Sensor device for non-intrusive diagnosis of a semiconductor processing system

• US 6,244,121 B1
• Filed: 03/06/1998
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Hunter, Reginald
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US09/036,247
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 738/659, 738/665
• US Class Current: 73/865.9
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/707 Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70708 being electrostatic; Electrostatically deformable vacuum chucks
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7085 Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67196 characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67242 Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking testing or measuring during manufacture H01L22/00, marks per se H01L23/544; testing individual semiconductor devices G01R31/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67248 Temperature monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67259 Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67288 Monitoring of warpage, curvature, damage, defects or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/681 using optical controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/135 Associated with semiconductor wafer handling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49769 Using optical instrument [excludes mere human eyeballing]

Abstract

A sensor device, for diagnosing a processing system, generally includes a support platform and one or more sensors mounted on the support platform. The sensor senses a condition, such as direction or inclination or acceleration in one or two axes, of the sensor device and outputs a signal indicative thereof, which is then sent to a transmitter, also mounted to the support platform, for wireless transmission of the signal to a receiver mounted on or near the processing system. The support platform generally has physical characteristics, such as size, profile height, mass, flexibility and/or strength, substantially similar to those of the substrates that are to be processed in the processing system, so the sensor device can be transferred through the processing system in a manner similar to the manner in which production substrates are transferred through the processing system.

Claims

1. A movable wireless sensor device for performing diagnostics within a substrate processing system, comprising:

a support platform having physical dimensions substantially similar to dimensions of a substrate being processed; and

at least one electronic device mounted to the support platform and including a sensor adapted to sense a condition of the support platform and provide condition signals indicative of the condition of the support platform.

2. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the at least one electronic device further includes a transmitter electrically coupled to the sensor and adapted to receive the condition signals from the sensor and transmit the condition signals to a receiver for transmission to a controller of the processing system.

3. The sensor device of claim 2 wherein the at least one electronic device further includes a signal conversion circuit coupled to the sensor and the transmitter adapted to receive the condition signals, convert the condition signals to transmittable signals and send the transmittable signals to the transmitter for transmission to the receiver.

4. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor is an inclinometer.

5. The sensor device of claim 4 wherein the inclinometer is a two-axis inclinometer.

6. The sensor device of claim 4 wherein the inclinometer senses an acceleration of the support platform.

7. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

8. The sensor device of claim 7 wherein the accelerometer is a two-axis accelerometer.

9. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a compass.

10. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a magnetic probe.

11. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor is an electrostatic probe.

12. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a temperature probe.

13. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a distance probe.

14. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor is an optical detection probe.

15. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the support platform has a mass substantially similar to a mass of a substrate which is to be processed in the processing system.

16. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein a combination of a mass of the support platform and a mass of the at least one electronic device has a mass substantially similar to a mass of a substrate which is to be processed in the processing system.

17. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the support platform has a flexibility substantially similar to a flexibility of a substrate which is to be processed in the processing system.

18. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the support platform is a substrate.

19. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the support platform is a composite board.

20. The sensor device of claim 19 wherein the composite board comprises a graphite composite.

21. The sensor device of claim 19 wherein the composite board comprises a resin/fiber composite.

22. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein:

the processing system has a plurality of interconnected chambers, an opening between interconnected chambers, and a substrate handler having a substrate support for inserting a substrate through the opening between the interconnected chambers; and

the support platform and the at least one electronic device have a combined profile height low enough to be inserted through the opening while supported on the substrate support.

23. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the at least one electronic device is micro-machined onto the support platform.

24. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the at least one electronic device is constructed of a ceramic chip carrier mounted to the support platform, with a die for the electronic device formed into the ceramic chip carrier.

25. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the at least one electronic device is constructed of a surface-mount integrated circuit chip mounted to the support platform.

26. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the support platform has a size substantially similar to a size of a substrate which is to be processed in the processing system.