Substrate-like particle sensor

• US 8,823,933 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CyberOptics Corporation (Nordson Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CyberOptics Corporation (Nordson Corporation)
• Inventors: Bonciolini, Dennis J., Ramsey, Craig C., Gardner, DelRae H., Schuda, Felix J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Punnoose, Roy M
• Application Number:
  US11/904,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20080239314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,532 Days
• Field of Search: 356/338
• US Class Current: 356/338
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0205 by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0656 using electric, e.g. electrostatic methods or magnetic methods by investigating individual particles G01N15/1031, G01N15/12
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring

Abstract

A substrate-like particle sensor includes a substrate-like base portion and an electronics enclosure disposed on the substrate-like base portion. A power source is located within the electronics enclosure. A controller is operably coupled to the power source. A particle sensor is operably coupled to the controller and provides an indication to the controller of at least one particle present near the particle sensor.

Claims

1. A substrate-like particle sensor assembly for sensing particles within a sealed processing chamber of substrates, the substrate-like particle sensor assembly comprising:

a substrate-like base portion having a form factor that is similar to the substrates;

an electronics enclosure disposed on the substrate-like base portion, the electronics enclosure enclosing electronics;

a power source disposed within the electronics enclosure;

a controller disposed within the electronics enclosure and operably coupled to the power source; and

a particle sensor integrally attached to the electronics enclosure and operably coupled to the controller, the particle sensor having a light source disposed near a central region of the particle sensor and a plurality of illumination detectors disposed near a periphery of the particle sensor, the particle sensor also having a plurality of mirrors disposed near the periphery of the particle sensor and arranged to bend a light beam across a surface of the particle sensor.

2. The substrate-like particle sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the light source is a laser light source.

3. The substrate-like particle sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the light source is an LED light source.

4. The substrate-like particle sensor assembly of claim 1, and further comprising a wireless communication module that is coupled to the controller and is configured to communicate particle sensing information while the substrate-like sensor assembly is positioned within the wafer processing system.

5. The substrate-like particle sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a quantity of particles present within the wafer processing system based upon a parameter sensed by the sensor.

6. The substrate-like particle sensor assembly of claim 5, and further comprising a display operably coupled to the controller and configured to provide an indication of particle quantity.

7. The substrate-like particle sensor assembly of claim 1, and further comprising a display operably coupled to the controller and configured to provide an indication of relative to particle quantity.

8. The substrate-like particle sensor assembly of claim 7, wherein the display indicates a go/no-go based upon a level of detected particles within the wafer processing system.

9. The substrate-like particle sensor assembly of claim 1, and further comprising a reset button operably coupled to the controller.

10. The substrate-like particle sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to provide an indication of particle size.