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TPIR apparatus for monitoring tungsten hexafluoride processing to detect gas phase nucleation, and method and system utilizing same

  • US 9,340,878 B2
  • Filed: 05/28/2010
  • Issued: 05/17/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for monitoring and control of a vapor deposition installation wherein a gas mixture containing gas species can cause gas phase nucleation and/or chemical attack under process conditions supportive of such behavior, the monitoring and control apparatus comprising:

  • a radiation source arranged to transmit source radiation through a sample of said gas mixture;

    a detector arranged to receive output radiation resulting from interaction of the source radiation with the gas mixture sample, and to responsively generate a detector output; and

    a processor and control assembly, comprising an algorithmic program for determining incipient occurrence of gas phase nucleation and/or chemical attack, the processor being configured to receive the detector output, algorithmically process same according to the algorithmic program to determine incipient occurrence of said gas phase nucleation and/or chemical attack in the vapor deposition installation, and responsively generate an output to control the vapor deposition installation so as to avoid gas phase nucleation and/or chemical attack therein, and maintain the vapor deposition installation in non-gas phase nucleation and/or non-chemical attack operation throughout vapor deposition in the vapor deposition installation.

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