Configuration for determining a concentration of contaminating particles in a loading and unloading chamber of an appliance for processing at least one disk-like object

US6928892B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies AG · DE
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Olaf Storbeck · Dresden, DE
• Ralph Trunk · Hallstadt, DE
• Lothar Pfitzner · Erlangen, DE
• Claus Schneider · Burgsinn, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 3, 2002
• Grant date: Aug 16, 2005
• Expiry date: Sep 4, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N15/06
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A configuration for measuring the concentration of contaminating particles at high time resolution in the mini environments of loading and unloading chambers of processing appliances in semiconductor fabrication includes a probe, a movement unit for the probe, a particle detector, vacuum pump and a control unit. Reaching critical layer thicknesses of disk carriers or boats in ovens, and maladjustments of handling systems for wafers, masks, flat panel displays and other disc-like objects can be detected in terms of the cause and quantified immediately. The movement unit moves the probe to a desired position in the loading and unloading chamber as a reaction to the positioning of the handling system. A method of operating the configuration is also provided.