TWI842543B - Detection method for heater - Google Patents

Abstract

A detection method for a heater including the following steps is provided. A heater is provided, wherein the heater includes a stage and a sidewall, the sidewall is located on the stage, the heater has a wafer accommodating space, and the sidewall surrounds the wafer accommodating space. A distance measuring device is placed in the wafer accommodation space, wherein the distance measuring device includes a distance sensor. The distance sensor is rotated to measure distance data between the distance sensor and positions on the inner wall of the sidewall. Whether the environment of the heater is abnormal is determined by using the distance data.

Description

Heater testing method

The present invention relates to a method for testing semiconductor process equipment, and in particular to a method for testing a heater.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, heaters can be used to heat wafers. When the environment of the heater is abnormal, defects (such as uneven film thickness) will occur. Therefore, during preventive maintenance, manual visual inspection is used to inspect the environment of the heater. However, manual visual inspection is often affected by environmental limitations (such as light, angle and/or space). Therefore, how to develop a method that can accurately determine whether the environment of the heater is abnormal is a goal of continuous efforts.

The present invention provides a method for accurately judging whether the environment of a heater is abnormal.

The present invention provides a method for testing a heater, comprising the following steps. A heater is provided, wherein the heater comprises a carrier and a side wall, the side wall is located on the carrier, the heater has a wafer accommodating space, and the side wall surrounds the wafer accommodating space. A distance measuring device is placed in the wafer accommodating space, wherein the distance measuring device comprises a distance sensor. The distance sensor is rotated to measure a plurality of distance data between the distance sensor and a plurality of positions on the inner wall of the side wall. Whether an abnormal condition occurs in the environment of the heater is determined by the plurality of distance data.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned heater detection method, the distance sensor may include an ultrasonic distance sensor or a laser distance sensor.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned heater detection method, the method of determining whether an abnormal condition occurs in the environment of the heater may include transmitting a plurality of distance data to a computer device to determine whether an abnormal condition occurs in the environment of the heater.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned heater detection method, multiple distance data can be transmitted to a computer device via wireless transmission technology.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned heater detection method may further include the following steps: When the environment of the heater does not show abnormal conditions, the heater is used to perform subsequent processes.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned heater detection method may further include the following steps: When an abnormal condition occurs in the environment of the heater, the abnormal condition is eliminated.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned heater inspection method, the abnormal condition may include insufficient roundness of the inner wall of the side wall, damage to the inner wall of the side wall, or deviation in the placement position of the distance measuring device in the wafer accommodating space.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned heater detection method, when the abnormal condition is that the roundness of the inner wall of the side wall is insufficient, the heater is replaced.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned heater detection method, when the abnormal condition is that the inner wall of the side wall is damaged, the heater is replaced.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned heater detection method, the method of placing the distance measuring device in the wafer accommodation space includes placing the distance measuring device in the wafer accommodation space using a robot arm. When the abnormal condition is that the placement position of the distance measuring device in the wafer accommodation space is deviated, the operating parameters of the robot arm are adjusted.

Based on the above, in the detection method of the heater proposed by the present invention, the distance sensor is rotated to measure multiple distance data between the distance sensor and multiple positions on the inner wall of the side wall. Therefore, the multiple distance data collected by the distance sensor can be used to accurately determine whether the environment of the heater is abnormal, thereby helping to eliminate the abnormal condition. In addition, since the distance measuring device is placed in the wafer accommodating space for measurement, the environmental limitations of the traditional manual visual method can be overcome. In addition, since the detection method of the distance sensor replaces the detection method of the manual visual method, the required distance data can be measured more accurately, and the detection can be performed without breaking the vacuum.

In order to make the above features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, embodiments are specifically cited below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The following is a detailed description of the embodiments and accompanying drawings, but the embodiments provided are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. For ease of understanding, the same components will be indicated by the same symbols in the following description. In addition, the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not drawn according to the original size. In fact, the size of various features can be arbitrarily increased or decreased for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for testing a heater according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a heater and a distance measuring device according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the I-I’ cross-sectional line of FIG. 2. In addition, in the schematic top view of FIG. 2, some components in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 are omitted to clearly illustrate the arrangement relationship between the components in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of placing a distance measuring device in a wafer accommodating space using a robot arm. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a heater, a distance measuring device, and a computer device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

1 to 3 , step S100 is performed to provide a heater 100, wherein the heater 100 includes a carrier 102 and a sidewall 104, the sidewall 104 is located on the carrier 102, the heater 100 has a wafer accommodating space S1, and the sidewall 104 surrounds the wafer accommodating space S1. In some embodiments, the heater 100 may be a heater in a semiconductor process equipment (e.g., a deposition equipment, etc.).

Next, step S102 is performed to place the distance measuring device 200 in the wafer accommodation space S1, wherein the distance measuring device 200 includes a distance sensor 202. The distance measuring device 200 may be located on the carrier 102 of the heater 100. In some embodiments, the distance measuring device 200 may be placed in the center of the wafer accommodation space S1. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the method of placing the distance measuring device 200 in the wafer accommodation space S1 may include placing the distance measuring device 200 in the wafer accommodation space S1 using a robot arm 300. In some embodiments, the distance sensor 202 may include an ultrasonic distance sensor or a laser distance sensor. In addition, although not shown in the figure, the distance sensor 202 may include a transmitter and a receiver to measure the distance.

In some embodiments, the distance measuring device 200 may further include at least one of a base plate 204, a base 206, a driver 208, a turntable 210, a control module 212, and a housing 214. The base 206 is located on the base plate 204. The distance sensor 202 is located on the base 206. The driver 208 is located on the base plate 204. In some embodiments, the driver 208 may be a motor. The turntable 210 is located between the base 206 and the driver 208, and the turntable 210 is connected to the base 206 and the driver 208. The driver 208 may drive the turntable 210, thereby driving the base 206 and the distance sensor 202 to rotate.

The control module 212 may be electrically connected to the distance sensor 202 and the driver 208. In some embodiments, the control module 212 may be electrically connected to the distance sensor 202 via a wire 216. In some embodiments, the control module 212 may be electrically connected to the driver 208 via a wire 218. Although not shown in the figure, the control module 212 may include at least one of a processor, a memory, a battery, and a data transmission module to perform functions such as controlling the distance sensor 202, controlling the driver 208, and data transmission.

The housing 214 is located on the bottom plate 204. In some embodiments, the distance sensor 202, the base 206, the driver 208, the turntable 210, the control module 212, the wires 216 and the wires 218 may be located in the housing 214. The housing 214 may expose the distance sensor 202 to facilitate distance measurement. In some embodiments, the control module 212 may be disposed on the housing 214.

Then, step S104 is performed to rotate the distance sensor 202 to measure multiple distance data (e.g., distance D1, distance D2, distance D3, and distance D4) between the distance sensor 202 and multiple positions (e.g., position P1, position P2, position P3, and position P4) on the inner wall W1 of the side wall 104. For example, the distance sensor 202 can transmit a pulse signal (e.g., ultrasound) through a transmitter, and can receive the pulse signal reflected by the inner wall W1 through a receiver. In this way, the distance between the distance sensor 202 and the inner wall W1 can be calculated by the transmission time and transmission speed of the pulse signal. In addition, since the driver 208 can drive the distance sensor 202 to rotate via the turntable 210 and the base 206, the distance sensor 202 can measure a plurality of distance data between the distance sensor 202 and a plurality of positions on the inner wall W1 of the side wall 104. In some embodiments, the method for collecting a plurality of distance data may include using the distance sensor 202 to perform 360-degree distance measurement. In addition, the position to be measured by the distance sensor 202 and the amount of distance data to be measured can be determined according to needs. In some embodiments, the distance sensor 202 can rotate along the rotation direction RD1. In this embodiment, the rotation direction RD1 can be clockwise, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, the rotation direction RD1 may be counterclockwise.

Next, step S106 is performed to determine whether the environment of the heater 100 is abnormal by using a plurality of distance data. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the method for determining whether the environment of the heater 100 is abnormal may include transmitting a plurality of distance data to a computer device 400 to determine whether the environment of the heater 100 is abnormal. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG5 , a plurality of distance data may be transmitted to the computer device 400 by wireless transmission technology (e.g., Bluetooth technology), thereby enabling data transmission to be performed in real time and conveniently. In other embodiments, a plurality of distance data may be transmitted to the computer device 400 by wired transmission technology (e.g., transmission line).

In some embodiments, when the environment of the heater 100 does not have an abnormal condition, the heater 100 is used to perform subsequent processes (step S108). In some embodiments, when the environment of the heater 100 has an abnormal condition, the abnormal condition is eliminated (step S110). In some embodiments, the abnormal condition may include insufficient roundness of the inner wall W1 of the side wall 104, damage to the inner wall W1 of the side wall 104, or deviation in the placement position of the distance measuring device 200 in the wafer accommodating space S1. In some embodiments, when the abnormal condition is insufficient roundness of the inner wall W1 of the side wall 104, the heater 100 is replaced. In some embodiments, when the abnormal condition is that the inner wall W1 of the side wall 104 is damaged, the heater 100 is replaced. In some embodiments, when the abnormal condition is that the placement position of the distance measuring device 200 in the wafer accommodating space S1 is deviated, the operating parameters of the robot arm 300 are adjusted.

Based on the above embodiment, it can be known that in the detection method of the heater 100, the distance sensor 202 is rotated to measure a plurality of distance data between the distance sensor 202 and a plurality of positions on the inner wall W1 of the side wall 104. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine whether an abnormal condition occurs in the environment of the heater 100 by using a plurality of distance data collected by the distance sensor 202, thereby facilitating elimination of the abnormal condition. In addition, since the distance measuring device 200 is placed in the wafer accommodation space S1 for measurement, the environmental limitations of the traditional manual visual method can be overcome. In addition, since the detection method of the distance sensor 202 replaces the detection method of the manual visual method, the required distance data can be measured more accurately, and the detection can be performed without breaking the vacuum.

In summary, in the detection method of the heater of the above-mentioned embodiment, the distance measuring device is placed in the wafer containing space, and the distance sensor in the distance measuring device is rotated to measure multiple distance data between the distance sensor and multiple positions on the inner wall of the side wall. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine whether the environment of the heater is abnormal by using the multiple distance data collected by the distance sensor, thereby helping to eliminate the abnormal condition. In addition, since the distance measuring device is placed in the wafer containing space for measurement, the environmental limitations of the traditional manual visual method can be overcome. In addition, since the detection method of the distance sensor replaces the detection method of the manual visual method, the required distance data can be measured more accurately, and the detection can be performed without breaking the vacuum.

Although the present invention has been disclosed as above by the embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be defined by the scope of the attached patent application.

100: Heater 102: Carrier 104: Sidewall 200: Distance measuring device 202: Distance sensor 204: Bottom plate 206: Base 208: Driver 210: Turntable 212: Control module 214: Housing 216, 218: Wires D1, D2, D3, D4: Distance P1, P2, P3, P4: Position RD1: Rotation direction S1: Wafer storage space S100, S102, S104, S106, S108, S110: Steps W1: Inner wall

FIG1 is a flow chart of a detection method for a heater according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a heater and a distance measuring device according to some embodiments of the present invention from above. FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a cross section along the I-I’ section line of FIG2. FIG4 is a schematic diagram of placing a distance measuring device in a wafer accommodation space using a robot arm. FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a heater, a distance measuring device and a computer device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

S100, S102, S104, S106, S108, S110: Steps

Claims (10)

A method for detecting a heater comprises: Providing a heater, wherein the heater comprises a carrier and a side wall, the side wall is located on the carrier, the heater has a wafer accommodating space, and the side wall surrounds the wafer accommodating space; Placing a distance measuring device in the wafer accommodating space, wherein the distance measuring device comprises a distance sensor; Rotating the distance sensor to measure a plurality of distance data between the distance sensor and a plurality of positions on the inner wall of the side wall; and Judging whether an abnormal condition occurs in the environment of the heater by using the plurality of distance data. A heater detection method as described in claim 1, wherein the distance sensor includes an ultrasonic distance sensor or a laser distance sensor. A detection method for a heater as described in claim 1, wherein a method for determining whether the environment of the heater has experienced the abnormal condition includes transmitting a plurality of distance data to a computer device to determine whether the environment of the heater has experienced the abnormal condition. A heater detection method as described in claim 3, wherein the plurality of distance data are transmitted to the computer device via wireless transmission technology. The heater detection method as described in claim 1 further includes: When the environment of the heater does not show the abnormal condition, the heater is used to perform subsequent processes. The heater detection method as described in claim 1 further includes: When the abnormal condition occurs in the environment of the heater, eliminating the abnormal condition. A heater inspection method as described in claim 6, wherein the abnormal condition includes insufficient roundness of the inner wall of the side wall, damage to the inner wall of the side wall, or deviation in the placement position of the distance measuring device in the wafer accommodating space. A method for testing a heater as described in claim 7, wherein when the abnormal condition is that the roundness of the inner wall of the side wall is insufficient, the heater is replaced. A method for testing a heater as described in claim 7, wherein when the abnormal condition is damage to the inner wall of the side wall, the heater is replaced. The method for detecting a heater as described in claim 7, wherein the method for placing the distance measuring device in the wafer accommodation space includes placing the distance measuring device in the wafer accommodation space using a robot arm, and when the abnormal condition is that the placement position of the distance measuring device in the wafer accommodation space deviates, the operating parameters of the robot arm are adjusted.

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