Patent ID: 6677166
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: G03F,H01L,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for aligning substrate supports within a substrate processing system, comprising:(a) providing a sensor device having physical dimensions substantially similar to dimensions of a substrate to be processed in the system; (b) supporting the sensor device on a first substrate support within the processing system, the first substrate support being for transferring a substrate to a second substrate support; (c) sensing a condition of the first substrate support; (d) transferring the sensor device from the first substrate support to the second substrate support in the same manner that the first substrate support transfers a substrate to the second substrate support; (e) sensing a condition of the second substrate support; (f) adjusting the second substrate support if the sensed condition of the second substrate support is not substantially similar to the sensed condition of the first substrate support; and (g) repeating steps (e) through (f) until the sensed condition of the second substrate support is substantially similar to the sensed condition of the first substrate support, wherein the condition includes at least one of distance, direction, inclination, and acceleration in two or more axis.