# US 2021/0280443 A1 · Capacitive sensor for chamber condition monitoring

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- Number: US 2021/0280443 A1
- Document ID: US20210280443A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/812,066
- Filed: 2020-03-06
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Yaoling Pan; Patrick John Tae; Leonard Tedeschi; Jennifer Sun; Philip Allan Kraus; Xiaopu Li; Kallol Bera; Michael D. Willwerth; Albert Barrett Hicks, III; Lisa J. Enman; Mark Joseph Saly; Daniel Thomas McCormick
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280443A1

## CPC

- H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring}
- H10P 72/0612: {Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput}
- G01N 27/226: {Construction of measuring vessels; Electrodes therefor}
- G01N 27/228: {Circuits therefor (measuring capacitance per se G01R27/26)}
- G05B 19/41875: {characterised by quality surveillance of production}
- G05B 2219/32177: Computer assisted quality surveyance, caq
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- 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)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein comprise a sensor. In an embodiment, the sensor comprises a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite from the first surface. In an embodiment, the sensor further comprises a first electrode over the first surface of the substrate, and a second electrode over the first surface of the substrate and adjacent to the first electrode. In an embodiment, the sensor further comprises a barrier layer over the first electrode and the second electrode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sensor, comprising:
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite from the first surface;
a first electrode over the first surface of the substrate;
a second electrode over the first surface of the substrate and adjacent to the first electrode; and
a barrier layer over the first electrode and the second electrode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the first electrode comprises a plurality of first fingers, and the second electrode comprises a plurality of second fingers, and wherein the first fingers are interdigitated with the second fingers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the second electrode is a ring that surrounds a perimeter of the first electrode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is a first spiral and the second electrode is a second spiral, and wherein the first spiral interlocks with the second spiral.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, further comprising:
a guard ring around a perimeter of the first electrode and the second electrode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, further comprising:
a third electrode over the first surface and adjacent to the second electrode, wherein the second electrode is between the first electrode and the third electrode.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, further comprising:
a support above the first surface of the substrate, wherein at least a portion of the first electrode and at least a portion of the second electrode is on the support.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The sensor of claim 7, wherein an air cavity is between the support and the first surface of the substrate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The sensor of claim 8, wherein a support structure is below the support, wherein the support structure has a first dielectric constant that is less than a second dielectric constant of the substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer is a conformal layer over the first electrode, the second electrode, and the first surface of the substrate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer comprises one or more of a metallic oxide, a metallic fluoride, and a metallic oxyfluoride.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, further comprising:
a thermal sensor disposed over the second surface of the substrate.

### Claim 13

A sensor module, comprising:
a sensor substrate with a first surface and a second surface opposite from the first surface;
a first electrode over the first surface of the sensor substrate;
a second electrode over the first surface of the sensor substrate and adjacent to the first electrode; and
a capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) electrically coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The sensor module of claim 13, wherein the CDC is attached to the second surface of the sensor substrate.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The sensor module of claim 14, further comprising:
a first conductive path through the sensor substrate for electrically coupling the first electrode to the CDC; and
a second conductive path through the sensor substrate for electrically coupling the second electrode to the CDC.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The sensor module of claim 13, wherein the CDC comprises a temperature sensor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The sensor module of claim 13, further comprising:
a temperature sensor over the second surface of the sensor substrate.

### Claim 18

A processing tool, comprising:
a chamber defining an interior volume, wherein the interior volume comprises a processing region and an evacuation region;
a lid to seal the chamber;
a substrate support within the processing region, the substrate support for supporting a substrate and a process ring; and
a capacitive sensor within the interior volume, wherein the capacitive sensor comprises:
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite from the first surface;
a first electrode over the first surface of the substrate;
a second electrode over the first surface of the substrate and adjacent to the first electrode; and
a barrier layer over the first electrode and the second electrode.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The processing tool of claim 18, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are electrically coupled to a capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC).

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The processing tool of claim 18, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are spaced away from the first surface of the substrate by a support.