Integrated process condition sensing wafer and data analysis system

• US 7,149,643 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SensArray Corp. (KLA Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SensArray Corp. (KLA Corporation)
• Inventors: Jensen, Earl, Renken, Wayne Glenn, Gordon, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): WACHSMAN, HAL D
• Application Number:
  US11/158,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 702/122, 702/1, 702/99, 702/104, 702/127, 702/130, 702/138, 702/140, 702/150, 702/183, 702/187, 702/188, 700/108, 700/121, 700/130, 700/195, 700/245, 700/247, 700/258, 438/622, 438/14, 438/18, 438/15, 438/5, 438/11, 438/17, 438/23, 438/24, 324/759, 356/147, 374/208, 374/100, 374141-143
• US Class Current: 702/122
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01087 Francium [Fr]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15153 the die mounting substrate comprising a recess for hosting the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15157 Top view
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15165 Monolayer substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16152 Cap comprising a cavity for hosting the device, e.g. U-shaped cap
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16153 Cap enclosing a plurality of side-by-side cavities [e.g. E-shaped cap]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16195 Flat cap [not enclosing an internal cavity]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding

Abstract

A process condition measuring device and a handling system may be highly integrated with a production environment where the dimensions of the process condition measuring device are close to those of a production substrate and the handling system is similar to a substrate carrier used for production substrates. A process condition measuring device surveys conditions in a target environment and records them in a memory for later transmission or downloading.

Claims

1. A method of surveying conditions in a target environment comprising:

robotically moving a process condition measuring device from a substrate carrier to a target environment;

acquiring data in the target environment and recording the data in the process condition measuring device;

robotically returning the process condition measuring device to the substrate carrier; and

transferring the data from the process condition measuring device to an electronics module attached to the substrate carrier while the process condition measuring device is in the substrate carrier.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising transferring energy from the electronics module to the process condition measuring device and storing the energy within the process condition measuring device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the data from the electronics module attached to the substrate carrier to a receiver that is not attached to the substrate carrier.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate carrier is a cassette.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate carrier is a front opening unified pod (FOUP).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein transferring the data from the process condition measuring device to an electronics module is by light from an LED, the LED being selected from a plurality of LEDs in the process condition measuring device according to a routine that selects the optimum LED.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the process condition measuring device comprises a plurality of electrical components having specified operating temperature ranges and the process conditioning measuring device experiences a high temperature in the target environment that is outside the specified operating temperature range of at least one of the plurality of electrical components, the process condition measuring device having temperature compensation circuitry to allow the process condition measuring device to operate at the high temperature.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the process condition measuring device is spun at high speed in the target environment.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the position of the process condition measuring device in the substrate carrier.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving the process condition measuring device in the substrate carrier.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising changing the rotational orientation of the process condition measuring device in the substrate carrier.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving a portion of the electronics module while the process condition measuring device is in the substrate carrier.