# US 12,014,942 B2 · Leak measurement system, semiconductor manufacturing system, and leak measurement method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,014,942 B2 - Document ID: US12014942B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/064,861 - Filed: 2020-10-07 - Published: 2021-04-08 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-08 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Yuta Kunitake - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12014942B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - G01H 9/00: Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves by using radiation-sensitive means, e.g. optical means - G01H 11/08: using piezoelectric devices - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES ## Abstract A leak measurement system measures a leak of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The leak measurement system includes a vibration sensor that contacts or is connected to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, an image generation unit that generates a vibration waveform image based on vibration data detected by the vibration sensor, and an analysis unit that analyzes the leak of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus based on the vibration waveform image generated by the image generation unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A leak measurement system comprising: a vibration sensor that contacts or is connected to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus; an imaging circuitry that generates a vibration waveform image based on vibration data detected by the vibration sensor; and an analyzing circuitry that analyzes a gas leak of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus based on the vibration waveform image generated by the imaging circuitry, thereby measuring the gas leak of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus based on vibration, wherein the analyzing circuitry includes: an image processing circuitry that generates a difference image of two vibration waveform images generated by the imaging circuitry; a calculation circuitry that calculates a difference ratio based on the difference image generated by the image processing circuitry; and a determination circuitry that determines whether there is a leak in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus based on the difference ratio calculated by the calculation circuitry, and the difference ratio is calculated by a ratio of a non-matching area in the two vibration waveform images to an entire area of the difference image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The leak measurement system according to claim 1, wherein one of the two vibration waveform images is generated based on the vibration data detected by the vibration sensor in a state where there is no leak in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The leak measurement system according to claim 2, wherein one of the two vibration waveform images is generated based on the vibration data detected by the vibration sensor in a state where an inert gas is not supplied to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The leak measurement system according to claim 3, wherein a remaining one of the two vibration waveform images is generated based on the vibration data detected by the vibration sensor in a state where the leak of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is to be measured. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The leak measurement system according to claim 4, wherein the remaining one of the two vibration waveform images is generated based on the vibration data detected by the vibration sensor in a state where an inert gas is supplied to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to pressurize an inside of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The leak measurement system according to claim 5, wherein the determination circuitry determines a presence or absence of the leak by comparing the difference ratio calculated by the calculation circuitry with a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The leak measurement system according to claim 6, wherein the imaging circuitry generates the vibration waveform image by performing an FFT analysis on the vibration data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The leak measurement system according to claim 7, further comprising: a display that displays an analysis result of the leak analyzed by the analyzing circuitry. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The leak measurement system according to claim 7, further comprising: a storage that stores the vibration data detected by the vibration sensor, the vibration waveform image generated by the imaging circuitry, and the analysis result of the leak analyzed by the analyzing circuitry. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The leak measurement system according to claim 1, wherein one of the two vibration waveform images is generated based on the vibration data detected by the vibration sensor in a state where an inert gas is not supplied to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The leak measurement system according to claim 1, wherein a remaining one of the two vibration waveform images is an image generated based on the vibration data detected by the vibration sensor in a state where the leak of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is to be measured. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The leak measurement system according to claim 1, wherein a remaining one of the two vibration waveform images is an image generated based on the vibration data detected by the vibration sensor in a state where an inert gas is supplied to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to pressurize an inside of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The leak measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the determination circuitry determines a presence or absence of the leak by comparing the difference ratio calculated by the calculation circuitry with a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The leak measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging circuitry generates the vibration waveform image by performing an FFT analysis on the vibration data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The leak measurement system according to claim 1, further comprising: a display that displays an analysis result of the leak analyzed by the analyzing circuitry. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The leak measurement system according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage that stores the vibration data detected by the vibration sensor, the vibration waveform image generated by the imaging circuitry, and the analysis result of the leak analyzed by the analyzing circuitry. ### Claim 17 A semiconductor manufacturing system comprising: a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus; a vibration sensor that contacts or is connected to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus; an imaging circuitry that generates a vibration waveform image based on vibration data detected by the vibration sensor; and an analyzing circuitry that analyzes a gas leak of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus based on the vibration waveform image generated by the imaging circuitry, thereby analyzing the gas leak of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus based on vibration, wherein the analyzing circuitry includes: an image processing circuitry that generates a difference image of two vibration waveform images generated by the imaging circuitry; a calculation circuitry that calculates a difference ratio based on the difference image generated by the image processing circuitry; and a determination circuitry that determines whether there is a leak in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus based on the difference ratio calculated by the calculation circuitry, and the difference ratio is calculated by a ratio of a non-matching area in the two vibration waveform images to an entire area of the difference image. ### Claim 18 A leak measurement method of measuring a leak of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the method comprising: generating a vibration waveform image based on vibration data detected by a vibration sensor that contacts or is connected to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus; and analyzing a gas leak of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus based on the vibration waveform image generated in the generating of the vibration waveform image, thereby measuring the gas leak of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus based on vibration, wherein the analyzing of the gas leak of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes: generating a difference image of two vibration waveform images generated in the generating of the vibration waveform image; calculating a difference ratio based on the difference image; and determining whether there is a leak in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus based on the difference ratio, and the difference ratio is calculated by a ratio of a non-matching area in the two vibration waveform images to an entire area of the difference image.