Apparatus and process for sensing fluoro species in semiconductor processing systems

• US 20050199496A1
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Frank Dimeo Jr, Ing-Shin Chen, James Welch, Jeffrey F. Roeder, Jeffrey W. Neuner, Mackenzie E. King, Michele Stawasz, Philip S.H. Chen, Thomas H. Baum
• Inventors: Dimeo, Frank Jr., Baum, Thomas H., Roeder, Jeffrey F., Chen, Philip S. H., Welch, James, Neuner, Jeffrey W., Chen, Ing-Shin, Stawasz, Michele, King, Mackenzie E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,296,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/424
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/128 Microapparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32981 Gas analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/17 Nitrogen containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/19 Halogen containing

Abstract

A gas detector and process for detecting a fluorine-containing species in a gas containing same, e.g., an effluent of a semiconductor processing tool undergoing etch cleaning with HF, NF₃, etc. The detector in a preferred structural arrangement employs a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based device structure and/or a free-standing metal element that functions as a sensing component and optionally as a heat source when elevated temperature sensing is required. The free-standing metal element can be fabricated directly onto a standard chip carrier/device package so that the package becomes a platform of the detector.

Claims

1. A gas sensor assembly comprising a micro-hotplate structure including a free-standing gas sensing element responsive to presence of fluoro species by response indicative of presence or increase in concentration of said fluoro species.

2. The gas sensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the gas sensing element comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Nb, Mo, Ru, Pd, Ag, Ir, Ni, Al, Cu, Pt, and alloys and combinations thereof.

3. The gas sensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the gas sensing element comprises an inorganic sensor film.

4. The gas sensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the gas sensing element comprises an organic sensor film.

5. The gas sensing assembly of claim 3, wherein said gas sensing element comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of copper and nickel.

6. A gas sensor assembly comprising a free-standing gas sensing element coupled to connector pins of a microelectronic device package, wherein the free-standing gas sensing element is arranged for contact with a gaseous environment susceptible to the presence or change of concentration of one or more target gas species therein, and the free-standing gas sensing element is formed of a material that in exposure to the target gas species exhibits a response transmissible through said connector pins of the microelectronic device package.

7. The gas sensor assembly of claim 6, wherein the microelectronic device package comprises a chip carrier.

8. The gas sensor assembly of claim 6, wherein the free-standing gas sensing element comprises a wire or foil element.

9. The gas sensor assembly of claim 6, wherein the free-standing gas sensing element comprises a wire supported on an insulative scaffolding member in an extended conformation including a multiplicity of windings.

10. The gas sensor assembly of claim 9, wherein the insulative scaffolding member is formed of Vespel®

polyimide polyimide.

11. The gas sensor assembly of claim 6, as coupled in target gas-sensing relationship to a semiconductor process chamber.