Method of monitoring a semiconductor processing system using a wireless sensor network

A method of monitoring a semiconductor processing system that comprises a processing chamber, a gas supply system, an exhaust system, and a plurality of gas lines, wherein the plurality of gas lines includes at least one gas feed line coupling the gas supply system to the processing chamber and at least one gas exhaust line coupling the processing chamber to the exhaust system, the method comprising:

• positioning a first plurality of accelerometer sensors on at least one of the plurality of gas lines and further positioning a second plurality of accelerometer sensors on an outer surface of a system component comprising an automatic pressure controller, a vacuum pump, or a flow rate adjuster, or combinations thereof in the processing system, wherein the first and second plurality of accelerometer sensors form a wireless sensor network;
• acquiring a vibrational signal comprising a vibrational signature from the first and second plurality of accelerometer sensors in the wireless sensor network, the vibrational signature comprises vibrations of the at least one of the plurality of gas lines or the system component or a combination thereof in response to the flow of the process gas in the processing system, wherein the vibrational signal tracks a gradual or abrupt change in a processing state of any of the at least one of the plurality of gas lines and the system component during a process comprising flow of a process gas in contact with the at least one of the plurality of gas lines and the system component;
• and
• extracting the vibrational signal from the wireless sensor network to store and process the vibrational signal.

A method of monitoring a semiconductor processing system that comprises a processing chamber, an automatic pressure controller, a flow rate adjuster, a vacuum pump, a gas supply system, an exhaust system, and a plurality of gas lines, wherein the plurality of gas lines includes at least one gas feed line coupling the gas supply system to the processing chamber and at least one gas exhaust line coupling the processing chamber to the exhaust system, the method comprising:

• positioning a plurality of non-invasive sensors on respective outer surfaces of at least one of the plurality of gas lines in the semiconductor processing system and on the respective outer surface of at least one of the automatic pressure controller, the flow rate adjuster, and the vacuum pump, wherein the plurality of non-invasive sensors form a wireless sensor network;
• acquiring at least two sensor signals in real time from the plurality of sensors in the wireless sensor network, wherein the at least two sensor signals track in real time a gradual or abrupt change in a processing state of at least one of the plurality of gas lines during a semiconductor manufacturing process comprising flow of a process gas in the semiconductor processing system;
• and
• extracting the at least two sensor signals from the wireless sensor network to store and process the at least two sensor signals.