Apparatus for real-time contamination, environmental, or physical monitoring of a photomask
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsBrent A. Anderson, Robert K. Leidy, Jed H. Rankin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for real-time contamination, environmental, or physical monitoring of a photomask. The apparatus includes a photomask having a patterned region configured to correspond to features of an integrated circuit and a sensor physically coupled with the photomask. The sensor is configured to monitor an attribute related to the photomask. Attributes monitored by the sensor may include chemical contamination, temperature changes, humidity changes, acceleration, shock, vibration, optical flux through the photomask, electrostatic discharge environment of the photomask, particulates, and pressure.
Claims13
An apparatus comprising:
- a photomask including a mask field with a pattern of features configured to correspond to features of an integrated circuit;
- and
- a sensor physically coupled with the photomask, the sensor configured to monitor an attribute related to the photomask.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.