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US 10,504,758 B2Granted
Nozzle having real time inspection functions
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsKai-Lin Chuang, Tsung-Chi Chen, Pei-Jung Chang, Chun-Wei Huang, Jun Xiu Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nozzle for emitting a fluid comprises a channel, a light source and a light sensor. The channel is configured to flow the fluid. The light source is configured to emit light towards a surface on which the fluid is applied and the light sensor is configured to receive reflected light from the surface.
Claims18
A nozzle for emitting a fluid, comprising:
- a housing having a first channel and a second channel, wherein the first channel allows the fluid to flow through;
- a light source that emits light towards a surface of a wafer on which the fluid is applied, wherein the wafer is external to the nozzle;
- and
- a light sensor that receives reflected light from the surface of the wafer, the light source and the light sensor being disposed within the first channel and offset from a longitudinal central axis of the first channel,
- wherein the housing further comprises outer sidewalls and inner sidewalls between the outer sidewalls, the inner sidewalls and a first portion of the second channel are parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the first channel, the inner sidewalls define the first channel, and the first portion of the second channel is spaced apart from the first channel and between the inner sidewalls and the outer sidewalls.
2 more elements
A nozzle for providing a fluid, comprising:
- a housing comprising:
- a first channel that allows the fluid to flow out of the first channel and reach a surface of a workpiece external to the housing, the fluid comprising a first refractive index greater than a second refractive index of air and the housing comprising inner sidewalls circumscribing the first channel;
- and
- a second channel that allows a gas to flow through;
- a light source disposed on a first side of the inner sidewalls that emits light along the first side towards the surface of the workpiece, an entirety of the emitted light being confined within the fluid along a path between the first channel and the workpiece;
- and
- a light sensor disposed on a second side of the inner sidewalls of the housing and that receives light reflected from the surface of the workpiece on which the fluid is applied,
- wherein a longitudinal axis of each of the light source and the light sensor is parallel to and offset from a longitudinal central axis of the first channel.
5 more elements
A semiconductor manufacturing system, comprising:
- a nozzle, the nozzle comprising:
- a housing having a first channel that allows a liquid to flow through and a second channel that allows a gas to flow through;
- a light source disposed within the first channel that emits light to a wafer spaced apart from the nozzle, the emitted light at least partially overlapping the liquid flowing in the first channel;
- and
- a light sensor disposed within the first channel that receives light reflected from the wafer, the light source and the light sensor being offset from a longitudinal central axis of the first channel,
- wherein the housing further comprises outer sidewalls and inner sidewalls between the outer sidewalls, the inner sidewalls and a first portion of the second channel are parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the first channel, the inner sidewalls define the first channel, and the first portion of the second channel is spaced apart from the first channel and between the inner sidewalls and the outer sidewalls.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.