Patent Application
20250226258
The present technology relates to components and apparatuses for semiconductor manufacturing. More specifically, the present technology relates to the assembly of processing chamber distribution components and other semiconductor processing equipment.
Integrated circuits are made possible by processes which produce intricately patterned material layers on substrate surfaces. Producing patterned material on a substrate requires controlled methods for forming and removing material. Chamber components often deliver processing gases to a substrate for depositing films or removing materials. To promote symmetry and uniformity, chamber components have been introduced that may include regular patterns of features, such as apertures, for providing materials in a way that may increase uniformity. In order to clean deposits formed within the apertures and over the component body, such chamber components require regular removal from the chamber. However, removal of chamber components has become increasingly difficult due to the complexity and size of the chambers as well as the increasing weight and complexity of the components.
Thus, there is a need for improved platforms and methods that can be used to assemble chambers containing such components as well as facilitate the removal of chamber components therefrom. These and other needs are addressed by the present technology.
The present technology is generally directed to semiconductor component assembly platforms. Assembly platforms include a base extending from a first end to a second end, a telescoping support having a first side and a second side movably connected to the base, and a component support movably connected to the telescoping frame. Assembly platforms include a compressed position and a fully extended position, where a second end of the telescoping frame has a distance from a first end of the base frame that is greater in a fully extended position than in a compressed position. Assembly platforms have a compressed length from the first end of the base frame to the second end of the telescoping frame in a compressed position, and a fully extended length from the first end of the base frame to the second end of the component support in a fully extended position, and the telescoping support has a width from the first side to the second side. Assembly platforms include a ratio of the fully extended length to the telescoping support width is greater than or about 4.
In embodiments, the component support includes a center point between a component support first end and a component support second end, and a stroke length defined between a location of the center point in the compressed position and a location of the center point in the fully extended position. In further embodiments, the stroke length is greater than or about 50% of the compressed length. Moreover, in embodiments, the telescoping frame, the component support, or both the telescoping frame and the component support are movable in a horizontal plane generally parallel to the base. Additionally or alternatively, assembly platforms further include a linear actuator coupled to one or more linear motion guides. In yet more embodiments, the telescoping frame includes an aperture, where a first linear motion guide of the one or more linear motion guides is disposed on a top surface of the base and extends through the aperture. Embodiments include where the linear actuator is mounted on the telescoping support, and is coupled with the first linear motion guide. In embodiments, the first linear motion guide includes a rack mounted to a top surface of the base, and a pinion disposed above a top surface of the telescoping frame. Furthermore, in embodiments, assembly platforms include a second linear motion guide. In more embodiments, the second linear motion guide is disposed on a top surface of the telescoping support and is coupled with the component support. Moreover, in embodiments, the linear actuator is disposed at an approximate center point between the first side and the second side of the telescoping support.
The present technology is also generally directed to semiconductor component assembly platforms. Assembly platforms include a base extending from a first end to a second end, a telescoping support having a first side and a second side movably connected to the base, a component support movably connected to the telescoping frame, and a linear actuator coupled to two or more of the base, telescoping support, and component support through one or more linear motion guides. Assembly platforms include a compressed position and a fully extended position, where a second end of the telescoping frame has a distance from a first end of the base frame that is greater in a fully extended position than in a compressed position. Assembly platforms include where the semiconductor component assembly platform has a compressed length from the first end of the base frame to the second end of the telescoping frame in a compressed position, and a fully extended length from the first end of the base frame to the second end of the component support in a fully extended position, and the component support comprises a center point between a component support first end and a component support second end. Assembly platforms include where a stroke length is defined between a location of the center point in the compressed position and a location of the center point in the fully extended position that is greater than or about 50% of the compressed length.
In embodiments, a first linear motion guide of the one or more linear motion guides comprises a rack and pinion. In more embodiments, a second linear motion guide of the one or more linear motion guides includes a ball screw. Furthermore, in embodiments, the telescoping support has a width from the first side to the second side, where a ratio of the fully extended length to the telescoping support width is greater than or about 4. Additionally or alternatively, the component support has a component support width from a component support first side to a component support second side, and wherein the telescoping support width is from about 50% to about 99% of the component support width. In embodiments, the base frame, the telescoping frame, the component support, or a combination therefore are formed from a metal, or alloy thereof, having a density of about 3,000 kg/m3 or greater and/or a tensile strength of about 250 MPa or greater.
The present technology is also generally directed to methods of assembling a semiconductor processing chamber. Methods include placing a processing chamber component on a component support of a component assembly platform in a compressed position. The component assembly platform includes a base frame having a frame body extending from a first end to a second end, a telescoping frame movably connected to the base frame, and the component support, where the component support is movably connected to the telescoping frame. Methods include transitioning the component assembly platform from the compressed position to a fully extended position. Methods include positioning the processing chamber component within the processing chamber. Methods include where, in the compressed position, the processing chamber component is outside of the processing chamber, and in the fully extended position, a second end of the component support is disposed horizontally outward of the second end of the telescoping frame relative to the frame body and the processing chamber component is located inside of the processing chamber. Methods include where the processing chamber component has a weight that is greater than or about 2.5% of a weight of the component assembly platform.
In embodiments, methods include where the processing chamber has an opening, where the processing chamber component is positioned about 0.5 meters or more from the opening. In more embodiments, the processing chamber component has a weight of about 1 kilogram or more, and the component assembly platform has a weight of less than or about 100 kilograms.
Such technology may provide numerous benefits over conventional systems and techniques. For example, embodiments of the present technology may allow loading of heavy components in complex processing chambers with little to no operator involvement. Additionally, devices and techniques discussed herein are capable of handling heavy components while having a width and height compatible with existing processing chambers. These and other embodiments, along with many of their advantages and features, are described in more detail in conjunction with the below description and attached figures.
A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the disclosed technology may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings.
Several of the figures are included as schematics. It is to be understood that the figures are for illustrative purposes and are not to be considered of scale unless specifically stated to be of scale. Additionally, as schematics, the figures are provided to aid comprehension and may not include all aspects or information compared to realistic representations and may include exaggerated material for illustrative purposes.
In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the letter.
Plasma enhanced deposition processes may energize one or more constituent precursors to facilitate film formation on a substrate. Any number of material films may be produced to develop semiconductor structures, including conductive and dielectric films, as well as films to facilitate transfer and removal of materials. For example, hardmask films may be formed to facilitate patterning of a substrate, while protecting the underlying materials to be otherwise maintained. In many processing chambers, a number of precursors may be mixed in a gas panel and delivered to a processing region of a chamber where a substrate may be disposed. The precursors may be distributed through one or more components within the chamber, which may produce a radial or lateral distribution of delivery to provide increased formation or removal at the substrate surface.
For example, one or more devices may be included within a processing chamber for delivering and distributing precursors within a processing chamber. A blocker plate may be included in a chamber to provide a choke in precursor flow, which may increase residence time at the blocker plate and lateral or radial distribution of precursors. In addition, faceplates have been formed that can further improve uniformity of delivery into a processing region, for example, by containing a plurality of apertures, which may improve deposition or etching. However, even small amounts of leftover precursor or film can negatively affect further process steps, requiring regular removal of faceplates for cleaning. In addition, various substrates utilizing differing film types and patterns can require faceplates with alternative delivery profiles. These factors, among others, necessitate regular removal and replacement of faceplates and other components within processing chambers.
Processing chambers have also become more complex. Consequently, the area within the chamber to maneuver components into or out of position has become increasingly challenging to access. For example, current processing chambers include additional components that hinder access to faceplate mounting locations. Moreover, the size of processing chambers has increased. Increase in chamber size may require placement of the faceplate or other components, in areas more than a meter from a processing chamber interior access door. Such complex placement is compounded by the fact that components, such as faceplates, have a relatively high weight, which continues to increase as components increase in complexity.
Existing assembly processes require a human operator to manually maneuver components, such as faceplates, into position within the processing chamber. Reliance upon human operators alone is untenable due to the weight of components, small work area, and large distance from the processing chamber access door. Attempts have been made to automate the component assembly process. However, none have been able to provide a solution with a size capable to be translated into a process chamber access door that is capable of handling weights of 1 kilogram or more, such as greater than or about 2 kilograms, such as greater than or about 3 kilograms, such as greater than or about 4 kilograms, such as greater than or about 5 kilograms, such as greater than or about 6 kilograms, such as greater than or about 7 kilograms, such as greater than or about 8 kilograms, such as greater than or about 9 kilograms, such as greater than or about 10 kilograms, such as greater than or about 11 kilograms, such as greater than or about 12 kilograms, such as greater than or about 13 kilograms, such as greater than or about 14 kilograms, such as greater than or about 15 kilograms, or more, or any ranges or values therebetween.
The present technology overcomes these challenges for the loading and removal of bulky and/or heavy components, including semiconductor processing faceplates, from semiconductor processing chambers. By utilizing a loading platform that contains a carefully tailored extension mechanism, a loading platform is provided that contains maximum height and width measurements necessary for semiconductor processing chambers. Moreover, loading platforms discussed herein include one or more telescoping segments in precise size ratios, which allow for components of all shapes and sizes to be uniformly positioned within processing chambers. Accordingly, the present technology may enable consistent and high-speed assembly and disassembly of chamber components.
Although the remaining disclosure will routinely identify specific processes chambers and components thereof utilizing the disclosed technology, it will be readily understood that the apparatus and methods are equally applicable to other deposition and cleaning chambers, components thereof, as well as processes as may occur in the described chambers. Accordingly, the technology should not be considered to be so limited as for use with these specific process chambers or components thereof alone. The disclosure will discuss one possible process chamber that may include one or more components arranged utilizing a loading platform according to embodiments of the present technology before additional variations and adjustments to this apparatus according to embodiments of the present technology are described.
The substrate processing chambers 108a-f may include one or more system components for depositing, annealing, curing and/or etching a dielectric or other film on the substrate. In one configuration, two pairs of the processing chambers, e.g., 108c-d and 108e-f, may be used to deposit dielectric material on the substrate, and the third pair of processing chambers, e.g., 108a-b, may be used to etch the deposited dielectric. In another configuration, all three pairs of chambers, e.g., 108a-f, may be configured to deposit stacks of alternating dielectric films on the substrate. Any one or more of the processes described may be carried out in chambers separated from the fabrication system shown in different embodiments. It will be appreciated that additional configurations of deposition, etching, annealing, and curing chambers for dielectric films are contemplated by system 100.
For example, processing region 220B, the components of which may also be included in processing region 220A, may include a pedestal 228 disposed in the processing region through a passage 222 formed in the bottom wall 216 in the plasma system 200. The pedestal 228 may provide a heater adapted to support a substrate 229 on an exposed surface of the pedestal, such as a body portion. The pedestal 228 may include heating elements 232, for example resistive heating elements, which may heat and control the substrate temperature at a desired process temperature. Pedestal 228 may also be heated by a remote heating element, such as a lamp assembly, or any other heating device.
The body of pedestal 228 may be coupled by a flange 233 to a stem 226. The stem 226 may electrically couple the pedestal 228 with a power outlet or power box 203. The power box 203 may include a drive system that controls the elevation and movement of the pedestal 228 within the processing region 220B. The stem 226 may also include electrical power interfaces to provide electrical power to the pedestal 228. The power box 203 may also include interfaces for electrical power and temperature indicators, such as a thermocouple interface. The stem 226 may include a base assembly 238 adapted to detachably couple with the power box 203. A circumferential ring 235 is shown above the power box 203. In some embodiments, the circumferential ring 235 may be a shoulder adapted as a mechanical stop or land configured to provide a mechanical interface between the base assembly 238 and the upper surface of the power box 203.
A rod 230 may be included through a passage 224 formed in the bottom wall 216 of the processing region 220B and may be utilized to position substrate lift pins 261 disposed through the body of pedestal 228. The substrate lift pins 261 may selectively space the substrate 229 from the pedestal to facilitate exchange of the substrate 229 with a robot utilized for transferring the substrate 229 into and out of the processing region 220B through a substrate transfer port 260.
A chamber lid 204 may be coupled with a top portion of the chamber body 202. The lid 204 may accommodate one or more precursor distribution systems 208 coupled thereto. The precursor distribution system 208 may include a precursor inlet passage 240 which may deliver reactant and cleaning precursors through a gas delivery assembly 218 into the processing region 220B. The gas delivery assembly 218 may include a gasbox 248 having a blocker plate 244 disposed intermediate to a faceplate 246. A radio frequency (“RF”) source 265 may be coupled with the gas delivery assembly 218, which may power the gas delivery assembly 218 to facilitate generating a plasma region between the faceplate 246 of the gas delivery assembly 218 and the pedestal 228, which may be the processing region of the chamber. In some embodiments, the RF source may be coupled with other portions of the chamber body 202, such as the pedestal 228, to facilitate plasma generation. A dielectric isolator 258 may be disposed between the lid 204 and the gas delivery assembly 218 to prevent conducting RF power to the lid 204. A shadow ring 206 may be disposed on the periphery of the pedestal 228 that engages the pedestal 228.
A faceplate 246 may be used to perform semiconductor processing operations including deposition of hardmask materials as previously described, as well as other deposition, removal, and cleaning operations. Faceplate 246 may be included in any number of processing chambers described above. Faceplate 246 may be included as part of the gas inlet assembly, such as with a gasbox and blocker plate. For example, a gasbox may define or provide access into a processing chamber. A substrate support may be included within the chamber and may be configured to support a substrate for processing. A blocker plate may be included in the chamber between the gasbox and the substrate support. The blocker plate may include or define a number of apertures through the plate. The components may include any of the features described previously for similar components, as well as a variety of other modifications similarly encompassed by the present technology.
Faceplate 246 may be positioned within the chamber between a blocker plate and a substrate support as illustrated previously. Nonetheless, faceplate 246 may be characterized by a first surface 243 and a second surface 245, which may be opposite the first surface. In some embodiments, first surface 243 may be facing towards a blocker plate, gasbox, or gas inlet into the processing chamber. Second surface 245 may be positioned to face a substrate support or substrate within a processing region of a processing chamber. Faceplate 246 may define a plurality of apertures (not shown) defined through the faceplate and extending from the first surface through the second surface. Each aperture may provide a fluid path through the faceplate, and the apertures may provide fluid access to the processing region of the chamber. Depending on the size of the faceplate, and the size of the apertures, faceplate 246 may define any number of apertures through the plate, such as greater than or about 1,000 apertures, greater than or about 2,000 apertures, greater than or about 3,000 apertures, greater than or about 4,000 apertures, greater than or about 5,000 apertures, greater than or about 6,000 apertures, or more. The apertures may have a uniform or staggered spacing and may be spaced apart at less than or about 10 mm from center to center. The apertures may also be spaced apart at less than or about 9 mm, less than or about 8 mm, less than or about 7 mm, less than or about 6 mm, less than or about 5 mm, less than or about 4 mm, less than or about 3 mm, or less.
In addition, an optional cooling channel 247 may be formed in the gasbox 248 of the gas distribution system 208 to cool the gasbox 248 during operation. A heat transfer fluid, such as water, ethylene glycol, a gas, or the like, may be circulated through the cooling channel 247 such that the gasbox 248 may be maintained at a predefined temperature. A liner assembly 227 may be disposed within the processing region 220B in close proximity to the sidewalls 201, 212 of the chamber body 202 to prevent exposure of the sidewalls 201, 212 to the processing environment within the processing region 220B. The liner assembly 227 may include a circumferential pumping cavity 225, which may be coupled to a pumping system 264 configured to exhaust gases and byproducts from the processing region 220B and control the pressure within the processing region 220B. A plurality of exhaust ports 231 may be formed on the liner assembly 227. The exhaust ports 231 may be configured to allow the flow of gases from the processing region 220B to the circumferential pumping cavity 225 in a manner that promotes processing within the system 200.
Nonetheless, as illustrated, the telescoping support 304 includes first linear guide couplings 312 and component support 306 includes second linear guide couplings 314. In embodiments, linear guide couplings 312 and 314 may each be a bracket attaching the telescoping frame to the base frame, or component support to telescoping frame, respectively. Namely, in embodiments, one or more couplings 312, 314 may be part of a respective guide rail assembly and serve to attach the telescoping frame and/or component support to the corresponding guide rail. Thus, in embodiments, linear guide couplings 312, 314 may include one or more pairs of couplings, two or more pairs of couplings, three or more pairs of couplings, four or more pairs of couplings, or more, and may be selected to provide greater support to the telescoping frame in the extended orientation. However, it should be understood that, in embodiments, couplings 312, 314 may be alternative movable attachments, such as screws, slides, rails, or the like. Furthermore, while not shown, it should be understood that base 302 may be permanently or removably affixed to a surface, such as an optical table. For instance, in embodiments, as will be discussed in greater detail below, the assembly may be removably attached to a surface with bolts, screws, or the like, after alignment with the chamber in order to provide further support.
Base 302 may extend from a first end 318 to a second end 316. The base 302, as well as telescoping support 304 and/or component support 306, may be formed from a material having a strength and/or weight sufficient to provide support and/or counterbalance to heavy components. In one aspect, the base 302, telescoping support 304, and/or component support 306 may be formed from a metal or an alloy thereof. The metal or alloy thereof may have a density of about 3,000 kg/m3 or greater, such as about 3,500 kg/m3 or greater, such as about 4,000 kg/m3 or greater, such as about 4,500 kg/m3 or greater, such as about 5,000 kg/m3 or greater, such as about 5,500 kg/m3 or greater, such as about 6,000 kg/m3 or greater, such as about 6,500 kg/m3 or greater, such as about 7,000 kg/m3 or greater, such as about 7,500 kg/m3 or greater, or any ranges or values therebetween. Additionally or alternatively, the metal or alloy thereof may have a tensile strength of about 250 MPa or greater, such as about 300 MPa or greater, such as about 350 MPa or greater, such as about 400 MPa or greater, such as about 450 MPa or greater, such as about 500 MPa or greater, such as about 550 MPa or greater, such as about 575 MPa or greater, such as about 600 MPa or greater, or any ranges or values therebetween. The selected metal may be in any form, such as plates, bars, rods, or other forms suitable in the art. However, due to the strength and/or weight characteristics, the selected metal may be in the form of plates. In some embodiments, the base 302, telescoping support 304, and/or component support 306 may be formed from stainless steel, aluminum, or combinations thereof.
Referring again to
Component support 306 includes a first end 334 and a second end 336. In the compressed position, the first end 334 of the component support is disposed above and adjacent to the first end 322 of the telescoping support 304. In addition, in the compressed position, the second end 336 of the component support 306 is disposed between the first end 322 and the second end 324 of the telescoping support 304.
In embodiments, the first end 322 of telescoping support 304 may support one or more optical sensors and/or cameras 307 to aid in alignment of the assembly platform with a processing chamber. However, in embodiments, the optical sensors may be disposed on or adjacent to a second end 316 of the base frame, or a second end 336 of the component support.
In some embodiments, the component support 306 is substantially planar, and may have very little variation across the component support 306 in order to provide a stable surface for support large and/or heavy components. As illustrated, component support 306 may include two plates firmly affixed together, such as using one or more fasteners, including bolts, screws, or the like, in order to provide further support and stability. However, it should be understood that component support 306 may be formed from a single plate having a larger thickness than either plate shown, or may be formed from one or more plates having a smaller thickness based upon the weight and/or tensile strength of the material selected.
Notwithstanding the material selected, component support 306 is illustrated (shown more clearly in
As illustrated in
While it should be understood that the linear actuator 326 may be located at various positions on the telescoping support 304, the present technology has surprisingly found that by carefully coupling the linear actuator 326 with one or more linear guide assemblies discussed herein, the linear actuator 326 may be centrally disposed below the component support 306. Such a positioning allows for the necessary maximum height and width requirements to be achieved, while also providing the needed horizontal translation. Moreover, by centrally locating the linear actuator 326, as will be discussed in greater detail in regards to
For instance,
For instance, the second end 324 of telescoping support 304 is now disposed between the first end 318 and second end 316 of the base frame, while remaining vertically above base 302. Similarly, in the fully extended position, one or more of the linear guide couplings 312 of the telescoping support 304 may be disposed adjacent to the second end 316 of base 302. Namely, in embodiments, a first end of the component support and/or first end of telescoping frame has a distance from a second end of the base frame that is greater in a fully extended position than in a compressed position. Thus, such an arrangement allows the first end 318 of the telescoping support 304 to overhang or cantilever over first end 318 of the base frame while remaining horizontally stable, for instance, by generally remaining within about 20 degrees or less of an original (compressed orientation) x-direction plane, such as less than or about 15 degrees, such as less than or about 10 degrees, such as less than or about 5 degrees, or any ranges or values therebetween, even when supporting heavy and/or large components.
Moreover, in a fully extended position, first end 334 of the component support 306 overhangs or cantilevers over first end 322 of the telescoping support 304. Namely, as illustrated, the first end 334 of the component support 306 is now located horizontally outward from the first end 322 of the telescoping support 304. Similarly, the second end 336 of the component support is now disposed between the first end 322 and the second end 324 of the telescoping support 304. Thus, the assembly of the present disclosure provides a telescoping mechanism capable of travelling a large distance without requiring an expanded footprint of the base. Such an assembly is capable of performing even within small processing chamber openings and in restricted environments. Furthermore, the arrangement of the linear actuator 326, and the one or more linear guides allows this motion to occur quickly for such a large distance. For instance, the first linear motion guide (e.g. rack and pinion 328, 330) and second linear motion guide (e.g. ball screw 338) may act upon component support 306 and telescoping support 304 simultaneously such that both the telescoping support 304 and the component support 306 move in unison. Of course, it should be understood that, in some embodiments, telescoping support 304 and component support 306 may instead move sequentially.
As illustrated in
While the present disclosure has thus far discussed a compressed position and a fully extended position, it should be clear that, in embodiments, a partially extended position may also be utilized. For instance, the assembly of the present technology may be used in conjunction with smaller chambers, needing less extension length, but that would still benefit from assistance with heavy chamber components. Thus, in embodiments, a partially extended position may be a position between a compressed position and a fully extended position.
Nonetheless, in embodiments, component assembly platform 300 may exhibit a compressed length Lc in a compressed position. In the illustrated embodiment, the compressed length may extend from a first end 3322 of the telescoping support 304 to a second end 324 of the telescoping support 304, however, as discussed above, in embodiments, the base frame may extend past the first and/or second end of the telescoping support 304. In some embodiments, the compressed length may be from about 500 millimeters (mm) to about 1400 mm, such as from about 600 mm to about 1300 mm, such as from about 700 mm to about 1200 mm, such as from about 800 mm to about 1100 mm, such as from about 900 mm to about 1000 mm, or any ranges or values therebetween.
In addition, the component assembly platform 300 has a compressed height h that extends from a bottom side 350 of the base 302 to a top side 352 of the component support 306. In some embodiments, the height may be from about 50 mm to about 600 mm, such as from about 75 mm to about 500 mm, such as from about 100 mm to about 400 mm, such as from about 125 mm to about 300 mm, such as from about 150 mm to about 200 mm, or any ranges or values therebetween.
Moreover, component assembly platform 300 has a fully expanded length Le in a fully expanded position extending from a second end 316 of the base 302 to a first end 334 of the component support 306. In some embodiments, the fully expanded length may be from about 1100 mm to about 2400 mm, such as from about 1200 mm to about 2300 mm, such as from about 1300 mm to about 2200 mm, such as from about 1400 mm to about 2100 mm, such as from about 1500 mm to about 2000 mm, such as from about 1600 mm to about 1900 mm, such as from about 1650 mm to about 1800 mm, or any ranges or values therebetween.
However, in some embodiments, the value of the fully expanded length Le and/or compressed length Lc may instead be expressed as a relationship between the fully expanded length and the compressed length. As discussed above, the present technology may allow a large change in length from the compressed length to the fully expanded length. Such a relationship may allow more loading distance assistance without increasing the overall length footprint of the assembly and while maintaining the necessary strength and support. Thus, in some embodiments, the fully extended length is about 1.2 times or greater than the compressed length, such as about 1.25 times or greater, such as about 1.3 times or greater, such as about 1.35 times or greater, such as about 1.4 times or greater, such as about 1.45 times or greater, such as about 1.5 times or greater than the compressed length, or any ranges or values therebetween. Stated differently, in embodiments, the fully extended length may be about 300 mm greater than a compressed length, such as greater than or about 400 mm, such as greater than or about 500 mm, such as greater than or about 550 mm, such as greater than or about 575 mm, such as greater than or about 600 mm, such as greater than or about 615 mm, or any ranges or values therebetween.
Furthermore, the assembly platform 300 according to the present technology may also exhibit an excellent stroke length S, measured as the center point C of the component support 306 in the compressed position to the center point C of the component support 306 in the fully extended position. Thus, in embodiments, the stroke length S may be greater than or about 500 mm, such as greater than or about 600 mm, such as greater than or about 700 mm, such as greater than or about 800 mm, such as greater than or about 850 mm, such as greater than or about 900 mm, such as greater than or about 950 mm, such as greater than or about 1000 mm, such as greater than or about 1050 mm, such as greater than or about 1100 mm, such as greater than or about 1150 mm, such as greater than or about 1200 mm, or any ranges or values therebetween.
Furthermore, surprisingly, the stroke length of the component assembly platform 300 according to the present technology is comparatively large to the compressed length of the platform. This allows the assembly platform 300 to be movable and positionable, even in complex spaces. Thus, such a relationship may allow more loading distance assistance without increasing the overall length footprint of the assembly and while maintaining the necessary strength and support. Thus, in some embodiments, the stroke length is at least about 50% or more of the compressed length, such as greater than or about 60%, such as greater than or about 70%, such as greater than or about 75%, such as greater than or about 80%, such as greater than or about 85%, such as greater than or about 90%, such as greater than or about 95%, such as greater than or about 100% of the compressed length, or any ranges or values therebetween.
In addition, the assembly platform 300 according to the present technology is able to achieve the extensions and stroke lengths discussed herein, even when handling components having a relatively high weight, but without requiring increased weight of the assembly platform. Such a feature is further advantageous, at is allows positioning and re-positioning of the assembly platform, even in complex spaces. Thus, in embodiments, the extensions and stroke lengths discussed above are achieved even when handling components having a weight that is greater than or about 2.5% of the weight of the assembly platform, such as greater than or about 5%, such as greater than or about 7.5%, such as greater than or about 10%, such as greater than or about 11%, such as greater than or about 12%, such as greater than or about 13%, such as greater than or about 14%, such as greater than or about 15%, such as greater than or about 16%, such as greater than or about 17%, such as greater than or about 18%, such as greater than or about 19%, such as greater than or about 20%, or any ranges or values therebetween.
For instance, in embodiments, the assembly platform may have a total weight of less than or about 120 kilograms, such as less than or about 110 kilograms, such as less than or about 105 kilograms, such as less than or about 100 kilograms, such as less than or about 95 kilograms, such as less than or about 90 kilograms, such as less than or about 85 kilograms, or any ranges or values therebetween.
Nonetheless, in embodiments, the height h of the assembly platform in the compressed position is about 90% to about 100% of the height in the fully expanded position, such as about 92% or greater, such as about 94% or greater, such as about 96% or greater, such as about 98% or greater, such as up to about 100% of a fully expanded height. In embodiments, the height in the compressed position and the height in the fully expanded position are generally equal as the telescoping support 304 and/or the component support 306 are movable in a plane generally parallel to the base 302. Stated differently, base 302 defines a line A extending through first end 318 and second end 316. As illustrated by
Moreover, it should be clear that the telescoping support 304 and/or the component support 306 are movable in a forward and reverse direction. For example, the linear actuator 326 may be operable in a first direction to move the telescoping support 304 and/or the component support 306 in a forward direction and may be rotated in a second, opposite direction to move the telescoping support 304 and/or the component support 306 in a reverse direction. While thus far only the transition from the compressed position to the fully expanded position has been discussed, it should be clear that the telescoping support 304 and/or the component support 306 can also be transitioned in a reverse direction of any one or more of the above embodiments discussed herein.
Nonetheless, in embodiments, the width W may instead be expressed in relation to the fully extended length Le. Such a relationship maintains a length to width ratio suitable for supporting heavy or large components while retaining a footprint suitable for use with semiconductor processing chambers. In some embodiments, the fully extended length is about 2 times the telescoping frame width or greater, such as about 3 times or greater, such as about 4 times or greater, such as about 5 times or greater, such as about 5.5 times or greater, such as about 6 times or greater, such as about 6.5 times or greater, such as about 7 times or greater, or any ranges or values therebetween.
In addition, component support 306 has a width Wc extending from a first side 342 of component support 306 to a second side 344 of component support 306. In some embodiments, the component support width may be from about 50 mm to about 900 mm, such as from about 100 mm to about 800 mm, such as from about 150 mm to about 700 mm, such as from about 200 mm to about 600 mm, such as from about 250 mm to about 500 mm, or any ranges or values therebetween. Namely, in one embodiment, a component support width Wc is greater than a telescoping frame width W. For instance, in some embodiments, the telescoping frame width W may be about 50% to about 99% of component support Wc, such as about 55% or more, such as about 60% or more, such as about 65% or more, such as about 70% or more, such as about 75% or more, such as about 97.5% or less, such as about 95% or less, such as about 92.5% or less, such as about 90% or less, such as about 87.5% or less, such as about 85% or less, such as about 82.5% or less, such as about 80% or less of the component assembly platform width, or any ranges or values therebetween. When the assembly platform 300 exhibits a width less than a component support 306 width, the component support 306 may provide further stability and accessibility to the component while maintaining adequate support from the base 302 and telescoping support 304.
In addition, as discussed above, the maximum height(s), width(s), and length(s) may be achieved at least in part due to the unique arrangement of the linear actuator 326 and one or more linear motion guides. For instance, by utilizing one or more of the linear motion guides discussed herein, the one or more linear motion guides may be disposed vertically between the base 302 and component support 306, without requiring an increased assembly height. For instance, in embodiments, the linear motion guide may be a rack 328 and pinion 330, although other linear motion guides, discussed above, to be utilized. Nevertheless, in such an embodiment, the rack 328 may be disposed on a surface of base 302, and extend through an aperture 360 in telescoping support 304. In such a manner, the linear actuator 326 and pinion 330 may be mounted on telescoping support 304, allowing excellent translation of motion without increased motor capacity, and without increasing the height of the assembly.
Furthermore, by utilizing such an arrangement, the linear actuator 326 may also be coupled to a second linear motion guide 338, which is coupled to component support 306. In such a manner, the linear actuator 326 may be able to simultaneously or sequentially operate the first and/or second linear motion guides. Furthermore, by utilizing such an orientation, the first and/or second linear motion guide may be disposed at an approximate lateral center point, illustrated by line Cl, of the telescoping support 304. In embodiments, lateral center point may be within about 10% of a point equidistant to the first side 356 and second side 362, such as less than or about 9%, such as less than or about 8%, such as less than or about 7%, such as less than or about 6%, such as less than or about 5%, such as less than or about 4%, such as less than or about 3%, such as less than or about 2%, such as less than or about 1%, or at an approximate center point, or any ranges or values therebetween. As discussed above, such an orientation may allow for excellent translation speed and accuracy, even at large stroke lengths and heavy component loads.
After the component has been placed on the component support, the assembly platform is transitioned from the compressed position to a fully extended position at operation 610. It should be acknowledged that, in some embodiments, the transition may be automatic. Particularly, the fully extended position may be selected based upon the respective processing chamber to automatically provide a component at the desired location.
Additionally or alternatively, in embodiments, sensors, such as one or more optical sensors may be utilized to signal to the platform that the fully extended position has been reached, such as when the component platform is aligned with an installment location, stopping motion of the assembly. Namely, at an optional operation 601, which may occur before or after operation 605, in embodiments, one or more cameras and one or more optical sensors may be utilized to align the assembly platform with an opening in a process chamber. In embodiments, the optical sensors may be utilized to align the assembly platform in a horizontal plane (e.g., illustrated x-axis of
Once the assembly platform is in the fully extended position, the component may be assembled, or positioned, at the desired location within the processing chamber. As discussed herein, the transition to the fully extended position transports the component to a location directly above or below the desired assembly position. Thus, a user or automatic assembly mechanism may merely need to position the component a short distance from the component support, reducing, or even eliminating, the difficulties in assembling large and/or heavy components into processing chambers.
Nonetheless, as may be understood by the above disclosure, the placing step 605 occurs at a location outside of a processing chamber. Thus, the component is placed onto a component support at an exterior of a processing chamber. Conversely, operation 610 may transition the component from the exterior of the processing chamber, thorough an opening in the processing chamber, and disposes the component at an interior location within the chamber at a fully extended position. In one aspect, the interior location may about 0.5 meters or more from the opening in the processing chamber, such as about 0.6 meters or more, such as about 0.7 meters or more, such as about 0.8 meters or more, such as about 0.9 meters or more, such as about 1 meter or more, or any ranges or values therebetween.
Finally, as may be clear from the above description, in some embodiments, the component support width Wc is less than a processing chamber opening width (not shown). Furthermore, the assembly platform width W may also be less than a processing chamber opening width. In addition, as the assembly platform may be located at or near one or more processing chambers, such as on an optical table, in some embodiments, the assembly platform is a clean room compatible mechanism utilizing clean room compatible components and materials.
Nonetheless, as illustrated in
The computer system 700 may further include (and/or be in communication with) one or more non-transitory storage devices 725, which can comprise, without limitation, local and/or network accessible storage, and/or can include, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, a solid-state storage device such as a random access memory (“RAM”) and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), which can be programmable, flash-updateable and/or the like. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and/or the like.
The computer system 700 might also include a communication interface 730, which can include without limitation a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device and/or chipset (such as a Bluetooth device, an 502.11 device, a Wi-Fi device, a WiMAX device, an NFC device, cellular communication facilities, etc.), and/or similar communication interfaces. The communication interface 730 may permit data to be exchanged with a network (such as the network described below, to name one example), other processors, and/or any other devices described herein. In many embodiments, the computer system 700 will further comprise a non-transitory working memory 735, which can include a RAM or ROM device, as described above.
The computer system 700 also can also include software elements, shown as being currently located within the working memory 735, including an operating system 740, device drivers, executable libraries, and/or other code, such as one or more application programs 745, which may include processor programs provided by various embodiments, and/or may be designed to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one or more procedures described with respect to the method(s) or systems discussed above might be implemented as code and/or instructions executable by a computer (and/or a processor within a computer); in an aspect, then, such special/specific purpose code and/or instructions can be used to configure and/or adapt a computing device to a special purpose computer that is configured to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.
A set of these instructions and/or code might be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s) 725 described above. In some cases, the storage medium might be incorporated within a computer system, such as computer system 700. In other embodiments, the storage medium might be separate from a computer system (e.g., a removable medium, such as a compact disc), and/or provided in an installation package, such that the storage medium can be used to program, configure and/or adapt a special purpose computer with the instructions/code stored thereon. These instructions might take the form of executable code, which is executable by the computer system 700 and/or might take the form of source and/or installable code, which, upon compilation and/or installation on the computer system 700 (e.g., using any of a variety of available compilers, installation programs, compression/decompression utilities, etc.) then takes the form of executable code.
Substantial variations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, customized hardware might also be used, and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or both. Moreover, hardware and/or software components that provide certain functionality can comprise a dedicated system (having specialized components) or may be part of a more generic system. For example, a risk management engine configured to provide some or all of the features described herein relating to the risk profiling and/or distribution can comprise hardware and/or software that is specialized (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a software method, etc.) or generic (e.g., processing unit 710, applications 745, etc.) Further, connection to other computing devices such as network input/output devices may be employed.
Some embodiments may employ a computer system (such as the computer system 700) to perform methods in accordance with the disclosure. For example, some or all of the procedures of the described methods may be performed by the computer system 700 in response to processing unit 710 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions (which might be incorporated into the operating system 740 and/or other code, such as an application program 745) contained in the working memory 735. Such instructions may be read into the working memory 735 from another computer-readable medium, such as one or more of the storage device(s) 725. Merely by way of example, execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the working memory 735 might cause the processing unit 710 to perform one or more procedures of the methods described herein.
The terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium,” as used herein, refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific fashion. In an embodiment implemented using the computer system 700, various computer-readable media might be involved in providing instructions/code to processing unit 710 for execution and/or might be used to store and/or carry such instructions/code (e.g., as signals). In many implementations, a computer-readable medium is a physical and/or tangible storage medium. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical and/or magnetic disks, such as the storage device(s) 725. Volatile media include, without limitation, dynamic memory, such as the working memory 735. Transmission media include, without limitation, coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise the bus 705, as well as the various components of the communication interface 730 (and/or the media by which the communication interface 730 provides communication with other devices). Hence, transmission media can also take the form of waves (including without limitation radio, acoustic and/or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infrared data communications).
Common forms of physical and/or tangible computer-readable media include, for example, a magnetic medium, optical medium, or any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and/or code.
The communication interface 730 (and/or components thereof) generally will receive the signals, and the bus 705 then might carry the signals (and/or the data, instructions, etc. carried by the signals) to the working memory 735, from which the processor(s) 710 retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by the working memory 735 may optionally be stored on a non-transitory storage device 725 either before or after execution by the processing unit 710 and controller 301.
In the embodiments described above, for the purposes of illustration, processes may have been described in a particular order. It should be appreciated that in alternate embodiments, the methods may be performed in a different order than that described. It should also be appreciated that the methods and/or system components described above may be performed by hardware and/or software components (including integrated circuits, processing units, and the like), or may be embodied in sequences of machine-readable, or computer-readable, instructions, which may be used to cause a machine, such as a general-purpose or special-purpose processor or logic circuits programmed with the instructions to perform the methods. These machine-readable instructions may be stored on one or more machine-readable mediums, such as CD-ROMs or other type of optical disks, floppy disks, ROMs, RAMS, EPROMS, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or other types of machine-readable mediums suitable for storing electronic instructions. Alternatively, the methods may be performed by a combination of hardware and software.
The methods, systems, devices, graphs, and tables discussed herein are examples. Various configurations may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as appropriate. For instance, in alternative configurations, the methods may be performed in an order different from that described, and/or various stages may be added, omitted, and/or combined. Also, features described with respect to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of the configurations may be combined in a similar manner. Also, technology evolves and, thus, many of the elements are examples and do not limit the scope of the disclosure or claims. Additionally, the techniques discussed herein may provide differing results with different types of context awareness classifiers.
While illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the disclosed systems, methods, and machine-readable media have been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed, and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations, except as limited by the prior art.
In the preceding description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous details have been set forth in order to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the present technology. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that certain embodiments may be practiced without some of these details, or with additional details.
Having disclosed several embodiments, it will be recognized by those of skill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elements have not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present technology. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the technology.
Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the smallest fraction of the unit of the lower limit, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Any narrower range between any stated values or unstated intervening values in a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed. The upper and lower limits of those smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neither, or both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the technology, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included.
As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a heater” includes a plurality of such heaters, and reference to “the protrusion” includes reference to one or more protrusions and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.
Also, the words “comprise(s)”, “comprising”, “contain(s)”, “containing”, “include(s)”, and “including”, when used in this specification and in the following claims, are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, components, or operations, but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, operations, acts, or groups.
