Process parameter event monitoring system and method for process
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for monitoring an electrostatic discharge (ESD) occurrence in a semiconductor process tool that affects a device being processed by the semiconductor process tool, the apparatus comprising:
- one or more sensors, each sensor being located adjacent to a part of the semiconductor process tool to detect an ESD occurrence near the part of the semiconductor process tool;
a control unit coupled to each sensor, the control unit further comprising a processor that receives the signals from each sensor and generates ESD occurrence signal; and
a semiconductor tool coupled to the control unit, the semiconductor process tool communicating a gating signal to the control unit corresponding to an event of the semiconductor tool which may expose a device to an ESD occurrence so that ESD occurrence signals that do not occur during the gating signal time period are filtered out.
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Abstract
A system and method for measuring process parameters in a process machine is described. The system is synchronized to the operation of the process machine so that spurious process parameters events are filtered out.
16 Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus for monitoring an electrostatic discharge (ESD) occurrence in a semiconductor process tool that affects a device being processed by the semiconductor process tool, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more sensors, each sensor being located adjacent to a part of the semiconductor process tool to detect an ESD occurrence near the part of the semiconductor process tool; a control unit coupled to each sensor, the control unit further comprising a processor that receives the signals from each sensor and generates ESD occurrence signal; and a semiconductor tool coupled to the control unit, the semiconductor process tool communicating a gating signal to the control unit corresponding to an event of the semiconductor tool which may expose a device to an ESD occurrence so that ESD occurrence signals that do not occur during the gating signal time period are filtered out. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An event monitoring apparatus for a process tool, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more sensors, each sensor being located adjacent to a part of the process tool to detect an event near the part of the process tool, wherein the event further comprises an electrostatic discharge occurrence and wherein each sensor further comprises a processor that determines if the electrostatic discharge occurrence is greater than a damage threshold value; a control unit coupled to each sensor, the control unit further comprising a processor that receives the signals from each sensor and generates an event signal and wherein the control unit receives a gating signal from the process tool so that an event signal that does not occur during the gating signal is filtered out; and wherein the semiconductor tool computer automatically places the particular device into a separate tray if the electrostatic discharge occurrence is greater than the damage threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An event monitoring apparatus for a process tool, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more sensors, each sensor being located adjacent to a part of the process tool to detect an event near the part of the process tool; a control unit coupled to each sensor, the control unit further comprising a processor that receives the signals from each sensor and generates an event signal and wherein the control unit receives a gating signal from the process tool so that an event signal that does not occur during the gating signal is filtered out; and an external sensor located outside of the process tool that is connected to the control unit and wherein the control unit processor receives an event signal from the external sensor and determines if the event occurred in the process tool by comparing the event signal from a particular sensor in the process tool with the event signal from the external sensor. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification