# US 10,770,263 B2 · Methods and systems for determining a fault in a gas heater channel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,263 B2 - Document ID: US10770263B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/595,351 - Filed: 2019-10-07 - Published: 2020-03-26 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-17 - Assignees: Lam Research Corporation - Applicants: Lam Research Corporation - Inventors: Dirk Rudolph - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770263B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/244: Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor - H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means} - H01J 37/32449: {Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow} - H01J 37/32522: {Temperature} - H01J 37/32926: {Software, data control or modelling} - H01J 37/3299: {Feedback systems} - H01J 2237/24564: Measurements of electric or magnetic variables, e.g. voltage, current, frequency - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract Systems and methods for determining a fault in a gas heater channel are described. One of the methods includes receiving measured parameters associated with a plurality of heater elements of the gas heater channel. The gas heater channel transfers one or more gases from a gas supply to a plasma chamber. The method further includes calculating a measured parallel resistance of the plurality of heater elements from the measured parameters, comparing the measured parallel resistance to an ideal parallel resistance of the heater elements of the gas heater channel, and determining based on the comparison that a portion of the gas heater channel is inoperational. The method includes selecting an identity of one of the heater elements from a correspondence between a plurality of identities of the heater elements and the measured parallel resistance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A controller comprising: a processor configured to: receive an amount of current flowing via a plurality of heater elements coupled in series and an amount of voltage across each of the plurality of heater elements coupled in series; calculate a measured parallel resistance from the amount of current and the amount of voltage; compare the measured parallel resistance with an ideal parallel resistance for the plurality of heater elements; and determine, based on the comparison between the measured parallel resistance and the ideal parallel resistance, that at least one of the plurality of heater elements is faulty; and a memory device coupled to the processor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The controller of claim 1, wherein a first one of the plurality of heater elements is connected to a second one of the plurality of heater elements via a connector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The controller of claim 1, wherein the amount of current is measured by coupling a current sensor to one of the plurality of heater elements, wherein the amount of voltage is measured by coupling a voltage sensor in parallel to each of the plurality of heater elements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The controller of claim 1, wherein the measured parallel resistance is calculated as a ratio of the amount of voltage to the amount of current. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the ideal parallel resistance, wherein the ideal parallel resistance is calculated as an inverse of a value, wherein the value is calculated as a sum of inverses of ideal resistances of each of the plurality of heater elements. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the measured parallel resistance is within a predetermined threshold from the ideal parallel resistance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The controller of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the measured parallel resistance is not within the predetermined threshold from the ideal parallel resistance to determine that the at least one of the plurality of heater elements is faulty. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: receiving an amount of current flowing via a plurality of heater elements coupled in series and an amount of voltage across each of the plurality of heater elements coupled in series; calculating a measured parallel resistance from the amount of current and the amount of voltage; comparing the measured parallel resistance with an ideal parallel resistance for the plurality of heater elements; and determining, based on the comparison between the measured parallel resistance and the ideal parallel resistance, that at least one of the plurality of heater elements is faulty. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein a first one of the plurality of heater elements is connected to a second one of the plurality of heater elements via a connector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the amount of current is measured by coupling a current sensor to one of the plurality of heater elements, wherein the amount of voltage is measured by coupling a voltage sensor in parallel to each of the plurality of heater elements. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the measured parallel resistance is calculated as a ratio of the amount of voltage to the amount of current. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: calculating a sum of inverses of ideal resistances of each of the plurality of heater elements to determine a value; and calculating the ideal parallel resistance as an inverse of the value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein said comparing the measured parallel resistance with the ideal parallel resistance comprises determining whether the measured parallel resistance is within a predetermined threshold from the ideal parallel resistance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein said determining that the at least one of the plurality of heater elements is faulty comprises determining that the measured parallel resistance is not within the predetermined threshold from the ideal parallel resistance. ### Claim 15 A system comprising: a plasma chamber having electrode including a plurality of heater elements coupled in series; a host controller configured to: receive an amount of current flowing via the plurality of heater elements coupled in series and an amount of voltage across each of the plurality of heater elements coupled in series; calculate a measured parallel resistance from the amount of current and the amount of voltage; compare the measured parallel resistance with an ideal parallel resistance for the plurality of heater elements; and determine, based on the comparison between the measured parallel resistance and the ideal parallel resistance, that at least one of the plurality of heater elements is faulty. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein a first one of the plurality of heater elements is connected to a second one of the plurality of heater elements via a connector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the amount of current is measured by coupling a current sensor to one of the plurality of heater elements, wherein the amount of voltage is measured by coupling a voltage sensor in parallel to each of the plurality of heater elements. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the measured parallel resistance is calculated as a ratio of the amount of voltage to the amount of current. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the host controller is configured to calculate the ideal parallel resistance, wherein the ideal parallel resistance is calculated as an inverse of a value, wherein the value is calculated as a sum of inverses of ideal resistances of each of the plurality of heater elements. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the host controller is configured to determine whether the measured parallel resistance is within a predetermined threshold from the ideal parallel resistance. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the host controller is configured to determine that the measured parallel resistance is not within the predetermined threshold from the ideal parallel resistance to determine that the at least one of the plurality of heater elements is faulty.