In-situ spectral process monitoring
US9945790B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 5, 2015 |
| Grant date | Apr 17, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 24, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2201/068
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Increasing the precision of process monitoring may be improved if the sensors take the form of travelling probes riding along with the flowing materials in the manufacturing process rather than sample only when the process moves passed the sensors fixed location. The probe includes an outer housing hermetically sealed from the flowing materials, and a light source for transmitting light through a window in the housing onto the flowing materials. A spatially variable optical filter (SVF) captures light returning from the flowing materials, and separates the captured light into a spectrum of constituent wavelength signals for transmission to a detector array, which provides a power reading for each constituent wavelength signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.