Method and apparatus for removing and/or preventing surface contamination of a probe
AssigneeSolid State Measurements, Inc.
InventorsWilliam H. Howland, Jr., James E. Healy, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To remove and/or prevent contamination of a probe, at least a portion of the probe is positioned in a chamber having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, with a distal end of the probe extending through the outlet passage and terminating on a side thereof opposite the chamber. A gas is caused to flow through the inlet passage into the chamber and out the outlet passage, thereby modifying an environment surrounding the distal end of the probe. The gas may be heated prior to injection.
Claims29
A method of removing and/or preventing contamination of a surface of a semiconductor wafer or sample probe, comprising:
- (a) positioning at least a portion of the semiconductor wafer or sample probe in a chamber having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, with a distal end of the semiconductor wafer or sample probe extending through the outlet passage and terminating outside the chamber;
- and
- (b) causing a gas to flow through the inlet passage into the chamber and out of the outlet passage, thereby modifying an environment surrounding the distal end of the semiconductor wafer or sample probe, wherein the gas flowing out of the outlet passage flows by an exterior surface of the semiconductor wafer or sample probe.
A method of removing and preventing contamination of a surface of a semiconductor wafer or sample probe, comprising:
- (a) positioning at least a portion of the semiconductor wafer or sample probe in a chamber having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, with a distal end of the semiconductor wafer or sample probe extending through the outlet passage and terminating outside the chamber;
- (b) heating a gas;
- and
- (c) causing the heated gas to flow through the inlet passage into the chamber and out the outlet passage whereupon the heated gas contacts an exterior surface of the semiconductor wafer or sample probe in the outlet passage and the distal end of the semiconductor wafer or sample probe.
A system for removing and preventing contamination of a surface of a semiconductor wafer or sample probe extending through an insulator and attached to a probe arm, the system comprising:
- a shroud, including (i) a body defining a wall, wherein the wall, the insulator and the probe arm define a chamber through which the semiconductor wafer or sample probe extends, (ii) an inlet passage extending through the wall and in fluid communication with the chamber, and (iii) an outlet passage extending through a base of the body and in fluid communication with the chamber;
- and
- a gas source in fluid communication with the inlet passage of the body and configured to cause a gas to flow through the inlet passage into the chamber and out the outlet passage via an exterior surface of the semiconductor wafer or sample probe which extends through the outlet passage and terminates outside the chamber.
A shroud for removing and preventing contamination of a surface of a semiconductor wafer or sample probe, the shroud comprising:
- a body defining a wall and a base;
- an inlet passage extending through the body and debouching through the wall;
- and
- an outlet passage extending through the base, wherein, in use of the shroud, the wall defines a wall of a chamber in which at least part of the semiconductor wafer or sample probe is positioned with the distal end of the semiconductor wafer or sample probe extending through the outlet passage and terminating outside the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.