of a second signal type; and
responsive to receiving the second signal, decoupling the one or more nozzles from the substrate carrier.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environment of the substrate carrier comprises one or more content items, wherein the one or more content items comprise one of a substrate or a process kit ring.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate carrier is adapted to couple to a factory interface, wherein the factory interface is coupled to at least one of a load lock chamber, a transfer chamber, or a processing chamber.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the one or more nozzles of the gas purge apparatus to the substrate carrier comprises:
aligning a gas delivery nozzle of the gas purge apparatus with a gas inlet port of the substrate carrier; and
aligning a gas exhaust nozzle of the gas purge apparatus with a gas outlet port of the substrate carrier.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more nozzles of the gas purge apparatus comprise a gas delivery nozzle and a gas exhaust nozzle, and wherein coupling the one or more nozzles of the gas purge apparatus to the substrate carrier is facilitated by motion of a receiving plate, wherein the receiving plate houses the gas delivery nozzle and the gas exhaust nozzle.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first signal and/or the second signal is output by a process controller, wherein the process controller is to control one or more substrate processing operations.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a first substrate processing operation of the one or more substrate processing operations comprises transferring a substrate from the substrate carrier to a factory interface.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a second substrate processing operation of the one or more substrate processing operations comprises transferring the substrate from the factory interface to a processing chamber.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second signal is received later in time than the first signal.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the first gas purging session is responsive to coupling the one or more nozzles of a gas purge apparatus to the substrate carrier.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first signal type is to indicate that an instruction to perform the second gas purging session is upcoming.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second signal type is to indicate that no instructions to perform additional purging sessions are upcoming.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to coupling the one or more nozzles of the gas purge apparatus, coupling the substrate carrier to a factory interface.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, responsive to decoupling the one or more nozzles from the substrate carrier, uncoupling the substrate carrier from the factory interface.
15. A method comprising:
receiving an indication that one or more nozzles of a gas purge apparatus are coupled to a substrate carrier, outputting a first instruction to perform a first gas purging session of an environment of the substrate carrier;
responsive to determining that a second gas purging session of the environment of the substrate carrier is to be performed, outputting a second instruction to maintain coupling of the one or more nozzles of the gas purge apparatus to the substrate carrier;
outputting a third instruction to perform a second gas purging session of the environment of the substrate carrier; and
outputting a fourth instruction to decouple the one or more nozzles from the substrate carrier.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein outputting the first instruction to perform the first gas purging session is responsive to coupling of the substrate carrier to a factory interface.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein outputting the third instruction to perform the second gas purging session is responsive to an operation performed in a load lock chamber, a transfer chamber, or a processing chamber.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein outputting the fourth instruction to decouple the one or more nozzles from the substrate carrier is responsive to determining that no operation will be performed on a content item inside the substrate carrier.