# US 11,443,966 B2 · Semiconductor processing flow field control apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,443,966 B2 - Document ID: US11443966B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/746,369 - Filed: 2020-01-17 - Published: 2021-07-22 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-17 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kai-Chin Wei; Che-fu Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443966B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/0452: {characterised by the layout of the process chambers} - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers} - H10P 72/0612: {Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput} - H10P 90/12: {Preparing bulk and homogeneous wafers} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for predicting or determining irregular processing parameters during processing of a semiconductor wafer in a semiconductor processing apparatus, such as an etching apparatus. A semiconductor processing apparatus includes a load port that is configured to receive a semiconductor wafer. A process chamber is coupled to the load port, and a fan is configured to selectively vary a flow of fluid in the process chamber. One or more sensors are provided in the process chamber and are configured to sense one or more processing parameters in the process chamber. A controller is coupled to the one or more sensors and to the fan, and the controller is configured to control the fan to vary the flow of fluid in the process chamber based on the sensed one or more processing parameters. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising: a load port configured to receive a semiconductor wafer; a process chamber coupled to the load port; a fan configured to selectively vary a flow of fluid in the process chamber; one or more sensors configured to sense one or more processing parameters in the process chamber; and a controller coupled to the one or more sensors and to the fan, the controller configured to control at least one of a speed or a direction of the fan to vary the flow of fluid in the process chamber based on the sensed one or more processing parameters, and control an angle of opening of a door of the load port based on the sensed one or more processing parameters. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors includes at least one of a flow meter, a hygrometer, a thermometer, or a gas detector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising fins mechanically coupled to the fan, the fins having an adjustable angle configured to adjust the direction of the fan to vary the flow of fluid in the process chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to control a frequency of the fan based on the sensed one or more processing parameters. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: flow field control circuitry communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors, the flow field control circuitry configured to determine an irregular processing parameter of the semiconductor processing apparatus based on the sensed one or more processing parameters. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a processing parameters database communicatively coupled to the flow field control circuitry, the processing parameters database storing information associated with irregular processing parameters of the semiconductor processing apparatus, wherein the flow field control circuitry is configured to determine the irregular processing parameter of the semiconductor processing apparatus based on the sensed one or more processing parameters and the information stored in the database. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the flow field control circuitry is configured to receive recipe information associated with a process performed by the semiconductor processing apparatus, and the information associated with irregular processing parameters stored in the processing parameters database is associated with the received recipe information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the flow field control circuitry is configured to output a recommended adjustment to at least one of the speed of the fan, the direction of the flow of fluid, a frequency of the fan, or the angle of opening of the door of the load port, and the controller is configured to control the fan based on the recommended adjustment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the load port is positioned between the fan and the one or more sensors. ### Claim 10 A method, comprising: sensing, by at least one sensor, one or more processing parameters in a process chamber of a semiconductor processing apparatus, the process chamber coupled to a load port configured to receive a semiconductor wafer; controlling an operation of a fan in the process chamber to vary at least one of a speed or a direction of a flow of fluid in the process chamber based on the sensed one or more processing parameters; and controlling an angle of opening of a door of the load port based on the sensed one or more processing parameters. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the sensing the one or more processing parameters includes sensing at least one of flow field speed, humidity or water vapor, temperature, or gases in the process chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the controlling an operation of the fan includes controlling a frequency of the fan. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: determining an irregular processing parameter in the process chamber based on the sensed one or more processing parameters, wherein the controlling an operation of the fan to vary the at least one of a speed or a direction of the flow of fluid in the process chamber includes controlling the fan to vary the flow of fluid in the process chamber to correct the irregular processing parameter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the determining the irregular processing parameter in the process chamber includes comparing the sensed one or more processing parameters with irregular processing parameters stored in a database. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the determining the irregular processing parameter in the process chamber includes determining, by machine learning circuitry, the irregular processing parameter based on the sensed one or more processing parameters and based on recipe information associated with a particular process performed by the semiconductor processing apparatus. ### Claim 16 A semiconductor processing system, comprising: a plurality of load ports, each of the load ports configured to receive a semiconductor wafer; a plurality of process chambers respectively coupled to the plurality of load ports; a plurality of fans respectively positioned in the plurality of process chambers, each of the plurality of fans configured to selectively vary a flow of fluid in a respective process chamber; a plurality of sensors respectively positioned in the plurality of process chambers, each of the plurality of sensors configured to sense one or more processing parameters in the respective process chamber; and a controller coupled to the plurality of sensors and to the plurality of fans, the controller configured to control an operation of the fans to vary at least one of a speed or a direction of the flow of fluid in the process chambers based on the sensed one or more processing parameters, and control an angle of opening of a door of at least one of the plurality of load ports based on the sensed one or more processing parameters. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, further comprising: flow field control circuitry communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, the flow field control circuitry configured to determine irregular processing parameters of the plurality of process chambers based on the sensed one or more processing parameters. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising: a processing parameters database communicatively coupled to the flow field control circuitry, the processing parameters database storing information associated with the irregular processing parameters of the plurality of process chambers, wherein the flow field control circuitry is configured to determine the irregular processing parameters of the plurality of process chambers based on the sensed one or more processing parameters and the information stored in the database. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein the flow field control circuitry is configured to receive recipe information associated with processes performed in each of the plurality of process chambers, and the information associated with the irregular processing parameters stored in the processing parameters database is associated with the received recipe information. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16 wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one of a flow meter, a hygrometer, a thermometer, or a gas detector.