System and method for monitoring contamination
First Claim
1. A system for determining and monitoring contamination in a photolithography instrument, comprising at least one collection device in fluid communication with a gas flow extending through an optical system of the photolithography instrument, the collection device having an adsorptive material and a saturation capacity for a lower molecular weight contaminant, the collection device being operated past the saturation capacity of the lower molecular weight contaminant while continuing to adsorb higher molecular weight contaminants in the gas flow.
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Abstract
The present invention provides passive sampling systems and methods for monitoring contaminants in a semiconductor processing system. In one embodiment, that passive sampling system comprises a collection device in fluid communication with a sample line that provides a flow of gas from a semiconductor processing system. The collection device is configured to sample by diffusion one or more contaminants in the flow of gas.
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Citations
16 Claims
- 1. A system for determining and monitoring contamination in a photolithography instrument, comprising at least one collection device in fluid communication with a gas flow extending through an optical system of the photolithography instrument, the collection device having an adsorptive material and a saturation capacity for a lower molecular weight contaminant, the collection device being operated past the saturation capacity of the lower molecular weight contaminant while continuing to adsorb higher molecular weight contaminants in the gas flow.
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8. A contamination analysis apparatus in a photolithography system having an optical element comprising:
a collection device comprising a first material having a surface property of the optical element coupled to a gas flow, the collection device being coupled to a light source such that light is optically coupled to a surface of the material and having an adsorptive material with a saturation capacity to adsorb contaminants in the gas flow. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
- 12. A filtering system for removing contamination in a semiconductor processing system, comprising at least one collection device in fluid communication with a gas flow extending through an optical system of the semiconductor processing system, at least one collection device having a selectively permeable membrane that filters contaminants including a refractory compound, a high molecular weight compound and a low molecular weight compound from the gas flow, the collection device being operated past a saturation of the membrane to absorb the low molecular weight compound.
Specification