SBIR Phase I: Trapping Particle Detector for On-Line Monitoring

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将开发改进的粒子探测器，用于监测半导体制造工具。这项检测技术将把直径大于0.2微米的颗粒的计数速度提高100到1000倍，将颗粒探测器和晶片之间的相关性提高10倍以上。对于较小的颗粒，该探测器将能够进行检测，最终达到纳米颗粒状态(小于25纳米)。这一提议的学术价值在于，它将促进微等离子体工程和物理领域的知识水平。它将拓宽对等离子体标度和等离子体中粒子行为的了解。这项提议将通过实现具有成本效益的实时监控来提高半导体工艺工具制造商的产品性能。在商业上，这一计划的广泛经济效益将是提高国内半导体制造商的竞争力。颗粒问题约占制造工具停机时间的11%，是造成废品和产量损失的主要原因。这项技术将为整个纳米技术领域带来附带好处。通过提高检测的小颗粒性能极限，它将使纳米技术研究人员和制造商能够解决与纳米颗粒生产相关的安全问题。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop improved particle detectors for monitoring of semiconductor manufacturing tools. This detection technology will increase count rates for greater than 0.2 micron diameter particles by 100 to 1000 times improving correlations between the particle detector and wafer by greater than 10 times. For smaller particles this detector will enable detection, ultimately to the nanoparticle regime (less than 25 nanometers). The intellectual merit of this proposal is that it will advance the state of knowledge in the field of engineering and physics of microplasmas. It will broaden knowledge of plasma scaling and of the behavior of particles in plasmas. This proposal will improve the performance of semiconductor process tool manufacturer's products by enabling cost-effective, real-time monitoring. Commercially, the broad economic benefit of this program will be to enhance the competitiveness of domestic semiconductor manufacturers. Particle issues account for approximately 11% of manufacturing tool downtime and are a major cause of scrap and yield losses. This technology will have spin-out benefits for the entire nanotechnology field. By enhancing the small particle performance limit of detection it will enable nanotech researchers and manufacturers to address safety issues related to nanoparticle production.