System and method for non-intrusive thermal monitor
First Claim
1. A non-intrusive thermal (NIT) monitor, comprising:
- a thermopile;
a fluid housing with a fluid window;
an elongated member positioned between the thermopile and the fluid window for transmitting or reflecting infrared signals corresponding to a temperature of a fluid in the fluid housing; and
one or more vent holes in communication with a cavity of the elongated member, wherein an end of the elongated member is adjacent to the fluid window.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a non-intrusive thermal (NIT) monitor for sensing temperatures useful for semiconductor manufacturing applications. In some embodiments, a NIT monitor comprises a thermopile, a fluid housing with a fluid window, and an elongated member positioned between the thermopile and the fluid window for transmitting or reflecting infrared signals corresponding to a temperature of a fluid in the fluid housing. The fluid housing may have a cross-sectional profile to enable the manipulation of the fluid flow under the fluid window, enhancing the speed and accuracy of the temperature sampling. The elongated member, which may be hollow and coated with gold, may an extended piece of the fluid housing or a part of an optics housing. In some embodiments, the NIT monitor is connected to a main conditioning circuit board via a cable for processing the temperature measurements at a remote location.
192 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A non-intrusive thermal (NIT) monitor, comprising:
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a thermopile; a fluid housing with a fluid window; an elongated member positioned between the thermopile and the fluid window for transmitting or reflecting infrared signals corresponding to a temperature of a fluid in the fluid housing; and one or more vent holes in communication with a cavity of the elongated member, wherein an end of the elongated member is adjacent to the fluid window. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for non-intrusive thermal monitoring, comprising:
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a non-intrusive thermal (NIT) monitor, comprising; a thermopile; a fluid housing with a fluid window; an elongated member positioned between the thermopile and the fluid window for transmitting or reflecting infrared signals corresponding to a temperature of a fluid in the fluid housing; and one or more vent holes in communication with a cavity of the elongated member, wherein an end of the elongated member is adjacent to the fluid window; a main conditioning circuit board for processing the temperature measurements at a location separate from the NIT monitor; and a cable connecting the NIT monitor and the main conditioning circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for non-intrusive thermal (NIT) monitoring of a fluid, comprising:
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receiving a fluid into a fluid passage in a fluid housing having a fluid window; manipulating the fluid flow in front of the fluid window to improve temperature sampling; non-intrusively taking temperature measurements of the fluid, the fluid window, or a combination of the fluid and the fluid window, wherein an end of an elongated member is positioned adjacent to the fluid window for transmitting or reflecting infrared signals corresponding to the temperature measurements; providing a path for a gas or gases to move in and out of a cavity of the elongated member; and transmitting the temperature measurements via the elongated member to a printed circuit board for processing the temperature measurements of the fluid at a location separate from the fluid housing. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method for isolating components of a non-intrusive thermal (NIT) monitor from chemicals, comprising:
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forming a fluid window to serve as a first barrier between a fluid in a fluid housing and a cavity of an elongated member, wherein the fluid window is integral to the fluid housing; providing a path for a gas or gases to move in and out of the cavity of the elongated member; positioning a thermopile window on an external face of a thermopile; and placing a seal mechanism on a face of the thermopile window to serve as a second barrier between the cavity of the elongated member and electronic components of and beyond the thermopile, wherein the elongated member is positioned between the fluid window and the thermopile window, wherein an end of the elongated member is adjacent to the fluid window, and wherein the elongated member is capable of transmitting or reflecting infrared signals to the thermopile and wherein the infrared signals correspond to a temperature of the fluid in the fluid housing. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification