IP Library Granted Patent US 9,385,018
Granted Patent B2
US 9,385,018 · App. 13/735,866 · Granted Jul 5, 2016

Semiconductor manufacturing equipment with trace elements for improved defect tracing and methods of manufacture

Inventors: Dennis Winters (Round Rock, TX); Victor Coots (Round Rock, TX); Matthew Burnham (Austin, TX); Daniel Thevis (Elgin, TX)
Assignee: Samsung Austin Semiconductor, L.P.
H01L21/67742H01L21/67288H01L22/12H01L22/20Y10T29/53022
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,385,018
App. No.
13/735,866
Granted
Jul 5, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprising trace elements and method of manufacture are disclosed. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment includes one or more components, wherein at least one component is made from an alloy comprising one or more materials and one or more rare earth elements (REEs). The alloy comprises predetermined quantities of the respective REEs. The method for manufacturing a component includes forming an alloy comprising at least one material and one or more selected rare earth elements (REEs) and building the component with the alloy.

Claims (25)

1. A component of a semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the component comprising:

alloy comprising one or more materials and one or more rare earth elements (REEs), the one or more REEs selected to identify the component as a source of a defect in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

2. The component of claim 1 , wherein the REEs are implanted or embedded into the alloy.

3. The component of claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises predetermined quantities of respective REEs.

4. The component of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined quantities comprise a first percentage of a first REE and a second percentage of a second REE.

5. The component of claim 1 , wherein the REEs are selected from a group comprising: Terbium, Iridium, Lutetium, Rhodium.

6. The component of claim 1 , wherein the component is one of: a ring, isolation valve, bellows, robot blade, bearing, robot arm, and robot wrist.

7. A semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprising:

a plurality of components, at least one of the plurality of components including one or more trace elements, the component made from an alloy comprising one or more materials, wherein the trace elements comprise one or more rare earth elements (REEs), the one or more REEs selected to identify the component as a source of a defect in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

8. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 7 , wherein the REEs are implanted or embedded into the alloy.

9. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 7 , wherein the alloy comprises predetermined quantities of the respective REEs.

10. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined quantities comprise a first percentage of a first REE and a second percentage of a second REE.

11. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 7 , wherein the REEs are selected from a group comprising: Terbium, Iridium, Lutetium, Rhodium.

12. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 7 , wherein the component is one of: a ring, isolation valve, bellows, robot blade, bearing, robot arm, and robot wrist.

13. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment of claim 7 , wherein a first component comprises a first REE and a second component comprises a second REE, the first REE different from the second REE.

14. A method for identifying a defect in a semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the method comprising:

identifying particles shed from at least one component of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the at least one component formed from an alloy comprising at least one material and one or more selected rare earth elements (REEs);

determining whether at least one REE is present in the identified particles;

when at least one REE is present in the identified particles, identifying the at least one component as a potential defect source based on the at least one REE.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one component is formed by at least one of implanting REEs into the alloy; and embedding REEs into the alloy.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the alloy comprises predetermined quantities of the respective REEs.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined quantities comprise a first percentage of a first REE and a second percentage of a second REE.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the REEs are selected from a group comprising: Terbium, Iridium, Lutetium, Rhodium.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one component is one of: a ring, isolation valve, bellows, robot blade, bearing, robot arm, and robot wrist.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein a first component of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprises a first REE and a second component of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprises a second REE, the first REE different from the second REE.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 31, 2018
From: SAMSUNG AUSTIN SEMICONDUCTOR, L.P.
To: SAMSUNG AUSTIN SEMICONDUCTOR, LLC
Reel/Frame 047006/0105 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2013
From: WINTERS, DENNIS; COOTS, VICTOR; BURNHAM, MATTHEW; THEVIS, DANIEL
To: SAMSUNG AUSTIN SEMICONDUCTOR, L.P.; SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 029581/0101 →
Continuity (1)
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