# US 11,906,414 B2 · Foreign substance detection device and foreign substance detection method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,906,414 B2
- Document ID: US11906414B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/809,365
- Filed: 2022-06-28
- Published: 2022-10-13
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2016-01-21
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Masato Hayashi; Kohei Noguchi; Daisuke Kajiwara; Koudai Higashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906414B2

## CPC

- G01N 15/06: Investigating concentration of particle suspensions (by weighing G01N5/00; investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions G01N15/04; investigating individual particles G01N15/10)
- G01N 15/0205: by optical means
- G01N 15/1434: Optical arrangements
- G01N 15/1459: {the analysis being performed on a sample stream}
- G01N 21/51: inside a container, e.g. in an ampoule (G01N21/53 takes precedence)
- G01N 21/53: within a flowing fluid, e.g. smoke
- G01N 21/94: Investigating contamination, e.g. dust (G01N21/85 takes precedence)
- G01N 15/075: by optical means
- G01N 2015/0011: {in liquids, e.g. bubbles}
- G01N 2015/0053: {in liquids, e.g. trouble}
- G01N 2015/0687: {in solutions, e.g. non volatile residue}
- G01N 2015/1454: {using phase shift or interference, e.g. for improving contrast}
- G01N 2015/1486: {Counting the particles}
- G01N 2015/1493: {Particle size}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A foreign substance detection device includes a flow path unit through which a fluid is flown; an optical system configured to flatten a laser light from a laser source to be lengthened in a direction intersecting with a flow direction of the fluid; a laser light irradiation unit provided such that an optical path intersects with the flow direction and configured to irradiate the laser light into the flow path unit; a light detection unit which is provided on the optical path having passed through the flow path unit and includes light receiving elements arranged in a lengthwise direction of a transversal cross section of the optical path; a foreign substance detection unit configured to compare a signal level corresponding to intensity of light received by each light receiving element with a threshold value and configured to detect the foreign substances based on a comparison result.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A chemical liquid supply apparatus configured to perform a processing by supplying a chemical liquid to a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a flow path formation unit configured to form a plurality of flow paths through which the chemical liquid supplied to the substrate is flown and through which a light passes;
a chemical liquid supply unit configured to supply the chemical liquid to the flow path formation unit such that the chemical liquid is supplied to a selected one of the plurality of flow paths;
a laser light irradiation unit, commonly shared by the plurality of flow paths, configured to irradiate a laser light into each of the plurality of flow paths;
a light receiving element, commonly shared by the plurality of flow paths, disposed to face the laser light irradiation unit with the flow path formation unit therebetween;
a foreign substance detection unit configured to detect foreign substances in the chemical liquid based on a signal output from the light receiving element; and
a moving mechanism configured to move the laser light irradiation unit and the light receiving element to a position corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of flow paths to detect the foreign substances in the chemical liquid supplied to the selected one of the plurality of flow paths.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The chemical liquid supply apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the foreign substance detection unit is further configured to count a number of the detected foreign substances for each of multiple ranges set for a particle diameter of the detected foreign substances.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The chemical liquid supply apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a shutter configured to open/close an optical path between the laser light irradiation unit and a light source configured to supply a light to the laser light irradiation unit,
wherein while the laser light irradiation unit and the light receiving element is being moved between a position corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of flow paths and another position corresponding to another one of the plurality of flow paths by the moving mechanism, the optical path is closed by the shutter.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The chemical liquid supply apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the foreign substance detection unit is further configured to determine whether or not to stop supplying of the chemical liquid to a following substrate based on a signal output from the light receiving element obtained while the chemical liquid is being supplied to the substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A coating and developing system comprising:
a chemical liquid supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1;
a mounting table configured to mount a carrier in which the substrate is accommodated; and
a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate between the carrier and the chemical liquid supply apparatus,
wherein the chemical liquid supply apparatus is a coating and developing apparatus configured to perform a coating and developing process.