# US 10,309,013 B2 · Method and system for identifying a clean endpoint time for a chamber > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,013 B2 - Document ID: US10309013B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/208,688 - Filed: 2014-03-13 - Published: 2014-09-18 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Ilias Iliopoulos; Shuo Na; Jose Albor - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309013B2 ## CPC - C23C 16/4405: {Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases} - B08B 13/00: Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL ## Abstract Systems and methods are provided for determining a clean endpoint time for a current run of a chamber. The clean endpoint time for the current run may be determined by determining that a chamber parameter, such as a chamber pressure, has stabilized. Historical clean endpoint time data is updated by adding the clean endpoint time for the current run of the chamber. A recommended clean endpoint time is then determined for the chamber based on the updated historical clean endpoint time data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: determining, by a processing device, a clean endpoint time for a current run of a chamber by determining that a chamber pressure of the current run has stabilized; retrieving, by the processing device, historical clean endpoint time data that is based on tracking of a time evolution profile of the chamber pressure during chamber cleaning over a historical period; updating, by the processing device, the historical clean endpoint time data by adding the clean endpoint time for the current run of the chamber to the historical clean endpoint time data; computing, by the processing device, a recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber to minimize an effect of run-to-run fluctuation of the chamber pressure over the historical period, wherein the recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber is computed based on the updated historical clean endpoint time data using a subset of the updated historical clean endpoint time data, the subset corresponding to a time window that comprises the clean endpoint time for the current run; and causing the current run of the chamber to end at the recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the chamber pressure of the current run of the chamber has stabilized comprises: computing an average value of the chamber pressure for each of a plurality of time windows, wherein each of the plurality of time windows corresponds to a time period during the current run; and computing a plurality of delta values, wherein each delta value corresponds to two windows of the plurality of windows that are adjacent to each other in time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the chamber pressure of the current run of the chamber has stabilized further comprises: comparing each of the plurality of delta values to a threshold delta value to identify a time window indicative of a stabilized chamber pressure, wherein the identified time window corresponds to the recommended clean endpoint time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber based on the updated historical clean endpoint time data comprises: determining a noise distribution in the updated historical clean endpoint time data; and filtering out the noise in the updated historical clean endpoint time data based on the identified noise distribution. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting the recommended clean endpoint time to a device of a network. ### Claim 6 A system comprising: a memory to store historical clean endpoint time data that is based on tracking a time evolution profile of the chamber pressure during chamber cleaning over a historical period; and a processing device, coupled to the memory, to: determine a clean endpoint time for a current run of a chamber by determining that a chamber pressure of the current run has stabilized; retrieve the stored historical clean endpoint time data; update the historical clean endpoint time data by adding the clean endpoint time for the current run of the chamber to the historical clean endpoint time data; compute a recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber to minimize an effect of run-to-run fluctuation of the chamber pressure over the historical period, wherein the recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber is computed based on the updated historical clean endpoint time data using a subset of the updated historical clean endpoint time data, the subset corresponding to a time window that comprises the clean endpoint time for the current run; and cause the current run of the chamber to end at the recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein determining that the chamber pressure of the current run of the chamber has stabilized comprises: computing an average value of the chamber pressure for each of a plurality of time windows, wherein each of the plurality of time windows corresponds to a time period during the current run; and computing a plurality of delta values, wherein each delta value corresponds to two windows of the plurality of windows that are adjacent to each other in time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein determining that the chamber pressure of the current run of the chamber has stabilized further comprises: comparing each of the plurality of delta values to a threshold delta value to identify a time window indicative of a stabilized chamber pressure, wherein the identified time window corresponds to the recommended clean endpoint time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein determining the recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber based on the updated historical clean endpoint time data comprises: determining a noise distribution in the updated historical clean endpoint time data; and filtering out the noise in the updated historical clean endpoint time data based on the identified noise distribution. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the processing device is further to: transmit the recommended clean endpoint time to a device of a network. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a processing device to perform the operations of: determining, by a processing device, a clean endpoint time for a current run of a chamber by determining that a chamber pressure of the current run has stabilized; retrieving, by the processing device, historical clean endpoint time data that is based on tracking of a time evolution profile of the chamber pressure during chamber cleaning over a historical period; updating, by the processing device, the historical clean endpoint time data by adding the clean endpoint time for the current run of the chamber to the historical clean endpoint time data; computing, by the processing device, a recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber to minimize an effect of run-to-run fluctuation of the chamber pressure over the historical period, wherein the recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber is computed based on the updated historical clean endpoint time data using a subset of the updated historical clean endpoint time data, the subset corresponding to a time window that comprises the clean endpoint time for the current run; and causing the current run of the chamber to end at the recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein determining that the chamber pressure of the current run of the chamber has stabilized comprises: computing an average value of the chamber pressure for each of a plurality of time windows, wherein each of the plurality of time windows corresponds to a time period during the current run; and computing a plurality of delta values, wherein each delta value corresponds to two windows of the plurality of windows that are adjacent to each other in time. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein determining that the chamber pressure of the current run of the chamber has stabilized further comprises: comparing each of the plurality of delta values to a threshold delta value to identify a time window indicative of a stabilized chamber pressure, wherein the identified time window corresponds to the recommended clean endpoint time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein determining the recommended clean endpoint time for the chamber based on the updated historical clean endpoint time data comprises: determining a noise distribution in the updated historical clean endpoint time data; and filtering out the noise in the updated historical clean endpoint time data based on the identified noise distribution.