Mobile dispense device for chemicals used in micro-processing

• US 10,146,132 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Inventors: Mahapatra, Sidheswara, Grundke, Wolfram, Wagner, Heiko
• Primary Examiner(s): ASFAW, MESFIN T
• Application Number:
  US15/405,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20180203359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/16 Coating processes; Apparatus therefor applying coatings to base materials in general B05; applying photosensitive compositions to base for photographic purposes G03C1/74
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2041 in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/30 Imagewise removal using liquid means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67225 comprising at least one lithography chamber lithographic apparatuses G03F7/00

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to techniques for supplying different chemical products to process tools of a manufacturing environment used for micro-processing substrates. To this end, the various types of chemical products may be supplied by providing mobile dispense devices having incorporated therein any required hardware components for dispensing a chemical product. Moreover, the mobile dispense devices are appropriately equipped so as to enable coupling to and removal from respective process tools, such as wafer tracks of modern lithography tools. Due to the mobile or modular nature of the respective chemical product lines, a significant reduction of cost of ownership, increased tool availability and reduced investment costs may be achieved compared to conventional regimes.

Claims

1. A method of operating a process tool for micro-processing substrates in a manufacturing environment, said method comprising:

determining a specific type of chemical product to be applied to said substrates when processing said substrates in said process tool;

selecting, from a plurality of mobile dispense devices, each being configured to provide one of a plurality of specific chemical products, one mobile dispense device configured to provide said specific type of chemical product;

coupling said selected mobile dispense device to said process tool;

performing at least one process recipe on said substrates using said specific type of chemical product; and

removing said mobile dispense device from said process tool after having processed all substrates requiring said specific type of chemical product and coupling said mobile dispense device to another process tool that requires application of said specific type of chemical product to one or more further substrates.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon detecting at least one of a failure related to said specific type of chemical product and a requirement for maintenance of said process tool, replacing said mobile dispense device with a different mobile dispense device that is configured to provide said specific type of chemical product, and continuing processing said substrates.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said process tool is functionally associated with a lithography tool so as to form a cluster tool.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a storage container of at least some of said plurality of mobile dispense devices is configured to contain as said chemical product one specific process fluid required to be applied to said substrates at least one of prior to and after performing an exposure process in said lithography tool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said mobile dispense devices are configured to provide a single chemical product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile dispense devices are configured to provide two or more different chemical products.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a dispense unit of each of said mobile dispense devices comprises at least one of a pump unit, a filter unit, a valve unit and a dispense nozzle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning a dispense nozzle of a coupled one of said mobile dispense devices above one of said substrates at a dispense location for dispensing said chemical product.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising exchanging process related information between the process tool and the plurality of mobile dispense devices in a manufacturing environment accommodating said process tool and said plurality of mobile dispense devices.

10. A method of operating a process tool for micro-processing substrates in a manufacturing environment, said method comprising:

determining a specific type of chemical product to be applied to said substrates when processing said substrates in said process tool;

selecting, from a plurality of mobile dispense devices, each being configured to provide one of a plurality of specific chemical products, one mobile dispense device configured to provide said specific type of chemical product;

coupling said selected mobile dispense device to said process tool;

performing at least one process recipe on said substrates using said specific type of chemical product;

removing said mobile dispense device from said process tool upon detecting a tool failure of said process tool; and

coupling said mobile dispense device to a different process tool that is functionally equivalent to said process tool and continuing processing remaining substrates in said different process tool.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said process tool is functionally associated with a lithography tool so as to form a cluster tool.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a storage container of at least some of said plurality of mobile dispense devices is configured to contain as said chemical product one specific process fluid required to be applied to said substrates at least one of prior to and after performing an exposure process in said lithography tool.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each of said mobile dispense devices are configured to provide a single chemical product.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said mobile dispense devices are configured to provide two or more different chemical products.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a dispense unit of each of said mobile dispense devices comprises at least one of a pump unit, a filter unit, a valve unit, and a dispense nozzle.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising positioning a dispense nozzle of a coupled one of said mobile dispense devices above one of said substrates at a dispense location for dispensing said chemical product.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising exchanging process related information between the process tool and the plurality of mobile dispense devices in a manufacturing environment accommodating said process tool and said plurality of mobile dispense devices.