U.S. patent application number 15/607849 was filed with the patent office on 2018-12-06 for methods and apparatuses for wireless communication with a brush.
The applicant listed for this patent is Illinois Tool Works Inc.. Invention is credited to Brent Allan Best, Steven Kenneth Christie, Corey Alan Hughes, Erik Scott Nelson, Bradley Scott Withers.
Application Number | 20180352367 15/607849 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 62751534 |
Filed Date | 2018-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180352367 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Withers; Bradley Scott ; et
al. |
December 6, 2018 |
METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION WITH A BRUSH
Abstract
Provided is a disclosure for embodiments for a brush with
communication capabilities, which is configured to clean a surface
of, for example, a semiconductor wafer, as well as an offline brush
conditioning system and a CMP system that can communicate with the
brush.
Inventors: |
Withers; Bradley Scott; (El
Dorado Hills, CA) ; Hughes; Corey Alan; (Sacramento,
CA) ; Nelson; Erik Scott; (Granite Bay, CA) ;
Christie; Steven Kenneth; (Placerville, CA) ; Best;
Brent Allan; (Rocklin, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Illinois Tool Works Inc. |
Glenview |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
62751534 |
Appl. No.: |
15/607849 |
Filed: |
May 30, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 21/67294 20130101;
H01L 21/67046 20130101; A46B 15/001 20130101; B08B 1/002 20130101;
H04W 4/80 20180201; A46B 13/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04W 4/00 20060101
H04W004/00; B08B 1/00 20060101 B08B001/00; A46B 15/00 20060101
A46B015/00; A46B 13/02 20060101 A46B013/02 |
Claims
1. A brush for cleaning a surface of a semiconductor wafer,
comprising: a center core; cleaning material about the center core;
and a wireless device associated with the brush.
2. The brush of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a passive
RFID tag.
3. The brush of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is attached to
or embedded in the brush.
4. The brush of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises
memory, and at least a portion of the memory is configured to
provide write access and read access.
5. The brush of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises
memory, and at least a portion of the memory is write-once
memory.
6. The brush of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises
memory, and the wireless device is configured to receive a command
to disable write access to at least a portion of the memory.
7. The brush of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises
memory, and the memory is configured to store brush characteristic
data.
8. The brush of claim 7, wherein the brush characteristic data
comprises one or more of: a brush identification number, a batch
number, a product identifier, brush dimensions, conditioning
history, contamination profile, or information indicative of a
conditioning process to be used to condition the brush.
9. The brush of claim 1, wherein the brush is configured to be used
with one or more of: an off-line brush conditioning system, a brush
monitoring system, or a chemical mechanical planarization
system.
10. A method for communicating with a brush configured for cleaning
a surface of a semiconductor wafer, comprising: communicating by an
electronic device with a wireless device, wherein the wireless
device is associated with the brush, to perform one or both of
writing first data to a memory in the wireless device and reading
second data from the memory in the wireless device.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting, by the
electronic device, brush characteristic data associated with the
brush to be stored in the wireless device.
12. An offline brush conditioning system, the system comprising: a
first conditioning chamber configured to condition a first brush;
an RFID module configured to communicate with at least one RFID
tag, wherein the at least one RFID tag comprises a first RFID tag
that corresponds to the first brush; and a first RFID antenna
configured to transmit and receive signals for communication
between the RFID module and the first RFID tag.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first RFID antenna is
mounted outside the first conditioning chamber.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first RFID antenna and the
first conditioning chamber are configured to allow the first RFID
antenna to communicate with only the first RFID tag among the at
least one RFID tag.
15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a second
conditioning chamber with a second RFID antenna, wherein when there
is a second brush with a corresponding second RFID tag in the
second conditioning chamber, the communication between the first
RFID antenna and the first RFID tag does not substantially
interfere with communication between the second RFID antenna and
the second RFID tag, and the communication between the second RFID
antenna and the second RFID tag does not substantially interfere
with the communication between the first RFID antenna and the first
RFID tag.
16. The system of claim 12, wherein the first conditioning chamber
is configured to condition the first brush based on information
from the first RFID tag.
17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a control system
configured to control the first conditioning chamber to condition
the first brush based on information from the first RFID tag,
wherein the information from the first RFID tag is received by the
control system via the RFID module.
18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a storage device
configured to store one or both of information from the first RFID
tag and information about the first brush, wherein the information
about the first brush is gathered at least during conditioning of
the first brush.
19. The system of claim 12, wherein the RFID module is configured
to communicate to the first RFID tag at least some information
collected during conditioning of the first brush.
20. The system of claim 12, wherein the RFID module is configured
to send a command to the first RFID tag to prevent write access to
one or more memory locations.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communication,
and more particularly, to a methods and apparatuses for wireless
communication with a brush.
[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing industry and other
industries, brushes are used to remove contaminants from surfaces,
such as from semiconductor wafers. Conventional brushes are not
received from the manufacturer in a condition to be used
immediately. Instead, brushes are typically conditioned (or "broken
in") before use on the intended products.
[0003] Limitations and disadvantages of conventional approaches to
conditioning and use of a brush will become apparent to one of
skill in the art, through comparison of such approaches with some
aspects of the present method and system set forth in the remainder
of this disclosure with reference to the drawings.
SUMMARY
[0004] Methods and apparatuses are provided for wireless
communication for a brush, substantially as illustrated by and
described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set
forth more completely in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more
readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary
embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
[0006] FIG. 1A shows a diagram of an example offline brush
conditioning system, in accordance with aspects of this
disclosure.
[0007] FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an example implementation of
the offline brush conditioning system, in accordance with aspects
of this disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating an example relationship
between defects and conditioning time.
[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates an example arrangement of a brush and a
conditioning plate for conditioning the brush, in accordance with
aspects of this disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 4A illustrates an example of a brush with a wireless
device, in accordance with aspects of this disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 4B illustrates another example of a brush with a
wireless device, in accordance with aspects of this disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 4C illustrates an example block diagram of the wireless
device, in accordance with aspects of this disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 5A illustrates examples of communication between a
brush monitoring system and a brush, in accordance with aspects of
this disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 5B illustrates examples of a brush communicating with
an offline brush conditioning system and a CMP system, in
accordance with aspects of this disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 6 illustrates an example placement of antennae in an
offline brush conditioning system for communication with a wireless
device associated with a brush, in accordance with aspects of this
disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an example method of
communicating information between a brush and a brush monitoring
system, in accordance with aspects of this disclosure.
[0017] The figures are not necessarily to scale. Where appropriate,
similar or identical reference numbers are used to refer to similar
or identical components.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Various applications and processes may benefit from physical
cleaning of an object's surface. For example, in semiconductor
manufacturing a semiconductor wafer may be cleaned to remove
potentially destructive contaminants during one or more stages of
fabricating electronic circuits on the wafer. The cleaning can be
provided by, for example, a brush that comes in contact with the
surface to be cleaned. Conventional brushes are not received from
the manufacturer in condition to be used immediately. For instance,
the brush may have contaminants that counteract the cleaning of the
object. Accordingly, there may be a desire to condition (season,
break-in) the brush to remove the contaminants to an acceptable
level for the intended use of the brush, and then use the
conditioned brush for cleaning a surface. The brushes may also be
tracked to know how many times, or for how long, the brushes have
been used to clean surfaces.
[0019] While it should be understood that various embodiments of
the disclosure may be used for different applications, example
references in this disclosure will be made to cleaning a surface of
a semiconductor wafer.
[0020] During a manufacturing process for a semiconductor wafer, a
large number of contaminants may be found on the semiconductor
wafer surface in the form of, for example, organic and/or inorganic
particles. These contaminants will typically result in device
failure and poor wafer yields. Moreover, with each new
semiconductor technology node, the critical size of the defects on
the semiconductor wafer and the tolerable number of defects on the
semiconductor wafer becomes smaller.
[0021] The semiconductor industry may use post-chemical mechanical
planarization (pCMP) cleaning in the manufacture of semiconductor
devices where brushes such as, for example, polyvinyl acetate
(PVAc) brushes, may be used in combination with
application-specific cleaning agents and/or chemicals to remove
particles from the semiconductor wafer surface.
[0022] The various brush types, including PVAc brushes, by nature
of the material itself and/or the brush manufacturing/shipping
process, will naturally release particles (organic and/or
inorganic) when flushed and/or exposed to a fluid such as, for
example, deionized water (DIW) and/or cleaning agents/chemicals.
The quantity of particles released can be related to the nature of
the fluid (DIW, cleaning agent, etc.) that the brush is exposed to,
as well as the process conditions that the brush is used for (e.g.,
fluid flow rates, brush rotational speeds, etc.).
[0023] While the brushes may be cleaned by the brush manufacturer
to reduce the level of releasable contamination prior to delivery
to an end-user, an individual end-user may prefer a different
threshold for the baseline-level of particle contamination in the
brush.
[0024] Since some brushes are typically packaged, shipped, and
stored in a hydrated state, with a preservation agent to prevent
bacterial growth and product failure. The preservation, packaging,
transportation, and storage process (e.g., shelf-life) may all
adversely affect the intended pristine nature of the brush and
contribute to the number of particles that can be released from the
brush.
[0025] The nature of the brush manufacturing process, as well as
the preservation, packaging, transportation, and/or shelf-life
issues can all be compounding effects that require the end-user to
condition (or season or break in) the brushes to remove some of the
particles prior to using them in the semiconductor fabrication
facility production tools.
[0026] The actual semiconductor layer being processed may dictate
the level (and size) of acceptable particles that is released from
the brush, and, hence, the time required to condition a brush. The
time required for conditioning a brush may range from 10 minutes to
24 hours or more. Conventional methods of conditioning brushes
involve performing a conditioning process using dummy wafers for
cleaning the brush on the systems that perform the cleaning of the
end product.
[0027] Various embodiments of the disclosure may describe
communicating with the brushes to facilitate conditioning and/or
use of the brushes.
[0028] Disclosed example systems for a brush for cleaning a surface
of a semiconductor wafer, comprises a center core, cleaning
material about the center core, and a wireless device associated
with the brush.
[0029] Disclosed example methods for communicating with a brush
configured for cleaning a surface of a semiconductor wafer,
comprises communicating by an electronic device with a wireless
device, wherein the wireless device is associated with the brush,
to perform one or both of writing first data to a memory in the
wireless device and reading second data from the memory in the
wireless device.
[0030] Disclosed example offline brush conditioning systems
comprise a first conditioning chamber configured to condition a
first brush, a radio frequency identification (RFID) module
configured to communicate with at least one RFID tag, wherein the
at least one RFID tag comprises a first RFID tag that corresponds
to the first brush, and a first RFID antenna configured to transmit
and receive signals for communication between the RFID module and
the first RFID tag.
[0031] As used herein, the term radio frequency identification, or
RFID, refers to a set of technologies that use wireless
electromagnetic transmissions to store electronic information on
tags and/or access electronic information stored on the tags.
[0032] FIG. 1A shows a diagram of an example offline brush
conditioning system, in accordance with aspects of this disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 1A, there is shown the offline brush conditioning
system 100, which may comprise one or more brush stations 110, a
user interface 120, and a status light 130.
[0033] There may be any number of individual brush stations 110
that may be used to simultaneously condition multiple brushes. Each
brush station 110 may receive one brush for conditioning, where the
conditioning can include multi-step processing capabilities (e.g.,
compression of the brush, rotational speed of the brush, DIW
flushing and/or rinsing, etc.). The multiple brush stations 110 may
be set up to condition brushes with the same process and/or set up
independently to condition brushes with different processes. Also,
while the brush station 110 has been described as conditioning one
brush, in other examples multiple brushes may be conditioned by one
brush station 110.
[0034] When a brush station 110 conditions a single brush, that
brush can be isolated from cross-contamination by other
consumables. When a brush station 110 is configured to handle
multiple brushes, there may be barriers to isolate one brush from
another to reduce cross-contamination. The amount of contamination
in the brush(es) may be monitored by a contamination monitor.
[0035] The user interface 120 (e.g., a touchscreen, a display
panel, buttons, a keyboard and mouse, etc.) may be used to enter
commands to condition the brush(es) in the brush station 110, and
also to view the conditioning status of the brushes. For example,
the user interface 120 may be used to monitor and control the
torque/speed used to rotate the brush as the brush is being
conditioned.
[0036] The status light 130 may, for example, blink and/or show
different colors to alert the end-user to a processing state for
the brushes. The statuses indicated by the status light 130 may be
design dependent.
[0037] In operation, one or more brushes may be placed in the
offline brush conditioning system 100 and the conditioning process
started. The status light 130 may indicate, for example, when the
conditioning for at least one brush is finished. If the different
brush stations 110 are set up for different conditioning processes
that may take different lengths of time, the user interface 120 may
give further indication of the status for each brush station
110.
[0038] The offline brush conditioning system 100 may be coupled to
a fluid delivery system 101 in order to receive fluid(s) for use by
the offline brush conditioning system 100. The offline brush
conditioning system 100 may also be coupled to a fluid discharge
system 103 in order to return fluid(s) that have been used by the
offline brush conditioning system 100. The fluid delivery system
101 and the fluid discharge system 103 may belong to, for example,
the end-user.
[0039] FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an example implementation of
the offline brush conditioning system, in accordance with aspects
of this disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1B, there is shown the
offline brush conditioning system 100 comprising the brush station
110, a fluid inflow system 140, a fluid outflow system 150, a
control system 160, an input/output interface 170, and a motor
system 180.
[0040] The brush station 110 may receive a brush that may be shaped
like, for example, a cylindrical roller. While various embodiments
of the disclosure may have a fixed axis for receiving the brush,
other embodiments may allow receiving a brush at different angles
and/or adjusting an angle after the brush has been received. This
may allow for more flexibility in conditioning the brush and/or for
accommodating different shapes of the brush.
[0041] The fluid inflow system 140 may comprise various fixtures
for introducing fluids to the offline brush conditioning system 100
to be used for conditioning a brush and/or for other purposes. For
example, there may be a fixture that couples to the fluid delivery
system 101 for fluids such as, for example, chemicals for
conditioning. Various embodiments of the disclosure may allow, for
example, coupling to a plurality of fluid conduits provided by the
fluid delivery system 101. Accordingly, this may allow for rapid
change of fluids during use of the offline brush conditioning
system 100. The fluid inflow system 140 may also comprise a
distribution system for the received fluids to the brush(es) for
conditioning the brush(es). Some embodiments may also have as part
of the fluid inflow system 140 a container that may be used to
store a fluid. This may be used to provide, for example, a buffer
in cases of drop in pressure for the fluid inflow. This may also be
used, for example, to allow the offline brush conditioning system
100 to be used when not connected to the end-user fluid supply
line.
[0042] The fluid outflow system 150 may comprise various fixtures
and devices for removing fluids that have been used in the process
of conditioning a brush (i.e., effluent). In some embodiments, the
fluid outflow system 150 may have dedicated outflow conduits that
correspond to specific zones of the brush station 110. This may
allow, for example, monitoring the effluents for characteristics of
specific parts of a brush. The fluid outflow system 150 may,
accordingly, comprise monitoring devices that can determine
specific characteristics for the effluent.
[0043] The control system 160 may comprise various modules that
control the operation of the offline brush conditioning system 100.
For example, there may be one or more processors (microprocessors,
microcontrollers, etc.) that execute code stored in memory and
process data received from external devices or via the I/O
interface 170. The processor(s) may then control operation of the
brush conditioning process including the rotational speed of the
brush and compression of the brush against a conditioning plate.
This may allow, for example, controlling the level of conditioning
(e.g., pressure, intensity, duration, chemistry, etc.) applied to
the brush.
[0044] The processor(s) may also control switching among the
plurality of fluids if the offline brush conditioning system 100 is
coupled to receive different types of fluids from the end-user, or
possibly using the container if the container is available.
[0045] The control system 160 may also control, for example, the
flow rate of fluids such as chemicals and/or ultra-pure water
(UPW). The characteristics of UPW will not be described as they may
differ from application to application. Accordingly, it should be
understood that UPW refers to water that is considered to have
suitable "UPW" characteristics for an application at issue. The
control system 160 may also, for example, control diluting a
chemical using fluid from the container, if a container is
available, or from another end-user conduit.
[0046] The I/O interface 170 may comprise various devices that may
allow information and commands to be input to the offline brush
conditioning system 100, as well as to display and/or communicate
with external devices. For example, the user interface 120 may be a
part of the I/O interface 170. The I/O interface 170 may also
comprise, for example, one or more of various buttons, switches,
LEDs/lights, keyboard, mouse, trackball, etc., for entering input
as well as displaying outputs. The I/O interface 170 may also
comprise various ports for wired communication such as USB ports,
Ethernet ports, etc. The I/O interface 170 may also support
wireless communication technologies and protocols such as, for
example, cellular communication, Bluetooth communication, near
field communication, Wi-Fi communication,
[0047] RFID communication, etc.
[0048] The I/O interface 170 may be used to allow status to display
at remote stations or devices and/or to allow remote control of the
offline brush conditioning system 100. The I/O interface 170 may
also allow updating of various software/firmware and applications
in the offline brush conditioning system 100 via a wired or
wireless connection. Additionally, the I/O interface 170 may allow
remote control of the offline brush conditioning system 100.
[0049] The motor system 180 may comprise one or more motors that
are used to rotate one or more brushes for conditioning. The
motor(s) in the motor system 180 can comprise appropriate motors
for rotating the brush(es) as they are conditioned. The motors in
the motor system 180 may be controlled to have variable speed
and/or torque. Various embodiments may also comprise a motor system
that is able to provide information regarding a present torque.
This information may be used to determine, for example, whether the
conditioning is progressing as expected. Various embodiments may
provide for one motor to drive one brush, while other embodiments
may allow for one motor to drive multiple brushes. Still other
embodiments may allow for one motor to drive a single brush or
multiple brushes.
[0050] FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating an example relationship
between defects and conditioning time. Referring to FIG. 2, there
is shown a graph 200 that shows defects on the Y-axis and time on
the X-axis. At time T0 when brush conditioning first starts, there
may an unacceptable level of "defect" of UL, where defect refers to
the amount of particles released and/or size of particles released
by a brush. The defect may be monitored by, for example, examining
the effluent. As conditioning continues over time, the defect level
may reduce to an acceptable level AL at time T1. The time T1 may
vary depending on the defect level required. Any amount of time
used to condition the brush(es) by the offline brush conditioning
system 100 is the amount of time that the production system can
continue to operate to produce semiconductor wafers, and thus save
the end-user valuable production time and money. In some cases, a
particular type of brush may be well characterized such that the
conditioning can be set for a period of time without having to
monitor the defects.
[0051] FIG. 3 illustrates an example arrangement of a brush and a
conditioning plate for conditioning the brush, in accordance with
aspects of this disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a
diagram 300 that illustrates the conditioning plate (conditioning
surface) 310 and the brush 320 in a brush station 110. The brush
320 comprises an axial opening 322. One end of the axial opening
322 may be used to hold the brush 320 when the brush 320 is used to
clean a surface of, for example, a semiconductor wafer. When the
brush 320 is being conditioned, a brush support 330 may be used to
hold the brush 320. Example brush support 330 may include a
bracket, a post, and/or any other type of support. The brush
support 330 may be connected to the motor system 180. Fluids used
to condition the brush may be introduced to the brush 320 via the
end of the axial opening that is not coupled to the brush support
330. The brush support 330 may be adjusted to different sizes to
allow for different sized axial openings that different brushes may
have. Various other parts may be used to firmly fasten the brush
320 to the coupling part 322, however these parts will not be
described in this disclosure as there are well known methods of
fastening a structure such as a brush 320 to a brush support
330.
[0052] The conditioning plate 310 may be flat or have other shapes,
such as, for example, a curved surface. The surface may be, for
example, flat, concave, convex, tubular, meshed, and/or biased
(e.g., left-to-right), etc., to alter the conditioning
characteristics of the brush 320. The conditioning plate 310 may be
made of appropriate materials such as, for example, glass, quartz,
silicon dioxide, poly silicon, silicon nitride, silicon carbide,
tungsten, titanium, titanium nitride, aluminum, aluminum oxide,
tantalum, tantalum nitride, copper, ruthenium, cobalt, etc.,
depending on a nature of the surface that is to be cleaned by the
conditioned brush (e.g., Si, SiO2, SiC, SiOC, SiN, W, TiW, TiN,
TaN, Cu, Ru, GaAs, GaP, InP, sapphire, any combination of these
materials, etc.).
[0053] The surface 312 of the conditioning plate 310 can have
different characteristics as needed for conditioning a brush 320.
For example, the conditioning plate 310 can have a surface 312 that
is smooth, rough, or contain abrasive material such as, for
example, SiO2, SiC, Al2O3, CeO2, etc. Accordingly, to provide
different characteristic(s) for the surface 312, the surface 312
may be replaced as appropriate, or the conditioning plate 310 may
be replaced. The surface 312 used to condition the brush 320 can
contact the entire brush or just a portion of the brush 320.
[0054] Different brushes 320 may have different sizes for the
length, the diameter of the axial opening 322, and/or the outer
diameter. The brush support 330 and the conditioning plate 310 may
be adjusted and/or replaced to accommodate the different sizes
and/or conditioning requirements. The control system 160 may also
take into account the different sizes when controlling the motor
speed/torque and/or introduction of fluid to condition the brush
320.
[0055] The conditioning plate 310 may be moved by a motor (not
shown) that is connected to, for example, one or more of the legs
314. The motor may be, for example, a stepper-motor that can move
the conditioning plate 310 forward to contact the brush 320, where
the brush 320 may be stationary or rotating. The extent of contact
between the conditioning plate 310 and the brush 320 can be
monitored and controlled by distance (e.g., 0-5mm of compression)
and/or brush motor torque output. The monitoring and controlling
may be performed by, for example, the control system 160.
[0056] Various embodiments may characterize (map) the pressure
exerted by the brush 320 on the conditioning plate 310 via, for
example, embedded or adhered tactile pressure sensors in the
conditioning plate 310.
[0057] The torque data may be used to directly or indirectly verify
the quality of the brush 320 (e.g., concentricity, brush
uniformity, etc.). Various embodiments may also make adjustments to
the conditioning process based on various feedback data such as,
for example, contact area, pressure, force, etc. that may be
collected by various pressure sensing devices.
[0058] As shown in an example in FIG. 3, the brush 320 is coupled
on the left side to the brush support 330 to allow a motor to
rotate the brush 320 at various speeds (e.g., up to 1000 RPM) and
monitor the torque output of the motor as the brush 320 is
conditioned. The right side of the brush 320 may allow delivery of
fluid (chemical, UPW, etc.) to the interior of the brush 320. The
delivery of fluid (chemical and/or UPW) may be to the outside
surface of the brush 320. Various embodiments may deliver fluid to
both the inside of the brush 320 and to the outside surface of the
brush 320. Flow of fluid to the brush 320 may be controlled by, for
example, one or more valves that may be controlled manually by an
operator or automatically by the control system 160. The flow may
be varied to different ranges such as, for example, an example
range of 0-5 gallons per minute (GPM).
[0059] Furthermore, fluid may also be delivered to the conditioning
plate 310. The delivery of the fluid to the conditioning plate 310
may be at an appropriate time for conditioning the brush 320.
Additionally, some embodiments may allow different fluids to be
delivered to the brush 320 and the conditioning plate 310.
[0060] FIG. 4A illustrates an example of a brush with a wireless
communication device, in accordance with aspects of this
disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4A, there is shown the brush 320 with
the axial opening 322 that is formed in a mandrel 402 (or a center
core 402). Cleaning material 420 is shown around the mandrel 402.
As shown in this example, a wireless device 410 may be embedded in
the mandrel 402. The wireless device 410 may be, for example, a
passive RFID tag (e.g., outgoing transmissions are powered by
absorbing energy from incoming transmissions), an active RFID tag
(e.g., transmissions internally powered, such as by a battery),
and/or another type of device that can communicate wirelessly.
[0061] FIG. 4B illustrates another example of a brush with a
wireless communication device, in accordance with aspects of this
disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4B, there is shown the brush 320 that
is similar to the brush 320 shown in FIG. 4A. The wireless device
410 may be attached to an outer surface of the mandrel 402 or
attached to or embedded in the cleaning material 420 that surrounds
the mandrel 402. The wireless device 410 can generally be attached
to or embedded in the brush 320 where the placement of the wireless
device 410 does not interfere with the conditioning of the brush
320 or use of the brush 320. Accordingly, the wireless device 410
may also be attached to an inner surface of the mandrel 402 or to
an exposed end of the mandrel 402 if that placement does not
interfere with the conditioning or use of the brush 320.
[0062] FIG. 4C illustrates an example block diagram of a wireless
device, in accordance with aspects of this disclosure. Referring to
FIG. 4C, there is shown the wireless device 410 that may generally
comprise a processing module 432, a memory module 434, an antenna
436, and a power module 438.
[0063] The processing module 432 may comprise the circuitry and/or
control system for communicating with external device(s) (not shown
in FIG. 4C). The processing module 432 may, for example, process
and/or decode received signals from the external device, perform
the tasks requested by the external device if needed, and encode
signals to be transmitted.
[0064] The memory module 434 may comprise volatile and/or
non-volatile memory for storing instructions and/or data. Portions
of the memory module 434 may be write-once memory. This may be to
prevent sensitive data from being over-written once the sensitive
data has been written to memory. A sensitive data may be, for
example, a number of times that a brush has been used. For example,
every time a brush is used, a new data may be written to a
different location to indicate the use. Accordingly, as an example,
it may be possible to keep track of the number of times a brush has
been used without the possibility of over-writing with an
inaccurate usage number. Generally, a write access can be deemed to
also include erase access.
[0065] Other methods may also be used to protect data. For example,
a command may be sent to prevent a write access to certain memory
locations. Or, in the example of the usage tracking value, software
may be used to allow a write to a usage tracking memory location
with only a value that is one larger than the present value.
[0066] The antenna 436 is used to receive and transmit signals to
and from the external device. The power module 438 is used to
provide power from, for example, a battery, or other power storing
device for active wireless devices. For passive wireless devices
such as, for example, a passive RFID tag, the power module 438 may
comprise the circuitry to store power from received wireless
signals to be able to perform functions such as, for example,
perform read access and/or write access to the memory module
434.
[0067] Various embodiments may use an active wireless device or a
passive wireless device that is able to perform appropriate
functions. The RFID tag (whether active or passive) is an example
of a wireless device that may be used with various embodiments of
the disclosure.
[0068] FIG. 5A illustrates examples of communication between a
brush monitoring system and a brush, in accordance with aspects of
this disclosure. Referring to FIG. 5A, there is shown a brush
monitoring system 510 that is configured to communicate with one or
more brushes 320. The brush 320 may be in the offline brush
conditioning system 100, in the CMP system 520, or in stock to be
used later. The brush monitoring system 510 may be, for example, a
server configured to communicate with various wireless devices such
as, for example, an RFID tag 410, which may be passive or active.
The brush monitoring system 510 may be able to read information
from the RFID tag 410 or send write commands to write data to the
RFID tag 410. The write commands may be able to specify, for
example, specific locations in memory of the RFID tag 410 or
specific types of memory in the RFID tag 410.
[0069] Accordingly, the brush monitoring system 510 can communicate
with the brushes 320 in stock to determine the number of brushes
320 that are available at a given time. The brush monitoring system
510 may also be able to query the brushes 320 to determine whether
they have been used, and, if so, how many times.
[0070] The brush monitoring system 510 may be able to read other
brush characteristics such as, for example, a brush identification
number, a batch number, a product identifier, brush dimensions,
conditioning history, contamination profile, or information
indicative of a conditioning process to be used to condition the
brush. The vendor of a brush 320 may be identified by the brush
characteristic information, or the vendor information may be part
of the brush characteristic information. The conditioning process
may be written to the memory module 434 by, for example, the
manufacturer of the brush 320. The conditioning process 320 may
also be written to the memory module 320 by an end user based on
previous history of the specific type of the brush 320. This
information may be gathered, for example, from previous
conditioning of the brushes 320 or from previous use of the brushes
320.
[0071] In some embodiments, the brush monitoring system 510 may be
able to broadcast or selectively address a wireless device 410 for
communication. Other embodiments may use very short range
communication to communicate with the nearest brush 320. The brush
320 may be addressed by a communication device (not shown) that may
in turn communicate with the brush monitoring system 510. The
communication device may be carried, for example, by an employee or
a robot, or the brushes 320 may move, for example, on a conveyor
belt, past the communication device.
[0072] While the brush characteristics have been described when the
brushes 320 are not being conditioned or not being used, the brush
characteristics may be read and/or written (updated) while a brush
320 is in the offline brush conditioning system 100 or in the CMP
system 520. Accordingly, the offline brush conditioning system 100
may use the various brush characteristics to condition the brush
320 appropriately.
[0073] The CMP system 520 may use the brush 320 to clean a surface
of an object such as, for example, a semiconductor wafer.
Accordingly, the CMP system 520 may use the various brush
characteristics to ensure, for example, that a correct brush 320 is
in place for cleaning a specific object in the CMP system 520.
[0074] FIG. 5B illustrates examples of a brush communicating with
an offline brush conditioning system and a CMP system, in
accordance with aspects of this disclosure. Referring to FIG. 5B,
there is shown an offline brush conditioning system 100 that is
able to communicate with a brush 320 in the offline brush
conditioning system 320 and/or with a brush 320 outside the offline
brush conditioning system 320. There is also shown a CMP system 520
that is able to communicate with a brush 320 in the CMP system 520
and/or with a brush 320 outside the CMP system 520.
[0075] Accordingly, while FIG. 5A introduced the brush monitoring
system 510 to communicate with the brush 320, various embodiments
of the disclosure need not be limited so. For example, various
embodiments of the offline brush conditioning system 100 may have
at least the UI 120, the control system 160, and the input/output
interface 170 with appropriate functionality to allow the offline
brush conditioning system 100 to similarly perform the tasks
described in FIG. 5A.
[0076] Similarly, the CMP system 520 may also have the capability
to be able to communicate with the brush 320 in the CMP system 520
or outside the CMP system 520. Accordingly, the CMP system 520 may
have, for example, at least a user interface (UI) 522, a control
system 524, an input/output interface 526, etc., that may allow the
CMP system 520 to similarly perform the tasks described in FIG.
5A.
[0077] FIG. 6 illustrates an example placement of antennae in an
offline brush conditioning system for communication with a wireless
device associated with a brush, in accordance with aspects of this
disclosure. Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown an offline brush
conditioning system 100 with four brush stations 110 where each
brush station 110 has an associated antenna 602 for wireless
communication.
[0078] Each antenna 602 may be placed such that it communicates
signals with the brush 320 in its associated brush station 110
without substantially interfering with any other antenna/brush
communication at other brush stations. Accordingly, communication
between an antenna 602 and a brush 320 in its associated brush
station 110 is not substantially affected by interference from
other antennas 602 communicating with other brushes 320 in their
associated brush stations 110.
[0079] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an example method of
communicating information between a brush and a brush monitoring
system, in accordance with aspects of this disclosure. Referring to
FIG. 7, there is shown the flow diagram 700, where at block 702 the
brush monitoring system 510 determines whether a wireless device
410 has been detected. If a wireless device 410 has been detected
at block 702 by the brush monitoring system 510, then the brush
monitoring system 510 reads the wireless device information at
block 704. If wireless device 410 has not been detected at block
702, the brush monitoring system 510 will continue to look for a
wireless device 410. The specific method of detecting a wireless
device 410 will depend on the protocol used by the brush monitoring
system 510.
[0080] After reading the wireless device information at block 704,
the brush monitoring system 510 may determine at block 706 what
action is needed. For example, if the brush monitoring system 510
is communicating with an offline brush conditioning system 100,
then the brush monitoring system 510 may read the desired brush
characteristic information to set up the offline brush conditioning
system 100 for conditioning the specific brush 320 in the brush
station 110. If the brush monitoring system 510 is communicating
with the CMP system 520, then the brush monitoring system 510 may
read the desired brush characteristic information to set up the CMP
system 520 for cleaning an object with the brush 320. If the brush
320 is not in the offline brush conditioning system 100 or the CMP
system 520, the brush monitoring system 510 may then read the brush
characteristic information needed to keep track of the brushes 320
in stock.
[0081] At block 708, an appropriate action determined at block 706
may be taken by, for example, the brush monitoring system 510. At
block 710, a determination is made by the brush monitoring system
510 as to whether information needs to be written to the brush 320.
If there is no information to be written, then the process goes to
block 702. If there is information to be written, then it is
written at block 712 by the brush monitoring system 510. The
information may be, for example, for the brush 320 at the offline
brush conditioning system 100, to increment the number of times the
brush has been conditioned, the specific process used for
conditioning, etc. For the brush 320 at the CMP system 520, the
information may be, for example, to increment the number of times
the brush has been used, how long the brush has been used this time
or in total, etc. For the brush 320 in stock, the information
written may be, for example, some updated information regarding the
brush 320 and how it may be conditioned or used.
[0082] From block 712, the process continues at block 702.
[0083] Additionally, while the flow diagram 700 described a process
using the brush monitoring system 510, another process may be
performed in part or entirely without the brush monitoring system
510. As described with respect to FIG. 5B, the offline conditioning
system 100 and/or the CMP system 520 may communicate directly with
the brush 320.
[0084] Accordingly, while a specific process was described in the
flow diagram 700, various embodiments may use other flow
diagrams.
[0085] The present methods and systems may be realized in hardware,
software, and/or a combination of hardware and software. The
present methods and/or systems may realize, for example, the
control system 160 in a centralized fashion in at least one
computing system, or in a distributed fashion where different
elements are spread across several interconnected computing
systems. Any kind of computing system or other apparatus adapted
for carrying out the methods described herein is suited. A typical
combination of hardware and software may include a general-purpose
computing system with a program or other code that, when being
loaded and executed, controls the computing system such that it
carries out the methods described herein. Another typical
implementation may comprise one or more application specific
integrated circuit or chip. Some implementations may comprise a
non-transitory machine-readable (e.g., computer readable) medium
(e.g., FLASH memory, optical disk, magnetic storage disk, or the
like) having stored thereon one or more lines of code executable by
a machine, thereby causing the machine to perform processes as
described herein. As used herein, the term "non-transitory
machine-readable medium" is defined to include all types of machine
readable storage media and to exclude propagating signals.
[0086] As utilized herein the terms "circuits" and "circuitry"
refer to physical electronic components (i.e. hardware) and any
software and/or firmware ("code") which may configure the hardware,
be executed by the hardware, and or otherwise be associated with
the hardware. As used herein, for example, a particular processor
and memory may comprise a first "circuit" when executing a first
one or more lines of code and may comprise a second "circuit" when
executing a second one or more lines of code. As utilized herein,
"and/or" means any one or more of the items in the list joined by
"and/or." As an example, "x and/or y" means any element of the
three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. In other words, "x and/or y"
means "one or both of x and y". As another example, "x, y, and/or
z" means any element of the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x,
y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. In other words, "x, y and/or z"
means "one or more of x, y and z". As utilized herein, the term
"exemplary" means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or
illustration. As utilized herein, the terms "e.g." and "for
example" set off lists of one or more non-limiting examples,
instances, or illustrations. As utilized herein, circuitry is
"operable" to perform a function whenever the circuitry comprises
the necessary hardware and code (if any is necessary) to perform
the function, regardless of whether performance of the function is
disabled or not enabled (e.g., by a user-configurable setting,
factory trim, etc.).
[0087] While the present method and/or system has been described
with reference to certain implementations, it will be understood by
those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and
equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of
the present method and/or system. In addition, many modifications
may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the
teachings of the present disclosure without departing from its
scope. Therefore, the present method and/or system are not limited
to the particular implementations disclosed. Instead, the present
method and/or system will include all implementations falling
within the scope of the appended claims, both literally and under
the doctrine of equivalents.
* * * * *