# US 12,111,233 B2 · System and method for monitoring vacuum valve closing condition in vacuum processing system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,111,233 B2 - Document ID: US12111233B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/881,307 - Filed: 2022-08-04 - Published: 2022-11-24 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-27 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Pei Cheng Chiu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111233B2 ## CPC - G01M 3/2876: {for valves (G01M3/30 takes precedence)} - H10P 72/0441: {Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like} - G01M 3/02: by using fluid or vacuum - G01M 13/00: Testing of machine parts - G01M 13/003: Machine valves (testing valves for fluid tightness G01M3/00) - G01M 13/005: Sealing rings - H10P 72/0402: {Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence)} - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - H10P 72/3306: {Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece} - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A system and method for cleaning and inspecting ring frames is disclosed here. In one embodiment, a vacuum valve comprising at least one sealing O-ring; and a pressure monitoring tape on a mating surface on a vacuum processing chamber, wherein the pressure monitoring tape is configured to perform a pressure profile mapping between the mating surface on the vacuum processing chamber and a surface of the at least one sealing O-ring on the vacuum valve to determine a closing condition of the vacuum valve. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vacuum valve monitoring system, comprising: a vacuum valve comprising at least one sealing O-ring; and a pressure monitoring tape attached to a mating surface of a vacuum processing chamber, wherein the pressure monitoring tape is disposed between the at least one sealing O-ring and the mating surface and is configured to perform a pressure profile mapping between the mating surface on the vacuum processing chamber and a surface of the at least one sealing O-ring on the vacuum valve to determine a closing condition of the vacuum valve, wherein at least a portion of a surface of the at least one sealing O-ring is coated with a film of low vapor pressure grease, wherein the pressure monitoring tape comprises a plurality of pressure sensing elements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum valve is configured to open and close a transfer port within the vacuum processing chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a local computer configured to determine based on the pressure profile mapping a plurality of pressure values comprising an average pressure value, a maximum pressure value, a minimum pressure value and a deviation of pressure values for the at least one sealing O-ring, wherein the local computer determines whether one or more of the plurality of pressure values are within predefined threshold values. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the local computer is further configured to compare the plurality of pressure values to a plurality of predetermined threshold pressure values; and determine the closing condition of the vacuum valve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure monitoring tape is flexible. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pressure sensing elements comprises at least one of the following: capacitive, piezoresistive, and piezoelectric tactile sensors. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pressure sensing elements comprises a thin film sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a data acquisition unit to collect a respective plurality of signals from each of a respective plurality of pressure sensing elements on the pressure monitoring tape; and a data processing unit to process the respective plurality of signals. ### Claim 9 A vacuum valve monitoring method, comprising: closing a vacuum valve on a vacuum processing chamber, wherein the vacuum valve comprises at least one sealing O-ring; determining a closing condition of the vacuum valve using a pressure monitoring tape, wherein the pressure monitoring tape is configured on a mating surface that is disposed on a wall of the vacuum processing chamber to perform a pressure profile mapping between the mating surface that is disposed on the wall of the vacuum processing chamber and a surface of the at least one sealing O-ring on the vacuum valve, wherein the pressure monitoring tape is disposed between the at least one sealing O-ring and the mating surface, wherein at least a portion of a surface of the at least one sealing O-ring is coated with a film of low vapor pressure grease; determining based on the pressure profile mapping a plurality of pressure values for the at least one sealing O-ring; and determining whether one or more of the plurality of pressure values are within predefined threshold values. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the vacuum valve is configured to open and close a transfer port within the vacuum processing chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the pressure monitoring tape comprises a plurality of pressure sensing elements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of pressure sensing elements comprises at least one of the following: capacitive, piezoresistive, and piezoelectric tactile sensors. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of pressure sensing elements comprises a thin film sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the determining further comprising: collecting a respective plurality of signals from a respective plurality of pressure sensing elements on the pressure monitoring tape; and processing the respective plurality of signals from the respective plurality of pressure sensing elements to determine the pressure profile mapping. ### Claim 15 A vacuum valve monitoring system comprising: a vacuum valve comprising at least one sealing O-ring; a pressure monitoring tape disposed between a mating surface of a vacuum processing chamber and a surface of the at least one sealing O-ring on the vacuum valve, wherein at least a portion of a surface of the at least one sealing O-ring is coated with a film of low vapor pressure grease; a data acquisition unit configured to collect a respective plurality of signals from each of a respective plurality of pressure sensing elements on the pressure monitoring tape; a data processing unit configured to process the respective plurality of signals from the respective plurality of pressure sensing elements; and a local computer configured to determine a closing condition of the vacuum valve based on a plurality of pressure values obtained from the plurality of signals, wherein the local computer determines whether the one or more of the plurality of pressure values are within predefined threshold values. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the pressure monitoring tape is flexible. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of pressure sensing elements comprises at least one of the following: capacitive, piezoresistive, and piezoelectric tactile sensors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of pressure sensing elements comprises a thin film sensor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the vacuum valve is configured to open and close a transfer port within the vacuum processing chamber. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein if the one or more of the plurality of pressure values are within the predefined threshold values, instruct the vacuum processing chamber to perform vacuum processing, and wherein if the one or more of the plurality of pressure values are not within the predefined threshold values, alarm an operator and trigger a preconfigured maintenance procedure.