Patent ID: 11972935
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  C | IPC C  H

Claim 0:
1. A method of processing a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:
locating the semiconductor substrate on a movable carrier ring in a processing chamber;
operating a spindle mechanism associated with the processing chamber, operation of the spindle mechanism causing the semiconductor substrate to be moved from one processing station to another processing station, the spindle mechanism including a fluid actuated cylinder and an electric driven motor;
monitoring one or more spindle operation parameters selected from:
pressure of fluid to be delivered to the fluid actuated cylinder, pressure of fluid within the fluid actuated cylinder, electric current received by the electric driven motor, period of time for the semiconductor substrate to be raised, lowered or raised and lowered, and
vibration of the spindle mechanism; and
carrying out one or more maintenance steps based on the results of the monitoring one or more spindle operation parameters, the one or more maintenance steps being one or more of:
lubricating the fluid actuated cylinder, lubricating the electric driven motor or components of the spindle mechanism connected to the electric driven motor, adjusting the pressure of the fluid to be delivered to the fluid actuated cylinder, and
replacing seals of the fluid actuated cylinder.