Secure reader system

• US 7,702,418 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. (Entegris Incorporated)
• Inventors: Andrews, Robert E., O'Dougherty, Kevin T., Jayaraman, Tripunithura V., Baye-Wallace, Christopher A., Menning, Joseph P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shapiro; Jeffrey A
• Application Number:
  US10/742,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,314 Days
• Field of Search: 700/105, 700/110, 700/230, 700/231, 700/239, 700/244, 700265-273, 700281-285, 738/665, 174/47, 137/177, 137/251.1, 137/798, 455/66, 324/637, 324/639, 324/663, 702 45- 55, 340/618, 340/620, 3405721-5729
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0283 specially adapted for transferring liquids of high purity
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67294 using identification means, e.g. labels on substrates or labels on containers

Abstract

A secure reader system (SRS) for containers housing material to be employed in an application. A container is provided having an information storing mechanism. A connector of the SRS having a reader is provided to physically couple to the container for periodically reading information there from. The connector is configured to physically couple to the container and may draw material from the container simultaneous with the reading.

Claims

1. A container assembly comprising:

a container body having an interior for containing a material;

an information storing element coupled to a portion of said container body and for storing information about the material, the portion configured to couple to a removable connector defining a material passage and adapted to receive said information; and

a verification tool adapted to receive said information from the information storing element prior to coupling of said connector to said portion of said container body, wherein said information is used to dictate whether the connector should be coupled to said portion of the container body.

2. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein said portion of said container body comprises a cap for sealing said container body.

3. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein the information comprises any of:

a property of said material, date of manufacture of said material, condition of manufacture of said material, and an amount of said material.

4. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein the material is one of an i-line, deep ultraviolet and a 193 nm photoresist.

5. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein the connector is simultaneously coupled to a process assembly to employ the material in an application and a control unit to direct the application.

23. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the information storing element comprises a radio frequency identification tag, the verification tool comprises a first antenna, and the connector comprises a second antenna.

24. A system comprising the container assembly of claim 1, a process tool, and a control unit adapted to control the process tool, the control unit being communicatively coupled to both the connector and the verification tool.

6. A cap adapted (i) for removable coupling to a container having an interior for containing a material, (ii) following coupling of said cap to said container, for removable coupling to a connector having an information retrieval element for receiving an information-containing signal and a material conduit permitting access to the interior;

and (iii) for receiving a verification tool, said cap comprising an information storing element for storing information about said material, wherein said verification tool is adapted to receive at least a portion of said information from the information storing element prior to coupling between the connector and the cap, and is adapted to use said received information in verifying whether the connector should be coupled to the cap.

7. The cap of claim 6 wherein the information storing element comprises an information tag in the form of any of a bar code, a magnetic strip, and a radio frequency identification device.

8. The cap of claim 6 further comprising a rupturable membrane to seal the interior and for rupturing to allow the connector to access the interior.

9. A system comprising:

a container having an interior for containing a material;

an information storage element for storing information about the material;

a process assembly to employ the material in an application;

a control unit to direct the application based on said information about the material;

a verification tool coupled to the control unit and having a first information retrieval element adapted to communicate with the information storage element; and

a connector removably coupleable to said container, and coupleable to said process assembly and said control unit, said connector having a material conduit to provide said process assembly with access to the material and having a second information retrieval element adapted to communicate with the information storage element to provide said control unit with access to the information;

wherein said verification tool is adapted to communicate with the information storage element prior to coupling between said connector and said container, and further adapted to utilize a signal obtained by said communication to determine whether said connector should be coupled with said container.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said process assembly includes a tool for any of spin-on coating, meniscus coating, and stencil printing of the material onto a semiconductor substrate.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a material cabinet for housing said container.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said connector is coupled to said container at a cap having a membrane for rupturing to allow said connector to provide said process assembly with the access to the material, wherein information received by the verification tool is used to determine whether the membrane should be ruptured.

25. The system of claim 9, wherein the information storage element comprises a radio frequency identification tag, the first information retrieval element comprises a first antenna, and the second information retrieval element comprises a second antenna.

26. The system of claim 9, wherein the connector comprises an elongated probe defining the material conduit, wherein the probe is insertable into the interior of the container.

13. A system comprising:

a control unit for coupling to a process assembly adapted to employ a material in an application, the material being disposed in a container having an electronic information storage element containing information about the material;

a verification tool comprising a first information retrieval element coupleable to the control unit and adapted to receive at least a first portion of said information from the electronic information storage element; and

a connector defining a material conduit for extracting material from the container and being removably coupleable to the container, the connector comprising a second information retrieval element coupleable to the control unit and adapted to receive at least a second portion of said information from the electronic information storage element, wherein said at least a second portion of said information is useable to dictate a manner in which the material should be utilized by the process assembly;

wherein said verification tool is adapted to receive said at least a first portion of said information prior to coupling between the container and the connector and to utilize said at least a first portion of said information to determine whether said connector should be coupled with said container; and

wherein said control unit directs the process assembly based on said information about the material.

27. The system of claim 13, wherein the electronic information storage element comprises a radio frequency identification tag, the first information retrieval element comprises a first antenna, and the second information retrieval element comprises a second antenna.

14. A method utilizing a container containing a material, the method comprising:

reading, from an electronic storage element associated with the container, information about the material and utilizing said information, prior to coupling to the container a connector adapted for material extraction and information retrieval, to verify the propriety of coupling the connector to the container;

coupling said connector to the container after said verifying;

reading information about the material from the container via the connector; and

withdrawing the material from the container through the connector.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the material comprises any of a dielectric, photoresist, gas, blood, and a pharmaceutical.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising reusing the container following the withdrawing.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising updating the information following the withdrawing.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising running an application based on the information.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said reading is ongoing in intervals less than at least one of an estimated duration of the application, an estimated container change-out time, and about five seconds.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein a parameter of the application is subject to change based on the information, and such parameter is established based at least in part on a date or time of said withdrawing of the material or said running of the application.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

identifying inaccuracy of the information; and

adjusting at least one parameter of the application based on the inaccuracy.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said adjusting comprises entering a result of the inaccuracy at a controller for directing the application, the controller to provide said adjusting in an automated manner based on said entering.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein said first reading step is performed with a verification tool coupled to a control element adapted to control the withdrawing.