Thin Film Deposition Control System

Accel and Kurt J. Lesker Company have exclusively partnered to design and develop a software architecture for recipe-driven multi-chamber Thin Film Deposition (TFD) and other vacuum control system.

The software models in the architecture can be configured to suit a wide variety of process requirements and address monitoring and control of standard assemblies commonly found in TFD systems.

The TFD software architecture is general and can be easily reapplied to similar system requirements.

Customer Profile

Accel created the TFD architecture and models to overcome the client's dissatisfaction with the unpredictable costs associated with developing and maintaining deposition systems. Systems of this complexity are characterized by long system lead times resulting from:

• Difficulty integrating chambers into a single workcell.
  • communication protocols are different.
  • communications languages are different.
• Devices with different command & control structure.
  • identical devices have different interfaces.
  • classes of devices have different interfaces.
  • difficulty unifying elements of the tool.

Architectural Benefits

• workcell recipe storage and execution engine
• chamber recipe storage and execution engines networked to the workcell
• workload distribution
• simultaneous execution of process steps
• information shared on an need-to-know basis
• recipe composition from anywhere, anytime
• process monitoring from anywhere, anytime
• process control from multiple defined locations
• maintenance mode over-ride control
• centralized alarm system
• centralized data logging

Chamber-Based Operational Capabilities

TFD applications have several different screens, common to each processing chamber.

Automated Processes

The following processes execute on each chamber's computer to support compilation and execution of process recipes, and to service low-level devices and alarms.

• Recipe Executive
• Data Collection Executive
• Alarm Manager
• Recipe Compiler
• Device Managers
  • Two-state devices (pumps, valves, switches, etc.)
  • Motor & Robot control
  • DC & RF power supplies
  • Cryo, Ti-Sub, & Turbo pumps
  • Throttle valves
  • Ion sources and gauges
  • Heaters
  • PolyColds

Setup

The following user interface screens enable the user to define power supply and target inventories, assign power supplies and targets to chamber locations, specify operational calibrations, and define micro recipes to control low-level processes.

• Inventory Manager (gas, material, power supplies)
• Configuration Manager (gas, material, power supplies)
• Calibration Manager f (gas, material, power)
• Micro-Recipe Editor

Maintenance

The following user interface screens are used to monitor and set the chamber vacuum state, gas flow characteristics, and deposition parameters. The graphical interfaces use icons and colors to provide a "quick-look" perspective into the state of the chamber. The point-and-click interface provides simple control of the components.

• Vacuum Maintenance
• Gas Flow Maintenance
• Deposition Maintenance

Workcell-Based Operational Capabilities

Automated Processes

The following processes execute on the workcell (WC) computer to provide scheduling, compilation, and execution of workcell recipes, and the sharing of inter-chamber data.

• WC Recipe/Substrate Executive (scheduling, compilation, and execution)
• Workcell Communication Executive

Setup

The following user interface screens enable the user to manage substrate inventories, review workcell execution history, compose workcell recipes, and maintain user accounts.

• Inventory Manager
• Recipe Execution History
• Recipe Composer
• User Account Manager

Maintenance

The following user interface screens are used to monitor and set the workcell's vacuum state, and monitor workcell recipe execution. The graphical interface uses icons and colors to provide a "quick-look" perspective into the state of the workcell.

• Vacuum Maintenance
• Workcell Recipe Execution Monitor

Additional Features

The following are a summary of the additional features:

• Operational consistency is maintained by limiting actions according to operator privilege and workcell state.
• Data set consistency is ensured by maintaining permanence of collected state and configuration data.
• All low-level hardware components are modifiable via point-and-click or right-click interactions

System Requirements

Workcell Computer

• Hardware
  • >1 GHz PC, 512 MB RAM, >20 GB HD, 17" monitor, 100 Ethernet
  • Ethernet Hub
  • Necessary control hardware
• Software
  • Microsoft Windows 2000/XP
  • Think&Do
  • Progress Workgroup DB
  • Progress Client Networking

Chamber Computer(s)

• Hardware
  • >1 GHz PC, 512 MB RAM, >20 GB HD, 17" monitor, 100 Ethernet
  • Necessary control hardware
• Software
  • Microsoft Windows 2000/XP
  • Think&Do
  • Progress Workgroup DB
  • Progress Client Networking

MS-DOS and Windows are products of Microsoft Corp.
Progress is a product of Progress Software Corp.
Think&Do is a product of Entivity Inc.