American Air Liquide, Inc.

Other

L'air Liquide, Soci&#xe9;t&#xe9; Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Proc&#xe9;d&#xe9;s Georges Claude

L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme a Directoire Et Conseil De Surveillance Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude

James J McAndrew

Ronald S Inman

Hwa-Chi Wang

Benjamin J Jurcik, Jr

Jean-Marc Girard

Benjamin Jurcik

Michael D Brandt

Dmitry Znamensky

Patrick Mauvais

Eric Duchateau

M&eacute;lanie Bartolomey

Bertrand Lefevre

Provided is a novel chamber effluent monitoring system. The system comprises a chamber having an exhaust line connected thereto. The exhaust line includes a sample region, wherein substantially all of a chamber effluent also passes through the sample region. The system further comprises an absorption spectroscopy measurement system for detecting a gas phase molecular species. The measurement system comprises a light source and a main detector in optical communication with the sample region through one or more light transmissive window. The light source directs a light beam into the sample region through one of the one or more light transmissive window. The light beam passes through the sample region and exits the sample region through one of the one or more light transmissive window. The main detector responds to the light beam exiting the sample region. The system allows for in situ measurement of molecular gas impurities in a chamber effluent, and in particular, in the effluent from a semiconductor processing chamber. Particular applicability is found in semiconductor manufacturing process control and hazardous gas leak detection.

Chamber effluent monitoring system and semiconductor processing system comprising absorption spectroscopy measurement system, and methods of use

Method and device for filling a distribution line with corrosive gas

Provided is a process for measuring the amount of impurities in a gas sample filling a laser absorption spectroscopy analysis cell. The process includes calculating the value of a characteristic representative of the absorbance of the gas sample, from a measurement of the gas sample at a single given pressure, and quantifying the impurities on the basis of a predetermined law for the variation of the characteristic as a function of the amount of impurities. The characteristic is the ratio of the difference between the luminous intensity (I ) of a light beam transmitted through the gas and the luminous intensity (I ) of the incident beam to the luminous intensity (I ) of the incident beam. The impurities are quantified on the basis of a value of the coefficient of proportionality between the amount of impurities and the characteristic, determined on the basis of a table of variation of the characteristic as a function of pressure, for a given amount of impurities.

Process and device for measuring the amount of impurities in a gas sample to be analyzed

Chamber effluent monitoring system and semiconductor processing system

Provided is a novel in-line cell useful in absorption spectroscopy. The cell includes a sample region, a light entry port and a light exit port being the same or separate ports. Each port is in communication with the sample region and contains a light transmissive window. A mirror having a light reflective surface faces the sample region, and a heater effective to heat the light transmissive window in the light entry port and/or said light exit port is provided. The cell can be used to determine the concentration of molecular gas impurities in a sample. Particular applicability is found in semiconductor manufacturing in a semiconductor processing tool.

In-line cell for absorption spectroscopy

Provided is a novel method for intelligent data acquisition in a measurement system. The method comprises the following steps: (a) providing a measurement system; (b) performing a measurement with the measurement system, thereby obtaining a measurement result; (c) writing the measurement result to a data file on a first storage device; (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) one or more times, thereby accumulating a plurality of measurement results in the data file; (e) generating one or more summary values from the measurement results; (f) saving the one or more summary values to a summary file on the first storage device or on a second storage device; (g) comparing at least one of the one or more summary values with a respective predefined standard summary value corresponding to the at least one summary value, wherein the comparing is made on the basis of a predefined inequality for each summary value being compared; and (h) saving the data file to the first storage device, the second storage device, or a third storage device if one or more of the at least one summary values compared in step (g) is outside of an acceptable range as defined by the respective inequalities, and/or optionally, when a trigger indicates that a condition is present. Particular applicability is found in in-situ moisture concentration measurement in a semiconductor processing apparatus.

Method for intelligent data acquisition in a measurement system

Provided is a novel in-line cell useful in absorption spectroscopy. The cell includes a sample region, a light entry port and a light exit port being the same or separate ports. Each port is in communication with the sample region and contains a light transmissive window. A mirror having a light reflective surface faces the sample region, and a heater effective to heat the light reflective surface is provided. The cell can be used to determine the concentration of molecular gas impurities in a sample. Particular applicability is found in semiconductor processing.

Provided is a novel method and system for harmonic detection spectroscopy. The method comprises providing a cell having a sample region which is circumscribed by at least one wall. The cell has at least one light entry/exit port, with each entry/exit port containing a light transmissive window having a surface facing the sample region and disposed so as to seal the cell in the circumferential direction. A sample gas flows through the sample region in a direction parallel to a cell central axis, and the cell operates at less than atmospheric pressure. A frequency and/or amplitude modulated light source is provided for directing a light beam through one of the at least one light transmissive windows into the cell. The light source modulation amplitude is set to a value which approximately maximizes the value of a harmonic signal at the center of the absorption feature due to the detected gas phase molecular species inside the sample region, and the center frequency of the light source is adjusted so that it is either locked to the center of the absorption feature or repetitively scanned over the frequency range which includes the feature. A spectra is then generated which may be recorded individually or averaged. A detector is provided for measuring the light beam exiting the cell through one of the at least one light transmissive windows. The light source and detector are contained within a chamber which is external to the cell and isolated from the sample region, the chamber and the sample region being placed in optical communication with each other through at least one of the at least one light transmissive windows. The pressure inside the chamber is controlled to a value which is positive relative to atmospheric pressure. The method can be used to detect gas phase molecular species in a sample. Particular applicability is found in semiconductor processing.

Method and system for sensitive detection of molecular species in a

A novel method for calibration of a spectroscopic sensor is provided. In the method, a spectroscopic system is provided. The system includes a measurement cell having one or more walls which at least partially enclose a sample region. The cell further includes a light entry port and a light exit port. The light entry port and the light exit port can be the same port or separate ports. Each of the ports contains a light transmissive window through which a light beam passes along an internal light path inside the measurement cell. The system further has an optical chamber which contains a light source for generating the light beam which passes through the light entry port into the cell, and a detector for measuring the light beam exiting the cell through the light exit port. The light beam passes along an external light path inside the optical chamber. In addition, a gas inlet is connected to the optical chamber. A calibration gas stream is introduced into the optical chamber. The calibration gas stream contains a calibrating gas species and a carrier gas. The calibrating gas species is present in the calibration gas stream in a known concentration. A spectroscopy measurement of the calibration gas stream is then performed. The method finds particular applicability in the calibration of an in-line spectroscopic sensor useful in the detection of molecules of interest in a semiconductor processing tool.

Method for calibration of a spectroscopic sensor

Provided is a novel polygonal planar multipass cell and method of use for absorption spectroscopy. The cell comprises a sample region circumscribed by a plurality of walls. Each wall has a light reflective surface facing the sample region, and each wall is connected to at least one other wall so as to form in cross section substantially a polygon. At least one side of the polygon has a light entry/exit port therein, and the entry/exit port contains a light transmissive window which has a surface facing the sample region. The window is disposed so as to seal the cell in the circumferential direction. The cell has a central axis parallel to the light reflective surfaces of the walls and the surface of the light transmissive window which face the sample region. The cell can be used to measure molecular gas impurities in a sample. Particular applicability is found in semiconductor processing.

Polygonal planar multipass cell, system and apparatus including same,

Provided is a novel method for wavelength stabilization in a laser spectrometer useful in spectroscopic measurement. According to the method, an initial scan is performed which comprises applying a current or voltage signal to a laser. In the scan, a current or voltage signal value is increased incrementally from a minimum signal value to a maximum signal value over a predetermined total number of signal values. The minimum and maximum signal values are selected such that an absorption feature of a species to be measured falls within the scan bounded by the minimum and the maximum signal values. The relative position of the absorption feature is determined with respect to the applied signal values in the previous scan by analysis of detector outputs corresponding to the signal values in the previous scan. An absorption value corresponding to the absorption feature is determined, and the concentration of the species to be measured can optionally be calculated. A new current or voltage signal scan is defined by resetting the signal values from the previous scan, so as to set the absorption feature in the new current or voltage scan in the same relative position with respect to the applied signal values as in the previous scan. An additional scan is performed, and the steps can be repeated until completion of the spectroscopic measurement. The inventive method allows for automatic correction and stabilization of wavelength in real time without the need for significant computation beyond what is typically required for determining the concentration of the species of interest from the spectroscopic data. Particular applicability is found in tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS).

Method for stabilizing the wavelength in a laser spectrometer system

Provided is a novel method for rapidly determining an impurity level in a gas source. A gas source and a measurement tool are provided for measuring an impurity level in a gas flowing from the gas source. The measurement tool is in communication with the gas source through a sampling line. The sampling line has a gas inlet disposed upstream from a gas outlet. The sampling line is baked according to a baking strategy, such that when baking is terminated, a concentration profile of the impurity in the sampling line contains a first region and a second region. In the first region, extending from the gas inlet to a point downstream from the inlet, the vapor phase concentration of the impurity is less than the vapor phase concentration of the impurity in the gas entering the sampling line. In the second region, located downstream from the first region and extending to the gas outlet, the vapor phase concentration of the impurity is greater than the vapor phase concentration of the impurity in the gas entering the sampling line. A method for rapidly determining an impurity level in a gas distribution system which delivers gas to a point of use is also provided. Particular applicability is found in the semiconductor processing industry to measure impurities in gases delivered to processing tools.

Method for rapidly determining an impurity level in a gas source or a

The spectrographic sample cell for the analysis of trace impurities in sample gases. The cell is provided with a gas inlet, a gas outlet and a volume for confining the sample gases for analysis. Two mirrors are provided, a first mirror proximate the gas inlet the second mirror proximate the gas outlet, the first mirror having a hole at its radial center. A conically-shaped cell profile is further provided such that the formation of vortices of sample gas is prevented in the cell upstream of or in the region where the analysis of trace impurities is to take place.

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Lockport, IL, United States of America

James J McAndrew