Systems and methods for detecting chemically contaminated samples

Abstract

A sample contamination detection assembly may include an environmental sensor device configured to simultaneously measure two or more of the following in order to determine chemical contamination: humidity, temperature, or volatile organic matter content of one or more samples. The assembly may include a funnel device. The funnel device may include a plurality of side walls defining two or more internal cavities. At least one side wall may include an inlet opening connected to an inlet cavity and a first exhaust opening connected to an exhaust cavity, and the environmental sensor device may be positioned close to the inlet opening and the first exhaust opening. The funnel device may include a rim configured to direct the air from the handler away from the environmental sensor device. The funnel device may include a slit located in at least one side wall, the slit may be configured to direct air from one or more samples to the environmental sensor device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 471,508, filed on June 7, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to sample manufacturing systems, and more particularly, to systems and methods for detecting chemically contaminated samples prior to loading into sample manufacturing tools.

Background Art

[0003] The process flow in modern semiconductor device manufacturing lines utilizes a number of manufacturing steps performed by a series of semiconductor manufacturing tools. For example, metrology tools and inspection tools can be used during the manufacturing process to ensure that a certain yield is achieved and maintained. Samples within the process flow typically move through the process steps within a sealable sample transport device or a front opening unified pod (FOUP).

[0004] In many cases, samples originate from the cleaning stage of the sample recovery process. The majority of the sample recovery process utilizes liquid-based chemical reactions (e.g., using water or organic compounds). If one of the process steps is not properly controlled (e.g., the drying step is not completed correctly), there is a risk of unintentionally loading chemically contaminated samples into the inspection tool. Thus, inspection tools can be damaged by unintentionally scanning chemically contaminated samples. For example, deep ultraviolet (DUV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optics are extremely sensitive to chemical contamination, which can alter performance or damage the tool. Current inspection systems lack prior knowledge of the sample's condition and therefore offer no protection against scanning contaminated samples. Some systems utilize stainless steel shields to protect the bottom of the objective lens; however, these shields do not protect the optics from chemically contaminated samples. Furthermore, chemically contaminated samples can cause damage to sample handling systems (e.g., robotic end effectors, sample chucks, pre-aligners, etc.) and, in some cases, adversely affect the performance of vacuum pumps and the base pressure of vacuum systems. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0349593 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 11353381 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 2021 / 0025607 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for systems and methods to detect chemically contaminated samples. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Sample contamination detection assemblies according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed. In embodiments, the assembly includes an environmental sensor device configured to simultaneously measure at least two of the following of one or more samples: humidity, temperature, or volatile organic matter content, to determine chemical contamination of one or more samples. In embodiments, the assembly includes a funnel device. In embodiments, the funnel device includes a plurality of side walls defining two or more internal cavities, each of which includes at least an inlet cavity configured to receive incoming air and an exhaust cavity configured to receive outgoing air, with at least one of the plurality of side walls including an inlet opening connected to the inlet cavity and a first exhaust opening connected to the exhaust cavity, the environmental sensor device being positioned in proximity to the inlet opening and the first exhaust opening of at least one side wall of the funnel device, and at least one other side wall of the plurality of side walls including another exhaust opening. In embodiments, the funnel device includes a rim configured to direct the air of a handler away from the environmental sensor device. In the embodiment, the funnel device includes a slit located in at least one of the side walls of a plurality of side walls, the slit being connected to an inlet cavity, and the slit being configured to guide air from one or more samples to an environmental sensor device through the inlet cavity and inlet opening of the funnel device.

[0008] A system for detecting chemical contamination is disclosed according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the system includes a sample contamination detection assembly. In an embodiment, the sample contamination detection assembly includes an environmental sensor device, which is configured to simultaneously measure at least two of the following: humidity, temperature, or volatile organic matter content (VOC) of one or more samples. In an embodiment, the sample contamination detection assembly includes a funnel device. In an embodiment, the funnel device includes a plurality of side walls defining two or more internal cavities, each of which includes at least an inlet cavity configured to receive incoming air and an exhaust cavity configured to receive outgoing air, and at least one of the plurality of side walls includes an inlet opening connected to the inlet cavity and a first exhaust opening connected to the exhaust cavity, and the environmental sensor device is positioned in proximity to the inlet and exhaust openings of at least one side wall of the funnel device, and at least one other side wall of the plurality of side walls includes another exhaust opening. In an embodiment, the funnel device includes a rim configured to direct the air of a handler away from the environmental sensor device. In the embodiment, the funnel device includes a slit located in at least one of a plurality of side walls, the slit being connected to an inlet cavity, and the slit being configured to guide air from one or more samples to an environmental sensor device through the inlet cavity and inlet opening of the funnel device. In the embodiment, the system includes a controller communicatively coupled to a sample contamination detection assembly.In this embodiment, the controller is configured to execute program instructions that cause one or more processors to receive one or more reference signals from one or more reference sensor devices and one or more sample contamination signals from environmental sensor devices, where the one or more sample contamination signals include at least two of the humidity, temperature, or volatile organic matter content of one or more samples measured simultaneously, and to determine the chemical contamination of one or more samples by comparing the received one or more reference signals, one or more sample contamination signals, and one or more predetermined thresholds, and to prevent one or more samples from being loaded into the inspection chamber of the inspection tool when the chemical contamination of one or more samples is determined.

[0009] A system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system is a load port device, which is configured to receive one or more samples from a portion of a sample transport device. In an embodiment, the system includes an automatic handling subsystem, which is configured to remove one or more samples from the sample transport device. In an embodiment, the system includes a sample contamination detection assembly, which is positioned adjacent to the load port door of the load port device. In an embodiment, the sample contamination detection assembly includes an environmental sensor device, which is configured to determine chemical contamination of one or more samples by simultaneously measuring at least two of the following: humidity, temperature, or volatile organic compound content of one or more samples. In an embodiment, the sample contamination detection assembly includes a funnel device. In an embodiment, the funnel device includes a plurality of side walls defining two or more internal cavities, each including at least an inlet cavity configured to receive incoming air and an exhaust cavity configured to receive outgoing air, with at least one of the plurality of side walls including an inlet opening connected to the inlet cavity and a first exhaust opening connected to the exhaust cavity, and the environmental sensor device being positioned close to the inlet and exhaust openings of at least one side wall of the funnel device, with at least one other side wall of the plurality of side walls including another exhaust opening. In an embodiment, the funnel device includes a rim configured to guide air from an automatic handling subsystem away from the environmental sensor device. In an embodiment, the funnel device includes a slit located in at least one side wall of the plurality of side walls, the slit being connected to an inlet cavity, and the slit being configured to guide air from one or more samples to the environmental sensor device through the inlet cavity and inlet opening of the funnel device.

[0010] Methods according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes opening the lid of a sample transport device using a load port door. In an embodiment, the method includes receiving one or more reference signals from one or more reference sensor devices. In an embodiment, the method includes receiving one or more sample contamination signals from an environmental sensor device, the environmental sensor being configured to simultaneously measure at least two of the following: humidity, temperature, or volatile organic matter content of one or more samples. In an embodiment, the method includes determining the chemical contamination of one or more samples by comparing one or more received reference signals, one or more sample contamination signals, and one or more predetermined thresholds. In an embodiment, the method includes preventing one or more samples from being loaded into the inspection chamber of an inspection tool when the chemical contamination of one or more samples is determined.

[0011] It should be understood that both the above-mentioned general description and the following detailed description are illustrative and descriptive only and do not necessarily limit the claimed invention. The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and constituting part of this specification illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description, serve to illustrate the principles of the invention.

[0012] Many of the advantages of this disclosure can be better understood by those skilled in the art by referring to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a simplified block diagram of a system for detecting chemically contaminated samples according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] This is a schematic diagram of a funnel device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] This is a cross-sectional view of a funnel device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A]A front perspective view of a sample contamination detection assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] A bottom perspective view of a sample contamination detection assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] A top perspective view of a sample contamination detection assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3D] A simplified side view of a sample contamination detection assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3E] A simplified front view of a sample contamination detection assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3F] A simplified side view of a sample contamination detection assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] A perspective view of a sample device system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] An exploded view of a sample device system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] A flowchart showing a method for detecting a chemically contaminated sample according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] A plot showing humidity and volatile organic compound content signals over time according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] A plot showing a humidity signal over time when the door of a sample transport device is open and closed according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8A] A plot showing humidity and volatile organic compound content signals over time for water and isopropyl alcohol according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8B] A plot showing humidity and volatile organic compound content signals over time for water and acetone according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] This disclosure has been particularly shown and described with respect to certain embodiments and their specific features. The embodiments described herein are to be considered in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications in form and detail can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Here, the disclosed subject matter shown in the accompanying drawings will be described in detail.

[0015] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to systems and methods for detecting chemically contaminated samples. For example, the systems and methods can include a sample contamination detection assembly configured to detect chemical contamination prior to inserting a sample, such as a semiconductor wafer, into an inspection chamber to prevent damage to the inspection system. For example, the sample contamination detection assembly can include, but is not limited to, an environmental sensor device and a funnel device. The funnel device can direct air from a sample transport device (e.g., a front opening unified pod (FOUP)) to the environmental sensor so that the environmental sensor can detect an accurate signal, and at the same time, direct air from the handler away from the environmental sensor.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a system 100 for detecting a chemically contaminated sample according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0017] In one embodiment, the system 100 includes a sample contamination detection assembly 102 configured to detect chemical contamination of a sample 104. The sample contamination detection assembly 102 may include, but is not limited to, an environmental sensor device 106 and a funnel device 108. For example, the environmental sensor device 106 may be configured to detect at least one of humidity, temperature, volatile organic matter content (VOC), or particles. For example, in a non-limiting example, the environmental sensor device 106 may be configured to detect humidity, temperature, volatile organic matter content (VOC), and particles simultaneously. In another example, the funnel device 108 may be configured to guide air from a sample transport device (e.g., a front-opening unified pod (FOUP)) to the environmental sensor device 106 and simultaneously guide air from a handler away from the environmental sensor device 106. In this regard, the environmental sensor device 106 can obtain an accurate contamination signal from the sample 104.

[0018] For the purposes of this disclosure, “chemical contamination” may include, but is not limited to, contamination by chemical substances such as water and organic compounds (e.g., isopropyl alcohol, acetone, etc.). Furthermore, unless otherwise specified herein, “chemically contaminated sample” and “wet sample” are intended to be considered equivalent. While embodiments of this disclosure refer to “chemical contamination,” it is also intended herein that the systems and methods of this disclosure can be used to detect particulate contamination to protect testing systems from particulate contamination and eliminate the necessary cleaning and purging time for each testing system.

[0019] In the embodiment, the system 100 includes a reference sensor device 110 configured to acquire reference data. For example, the reference sensor device 110 may include an ambient humidity sensor configured to measure ambient humidity and VOC levels.

[0020] In embodiments, the system 100 further includes a controller 112 communicatively coupled to a sample contamination detection assembly 102. The controller 112 may include one or more processors 114 configured to execute program instructions held in a memory medium 116. In this regard, one or more processors 114 of the controller 112 may perform any of the various process steps described throughout this disclosure. For example, one or more processors 114 of the controller 112 may be configured to determine whether a sample 104 is chemically contaminated based on test sample data from an environmental sensor device 106 and reference data from a reference sensor device 110. For example, as further described herein, one or more processors 114 of the controller 112 may be configured to compare the test sample data, reference data, and one or more predetermined thresholds for determining whether a sample 104 is chemically contaminated. When a chemically contaminated sample is detected, one or more processors 114 of the controller 112 may perform one or more actions. For example, one or more processors 114 of the controller 112 may warn the user of the presence of a chemically contaminated sample. In one non-limiting example, testing of sample 104 may be suspended until it is dry. In another non-limiting example, chemically contaminated sample 104 may be excluded.

[0021] Figures 2A to 2B are simplified diagrams of the funnel device 108 of the sample contamination detection assembly 102 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Figures 3A to 3F are simplified diagrams of the sample contamination detection assembly 102 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] In the embodiment, the funnel device 108 includes a plurality of side walls 200 defining one or more internal cavities. For example, the funnel device 108 may include at least a front side wall, a rear side wall, a first lateral side wall (e.g., a left side wall), a second lateral side wall (e.g., a right side wall), a top side wall, and a rear side wall.

[0023] In the embodiment, the funnel device 108 includes an inlet opening 202 and one or more exhaust openings 204. For example, as shown in Figures 2A to 2B, the upper side wall 200 may include the inlet opening 202 and the first exhaust opening 204. Furthermore, at least one of the first or second side wall may include a second exhaust opening 204 configured to connect to an exhaust pipe 205 (as shown in Figure 3C). For example, as shown in Figures 2A to 2B, the second side wall may include a second exhaust opening 204 configured to connect to an exhaust pipe 205.

[0024] In the embodiment, the internal cavity defined by the multiple side walls 200 includes at least an inlet cavity 206 connected to an inlet opening 202 and an exhaust cavity 208 connected to one or more exhaust openings. For example, as shown in Figure 2B, the inlet cavity 206 may be configured to receive incoming air from the sample 104 and direct the air through the inlet opening 202 to the environmental sensor device 106. In another example, as shown in Figure 2B, the exhaust cavity 208 may be configured to receive exhaust air from the environmental sensor device 106 through a first exhaust opening 204 in the upper side wall and to discard the exhaust air through a second exhaust opening via an exhaust pipe 205. For example, the environmental sensor device 106 may include a fan configured to direct the exhaust air through the first exhaust opening in the upper side wall. In this regard, the exhaust air is directed away from the sample 104 to avoid contamination of the sample 104 (e.g., by debris, particles, etc.).

[0025] In the embodiment, the environmental sensor device 106 is positioned close to the funnel device 108. For example, as shown in Figures 3A to 3F, the environmental sensor device 106 can be positioned close to the inlet opening 202 and the first exhaust opening 204 on the upper wall of the funnel device 108. In the embodiment, the environmental sensor device 106 is coupled to the funnel device 108. For example, the environmental sensor device 106 can be coupled to the upper wall of the funnel device 108 by any suitable coupling mechanism, such as one or more adhesives or one or more mechanical fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts, etc.).

[0026] In the embodiment, the funnel device 108 includes a rim 210. For example, the front and bottom side walls can form the rim 210. For example, the rim 210 may be molded as a "J" shape when viewed from the side and may include rounded protrusions. The rim 210 may be configured to direct air from the handler away from the environmental sensor device 106 so that the environmental sensor device 106 can detect an accurate signal. In this specification, the configuration / shape of the rim 210 shown in Figures 2A to 3F may be any shape suitable for directing air from the handler away from the environmental sensor device 106.

[0027] In the embodiment, the funnel device 108 includes a slit 212. For example, as shown in Figure 3B, the funnel device 108 may include a slit 212 in the bottom side wall of the funnel device 108. For example, as shown in Figures 3D to 3F, the slit 212 may be an additional inlet opening configured to guide air from the sample 104 to the environmental sensor device 106 through the inlet cavity 206 and the inlet opening 202.

[0028] In this embodiment, the environmental sensor device 106 is communicatively coupled to the controller 112. For example, as shown in Figure 3C, the environmental sensor device 106 can be coupled to the wire / cable 207 such that the wire / cable 207 is configured to couple the environmental sensor device 106 to the controller 112. Although Figure 3C shows a wired connection, it is intended herein that the environmental sensor device 106 may also be configured to couple to the controller 112 via a wireless connection.

[0029] Figures 4A and 4B show a sample apparatus system 400 integrated with a sample contamination detection assembly 102 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the various embodiments, components, and operational descriptions set forth herein with respect to the sample contamination detection assembly 102 should be interpreted as extending to system 400, and vice versa. Furthermore, it should be noted that the various embodiments, components, and operational descriptions set forth herein with respect to the sample contamination detection assembly 102 should be interpreted as extending to system 400, and vice versa.

[0030] In this embodiment, the system 400 includes a sample transport device (e.g., FOUP), a load port 404, an automated handling subsystem 406, an inspection chamber 408, and a sample contamination detection assembly 102.

[0031] In this embodiment, each sample contamination detection assembly 102 is positioned adjacent to the opening of each load port 404. For example, as shown in Figure 4B, the sample contamination detection assembly 102 is positioned adjacent to the load port door 405 of the first load port 404. In this regard, the slit 212 of the funnel device 108 is positioned close to the load port door 405 so that the slit 212 can guide air from the sample 104 in the FOUP to the environmental sensor device 106 in order to detect chemical contamination.

[0032] In embodiments, the reference sensor device 110 may be coupled to one or more components of the system 400 to measure a reference signal. For example, in the non-limiting example shown in Figure 4A, the reference sensor device 110 may be coupled to the wall of the inspection chamber 408. For example, the reference sensor device 110 may be positioned on the wall of the inspection chamber 408 at a selected distance from the sample shutter of the inspection chamber 408. It is intended herein that the reference sensor device 110 may be coupled to any component of the system 400, and therefore Figure 4A should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

[0033] In this embodiment, the sample contamination detection assembly 102 can be positioned adjacent to the automated handling subsystem 406. For example, the sample contamination detection assembly 102 can be positioned between the load port 404 and the automated handling subsystem 406. In this regard, the sample contamination detection assembly 102 is configured to detect chemical contamination of the sample 104 in the FOUP before allowing the automated handling subsystem 406 to remove the chemically contaminated sample 104 from the FOUP.

[0034] In the embodiment, the FOUP includes a chamber for one or more samples 104. Thus, the FOUP can provide a protective environment for transporting the samples 104 during one or more process steps. The FOUP can further provide a clean environment in which the atmosphere and particulate matter are controlled.

[0035] In embodiments, the FOUP includes one or more storage mechanisms suitable for securing articles such as sample 104. The FOUP can incorporate any type of storage mechanism known in the art, such as slots, racks, or fins, but is not limited to these. Each section of the FOUP (e.g., upper, middle, lower, etc.) may include multiple storage mechanisms (e.g., slots) within the FOUP to secure one or more samples 104 within the FOUP. In this regard, each section can correspond to a predetermined amount of samples within the FOUP. For example, in the case of 25 samples, the upper section may correspond to samples 1-8, the middle section to samples 9-16, and the lower section to samples 17-25.

[0036] In embodiments, the FOUP includes, but is not limited to, one or more components for coupling to additional components such as an automated handling system, a tool load port, or a buffer station load port.

[0037] In the embodiment, the FOUP includes a lid configured to form a closed, sealed chamber for sample 104. In the embodiment, the load port 404 may be configured to open the lid of the FOUP. For example, the load port 404 may include a load port door 405 configured to open the lid of the FOUP when the door is in contact with the lid.

[0038] In some embodiments, the load port 404 may include a purging device configured to blow a predetermined amount of gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) into the FOUP chamber using a purging nozzle. For example, the purging device may be configured to continuously blow a predetermined amount of gas into the FOUP when the load port door 405 is open, in order to prevent the sample from being exposed to ambient air when the load port door 405 is open.

[0039] Sample transport devices are generally discussed in U.S. Patent No. 11,056,366, issued on July 6, 2021, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 032776, published on October 21, 2021, both of which are incorporated herein by reference as a whole.

[0040] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method 500 for detecting a chemically contaminated sample according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] In step 502, the FOUP door can be opened. For example, the load port 404 may include a load port door 405 configured to open the FOUP lid when the door is in contact with the lid. For example, the load port door 405 may be configured to open the lid by grasping it and translating it.

[0042] In step 504, the sample mapper can map one or more samples within the FOUP and generate sample position data. For example, the sample mapper can provide the generated sample position data to the controller 112.

[0043] In step 506, one or more sample contamination signals can be measured. For example, the environmental sensor device 106 can be configured to detect at least one of humidity, VOCs, or particulate matter. For example, the slit 212 of the funnel device 108 can guide air from the sample 104 to the environmental sensor device 106.

[0044] In step 508, one or more reference signals can be measured. For example, the reference sensor device 110 can be configured to measure at least one of a humidity reference signal, a VOC reference signal, or a particulate reference signal. For example, the reference sensor device 110 may include an ambient humidity sensor configured to measure ambient humidity.

[0045] In step 510, one or more sample contamination signals (measured in step 506) can be compared with one or more reference signals (measured in step 508) to determine whether sample 104 is chemically contaminated. For example, one or more processors 114 of the controller 112 can be configured to compare the sample contamination signal, the reference signal, and one or more predetermined thresholds to determine whether sample 104 is chemically contaminated. One or more predetermined thresholds may include one or more user-defined thresholds. For example, in a non-limiting example, the threshold indicating contamination may be about 5-10%. Therefore, if the contamination signal exceeds the threshold (e.g., 5-10%), the processor 114 of the controller 112 can determine that sample 104 is chemically contaminated.

[0046] In step 512, if a chemically contaminated sample is detected (in step 510), one or more actions can be performed to prevent the chemically contaminated sample from being inserted into the inspection chamber. For example, one or more processors 114 of the controller 112 can alert the user (or host tool) to the presence of a chemically contaminated sample 104 (or a "wet" sample). In one non-limiting example, inspection of sample 104 can be suspended until sample 104 is dry. In another non-limiting example, chemically contaminated sample 104 can be removed. Thus, the user can use such data to adjust their process tools and / or cleaning processes.

[0047] The detection methods disclosed herein can offer several advantages / benefits. For example, as herein, the detection of chemically contaminated samples using system 100 is intended not to affect throughput by the high-speed detection methods disclosed herein. Figure 6 is a plot 600 showing humidity and volatile organic matter content signals over time according to one or more embodiments of the herein. In a non-limiting example, as shown in Figure 6, the FOUP door opens at approximately 8 seconds, and humidity is detected by the environmental sensor device 106 at approximately 10 seconds (i.e., within approximately 2-3 seconds). Since mapping by the sample mapper is not completed until approximately 12 seconds, the process has already met the time required to detect humidity and therefore does not affect throughput. Note that in this specification, Figure 6 is presented for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the herein. The process and their respective timings may depend on the load handler specifications or other components of the system.

[0048] Furthermore, as described herein, the detection methods of the present disclosure are considered robust. Figure 7 is a plot 700 showing the humidity signal over time as the door of a sample transport device is opened and closed, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the humidity signal decreases over time as the door of the FOUP is opened and closed, but the environmental sensor device 106 can still detect the humidity signal even after about 20 minutes and 10 open / close cycles.

[0049] As previously stated herein, the detection methods of the present disclosure can detect chemical contamination caused by both water (i.e., humidity) and organic compounds. In this regard, after a washing process, organic compounds such as isopropyl alcohol and acetone, but not limited to these, are sprayed onto the sample, and the detection methods can detect the presence of those organic compounds. For example, Figure 8A is a plot 800 showing humidity and volatile organic compound content signals over time for water and isopropyl alcohol according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the humidity signal due to water (i.e., deionized (DI) water) and the VOC signal due to isopropyl alcohol (IPA) are simultaneously detected by the environmental sensor device 106. As another example, Figure 8B is a plot 810 showing humidity and volatile organic compound content signals over time for water and acetone according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the humidity signal due to water (i.e., deionized (DI) water) and the VOC signal due to acetone are simultaneously detected by the environmental sensor device 106.

[0050] Referring to Figure 1, one or more processors 114 of the controller 112 may include any processing elements known in the art. In that sense, one or more processors 114 may include any microprocessor-type device configured to execute algorithms and / or instructions. In embodiments, one or more processors 114 may consist of a desktop computer, a mainframe computer system, a workstation, an image computer, a parallel processor, or any other computer system (e.g., a networked computer) configured to execute a program configured to operate a minienvironment control system 100 as described throughout this disclosure. Furthermore, it is recognized that the term “processor” may be broadly defined to include any device having one or more processing elements that execute program instructions from a non-temporary memory medium 116.

[0051] The memory medium 116 may include any storage medium known in the Art that is suitable for storing program instructions executable by one or more associated processors 114. For example, the memory medium 116 may include a non-temporary memory medium. Another example of the memory medium 116 may include, but is not limited to, read-only memory, random-access memory, magnetic or optical memory devices (e.g., disks), magnetic tape, solid-state drives, etc. It should be further noted that the memory medium 116 may be housed in a controller housing common to one or more processors 114. In embodiments, the memory medium 116 may be located at a distance from the physical locations of one or more processors 114 and the controller 112. For example, one or more processors 114 of the controller 112 may access remote memory (e.g., a server) accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet, an intranet, etc.). Thus, the above description should not be construed as a limitation to the present disclosure, but merely as an example.

[0052] Each embodiment of the above-described method is intended to include any other step of any other method described herein. Furthermore, each embodiment of the above-described method can be carried out by any system described herein.

[0053] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the operation, devices, purposes, and accompanying descriptions of the components described herein are used as examples to clarify concepts, and that various configuration variations are intended. Therefore, when used herein, the specific examples and accompanying descriptions described herein are intended to represent their more general kind. In general, the use of any specific example is intended to represent its kind, and the absence of specific components, operations, devices, and purposes should not be considered a limitation.

[0054] As used herein, directional terms such as “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” “upper,” “upward,” “lower,” “down,” and “downward” are intended to define relative positions for illustrative purposes and not to specify an absolute reference frame. Various modifications to the embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may apply to other embodiments.

[0055] With regard to any substantially plural and / or singular use of terms herein, those skilled in the art can convert from plural to singular and / or singular to plural as appropriate for the context and / or use. Various singular / plural substitutions are not expressly listed herein for clarity.

[0056] The subject matter described herein may illustrate various components that are contained within or related to other components. It should be understood that the configurations shown are merely illustrative, and in practice, many other configurations can be implemented to achieve the same function. Conceptually, any arrangement of components to achieve the same function is effectively “associated” in such a way that the desired function is achieved. Therefore, any two components described herein that are combined to achieve a particular function, regardless of configuration or intermediate components, can be considered “associated” with each other in such a way that the desired function is achieved. Similarly, any two components that are thus associated can be considered “connected” or “joined” with each other to achieve the desired function, and any two components that can be associated in such a way can be considered “joinable” with each other to achieve the desired function. Specific examples of joinability include, but are not limited to, physically interlocking and / or physically interacting components and / or wirelessly interacting and / or wirelessly interacting components and / or logically interacting and / or logically interactable components.

[0057] Furthermore, it should be understood that the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Generally, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the language used herein, and in particular in the appended claims (e.g., the text of the appended claims), is generally intended to be “open” language (for example, the word “contains” should be interpreted as “contains but not limited to,” the word “has” should be interpreted as “has at least,” and the word “contains” should be interpreted as “contains but not limited to,” etc.). It will further be understood by those skilled in the art that if a claim is intended to be described with a certain number of prefixes, such intent will be explicitly stated in the claim, and if such statement is not present, such intent does not exist. For example, to aid understanding, the following appended claims may include the use of the prefixes “at least one” and “one or more” to preface the description of the claim. However, the use of such phrases should not be interpreted as meaning that any particular claim containing such a prefixed claim description is limited to an invention containing only one such description, even if the same claim contains the prefix phrase “one or more” or “at least one” and an indefinite article such as “a” or “an” (for example, “a” and / or “an” should typically be interpreted as meaning “at least one” or “one or more”). The same applies to the use of definite articles used to prefix claim descriptions. Furthermore, even if a specific number of prefixed claim descriptions is explicitly stated, a person skilled in the art will recognize that such descriptions should typically be interpreted as meaning at least the number described (for example, the description “two descriptions” without other modifiers typically means at least two descriptions, or two or more descriptions).Furthermore, when a template similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, such configurations are generally intended to be understood by those skilled in the art (for example, "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" includes, but is not limited to, systems having only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or systems having A, B and C together). It will be further understood by those skilled in the art that any substantially disjunctive word and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms should be understood to include the possibility of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both of the terms, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

[0058] Many of the present disclosure and its associated advantages are to be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various modifications can be made to the form, structure and arrangement of the components, without departing from the disclosed subject matter or sacrificing all of its specific advantages. The described forms are for illustrative purposes only, and the following claims are intended to encompass and include such modifications. Furthermore, it should be understood that the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A sample contamination detection assembly, An environmental sensor device configured to simultaneously measure at least two of the following: humidity, temperature, or volatile organic matter content of one or more samples, in order to determine the chemical contamination of the one or more samples, and It is a funnel device, A plurality of side walls defining two or more internal cavities, wherein each of the two or more internal cavities includes at least an inlet cavity configured to receive incoming air and an exhaust cavity configured to receive outgoing air, and at least one of the plurality of side walls includes an inlet opening connected to the inlet cavity and a first exhaust opening connected to the exhaust cavity, the environmental sensor device is positioned in close proximity to the inlet opening and the first exhaust opening on the at least one side wall of the funnel device, and at least one other side wall of the plurality of side walls includes another exhaust opening, Edges configured to guide the air of the handler away from the environmental sensor device, and A slit disposed in at least one side wall of the plurality of side walls, wherein the slit is connected to the inlet cavity and configured to guide air from one or more samples to the environmental sensor device through the inlet cavity and the inlet opening of the funnel device, A sample contamination detection assembly comprising the funnel device

2. The sample contamination detection assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of side walls of the funnel device include at least an upper side wall, a bottom side wall, a front side wall, a rear side wall, and two or more lateral side walls.

3. The sample contamination detection assembly according to claim 2, wherein the slit is located in the bottom side wall of the funnel device, and the environmental sensor device is located in close proximity to the upper side wall of the funnel device.

4. The sample contamination detection assembly according to claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor device includes a fan configured to guide the exhaust air through the first exhaust opening into the exhaust cavity.

5. The funnel device further comprises an exhaust pipe configured to be coupled to the other exhaust opening on at least one other side wall, the exhaust pipe configured to direct the exhaust air in the exhaust cavity away from the one or more samples, The sample contamination detection assembly according to claim 4.

6. The system further comprises one or more reference sensor devices. The sample contamination detection assembly according to claim 1.

7. The sample contamination detection assembly according to claim 6, wherein the one or more reference sensor devices include an ambient humidity sensor.

8. A system for detecting chemical contamination, A sample contamination detection assembly, An environmental sensor device configured to simultaneously measure at least two of the following: humidity, temperature, or volatile organic matter content (VOC) of one or more samples, and It is a funnel device, A plurality of side walls defining two or more internal cavities, wherein each of the two or more internal cavities includes at least an inlet cavity configured to receive incoming air and an exhaust cavity configured to receive outgoing air, and at least one of the plurality of side walls includes an inlet opening connected to the inlet cavity and a first exhaust opening connected to the exhaust cavity, the environmental sensor device is positioned in close proximity to the inlet opening and the first exhaust opening on the at least one side wall of the funnel device, and at least one other side wall of the plurality of side walls includes another exhaust opening, Edges configured to guide the air of the handler away from the environmental sensor device, and A slit disposed in at least one side wall of the plurality of side walls, wherein the slit is connected to the inlet cavity and configured to guide air from one or more samples to the environmental sensor device through the inlet cavity and the inlet opening of the funnel device, The funnel device comprising, the sample contamination detection assembly comprising, A controller communicatively coupled to the sample contamination detection assembly, comprising one or more processors, One or more reference signals are received from one or more reference sensor devices. The environmental sensor device receives one or more sample contamination signals, wherein the one or more sample contamination signals include at least two of the simultaneously measured humidity, temperature, or volatile organic matter content of the one or more samples. By comparing the received one or more reference signals, the one or more sample contamination signals, and one or more predetermined thresholds, the chemical contamination of the one or more samples is determined, and A system comprising a controller configured to execute program instructions that prevent the one or more samples from being loaded into the inspection chamber of an inspection tool when determining the chemical contamination of the one or more samples.

9. The aforementioned controller When determining the chemical contamination of one or more samples, one or more warnings are generated. The system according to claim 8, further configured to provide the user with one or more generated warnings to notify the user of the determination of chemical contamination of the one or more samples.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein one or more predetermined thresholds are humidity levels of 5% to 10%.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein one or more predetermined thresholds are VOC levels of 5% to 10%.

12. The aforementioned controller The system according to claim 8, further configured to receive one or more sample mapper signals from a sample mapper, wherein the one or more sample mapper signals include sample position data and sample mapper position data.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of side walls of the funnel device include at least an upper side wall, a bottom side wall, a front side wall, a rear side wall, and two or more lateral side walls.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the slit is located in the bottom side wall of the funnel device, and the environmental sensor device is located in close proximity to the upper side wall of the funnel device.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the environmental sensor device includes a fan configured to guide the exhaust air through the first exhaust opening into the exhaust cavity.

16. The system according to claim 15, further comprising an exhaust pipe configured to be coupled to the other exhaust opening on the at least one other side wall of the funnel device, wherein the exhaust pipe is configured to direct the exhaust air in the exhaust cavity away from the one or more samples.

17. It is a system, A load port device, configured to receive one or more samples from a part of a sample transport device, An automated handling subsystem, configured to extract one or more samples from the sample transport device, and A sample contamination detection assembly, wherein the sample contamination detection assembly is positioned in close proximity to the load port door of the load port device, An environmental sensor device configured to simultaneously measure at least two of the following: humidity, temperature, or volatile organic matter content of one or more samples, in order to determine the chemical contamination of one or more samples, and It is a funnel device, A plurality of side walls defining two or more internal cavities, wherein each of the two or more internal cavities includes at least an inlet cavity configured to receive incoming air and an exhaust cavity configured to receive outgoing air, and at least one of the plurality of side walls includes an inlet opening connected to the inlet cavity and a first exhaust opening connected to the exhaust cavity, the environmental sensor device is positioned in close proximity to the inlet opening and the first exhaust opening on the at least one side wall of the funnel device, and at least one other side wall of the plurality of side walls includes another exhaust opening, An edge configured to guide the air from the automatic handling subsystem away from the environmental sensor device, and A slit disposed in at least one side wall of the plurality of side walls, wherein the slit is connected to the inlet cavity and configured to guide air from one or more samples to the environmental sensor device through the inlet cavity and the inlet opening of the funnel device, A system comprising the funnel device, the sample contamination detection assembly, and the funnel device, the funnel device, and the sample contamination detection assembly.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the sample contamination detection assembly.

19. The controller provides one or more processors, One or more reference signals are received from one or more reference sensor devices. The environmental sensor device receives one or more sample contamination signals, and at this time, the one or more sample contamination signals include at least two of the humidity, temperature, or volatile organic matter content of the one or more samples that are measured simultaneously. By comparing the received one or more reference signals, the one or more sample contamination signals, and one or more predetermined thresholds, the chemical contamination of the one or more samples is determined, and The system according to claim 18, wherein, when determining the chemical contamination of one or more of the samples, the system is configured to execute a program instruction that prevents the one or more samples from being loaded into the inspection chamber of the inspection tool by the automatic handling subsystem.

20. It is a method, Open the lid of the sample transport device using the load port door. Receiving one or more reference signals from one or more reference sensor devices, The system receives one or more sample contamination signals from an environmental sensor device, and the environmental sensor device is configured to simultaneously measure at least two of the following: humidity, temperature, or volatile organic matter content of one or more samples. The chemical contamination of one or more samples is determined by comparing the received one or more reference signals, the one or more sample contamination signals, and one or more predetermined thresholds, and A method comprising preventing the one or more samples from being loaded into the inspection chamber of an inspection tool when determining the chemical contamination of the one or more samples.

21. When determining the chemical contamination of one or more samples, one or more warnings are generated. The method according to claim 20, further comprising providing the user with one or more of the generated warnings to notify the user of the determination of chemical contamination of the one or more samples.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein one or more predetermined thresholds are humidity levels of 5% to 10%.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the one or more predetermined thresholds are VOC levels of 5% to 10%.

24. Loading one or more samples into the sample transport device, The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

25. The method according to claim 20, further comprising receiving one or more sample mapper signals from a sample mapper, wherein the one or more sample mapper signals include sample position data and sample mapper position data.

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