Advanced in situ particle detection system for semiconductor substrate processing systems

摘要

A method for particle detection within FI and FI with in-situ particle detector is provided. In an aspect, FI comprises a fan, a substrate support, a particle detector, and an exhaust vent. The fan, the substrate support, and the particle detector are arranged to, in operation, direct air towards the exhaust vent and past the substrate on the substrate support to produce laminar flow. A particle detector positioned downstream from the substrate support and upstream from the exhaust outlet analyzes the air and detects the particle concentration before the particles are ejected. The collected particle detection data can be combined with data from other sensors in FI, and can be used to identify the cause of particle contamination. The particle detector may also be integrated into other system components including, but not limited to, load-lock or buffer chambers, and thereby detect particle concentrations within the other system components.