Substrate-like particle sensor

• US 20080239314A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CyberOptics Corporation (Nordson Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CyberOptics Corporation (Nordson Corporation)
• Inventors: Gardner, DelRae H., Ramsey, Craig C., Bonciolini, Dennis J., Schuda, Felix J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,823,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/338
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0205 by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0656 using electric, e.g. electrostatic methods or magnetic methods by investigating individual particles G01N15/1031, G01N15/12
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring

Abstract

A substrate-like particle sensor includes a substrate-like base portion and an electronics enclosure disposed on the substrate-like base portion. A power source is located within the electronics enclosure. A controller is operably coupled to the power source. A particle sensor is operably coupled to the controller and provides an indication to the controller of at least one particle present near the particle sensor.

Claims

1. A substrate-like particle sensor comprising:

a substrate-like base portion;

an electronics enclosure disposed on the substrate-like base portion;

a power source disposed within the electronics enclosure;

a controller operably coupled to the battery; and

a particle sensor operably coupled to the controller.

2. The substrate-like sensor of claim 1, wherein the particle sensor employs a light source that generates a beam that is scattered by the particles, and detects the degree to which the beam is scattered.

3. The substrate-like sensor of claim 2, wherein the light source is a laser light source.

4. The substrate-like sensor of claim 3, and further comprising at least one mirror disposed to bend the beam across a surface of the substrate-like sensor.

5. The substrate-like sensor of claim 2, wherein the light source is an LED light source.

6. The substrate-like sensor of claim 5, and further comprising at least one mirror disposed to bend the beam across a surface of the substrate-like sensor.

7. The substrate-like sensor of claim 1, wherein the particle sensor employs a device that measures mass of accumulated particles.

8. The substrate-like sensor of claim 7, wherein the device is a MEMS device.

9. The substrate-like sensor of claim 1, and further comprising a wireless communication module that is coupled to the controller and is configured to communicate particle sensing information while the substrate-like sensor is positioned within the wafer processing system.

10. The substrate-like sensor of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a quantity of particles present within the wafer processing system based upon a parameter sensed by the sensor.

11. The substrate-like sensor of claim 10, and further comprising a display operably coupled to the controller and configured to provide an indication of particle quantity.

12. The substrate-like sensor of claim 1, and further comprising a display operably coupled to the controller and configured to provide an indication of relative to particle quantity.

13. The substrate-like sensor of claim 1, and further comprising a reset button operably coupled to the controller.

14. The substrate-like sensor of claim 12, wherein the display indicates go/no go based upon a level of detected particles within the wafer processing system.

15. The substrate-like sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to provide an indication of particle size.