Abstract: A system for maintaining a printed circuit board in an enclosure includes at least one interposer. The circuit board and housing are coupled to one or more interposers. The interposer(s) fixedly couples to both the circuit board and the enclosure, and allows the circuit board and enclosure to maintain alignment during thermal heat expansion along a desired axis, such as between the center of the board and housing.

Abstract: A sensor for sensing a gap between the sensor and an object of interest within a semiconductor processing chamber is provided. The sensor includes a housing, a power source inside the housing, wireless communication circuitry, a controller, measurement circuitry and a plurality of capacitive plate pairs. The controller and wireless communication circuitry are coupled to each other, and to the power source. The plurality of capacitive plate pairs are configured to form capacitors having a capacitance that varies with the gap. Measurement circuitry is coupled to the controller and to the plurality of capacitive plate pairs. The measurement circuitry is configured to measure the capacitance of the capacitive plate pairs and provide indications thereof to the controller. The controller is configured to provide an indication relative to the gap based, at least in part, upon the measured capacitances.

Abstract: An in-line particle sensor includes a sensor body, an illumination source, an illumination detector and communication electronics. The sensor body has an electronics enclosure and a flowthrough portion with a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a sample interaction region and a fluid path extending through the sample interaction region from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet. The illumination source is disposed to provide light through at least a portion of the sample interaction region. The illumination detector is disposed to detect illumination variation resulting from illumination impinging at least one particle in the flow path in the sample interaction region. The communication electronics are operably coupled to the illumination detector to provide an indication of the at least one particle sensed by the illumination detector. The sample interaction region is configured to withstand high operating pressure.

Abstract: A wireless substrate-like sensor is provided to facilitate alignment and calibration of semiconductor processing systems. The wireless substrate-like sensor includes an optical image acquisition system that acquires one or more images of targets placed within the semiconductor processing system. Analysis of images of the targets obtained by the wireless substrate-like sensor provides position and/or orientation information in at least three degrees of freedom. An additional target is affixed to a known location within the semiconductor processing system such that imaging the reference position with the wireless substrate-like sensor allows the measurement and compensation for pick-up errors.

Abstract: A wireless sensor is provided to obtain information relating to vibration of wafers or substrates in a semiconductor processing system. In one exemplary embodiment, a wireless substrate-like sensor is provided and includes a power source adapted to provide power to the sensor, a wireless communication module coupled to the power source, and a controller coupled to the power source and the wireless communication module. An acceleration detection component is operably coupled to the controller to provide information relative to acceleration of the sensor in three axes.

Abstract: A wireless substrate-like sensor is provided to facilitate alignment and calibration of semiconductor processing systems. The wireless substrate-like sensor includes an optical image acquisition system that acquires one or more images of targets placed within the semiconductor processing system. Analysis of images of the targets obtained by the wireless substrate-like sensor provides position and/or orientation information in at least three degrees of freedom. An additional target is affixed to a known location within the semiconductor processing system such that imaging the reference position with the wireless substrate-like sensor allows the measurement and compensation for pick-up errors.

Abstract: A wireless substrate-like sensor is provided to facilitate alignment and calibration of semiconductor processing systems. The wireless substrate-like sensor includes an optical image acquisition system that acquires one or more images of targets placed within the semiconductor processing system. Analysis of images of the targets obtained by the wireless substrate-like sensor provides position and/or orientation information in at least three degrees of freedom. An additional target is affixed to a known location within the semiconductor processing system such that imaging the reference position with the wireless substrate-like sensor allows the measurement and compensation for pick-up errors.

Abstract: An improved laser-based wafer carrier mapping sensor is provided. The sensor includes a number of improvements including laser source improvements; optical improvements; and detector improvements. Laser source improvements include the type of laser sources used as well as the specification of size and power of such sources. Optical improvements include features that intentionally defocus the laser stripe on the wafer as well as additional features that help ensure precision stripe generation. Detector improvements include increasing gain while decreasing the effects of ambient light. Various combinations of these features provide additional synergies that facilitate the construction of a sensor with significantly improved dynamic response while decreasing the frequency of false cross slot errors.

Abstract: A wireless substrate-like sensor is provided to facilitate alignment and calibration of semiconductor processing systems. The wireless substrate-like sensor includes an optical image acquisition system that acquires one or more images of targets placed within the semiconductor processing system. Analysis of images of the targets obtained by the wireless substrate-like sensor provides position and/or orientation information in at least three degrees of freedom. An additional target is affixed to a known location within the semiconductor processing system such that imaging the reference position with the wireless substrate-like sensor allows the measurement and compensation for pick-up errors.

Abstract: A wireless substrate-like sensor is provided to facilitate alignment and calibration of semiconductor processing systems. The wireless substrate-like sensor includes an optical image acquisition system that acquires one or more images of targets placed within the semiconductor processing system. Analysis of images of the targets obtained by the wireless substrate-like sensor provides position and/or orientation information in at least three degrees of freedom. An additional target is affixed to a known location within the semiconductor processing system such that imaging the reference position with the wireless substrate-like sensor allows the measurement and compensation for pick-up errors.

Abstract: A wafer mapping sensor assembly includes a housing, and an imaging array positioned therein. Imaging optics are positioned relative to the array to focus an image upon the array. An illumination source is configured to direct illumination toward the wafer, where such illumination is reflected by the wafer. An optical element is interposed between the source and the wafer. The optical element directs the illumination to reduce the effects of undesirable illumination.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally provide accurate spatial determination, in three dimensions, of the wafer location, along with the provision of information about the presence of any error conditions relative to the wafer(s) such as cross slotting or double stacked wafers inside the wafer carrier. A device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention can be used in conjunction with a wafer handling system which requires the measurement of a wafer's location before it can be picked up and passed through a set of processing steps.