Centerfinding for a process kit or process kit carrier at a manufacturing system
One or more first signals are obtained. The first signals indicate a current shape of an object placed on an end effector. The one or more first signals are compared to one or more second signals that each indicate a predefined shape for a process component on the end effector. A determination is made of whether a current placement of the object on the end effector satisfies a target placement criterion based on the comparison.
1 . A method comprising:
causing an end effector to move past one or more sensors of a manufacturing system, wherein an object is placed on the end effector;
obtaining, from the one or more sensors, one or more first signals each indicating a current shape of the object placed on the end effector;
comparing the one or more first signals to one or more second signals each indicating a predefined shape for a process component on the end effector; and
determining whether a current placement of the object on the end effector satisfies a target placement criterion based on the comparison.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the current shape of the object corresponds to at least one of a circular shape or a ring shape.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is disposed in a processing chamber of the manufacturing system and the end effector is coupled to a rotating carousel of the processing chamber.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the current placement of the object on the end effector satisfies the target placement criterion comprises:
identifying a center of the object based on the comparison of the one or more first signals to the one or more second signals;
determining a distance between the center of the object and a center of the end effector; and
determining whether the determined distance exceeds a threshold distance.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein identifying the center of the object comprises:
determining, based on each of the one or more first signals, a first set of coordinates, wherein each of the first set of coordinates corresponds to an edge of the object; and
calculating, based on each of the first set of coordinates, at least a second coordinate corresponding to the center of the object.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the process component comprises at least one of a process kit or a process kit carrier.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to determining the current placement does not satisfy the target placement criterion, modifying a process recipe associated with the end effector to cause the end effector to place the object at a target location at a station of the manufacturing system.
8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining that the current placement of the object on the end effector satisfies a placement correction criterion; and
responsive to determining the current placement does not satisfy the placement correction criterion, determining the current placement of the object on the end effector cannot be corrected by modifying the process recipe associated with the end effector.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a process kit, a process kit carrier, the process kit coupled to the process kit carrier, or the process kit coupled to the process kit carrier and further comprising a substrate.
10 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:
causing an end effector to move past one or more sensors of a manufacturing system, wherein an object is placed on the end effector;
obtaining, from the one or more sensors, one or more first signals each indicating a current shape of the object placed on the end effector;
comparing the one or more first signals to one or more second signals each indicating a predefined shape for a process component on the end effector; and
determining whether a current placement of the object on the end effector satisfies a target placement criterion based on the comparison.
11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the current shape of the object corresponds to at least one of a circular shape or a ring shape.
12 . A manufacturing system comprising:
a robot arm comprising an end effector; and
a controller operatively coupled to the robot arm, wherein the controller is to perform operations comprising:
obtaining one or more first signals each indicating a current shape of an object placed on the end effector;
comparing the one or more first signals to one or more second signals each indicating a predefined shape for a process component on the end effector; and
determining whether a current placement of the object on the end effector satisfies a target placement criterion based on the comparison.
13 . The manufacturing system of claim 12 , wherein the current shape of the object corresponds to at least one of a circular shape or a ring shape.
14 . The manufacturing system of claim 12 , wherein obtaining the one or more first signals comprises:
causing the end effector to move past one or more sensors of the manufacturing system; and
receiving the one or more first signals from at least one of the one or more sensors.
15 . The manufacturing system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is disposed in a processing chamber of the manufacturing system and the end effector is coupled to a rotating carousel of the processing chamber.
16 . The manufacturing system of claim 12 , wherein determining whether the current placement of the object on the end effector satisfies the target placement criterion comprises:
identifying a center of the object based on the comparison of the one or more first signals to the one or more second signals;
determining a distance between the center of the object and a center of the end effector; and
determining whether the determined distance exceeds a threshold distance.
17 . The manufacturing system of claim 16 , wherein identifying the center of the object comprises:
determining, based on each of the one or more first signals, a first set of coordinates, wherein each of the first set of coordinates corresponds to an edge of the object; and
calculating, based on each of the first set of coordinates, at least a second coordinate corresponding to the center of the object.
18 . The manufacturing system of claim 12 , wherein the process component comprises at least one of a process kit or a process kit carrier.
19 . The manufacturing system of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:
responsive to determining the current placement does not satisfy the target placement criterion, modifying a process recipe associated with the end effector to cause the end effector to place the object at a target location at a station of the manufacturing system.