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US 10,648,927 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for monitoring edge bevel removal area in semiconductor apparatus and electroplating system
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChao-Tung Wu, Kuo-Chung Yu, Chung-Hao Hu, Sheng-Ping Weng
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Abstract
A semiconductor apparatus includes a transfer chamber, an annealing station, a robot arm, and an edge detector. The transfer chamber is configured to interface with an electroplating apparatus. The annealing station is arranged to anneal a wafer. The robot arm is arranged to transfer the wafer from the transfer chamber to the annealing station. The edge detector is disposed over the robot arm for the purpose of monitoring at least one portion of an edge bevel removal area of the wafer carried by the robot arm.
Claims20
A semiconductor apparatus, comprising:
- a transfer chamber, configured to interface with an electroplating apparatus;
- an annealing station, arranged to anneal a wafer;
- a robot arm, arranged to transfer the wafer from the transfer chamber to the annealing station along a transferring route with a preset speed;
- an edge detector, disposed over a predetermined location between the transfer chamber and the annealing station, for monitoring at least one portion of an edge bevel removal area of the wafer when the robot arm is carrying the wafer to pass through the predetermined location with the preset speed, wherein the at least one portion of the edge bevel removal area comprises a first portion and a second portion different from the first portion, and the edge detector comprises:
- a first charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor, arranged to capture an image of the first portion of the edge bevel removal area;
- and
- a second CCD sensor, arranged to capture an image of the second portion of the edge bevel removal area, wherein the first CCD sensor and the second CCD sensor are located over the first portion and the second portion of the edge bevel removal area, respectively, when the robot arm is carrying the wafer to pass through the predetermined location;
- and
- a trigger device, configured to determine whether to activate the first CCD sensor and the second CCD sensor to capture the image of the first portion and the image of the second portion, respectively, by detecting if a distance between the trigger device and the robot arm equals to a predetermined distance, wherein when the robot arm is carrying the wafer to pass through the predetermined location, the distance between the trigger device and the robot arm equals to the predetermined distance.
6 more elements
An electroplating system, comprising:
- an electroplating apparatus, arranged to electroplate a wafer;
- and
- a semiconductor apparatus, comprising:
- a transfer chamber, arranged to interface with the electroplating apparatus;
- an annealing station, arranged to anneal the wafer;
- a robot arm, arranged to transfer the wafer from the transfer chamber to the annealing station along a transferring route with a preset speed;
- an edge detector, disposed over a predetermined location between the transfer chamber and the annealing station for monitoring at least one portion of an edge bevel removal area of the wafer when the robot arm is carrying the wafer to pass through the predetermined location with the preset speed, wherein the at least one portion of the edge bevel removal area comprises a first portion and a second portion different from the first portion, and the edge detector comprises:
- a first charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor, arranged to capture an image of the first portion of the edge bevel removal area;
- and
- a second CCD sensor, arranged to capture an image of the second portion of the edge bevel removal area, wherein the first CCD sensor and the second CCD sensor are located over the first portion and the second portion of the edge bevel removal area, respectively, when the robot arm is carrying the wafer to pass through the predetermined location;
- and
- a trigger device, configured to determine whether to activate the first CCD sensor and the second CCD sensor to capture the image of the first portion and the image of the second portion, respectively, by detecting if a distance between the trigger device and the robot arm equals to a predetermined distance, wherein when the robot arm is carrying the wafer to pass through the predetermined location, the distance between the trigger device and the robot arm equals to the predetermined distance.
9 more elements
A semiconductor apparatus, comprising:
- an annealing station, arranged to anneal a wafer;
- a robot arm, arranged to transfer the wafer to the annealing station from a transfer chamber along a transferring route with a preset speed;
- a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, disposed over a predetermined location between the transfer chamber and the annealing station, for capturing llanll at least one image of an edge bevel removal area of the wafer when the robot arm is carrying the wafer to pass through the predetermined location with the preset speed, wherein the CCD camera comprises:
- a first CCD sensor, arranged to capture a first image of the edge bevel removal area when the robot arm is carrying the wafer to pass through the predetermined location;
- and
- a second CCD sensor, arranged to capture a second image of the edge bevel removal area when the robot arm is carrying the wafer to pass through the predetermined location, wherein the first CCD sensor and the second CCD sensor are disposed over a first position and a second position respectively;
- when the robot arm is carrying the wafer to pass through the predetermined location, a first portion and a second portion of the edge bevel removal area are passing through the first position and the second position, respectively;
- and
- a trigger device, configured to determine whether to activate the first CCD sensor and the second CCD sensor to capture the first image and the second image, respectively, by detecting if a distance between the trigger device and the robot arm equals to a predetermined distance, wherein when the robot arm is carrying the wafer to pass through the predetermined location, the distance between the trigger device and the robot arm equals to the predetermined distance.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.