Smart vibration wafer with optional integration with semiconductor processing tool

US10509052B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Lam Research Corporation · US

Inventors

• Peter Thaulad · Santa Clara, US
• Arulselvam Simon Jeyapalan · Newark, US
• Richard M. Blank · San Jose, US
• Tyson Ringold · Toronto, CA
• Victor Eduardo Espinosa, III · San Luis Obispo, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 6, 2017
• Grant date: Dec 17, 2019
• Expiry date: Sep 23, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/67253
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A test wafer having two spaced-apart accelerometers mounted thereon is disclosed. The accelerometers may be positioned at locations located along a common axis passing through the center of gravity of the test wafer. The test wafer may include a controller that may be used to transmit acceleration data collected by the accelerometers to another device. In some implementations, a semiconductor processing tool is provided that includes a test wafer receptacle for storing a test wafer that remains with the semiconductor processing tool and that may be retrieved by a wafer handling robot for performing a test cycle during periods when the wafer handling robot is not performing substrate transport operations.