In situ optical surface temperature measuring techniques and devices
First Claim
1. A sensor for measuring the temperature of a surface of an object, comprising:
- a cap having a non-deformable end wall of thermally conducting material and a side wall connected thereto, an outside surface of the end wall being shaped to conform to a shape of the object surface to be measured, a surface on an inside of the end wall of the cap that emits electromagnetic radiation having a detectable optical characteristic that is proportional to the temperature of the cap end wall, a light wave guide having one end held within the cap a distance from the radiation emitting element and in optical communication therewith, and a resilient element connected with the cap in a manner to urge the cap outside surface away from the wave guide one end a limited distance in a manner allowing a limited degree of rotational freedom with respect to the wave guide one end, thereby causing the cap end outside surface to firmly engage the object surface when positioned in contact therewith.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A temperature sensor utilizing optical temperature measuring techniques is constructed to make firm contact with a surface whose temperature is being measured, an example application being the monitoring of semiconductor wafers or flat panel displays while being processed. A cap is mounted near but spaced apart from an end of a lightwave guide, with a resilient element that applies force of the cap against a surface whose temperature is being measured as the cap is urged toward the optical fiber end. An optical temperature sensing element, such as luminescent material or a surface of known emissivity, is carried within the cap. A bellows with a closed end conveniently serves as both the cap and the resilient element. An alternative temperature measuring device installs an optical temperature sensing material within a test substrate behind an optical window, and then views the sensing material through the window.
59 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A sensor for measuring the temperature of a surface of an object, comprising:
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a cap having a non-deformable end wall of thermally conducting material and a side wall connected thereto, an outside surface of the end wall being shaped to conform to a shape of the object surface to be measured, a surface on an inside of the end wall of the cap that emits electromagnetic radiation having a detectable optical characteristic that is proportional to the temperature of the cap end wall, a light wave guide having one end held within the cap a distance from the radiation emitting element and in optical communication therewith, and a resilient element connected with the cap in a manner to urge the cap outside surface away from the wave guide one end a limited distance in a manner allowing a limited degree of rotational freedom with respect to the wave guide one end, thereby causing the cap end outside surface to firmly engage the object surface when positioned in contact therewith. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A temperature measuring sensor, comprising:
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a housing having an opening in one end thereof, a structure including a bellows and a cap having an end wall of thermally conducting material attached to one end of the bellows, said structure being contained within the housing with the cap normally extending through the housing opening but which is moveable toward the housing opening by a force on the cap that counteracts a resilient force exerted by the bellows when compressed by such a force, a surface within the cap that emits electromagnetic radiation with a detectable optical characteristic that is proportional to the temperature of the cap end wall, and a light wave guide extending through another end of the bellows and terminating in an end positioned a distance from the radiation emitting surface but in optical communication therewith. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Equipment for processing planar substrates, comprising:
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a vacuum chamber, a support within the vacuum chamber that is adapted to horizontally support a lower surface of at least one of the substrates at a defined plane against gravity, a temperature sensor carried by the substrate support and having a cap with a non-deformable planar end wall of thermally conducting material and a downwardly protruding side wall connected thereto, said cap normally extending upward above the defined plane in the absence of a substrate, said temperature sensor additionally including;
a surface on an inside of the cap end wall that emits electromagnetic radiation having a detectable optical characteristic that is proportional to the temperature of the cap end wall, a light wave guide fixed with respect to the substrate support and having one end held within the cap a distance from the radiation emitting surface with a void therebetween but in optical communication therewith, and a resilient element connected with the cap in a manner that the cap outside surface is moved laterally and rotatably with respect to the wave guide to a position coincident with the defined plane under the weight of one of the substrates, thereby causing the cap end outside surface to firmly engage the substrate surface when positioned in contact therewith. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of measuring the temperature of a horizontal bottom surface of a substrate, comprising:
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utilizing a vertically positioned light wave guide having an end positioned under the horizontal surface, providing a cap positioned over the wave guide end but held spaced apart from it by a resilient element in a manner that the cap is moveable toward the optical fiber end and with a limited amount of rotation with respect thereto when the bottom substrate surface is placed thereagainst, providing a surface within the cap, and in optical communication with the wave guide end, that emits electromagnetic radiation having a detectable optical characteristic that is proportional to the temperature of the cap, and measuring said detectable optical characteristic of radiation emitted from the cap surface at another end of the wave guide. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification