Maintenance unit for a sensor apparatus

• US 7,282,889 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2004
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation (KLA Corporation)
• Original Assignee: OnWafer Technologies, Inc. (KLA Corporation)
• Inventors: Freed, Mason L., Mundt, Randall S., Spanos, Costas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward H
• Application Number:
  US10/888,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20040267501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,193 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/112, 320/114, 320/115
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

Presented are methods, systems, and apparatuses for managing and maintaining an electronic device such as a sensor apparatus.

Claims

1. A maintenance unit for maintaining and storing a sensor apparatus configured for measuring process conditions for processing a workpiece, the maintenance unit comprising:

a housing configured for holding the workpiece, the housing being configured for enclosing the sensor apparatus;

an information processor including executable code for managing and maintaining the sensor apparatus; and

a communication device for information transfer with the sensor apparatus.

2. The maintenance unit of claim 1 further comprising a power supply for providing power to the information processor.

3. The maintenance unit of claim 1 further comprising a power charger for providing power to charge a power source for the sensor apparatus.

4. The maintenance unit of claim 1 further comprising a power charger for providing power to charge the sensor apparatus, wherein the sensor apparatus includes a battery and a substantially planar secondary coil that includes at least one coil turn, the secondary coil being connected with the battery for charging the battery, the power charger further comprising a substantially planar primary coil having at least two coil turns, at least one of the coil turns being wound in a clockwise direction, at least one of the coil turns being wound in a counter clockwise direction;

whereby, placing the secondary coil in a substantially parallel non-coplanar position proximal to the primary coil causes an induction of electrical power in the secondary coil when electrical power is applied to the primary coil.

5. The maintenance unit of claim 4 wherein the axis of the secondary coil is spaced a distance from the axis of the primary coil that equals about one half of the sum of the inside radius of the primary coil and the outside radius of the primary coil.

6. The maintenance unit of claim 4 wherein the power charger is configured so as to provide to the primary coil a primary voltage in the range from about 3 volts and to about 18 volts and all ranges subsumed therein at a primary frequency in the range from about 0.1 MHz to about 4 MHz and all ranges subsumed therein.

7. The maintenance unit of claim 1 wherein the communication device comprises a power charger for providing power to charge the sensor apparatus.

8. The maintenance unit of claim 7 wherein the communication device comprises:

a primary coil;

an oscillator circuit capable of producing an alternating current flow within the primary coil;

a circuit capable of modulating a characteristic of the primary coil; and

a circuit capable of detecting changes in a characteristic of the primary coil.

9. The maintenance unit of claim 7, wherein the communication device is configured for providing power to the primary coil at a driving frequency between 400 KHz and 4 MHz.

10. The maintenance unit of claim 8, wherein the primary coil is series resonant between 400 KHz and 4 MHz.

11. The maintenance unit of claim 9, wherein the communication device is configured for modulating the driving frequency at a frequency between 9.6 KHZ and 57.6 KHz and the modulation comprises an amplitude variation between less than 20% and greater than 80% of the maximum signal level of the power provided to the primary coil.

12. The maintenance unit of claim 9, wherein the communication device is configured for modulating the driving frequency and the modulation comprises abrupt changes in the driving frequency in the range from about 400 KHZ to about 4 MHz.

13. The maintenance unit of claim 8, wherein the detected changes in the characteristic of the primary coil comprises apparent impedance changes for the primary coil.

14. The maintenance unit of claim 13, wherein the communication device is configured for measuring changes in the apparent impedance of the primary coil by measuring changes in the amplitude of the driving voltage applied to the primary coil.

15. The maintenance unit of claim 14, wherein the apparent impedance changes are at frequencies between 9.6 KHz and 56.7 kHz.

16. The maintenance unit of claim 9, wherein the communication device is configured for modulating the driving frequency and the modulation comprises modulating the amplitude of an electrical signal applied to the primary coil.

17. The maintenance unit of claim 9, wherein the communication device is configured for modulating the frequency of an electrical signal applied to the primary coil.

18. The maintenance unit of claim 1 further comprising a sensor apparatus detector for indicating the presence of a sensor apparatus in the housing.

19. The maintenance unit of claim 1 further comprising an information storage memory for storing at least one of data, calibration coefficients, and commands.

20. The maintenance unit of claim 1 further comprising a connector for receiving power from an external power resource.

21. The maintenance unit of claim 1 further comprising a communication device for communication with an external information source.

22. In a combination:

a housing for at least partially enclosing a sensor apparatus;

an information processor including executable code for managing and maintaining the sensor apparatus;

a communication device for information transfer with the sensor apparatus;

a power source for providing power to the information processor;

a power charger for providing power to charge the sensor apparatus;

a sensor apparatus detector;

a sensor apparatus orientation detector;

an information storage memory for storing at least one of data, calibration coefficients, and commands;

a connector for receiving power from an external power resource; and

a second communication device for communication with an external information source.

23. The combination of claim 22, wherein the housing comprises a standard mechanical interface box, a front opening unified pod, or a wafer cassette.

24. The combination of claim 22, wherein the housing comprises a semiconductor wafer cassette.

25. The combination of claim 23, wherein the housing is configured for holding a semiconductor wafer, a flatpanel display substrate, or a lithography mask substrate.

26. A maintenance unit for maintaining and storing a sensor apparatus, the maintenance unit comprising:

a housing for enclosing the sensor apparatus;

an information processor including executable code for managing and maintaining the sensor apparatus; and

a communication device for information transfer with the sensor apparatus;

wherein the communication device comprises a power charger for providing power to charge the sensor apparatus.

27. The maintenance unit of claim 26 wherein the communication device comprises:

a primary coil;

an oscillator circuit capable of producing an alternating current flow within the primary coil;

a circuit capable of modulating a characteristic of the primary coil; and

a circuit capable of detecting changes in a characteristic of the primary coil.

28. The maintenance unit of claim 26, wherein the communication device is configured for providing power to the primary coil at a driving frequency between 400 KHz and 4 MHz.

29. The maintenance unit of claim 27, wherein the primary coil is series resonant between 400 KHz and 4 MHz.

30. The maintenance unit of claim 28, wherein the communication device is configured for modulating the driving frequency at a frequency between 9.6 KHZ and 57.6 KHz and the modulation comprises an amplitude variation between less than 20% and greater than 80% of the maximum signal level of the power provided to the primary coil.

31. The maintenance unit of claim 28, wherein the communication device is configured for modulating the driving frequency and the modulation comprises abrupt changes in the driving frequency in the range from about 400 KHZ to about 4 MHz.

32. The maintenance unit of claim 27, wherein the detected changes in the characteristic of the primary coil comprises apparent impedance changes for the primary coil.

33. The maintenance unit of claim 32, wherein the communication device is configured for measuring changes in the apparent impedance of the primary coil by measuring changes in the amplitude of the driving voltage applied to the primary coil.

34. The maintenance unit of claim 33, wherein the apparent impedance changes are at frequencies between 9.6 KHz and 56.7 kHz.

35. The maintenance unit of claim 28, wherein the communication device is configured for modulating the driving frequency and the modulation comprises modulating the amplitude of an electrical signal applied to the primary coil.

36. The maintenance unit of claim 28, wherein the communication device is configured for modulating the frequency of an electrical signal applied to the primary coil.

37. A maintenance unit for maintaining and storing a sensor apparatus, the maintenance unit comprising:

a housing for enclosing the sensor apparatus;

an information processor including executable code for managing and maintaining the sensor apparatus;

a communication device for information transfer with the sensor apparatus; and

a sensor apparatus detector for indicating the presence of a sensor apparatus in the housing.