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- Nachgewiesen in: USPTO Patent Grants
- Sprachen: English
- Patent Number: 11669,072
- Publication Date: June 06, 2023
- Appl. No: 16/955667
- Application Filed: December 13, 2018
- Assignees: AIXTRON SE (Herzogenrath, DE)
- Claim: 1. A method, comprising: for a first plurality of process steps that have been carried out prior to a deposition process, determining comparative variables (VG) that correspond to process step variables (PG), the comparative variables (VG) formed from measured values (MW) determined from the first plurality of process steps, wherein the first plurality of process steps includes at least: (i) a flushing step in which a process chamber (15) is flushed with an inert gas, (ii) a heating step in which the process chamber (15) is heated, (iii) a tempering step, and (iv) a growth step in which starting materials are fed into the process chamber (15), depositing at least one layer on a substrate (18) in the process chamber (15) of in accordance with the deposition process; receiving, by a computing device, raw data (RD) associated with the deposition process, the raw data (RD) containing a temporal sequence of actuation data (SD) used to control a plurality of actuators (2 , 4 , 6 , 9 , 11 , 23) during the deposition process, wherein the actuation data (SD) includes: (i) actuation values for positions of valves (6 , 9) and (ii) value specifications for one or more of: (a) a mass flow controller (4), (b) a pressure controller (4 ′) for controlling a pressure of the process chamber (15), or (c) temperature controllers (23); determining, by the computing device, process parameters (PP) from the raw data (RD), the determination comprising correlating (41) the raw data (RD), wherein the process parameters (PP) include a mass flow rate of a precursor, a temperature of the process chamber (15) and the pressure of the process chamber (15); and identifying, by the computing device, a second plurality of process steps (P 1 to Pn) that were used to deposit the at least one layer on the substrate (18), including a start and an end of each of the identified process steps (P 1 to Pn), by analyzing respective temporal profiles of the process parameters (PP), wherein each of the identified process steps (P 1 to Pn) correspond to respective regions of the temporal profiles; for at least some of the identified process steps (P 1 to Pn), determining, by the computing device, the process step variables (PG) based on values measured from a plurality of sensors (3 , 24 , 25 , 47), wherein the process step variables (PG) include one or more of the temperature of the process chamber (15), the pressure of the process chamber (15), a surface temperature of a susceptor (17), a surface temperature of the substrate (18) disposed on the susceptor (17), an optical property of the substrate (18), or a growth rate of the at least one layer on the substrate (18); comparing, by the computing device, the process step variables (PG) with the comparative variables (VG), wherein the process step variables (PG) are considered to match the comparative variables (VG) within prescribed limits when the process step variables (PG) respectively lie in a range around a corresponding comparative variable (VG) and are considered not to match the comparative variables within prescribed limits when one or more of the process step variables (PG) lie outside the range around the corresponding comparative variable (VG); and determining, by the computing device, a quality of the at least one layer based on the comparison of the process step variables (PG) with the comparative variables (VG), wherein the at least one layer is determined to have a satisfactory quality if the process step variables (PG) match the comparative variables (VG) within the prescribed limits.
- Claim: 2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a type of at least one of the identified process steps (P 1 to Pn) from the process parameters (PP).
- Claim: 3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the raw data (W) are extracted from one or more of: (i) a log file (40) in which the temporal sequence of the actuation data (SD) is stored; (ii) a unit process sequence control system; or (iii) formula data.
- Claim: 4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparative variables (VG) respectively contain a mean value which has been averaged over the measured values (MW) determined from the first plurality of process steps, and wherein the range of the corresponding comparative variable (FG) comprises a range of variance around the mean value of the corresponding comparative variable (VG).
- Claim: 5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process parameters (PP) are exclusively determined from the actuation data (SD) of the raw data (RD).
- Claim: 6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measured values (MW) are one or more of temperature measured values from temperature sensors (24 , 25), pressure measured values from pressure sensors (3) or light measured from optical sensors.
- Claim: 7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process parameters (PP) are calculated from: (i) temperature actuation values from temperature controllers (26) for solid or liquid sources (10), (ii) mass flows of carrier gases flowing through source containers (12), (iii) gas pressure in the source containers (12), and (iv) the positions of the valves (6 , 9).
- Claim: 8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching one or more of the sensors on or off based on one or more of the process parameters (PP), the identified process steps (P 1 to Pn) or a type of each of the process steps (P 1 to Pn).
- Claim: 9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective regions of the temporal profiles do not vary over a time period.
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- Other References: International Preliminary Report on Patentability dated Jun. 23, 2020, from The International Bureau of WIPO, for International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2018/084732 (dated Dec. 13, 2018), 15 pages. cited by applicant ; Written Opinion dated Apr. 25, 2019, from the ISA/European Patent Office, for International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2018/084732 (dated Dec. 13, 2018), English translation, 7 pgs. cited by applicant ; International Search Report dated Apr. 25, 2019, from the ISA/European Patent Office, for International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2018/084732 (dated Dec. 13, 2018), 5 pages. cited by applicant ; Written Opinion dated Apr. 25, 2019, from the ISA/European Patent Office, for International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2018/084732 (dated Dec. 13, 2018), 6 pages. cited by applicant
- Assistant Examiner: Tynes, Jr., Lawrence C
- Primary Examiner: Mandala, Victor A
- Attorney, Agent or Firm: Ascenda Law Group, PC
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