Ceres Technologies, Inc.

Francis Reilly

A thermal shield for an XRF measurement tool is formed from a heat shield and a heat shield cowling. These components protect the X-ray head assembly that includes the x-ray generation and detection columns and the head control electronics, communications and cooling systems. The heat shield is directly below the X-ray head, parallel to the x-ray head plane and plane of the PV substrate, and perpendicular to the primary beam output from the x-ray head. The heat shield is fabricated of machined copper with several ports machined through the shield. These ports provide a path for primary beam x-rays through the heat shield and for the return of fluoresced X-rays from the PV substrate back to the detector in the X-ray head, while preventing damage to the X-ray head due to the heat emitted from the PV substrate.

Thermal shield system for high temperature environment XRF metrology tools

An X-ray metrology system for a vacuum deposition chamber includes a vacuum interface assembly mounted through an aperture in the exterior wall of the chamber and extending into the interior of the chamber. The interface assembly is formed from a housing having side walls and a bottom forming an interior chamber, and an X-ray port mounted in an aperture in the bottom of the housing. The X-ray port has two apertures therethrough, with each aperture being covered by a window of beryllium. An X-ray metrology machine having a generator and detector is disposed within the housing, and the apertures in the X-ray port are arranged so that X-rays generated by the generator pass through one of the apertures, and X-rays fluorescing off of a substrate in the deposition chamber travel through the other aperture to the detector.

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Bayport, NY, United States of America

Francis Reilly