US 12,074,045 B2
Prevention of contamination of substrates during gas purging
Douglas Brian Baumgarten, Round Rock, TX (US); Russell Kaplan, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Amitabh Puri, San Jose, CA (US); and Paul B. Reuter, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/474,116.
Application 18/474,116 is a division of application No. 16/946,872, filed on Jul. 9, 2020, granted, now 11,810,805.
Prior Publication US 2024/0014056 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. H01L 21/673 (2006.01); C23C 16/44 (2006.01); C23C 16/458 (2006.01); C23C 16/52 (2006.01); C23C 16/54 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/677 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67389 (2013.01) [C23C 16/54 (2013.01); H01L 21/67242 (2013.01); H01L 21/67772 (2013.01); C23C 16/4408 (2013.01); C23C 16/45563 (2013.01); C23C 16/458 (2013.01); C23C 16/52 (2013.01); H01L 21/67775 (2013.01); Y10T 137/0402 (2015.04)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a load port assembly comprising a purge apparatus to output a flow of gas through one or more nozzles;
a factory interface coupled to at least one of a load lock chamber, a transfer chamber, or a processing chamber, wherein the factory interface is to operatively couple to a substrate carrier; and
a controller to:
cause, via the one or more nozzles, a first gas purging session of an environment of the substrate carrier;
receive a first signal, wherein the first signal is of a first signal type;
responsive to receiving the first signal, causing the one or more nozzles to remain coupled to the substrate carrier;
cause performance of a second gas purging session of the environment of the substrate carrier via the one or more nozzles;
receive a second signal, wherein the second signal is of a second signal type; and
responsive to receiving the second signal, cause decoupling of the one or more nozzles from the substrate carrier.