Method for mapping wafers in a wafer carrier
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorLee-Chuan Tseng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a method. The method includes generating a first beam of radiation toward a first slot of a workpiece carrier. The first beam of radiation has a first beam area that is greater than or equal to an area of an opening of the first slot. The method further includes measuring a reflected portion of the first beam of radiation that is reflected toward, and impinges on, a radiation sensor. The method further includes determining if the first slot of the workpiece carrier is holding a workpiece based on the measured reflected portion of the first beam of radiation.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- generating a first beam of radiation toward a first slot of a workpiece carrier, wherein the first beam of radiation has a first beam area that is greater than or equal to an area of an opening of the first slot;
- measuring a reflected portion of the first beam of radiation that is reflected toward, and impinges on, a radiation sensor;
- and
- determining if the first slot of the workpiece carrier is holding a workpiece based on the measured reflected portion of the first beam of radiation.
A method, comprising:
- generating, with a radiation source, a first beam of radiation toward a first slot of a workpiece carrier, wherein the first beam of radiation has a first beam area that is greater than or equal to a product of a width of the first slot multiplied by a vertical distance between neighboring slots of the workpiece carrier;
- measuring, with a radiation sensor, a reflected portion of the first beam of radiation that is reflected toward, and impinges on, the radiation sensor;
- determining, with sensor control circuitry, if the first slot of the workpiece carrier is holding a workpiece based on the measured reflected portion of the first beam of radiation;
- moving, with a first actuator, the radiation source and the radiation sensor vertically along a vertical axis that extends from below the workpiece carrier to above the workpiece carrier;
- generating, with the radiation source, a second beam of radiation toward a second slot of the workpiece carrier, wherein the second beam of radiation has a second beam area that is greater than or equal to a product of a width of the second slot multiplied by the vertical distance between neighboring slots;
- measuring, with the radiation sensor, a reflected portion of the second beam of radiation that is reflected toward, and impinges on, the radiation sensor;
- determining, with the sensor control circuitry, if the second slot of the workpiece carrier is holding a workpiece based on the measured reflected portion of the second beam of radiation;
- and
- generating, with the sensor control circuitry, a first workpiece carrier map that lists which slots of the workpiece carrier are holding workpieces.
A process tool, comprising:
- a radiation source configured to generate electromagnetic radiation toward one or more slots of a workpiece carrier;
- a radiation sensor adjacent to the radiation source and configured to measure a reflected portion of the electromagnetic radiation that is reflected toward, and impinges on, the radiation sensor;
- a first actuator configured to move the radiation source and the radiation sensor vertically along a vertical axis that extends from below the workpiece carrier to above the workpiece carrier;
- and
- sensor control circuitry coupled to the radiation sensor and configured to determine if the one or more slots of the workpiece carrier are holding one or more workpieces based on measurements taken by the radiation sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.