IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,456,638
Granted Patent B2
US 12,456,638 · App. 18/666,686 · Granted Oct 28, 2025

Methods and systems for temperature control for a substrate

Inventors: Nicholas Michael Bergantz (San Jose, CA); Jeffrey Hudgens (San Francisco, CA); Doug McAllister (San Ramon, CA); Helder Lee (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
H01L21/67265H01L21/67356
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,456,638
App. No.
18/666,686
Granted
Oct 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes a factory interface, a load port connected to the factory interface, and a system controller. The system controller is to, responsive to detecting that a container is received at the load port, determine a type of parts for storage at the container. One or more mapping patterns associated with the determined type of parts is identified. A detection system of robot arm(s) of the factory interface is moved according to the identified mapping pattern(s) to detect one or more parts stored by the container. A mapping of the container is determined based on the movement of the robot arm(s). The mapping indicates regions of the container that stores detected parts and a position of each of the detected parts. Based on the mapping, the robot arm(s) either remove a detected part form the container or place an additional part in the container.

Claims (94)

1. A system comprising:

a factory interface comprising one or more robot arms;

a load port connected to the factory interface; and

a system controller operatively connected to the one or more robot arms, wherein the system controller is to:

responsive to detecting that a container is received at the load port, determine a type of parts of the system for storage at the container;

identify, from a storage medium, one or more mapping patterns associated with the determined type of parts;

cause a detection system of the one or more robot arms to be moved according to the identified one or more mapping patterns to detect one or more parts stored by the container;

determine, based on the movement of the one or more robot arms according to the identified one or more mapping patterns, a mapping of the storage container, wherein the mapping of the storage container indicates regions of the container that stores one or more detected parts and a position of each of the one or more detected parts stored at a respective region; and

record, in the storage medium, the mapping of the container; and

based on the determined mapping, causing the one or more robot arms to perform at least one of:

removing at least one of the one or more detected parts from the container, or

placing an additional part in the container.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system controller is further to:

cause the one or more robot arms to be moved to a first section of the container to detect an identifier component, wherein the identifier component indicates the type of the parts for storage at the container,

wherein the determination of the type of parts of the system for storage at the container is made based on a detection of the identifier component at the first section.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system controller is further to:

determine characteristics of one or more external features of the container,

wherein the determination of the type of parts of the system for storage at the container is made in view of the characteristics of the one or more external features of the container.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein to identify the one or more mapping patterns associated with the determined type of parts, the system controller is to:

access a memory storing instructions associated with a plurality of mapping patterns; and

determine, of the plurality of mapping patterns, the one or more mapping patterns associated with the determined type of parts.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the identified one or more mapping patterns comprises a first mapping pattern associated with identifying the regions of the container that stores the one or more detected parts and a second mapping pattern associated with determining a position of each of the one or more detected parts, and wherein to cause the detection system to be moved according to the identified one or more mapping patterns, the system controller is to:

cause the detection system to be moved according to the first mapping pattern; and

subsequently cause the detection system to be moved according to the second mapping pattern.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein to cause the detection system to be moved according to the first mapping pattern, the system controller is to:

cause the detection system to be positioned at a first horizontal distance from a portion of the container;

cause the detection system to move from a first height to a second height while the detection system is positioned the first horizontal distance from the portion of the container to identify the one or more parts in the container;

determine whether the one or more parts extend to the first horizontal distance from the portion of the container;

responsive to determining that the one or more parts do not extend to the first horizontal distance from the container, cause the detection system to be positioned at a second horizontal distance from the portion of the container, wherein the second horizontal distance is less than the first horizontal distance; and

cause the detection system to move from the first height to the second height while the detection system is positioned the second horizontal distance from the portion of the container to identify the one or more parts in the container.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein to cause the detection system to be moved according to the second mapping pattern, the system controller is to:

cause the detection system to be positioned within a first region of the container that does not contain parts at a third horizontal distance from the portion of the container, wherein the third horizontal distance is less than the second horizontal distance; and

cause the detection system to move from a third height within the first region to a fourth height within the first region while the detection system is positioned the third horizontal distance from the portion of the container,

and wherein the controller is further to determine whether at least one of an empty carrier or a wafer extends to the third horizontal distance from the portion of the container at any height between the third height and the fourth height.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parts comprise process kit rings.

9. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a set of one or more processing devices, wherein the set of one or more processing devices is to:

responsive to detecting that a container is received at a load port,

determine a type of parts of the system for storage at the container;

identify, from the memory, one or more mapping patterns associated with the determined type of parts;

cause a detection system of one or more robot arms of a factory interface to be moved according to the identified one or more mapping patterns to detect one or more parts stored by the container;

determine, based on the movement of the one or more robot arms according to the identified one or more mapping patterns, a mapping of the container, wherein the mapping of the storage container indicates regions of the container that stores one or more detected parts and a position of each of the one or more detected parts stored at a respective region;

record, in the memory, the mapping of the container; and

based on the determined mapping, causing, by the system controller, the one or more robot arms to perform at least one of:

removing at least one of the one or more detected parts from the container, or

placing an additional part in the container.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the set of one or more processing devices is further to:

cause the one or more robot arms to be moved to a first section of the container to detect an identifier component, wherein the identifier component indicates the type of the parts for storage at the container,

wherein the determination of the type of parts of the system for storage at the container is made based on a detection of the identifier component at the first section.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the set of one or more processing devices is further to:

determine characteristics of one or more external features of the container,

wherein the determination of the type of parts of the system for storage at the container is made in view of the characteristics of the one or more external features of the container.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein to identify the one or more mapping patterns associated with the determined type of parts, the set of one or more processing devices is to:

access a memory storing instructions associated with a plurality of mapping patterns; and

determining, of the plurality of mapping patterns, the one or more mapping patterns associated with the determined type of parts.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the identified one or more mapping patterns comprises a first mapping pattern associated with identifying the regions of the container that stores the one or more detected parts and a second mapping pattern associated with determining a position of each of the one or more detected parts stored at the respective memory, and wherein to cause the detection system to be moved according to the identified one or more mapping patterns, the set of one or more processing devices is to:

cause the detection system to be moved according to the first mapping pattern; and

subsequently cause the detection system to be moved according to the second mapping pattern.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein to cause the detection system to be moved according to the first mapping pattern, the set of one or more processing devices is to:

cause the detection system to be positioned at a first horizontal distance from a portion of the container;

cause the detection system to move from a first height to a second height while the detection system is positioned the first horizontal distance from the portion of the container to identify the one or more parts in the container;

determine whether the one or more parts extend to the first horizontal distance from the portion of the container;

responsive to determining that the one or more parts do not extend to the first horizontal distance from the container, cause the detection system to be positioned at a second horizontal distance from the portion of the container, wherein the second horizontal distance is less than the first horizontal distance; and

cause the detection system to move from the first height to the second height while the detection system is positioned the second horizontal distance from the portion of the container to identify the one or more parts in the container.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein to cause the detection system to be moved according to the second mapping pattern, the set of one or more processing devices is to:

cause the detection system to be positioned within a first region of the container that does not contain parts at a third horizontal distance from the portion of the container, wherein the third horizontal distance is less than the second horizontal distance; and

cause the detection system to move from a third height within the first region to a fourth height within the first region while the detection system is positioned the third horizontal distance from the portion of the container,

and wherein the system controller is further to determine whether at least one of an empty carrier or a wafer extends to the third horizontal distance from the portion of the container at any height between the third height and the fourth height.

16. A system comprising:

a factory interface;

a load port connected to the factory interface;

a robot arm comprising a detection system at a distal end of an end effector of the robot arm, and wherein the detection system comprises an emitting component and a sensing component, and wherein the detection system detects an object responsive to a beam directed from the emitting component to the sensing component being broken by the object; and

a system controller operatively connected to the robot arm, wherein the system controller is to:

responsive to detecting that a container is received at the load port,

determine a type of parts of the system for storage at the container;

identify, from a storage medium, one or more mapping patterns associated with the determined type of parts;

cause the detection system of the robot arm to be moved according to the identified one or more mapping patterns to detect one or more parts stored by the container;

determine, based on the movement of the detection system according to the identified one or more mapping patterns, a mapping of the container, wherein the mapping of the storage container indicates regions of the container that stores one or more detected parts and a position of each of the one or more detected parts stored at a respective region;

record, in the storage medium, the mapping of the container; and

based on the determined mapping, causing the robot arm to perform at least one of:

removing at least one of the one or more detected parts from the container, or

placing an additional part in the container.

17. The system of claim 16 , cause the robot arm to be moved to a first section of the container to detect an identifier component, wherein the identifier component indicates the type of the parts for storage at the container,

wherein the determination of the type of parts of the system for storage at the container is made based on a detection of the identifier component at the first section.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the system controller is further to:

determine characteristics of one or more external features of the container,

wherein the determination of the type of parts of the system for storage at the container is made in view of the characteristics of the one or more external features of the container.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein to identify the one or more mapping patterns associated with the determined type of parts, the system controller is to:

access a memory storing instructions associated with a plurality of mapping patterns; and

determining, of the plurality of mapping patterns, the one or more mapping patterns associated with the determined type of parts.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the identified one or more mapping patterns comprises a first mapping pattern associated with identifying the regions of the container that stores the one or more detected parts and a second mapping pattern associated with determining a position of each of the one or more detected parts, and wherein to cause the detection system to be moved according to the identified one or more mapping patterns, the system controller is to:

cause the detection system to be moved according to the first mapping pattern; and

subsequently cause the detection system to be moved according to the second mapping pattern.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 17, 2024
From: BERGANTZ, NICHOLAS MICHAEL; HUDGENS, JEFFREY; MCALLISTER, DOUG; LEE, HELDER
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 067444/0792 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 18045119 · Oct 7, 2022
Division 16994413 · Aug 14, 2020
Provisional Application 62888931 · Aug 19, 2019
Related Publication 20240304478A1 · Sep 12, 2024
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