摘要:
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.
摘要:
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.
摘要:
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.
摘要:
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.
摘要:
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.
摘要:
A gas detector for detecting a fluoro gas species in a gaseous environment containing same, e.g., an effluent from a semiconductor processing tool that employs corrosive fluoro species such as HF, NF3, etc. for etch cleaning. The gas detector preferably employs an elongated nickel-containing gas sensor element that can be vertically mounted on a fluoro-resistant support structure. Since the nickel-containing gas sensor element is sensitive to the fluoro species and is also electrically conductive, it can function both as a sensing component and a heat source when elevated temperature sensing is required. Vertical mounting of such elongated gas sensor element on the support structure significantly improves the signal strength, reduces the response time, minimizes the footprint of the gas detector, and provides structural flexibility for accommodating thermal expansion/contraction of the elongated gas sensor element.
摘要:
A (MEMS)-based gas sensor assembly 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. Such gas sensor assembly in a preferred embodiment comprises a free-standing silicon carbide support structure having a layer of a gas sensing material, preferably nickel or nickel alloy, coated thereon. Such gas sensor assembly is preferably fabricated by micro-molding techniques employing sacrificial molds that are subsequently removable for forming structure layers.
摘要:
A sensor with an attenuated drift characteristic, including a layer structure in which a sensing layer has a layer of diffusional barrier material on at least one of its faces. The sensor may for example be constituted as a hydrogen gas sensor including a palladium/yttrium layer structure formed on a micro-hotplate base, with a chromium barrier layer between the yttrium layer and the micro-hotplate, and with a tantalum barrier layer between the yttrium layer and an overlying palladium protective layer. The gas sensor is useful for detection of a target gas in environments susceptible to generation or incursion of such gas, and achieves substantial (e.g., >90%) reduction of signal drift from the gas sensor in extended operation, relative to a corresponding gas sensor lacking the diffusional barrier structure of the invention.
摘要:
A gas sensor and method of gas sensing, e.g., of a type as useful with downstream sensor elements for determining the plasma conditions (e.g., plasma etching end point) in a semiconductor etching facility that utilizes halogen-containing plasma and/or oxygen-containing plasma. Such sensor elements are capable of exhibiting temperature change in the presence of energetic gas species, e.g., fluorine, chlorine, iodine, bromine, oxygen, and derivatives and radicals thereof that are generated by the plasma, and correspondingly generating an output signal indicative of such temperature change for determination of the plasma conditions in the etching plasma processing facility.
摘要:
Apparatus and method for determination of the endpoint of a cleaning process in which cleaning fluid is contacted with a structure to effect cleaning thereof. The cleaning process includes contacting a cleaning fluid with a structure to be cleaned and producing a cleaning effluent having a sensible heat thermal energy characteristic corresponding to extent of cleaning of the structure, disposing an object in the cleaning effluent that interacts with the cleaning effluent to produce a response indicative of the sensible heat thermal energy characteristic of the cleaning effluent, and monitoring such response to determine when the cleaning is completed. An endpointing algorithm and endpoint monitoring are also described, as well as endpoint monitor sensor elements that are useful to determine endpoint conditions in an efficient and reproduceable manner.