Airborne molecular contamination monitoring apparatus and manifold used therein

Abstract

This invention describes an embodiment of an air molecular pollution (AMC) monitoring device. The AMC device includes a manifold having a plurality of inlets and one or more outlets. A sampling manifold is fluid-coupled to the manifold, the sampling manifold including a plurality of individual sampling tubes, each individual sampling tube being fluid-coupled to one of the plurality of inlets. One or more analyzers are fluid-coupled to one of the one or more outlets of the manifold to analyze fluid drawn into the manifold through one or more of the plurality of individual sampling tubes. A control and communication system is coupled to the one or more analyzers. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosed embodiments are generally related to air pollution monitoring and, specifically but not exclusively, to a system and method for in-line monitoring of air pollution and process health. Prior Technology

[0002] Air quality and airborne molecular pollution (AMC) are receiving increasing attention in the semiconductor, memory, and other similar high-tech industries (e.g., displays) as their manufacturing processes evolve. In these and other industries, AMC has been identified as a major contributor to manufacturing failure rates, and its impact on process yield only worsens as manufacturing technologies enable smaller component sizes. Long-term exposure to AMC has also been identified as a potential risk to human health. Manufacturers have invested significant effort in continuous on-site monitoring and in controlling facility environmental cleanliness using on-site or offline AMC sensing equipment. Detailed studies and continuous improvements have been implemented to identify pollution sources and preventative procedures to reduce AMC in the ambient air of a facility. Despite significant efforts to control ambient air quality in facilities, the cleanliness of manufacturing equipment such as process equipment modules and mobile carriers (e.g., open wafer cassettes (FOUPs) used as substrate / wafer transport containers in the semiconductor industry) has not been adequately studied. Customized process equipment modules or mobile carriers can also contribute to AMC (Airborne Compatibility Model), but in most cases, process equipment modules and substrates have their own enclosed microenvironments, meaning that on-site facility environmental monitoring cannot capture AMC-related issues associated with process equipment modules or mobile carriers. Furthermore, when a process equipment module or mobile carrier is contaminated, AMC cross-contamination can occur on a manufacturing line, with the mobile carrier acting as one of the AMC carriers dispersing contaminants to various locations. Therefore, tracing the source of contamination becomes extremely difficult, even if AMC is subsequently found in a mobile carrier or process equipment module. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0003] The following figures illustrate non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments, wherein the same element symbols are used throughout the various views to refer to the same parts, unless otherwise specified. Figures 1A and 1B are illustrations of one embodiment of a process used in semiconductor manufacturing. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of an in-line monitoring application of a total air molecular pollution (TAMC) device in semiconductor manufacturing. Figure 3A is a block diagram of one embodiment of a TAMC device. Figures 3B to 3D are block diagrams of embodiments of the manifold that can be used in one of the TAMC device embodiments shown in Figure 3A. Figure 4 is a block diagram of another embodiment of an in-line monitoring application using a TAMC device. Figure 5 is a block diagram of another embodiment of an in-line monitoring application using a TAMC device. Figure 6 is a block diagram of another embodiment of an in-line monitoring application using a TAMC device. Figure 7 is a block diagram of another embodiment of an in-line monitoring application using a TAMC device. Figure 8 is a block diagram of another embodiment of an in-line monitoring application using a TAMC device. Figure 9 is a block diagram of another embodiment of an in-line monitoring application using a TAMC device. Implementation

[0004] [Cross-reference to related applications] This application asserts priority under 35 USC §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 329,791, filed April 29, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Embodiments of a system and method for monitoring air pollution and process health in an online production line are described. Specific details are described to provide an understanding of one embodiment, but those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the described details or using other methods, components, materials, etc. In some examples, well-known structures, materials, connections, or operations are not shown or described in detail but are still covered within the scope of the invention. Throughout this specification, references to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a described feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in at least one described embodiment, such that "in an embodiment" or "in one embodiment" does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Figures 1A and 1B illustrate one embodiment of a manufacturing line 100. For example, the manufacturing line 100 can be used in semiconductor manufacturing, but in other embodiments it can be used for other purposes and in combination with equipment different from those shown. Manufacturing line 100 is positioned within an enclosure 102, which may be a building, a room or partition within a building, or some other type of enclosure. One or more process equipment modules 104 are positioned within the enclosure 102. Each process equipment module 104 includes a load port and may include one or more chambers, each of which performs a different function related to a manufacturing step performed by the specific process equipment module. Manufacturing processes typically involve numerous steps, and each process equipment module performs only a portion of the entire process. Therefore, articles manufactured on manufacturing line 100 (semiconductor wafers in a semiconductor manufacturing facility containing processors, memory, MEMS chips, optical chips, etc.) must be moved from one process equipment module to another until all the steps in the process are performed. Movable carriers 106 are used to move the manufactured articles; these carriers carry the manufactured articles internally (typically in a sealed microenvironment). In one semiconductor facility embodiment, such as the one shown, the movable carrier 106 is referred to as a front-opening wafer cassette (FOUP), wafer container, or substrate container because they are used to transport semiconductor wafers. However, in other embodiments, other types of movable carriers may be used. A transport system carries movable carriers 106 from the load port of one process equipment module 104 to the load port of another process equipment module, enabling different steps to be performed on the manufactured articles carried inside the movable carriers. In the illustrated embodiment, the transport system is a suspended track and lift system. Wheeled and motorized carriages 110 run along a track 108. A lift 112 is mounted to each wheeled carriage 110 to lift the movable carriers 106 in the z-direction and may also move them in the y-direction (i.e., in and out of the page), so that the movable carriers 106 can be placed on load ports that can accommodate multiple carriers. As best seen in Figure 1B, track 108 meanders through facility 102 to transport mobile vehicle 106 (and thus the manufactured articles carried inside the mobile vehicle) to multiple process equipment modules; the illustrated embodiment has seven process equipment modules P1 to P7, but other embodiments may have a different number. After the manufactured articles have moved through all process equipment modules 104 within a specific enclosure 102, the transport system leaves the enclosure 102 together with the mobile vehicle. Extensive efforts and research have been conducted to control the ambient air quality within enclosure 102, but the cleanliness of the environments inside process equipment modules 104 and mobile units 106 has not been adequately studied. In addition to ambient contaminants (i.e., contaminants from the facility's overall air handling system, such as ventilation and air conditioning), process equipment modules 104 or mobile units / FOUPs 106 can contribute to airborne molecular contamination (AMC). Because process equipment modules 104 and mobile units 106 contain closed chambers with their own internal microenvironments, on-site overall facility environmental monitoring cannot capture AMC issues associated with process equipment modules or mobile units. For example, when a process equipment module or mobile unit is contaminated, cross-contamination can spread AMC throughout the manufacturing line, with mobile unit 106 acting as one of the AMC carriers transporting AMC to various locations. However, using existing overall facility environmental monitoring, it is extremely difficult to trace the source of contamination, even if AMC is subsequently found in a mobile unit or process equipment module. An alternative approach involves installing a field-only mobile carrier AMC monitoring system. In this system, when a wafer is completed in a process equipment module and stored in a mobile carrier for transport to another mobile carrier, the mobile carrier bypasses its normal manufacturing sequence and is sent to the field AMC mobile carrier monitoring system for internal air analysis. However, although this AMC monitoring system can be considered a field monitoring tool, it is effectively an off-process monitoring method because the mobile carrier no longer follows the conventional manufacturing sequence. Furthermore, since the mobile carrier must bypass normal manufacturing for analysis, the method introduces additional uncertainties attributable to interference in the normal manufacturing sequence. Moreover, in this method, the field-only mobile carrier AMC monitoring system has limited capabilities and can only test a limited number of mobile carriers (and thus, it will not significantly affect process yield). Even if the monitoring system increases its screening capabilities, the requirement for mobile carrier bypass still adds additional manufacturing steps to the process, which in turn slows down process yield. Therefore, this method is limited to screening mobile carriers. It is not intended for in-line AMC monitoring of mobile carriers and process equipment modules. Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of an in-line monitoring system 200 using a total air molecular contamination (TAMC) device 226 fluidly coupled to a process equipment module 202. In the illustrated embodiment, the process equipment module 202 includes a load port 204 on which one or more movable carriers 206 (FOUP in this embodiment) can be loaded; the illustrated embodiment shows a load port capable of receiving four movable carriers, but in other embodiments, the load port may accommodate a different number of movable carriers than shown. In addition to the load port 204, the process equipment module 202 also includes three chambers: a front interface 208 adjacent to the load port 204, a process load lock chamber 210 adjacent to the front interface 208, and finally, a process chamber 212 (in which relevant manufacturing steps are performed on the manufactured article) adjacent to the load lock chamber 210. Individual sampling tubes are fluid-coupled to various chambers within process equipment module 202. As used herein, when a component is "fluid-coupled," it means that it is coupled such that fluid can flow from one component to another or through another component. Individual sampling tube 216 is fluid-coupled to process chamber 212, individual sampling tube 218 is fluid-coupled to load lock chamber 210, and individual sampling tube 220 is fluid-coupled to front interface 208. Individual sampling tubes 216, 218, and 220 form a sampling tube manifold 214. Individual sampling tube 222 is fluid-coupled to load port 204 (or, more specifically, to a component within load port 204 that couples fluid to the interior of movable carrier 206). In the illustrated embodiment, there are four individual sampling tubes 222 because the load port 204 can accommodate four movable carriers. However, in other embodiments, the number of individual sampling tubes may match the number of movable carriers that the load port can accommodate. The sampling tube manifold 214 and the individual sampling tubes 222 then form a fluidly coupled connection to a further sampling tube manifold 224 of the TAMC 226. TAMC 226 is communicatively coupled to a remote data / control server 228 via wire 230 or wirelessly. Process equipment module 202 is also communicatively coupled to the remote data / control server 228 and / or directly coupled to TAMC 226 via wire 232 or wirelessly. The remote data / control server 228 can also be communicatively coupled to process equipment module 202 via wire 232 or wirelessly. In the operation of the in-line monitoring system 200, a movable carrier / FOUP is transferred to a load port, such that its bottom air inlet and outlet are fluidly coupled to a matching inlet / outlet in the load port, which purges N2 or clean air (XCDA) to flush air / AMC from the interior of the movable carrier 206 to an exhaust outlet below the load port. In one embodiment, individual sampling tubes 222 may be connected to the exhaust device of the load port purging system, wherein they may then collect, analyze, and report the cleanliness of the purged air from each movable carrier 206. The exhaust air cleanliness indicates the level of contamination of the microenvironment within each movable carrier, which can be correlated to the cleanliness of a previous process at another location. After the short purging process, the front door of the movable carrier is opened, and the internal wafers are transferred to other chambers of the process equipment module (front interface 208, load lock 210, and process chamber 212, in that sequence) for the required manufacturing steps. In addition to monitoring the air quality monitoring (AMC) inside the movable carrier 206, the system 200 can also additionally or simultaneously monitor the AMC inside the front interface (FI) chamber 208, load lock chamber 210, or process chamber 212. This AMC can be sampled and analyzed by the TAMC device 226 to understand the cleanliness of each chamber. While waiting for processing of individual wafers (typically 25 wafers in a FOUP) in the chambers of the process equipment module 202, the TAMC device 226 can continuously sample and analyze air collected from each channel (i.e., individual sampling tubes) to record changes in AMC levels. This AMC monitoring process provides real-time in-line AMC results for specific process steps and locations without altering the existing manufacturing process. This is because the system can directly collect air samples from specific targets via corresponding in-line tube channels without interfering with the normal manufacturing sequence. Using the system 200, it is not necessary to pull the movable carrier / FOUP 206 out of its normal process for AMC analysis. One or both of TAMC 226 and process equipment module 202 can communicate wired or wirelessly with a remote data / control server 228, enabling them to receive commands regarding when and which channel (i.e., individual sampling tube) to sample and analyze. Simultaneously, TAMC 226 can report test results back to the remote server 228 as feedback for process control, which the server 228 can then transmit wirelessly to process equipment module 202 to trigger adjustments, such as modifications to the manufacturing formula. In another embodiment, TAMC device 226 can be programmed to communicate directly with process equipment via wired or wireless means to control the process based on in-line AMC results measured by the TAMC device. Sampling and analysis at load port 204, front interface 208, load lock 210 or process chamber 212 can be performed in a time sequence or in parallel, and can be pre-programmed in TAMC device 226 or using commands sent from remote data / control server 228. Figures 3A through 3D together illustrate an embodiment of a TAMC device 300 that can be used in an in-line monitoring system and method for air pollution and process health monitoring (as shown in Figures 2 and 4 through 9). Figure 3A is a block diagram of one embodiment of the TAMC device 300, which includes a combination of several devices for collecting, analyzing, and reporting AMC detection results. The TAMC 300 is housed within a housing 302, which may be fixed or movable. For example, the housing 302 may be a fixed or movable cabinet, or in some embodiments it may be a movable carrier, such as a movable carrier 206 (see, for example, Figure 9). The TAMC 300 includes a manifold 304 (see Figures 3B-3C) having inlets fluidly coupled to individual sampling tubes from a sampling tube manifold 224. The manifold 304 also includes outlets fluidly coupled to one or more of various analyzers via a tube 306. The tube 306 includes a valve 307 that allows the output from the manifold to be selectively directed to any analyzer or combination of analyzers. The tube 306 is inert to all AMC compounds and does not attract AMC compounds. It may be a passivated or coated metal tube, or an inert plastic tube (e.g., PFA or Teflon). Analyzers 308 to 328 may include sensors or sensor arrays for specific types of detection, but in some embodiments they may also include additional components, including gas chromatography, pre-concentrators, traps, filters, valves, etc. Various gas analyzers (VOCs, acids, bases, etc.), particle counters, humidity sensors, temperature sensors, and ion analyzers may be used in different embodiments. Among other things, and not limited to the analyzers listed, embodiments of the TAMC 300 may include one or more of the following types of analyzers: - An analyzer used to collect and analyze the concentration of specific (individual) volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (such as IPA) and / or detect the total concentration of VOCs. - An analyzer used to collect and analyze the concentration of specific (individual) acid compounds (e.g., HF, H₂SO₄, HCl, etc.) and / or detect the total concentration of acids. - An analyzer used to collect and analyze the concentration of specific (individual) base compounds (e.g., NH4OH, NaOH, etc.) and / or detect the total concentration of bases. - An analyzer used to collect and analyze the concentration of specific (individual) sulfide compounds and / or detect the total concentration of sulfides. - An analyzer used to collect and analyze the concentration of a specific (individual) amine compound and / or detect the total concentration of amines. - An analyzer connected to a manifold device to detect air particle or aerosol counts. - An analyzer used to detect sample humidity. - An analyzer used to detect the temperature of a sample. - An analyzer for detecting fluoride compounds, such as chemical coolant reagents (e.g., fluorocarbon compounds (CxF)) or dry etching chemicals (e.g., CxFy), and / or detecting the total concentration of chemical coolant reagents such as fluorocarbons or the total concentration of dry etching reagents. - An analyzer used to collect and analyze the concentration of specific (individual) anions (negatively charged ions) (such as F-, Cl-, PO43-, NOx-, SO22-), and / or detect the total concentration of anions. - An analyzer used to collect and analyze the concentration of specific (individual) cations (positively charged ions) (such as NH4+), and / or detect the total concentration of cations. - An analyzer used to collect and analyze the concentration of specific (individual) metal ions and / or detect the total concentration of metal ions. - An analyzer used to collect and analyze the concentration of specific (individual) silicon dopant ions and / or detect the total concentration of dopants. Analyzers 308 to 328 are communicatively coupled to a control and communication system 332, which integrates the operation of all analyzers and devices included in the TAMC device 300. The control and communication system 332 is used to receive, process, and / or interpret data received from analyzers 308 to 328, and each analyzer and its associated valve 307 can be controlled by the control and communication system for sample analysis. In one embodiment, the hardware of the control and communication system 332 may be a general-purpose computer, including a processor, memory, storage, etc., along with software having instructions that cause the listed hardware to perform the required functions. However, in other embodiments, the control and communication system 332 may be a special-purpose computer, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), also having software having instructions that cause it to perform the required functions. The control and communication system 332 can be wired or wirelessly coupled to one or more process equipment modules and / or wired to a remote data / control server (e.g., see Figure 2), which aggregates data from each TAMC and can control each TAMC and the process equipment to which it is coupled. Therefore, the TAMC system can receive and transmit real-time test result updates or receive operation commands from the server, such as performing in-line AMC analysis on a specific sampling channel (i.e., a specific individual sampling tube). As shown and discussed elsewhere (see Figures 2 and 4 through 9), one or more TAMC 300s can be used to monitor multiple movable carriers / FOUPs, multiple chambers in one or more process equipment modules, or combinations of movable carriers and process equipment modules. The use of TAMC 300s provides a method for direct in-line monitoring without interfering with normal processes. Figure 3B illustrates one embodiment of a manifold 350 in a TAMC system 300. The manifold 350 includes inlet pipes 354 fluidly coupled to one or more individual sampling tubes 352a to 352e via three-way valves 356a to 356e. The illustrated embodiment has five individual sampling tubes 352a to 352e, each with a corresponding valve 356a to 356e; however, other embodiments may be configured with different numbers of individual sampling tubes and different numbers of valves, and not every sampling tube needs to have a valve. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet pipe 354 is designed to eliminate ineffective space for trapping contaminants in the inlet pipe. Each three-way valve 356a to 356e has an additional port that can be used as a flushing port for its individual sampling tube; however, in other embodiments, other types of valves may be used instead of the three-way valves 356a to 356e. A buffer tank 360 is fluidly coupled to an inlet pipe 354 via a three-way valve 358. The buffer tank allows the TAMC system 300 to collect large amounts of sample over a short period of time (e.g., 20 liters in 5 seconds). In some scenarios, the AMC contamination level may change after less than 10 seconds. Valves 358 and 270 (which may be three-way valves or switching valves) are placed at the inlet and outlet of the buffer tank 360; these valves open when air sampling is required and close when air samples are collected. The buffer tank 360 also allows transient AMC to be collected from a specific outlet for subsequent measurement of the contamination level by the analyzer. The buffer tank 360 has a clean air inlet fluidly coupled to its interior via a pressure controller 362 and a valve 364, and a clean air outlet fluidly coupled to its interior via a valve 366. The clean air inlet and outlet provide the ability to flush the interior of the buffer tank 360 to clean any samples remaining in the buffer tank or sampling tube. The buffer tank 360 may also, if desired, have an ambient air inlet 372 fluidly coupled to its interior via a valve 374. A sampling pump 368 can be fluidly coupled to the interior of the buffer tank 360 via valve 370. When present, the sampling pump 368 can be used to draw the sample received at the inlet pipe 354 into the interior of the buffer tank 360. The sampling pump 368 reduces the pressure in the buffer tank 360 to extract air from the outlet of the load port exhaust device, FI chamber, load lock chamber, or process chamber. In embodiments where the output of the load port exhaust device, FI chamber, load lock chamber, or process chamber, and therefore the individual sampling tubes 352a to 352e, has positive pressure / flow, the sampling pump 368 may not be required. One or more analyzers (up to N analyzers) may be fluidly coupled to the outlet of buffer tank 360 via valve 376; these analyzers correspond to analyzers 308 to 328 shown in FIG. 3A. A non-exclusive list of analyzer types that may be used in different embodiments is provided above in conjunction with FIG. 3A. Figure 3C illustrates one embodiment of a manifold 375 that can be used in a TAMC 300. Manifold 375 is similar to manifold 350 in most respects. The main difference between manifold 375 and 350 is that, in some examples, it may be useful to analyze the samples before they enter the buffer tank 360. Some analyzers / sensors have a fast sensing response or contain an internal fast sampling module that does not need to be connected to the buffer tank to share the collected samples. To accommodate this, manifold 375 has a flow deflector 380 fluidly coupled in a pipe 354 upstream of a three-way valve 358. Flow deflector 380 is then fluidly coupled to one or more analyzers, such as a temperature / humidity analyzer 382 or some other type of analyzer 384. In this embodiment, the analyzer / sensor does not consume the samples collected in the buffer tank 360. (An optional sampling pump 386 may be fluidly coupled to the interior of the buffer tank 360 via valve 358.) Figure 3D illustrates another embodiment of a manifold 390. Manifold 390 is similar in most respects to manifolds 350 and 375. The main difference is that manifold 390 does not include a buffer tank 360. In embodiments where a buffer tank is not required to collect and retain large sample volumes, the buffer tank 360 may be replaced by a tube 392 having fluid couplings to individual analyzers. For example, in one embodiment, tube 392 may be coupled to N analyzers using multiple flow deflectors (e.g., flow deflector 380 as in one embodiment), the multiple flow deflectors being connected in series to tube 392 to guide sample fluid to one or more of the N individual analyzers. Figure 4 illustrates one embodiment of an in-line monitoring system 400 using one of the TAMC devices, such as the TAMC 300. In the monitoring system 400, one or more process equipment modules are positioned in a manufacturing facility. The illustrated embodiment has two process equipment modules 402 and 404, but other embodiments may include more or fewer process equipment modules than shown. A transport system moves a mobile carrier (FOUP in this embodiment) from one process equipment module to another. Process equipment module 402 has a sampling manifold 408 coupled to one or more of its chambers, and process equipment module 404 similarly has a sampling manifold 410 coupled to one or more of its chambers. Sampling manifolds 408 and 410 are shown in a simplified form to avoid clutter, but in one embodiment, sampling manifolds 408 and 410 may each include a set of individual sampling tubes and manifolds fluidly coupled to one of the process equipment modules 402, as shown in FIG2. The TAMC 406 is movable and can be quickly connected and disconnected from sampling manifolds 408 and 410. With this ability to quickly connect and disconnect from manifolds 408 and 410, for example, the TAMC 406 can be easily moved between process equipment modules 402 and 404 by housing it in a rolling cabinet. The TAMC device 406 can first be fluidly coupled to process equipment module 402 for a specific time period to monitor the cleanliness of the process equipment and the FOUP transferred thereto. Then, the TAMC system can be moved and fluidly coupled to process equipment module 404 for subsequent AMC monitoring of its cleanliness and the cleanliness inside the FOUP transferred thereto. Figure 5 illustrates another embodiment of the in-line monitoring system 500. In system 500, multiple TAMCs can be connected to a process equipment module 502 to focus on independently monitoring specific chambers within the process equipment module. In the illustrated embodiment, the process equipment module 502 has multiple chambers; as previously illustrated, it has a load port in which one or more movable carriers, such as a FOUP, can be coupled, and in the illustrated embodiment, it also has a front interface, a process load lock chamber, and a process chamber. Different TAMCs are fluidly coupled to different chambers within the process equipment module 502: in the illustrated embodiment, one TAMC 504 is fluidly coupled to the load port, another TAMC 506 is fluidly coupled to the front interface, and a third TAMC 508 is fluidly coupled to both the load lock chamber and the process chamber. In other embodiments, the fluid connections may differ from those shown. Although not shown in the figures, TAMCs 504 to 508 and the process equipment module 502 can be wired or wirelessly coupled to each other, wirelessly coupled to a central server, or wirelessly coupled to each other and wirelessly coupled to a central server, as shown in FIG2. Figure 6 illustrates another embodiment of an in-line monitoring system 600. System 600 includes a plurality of process equipment modules; the illustrated embodiment has 16 process equipment modules labeled L1 to L16, but other embodiments may have more or fewer process equipment modules than shown. The system includes two separate sampling manifolds 602 and 604. Sampling manifold 602 has fluidly coupled to one or more individual sampling tubes of each process equipment module L1 to L16, and sampling manifold 604 also has fluidly coupled to one or more individual sampling tubes of each process equipment module L1 to L16. Various sampling bus configurations are feasible in different embodiments of system 600. In one embodiment, for example, sampling bus 602 may couple all of its individual sampling tubes to a chamber of one type of process equipment module, while sampling bus 604 may couple its individual sampling tubes to a chamber of another type. For example, sampling bus 602 may couple its individual sampling tubes to the load ports of process equipment modules L1 to L16, while sampling bus 604 may couple its individual sampling tubes to the process chambers of process equipment modules L1 to L16. In another embodiment, bus 602 may couple its individual sampling tubes to one combination of chambers on each process equipment module, while bus 604 may couple its individual sampling tubes to another combination of chambers in each process equipment module. In yet another embodiment, both busbars 602 and 604 can couple all of their individual sampling tubes to all chambers of each process equipment module, as shown in, for example, Figure 2. A TAMC is fluidly coupled to each sampling tube manifold to collect and analyze samples collected from each individual sampling tube: TAMC 606 is coupled to sampling tube manifold 602 and TAMC 608 is fluidly coupled to sampling tube manifold 604, thus establishing a one-to-one correspondence between TAMCs and sampling tube manifolds. However, in other embodiments, sampling tube manifolds 602 and 604 may be separated and directed to a larger or smaller number of TAMCs than shown. As illustrated in other embodiments, TAMCs 602 to 608 and individual process equipment modules L1 to L16 may be wired or wirelessly coupled to each other and / or wirelessly coupled to a central remote server / control center 610, as shown in Figure 2. The communication connection between process equipment modules L1 to L16 and server 610 is not shown to avoid cluttering the diagram. Using the in-line monitoring system 600, one or more different in-line TAMC systems can be combined to cover the same process area. One or more in-line TAMC systems can be fluid-coupled and focused on monitoring the load port FOUP exhaust device, while another in-line TAMC system can be fluid-coupled and focused on monitoring the FI chambers of all equipment within the calibration process area. The same applies to additional in-line TAMC systems used for all load lock chambers and / or process chambers within the calibration process area in the manufacturing plant. Figure 7 illustrates another embodiment of the in-line monitoring system 700. System 700 includes a plurality of process equipment modules; the illustrated embodiment has 16 process equipment modules labeled L1 to L16, but other embodiments may have more or fewer process equipment modules than shown. The system includes two separate sampling manifolds 702 and 704. Sampling manifold 702 has one or more individual sampling tubes fluidly coupled to a subset of the process equipment modules (modules L1 to L4 and L9 to L12 in this embodiment), and sampling manifold 704 also has one or more individual sampling tubes fluidly coupled to a different subset of the process equipment modules (L5 to L8 and L13 to L16 in this embodiment). Various sampling bus configurations are feasible in different embodiments of system 700. In one embodiment, for example, sampling bus 702 may couple all of its individual sampling tubes to a chamber of one type of process equipment module, while sampling bus 704 may couple its individual sampling tubes to a chamber of another type. For example, sampling bus 702 may couple its individual sampling tubes to the load ports of process equipment modules L1 to L4 and L9 to L12, while sampling bus 704 may couple its individual sampling tubes to the process chambers of process equipment modules L5 to L8 and L13 to L16. In another embodiment, bus 702 may couple its individual sampling tubes to one combination of chambers on each process equipment module in its subset, while bus 704 may couple its individual sampling tubes to another combination of chambers in each process equipment module in its subset. In yet another embodiment, both busbars 702 and 704 can couple all of their individual sampling tubes to all chambers of each process equipment module in their subsets, as shown in, for example, Figure 2. A TAMC is fluidly coupled to each sampling manifold to collect and analyze samples collected from individual sampling tubes: TAMC 706 is coupled to sampling manifold 702 and TAMC 708 is fluidly coupled to sampling manifold 704. However, in other embodiments, sampling manifolds 702 and 704 may be detached and directed to a larger or smaller number of TAMCs than shown. As illustrated in other embodiments, TAMCs 702 to 708 and individual process equipment modules L1 to L16 may be wired or wirelessly coupled to each other and / or wirelessly coupled to a central point of a remote server / control center 710, as shown in Figure 2. The communication connection between process equipment modules L1 to L16 and server 710 is not shown to avoid cluttering the diagram. Using the in-line monitoring systems 700, TAMC 706, and 708, multiple process units / modules can be connected via an expanded manifold design (i.e., more sampling channels) to cover specific process areas within the manufacturing facility. Each in-line TAMC can be configured to monitor FOUP load port exhaust devices, FI, load locks, or process chambers for a specific number of process units (and FOUPs). Figure 8 illustrates another embodiment of an in-line monitoring system 800. System 800 includes a plurality of process equipment modules; the illustrated embodiment has 16 process equipment modules labeled L1 to L16, but other embodiments may have more or fewer process equipment modules than shown. The system includes two separate sampling manifolds 802 and 804. Sampling manifold 802 has one or more individual sampling tubes fluidly coupled to a subset of the process equipment modules (modules L1 to L4 and L9 to L12 in this embodiment), and sampling manifold 804 also has one or more individual sampling tubes fluidly coupled to a different subset of the process equipment modules (L5 to L8 and L13 to L16 in this embodiment). Various sampling bus configurations are feasible in different embodiments of system 800. In one embodiment, for example, sampling bus 802 may couple all of its individual sampling tubes to a chamber of one type of process equipment module, while sampling bus 804 may couple its individual sampling tubes to a chamber of another type. For example, sampling bus 802 may couple its individual sampling tubes to the load ports of process equipment modules L1 to L4 and L9 to L12, while sampling bus 804 may couple its individual sampling tubes to the process chambers of process equipment modules L5 to L8 and L13 to L16. In another embodiment, bus 802 may couple its individual sampling tubes to one combination of chambers on each process equipment module in its subset, while bus 804 may couple its individual sampling tubes to another combination of chambers in each process equipment module in its subset. In yet another embodiment, both busbars 802 and 804 can couple all of their individual sampling tubes to all chambers of each process equipment module in their subsets, as shown in, for example, Figure 2. In the illustrated embodiment, a movable TAMC 806 is fluidly coupled to each sampling tube manifold at different times to collect and analyze samples collected from individual sampling tubes in that manifold. With the ability to quickly connect and disconnect from sampling tube manifolds 802 and 804, the TAMC 806 can be easily moved between sampling tube manifolds, for example, by housing it in a rolling cabinet. The TAMC 806 is initially coupled to sampling tube manifold 802. When the corresponding subset of the monitoring process equipment module is completed, the TAMC 806 is then decoupled from sampling tube manifold 802 and fluidly coupled to sampling tube manifold 804. As in other illustrated embodiments, the TAMC 806 and individual process equipment modules L1 to L16 can be wired or wirelessly coupled to each other and / or wirelessly coupled to a central location of a remote server / control center 810, as shown in Figure 2. The communication connection between process equipment modules L1 to L16 and server 810 is not shown to avoid cluttering the diagram. Using an in-line monitoring system 800, a single in-line TAMC system is connected to multiple process equipment / modules via an extended manifold design (more sampling channels) to cover a specific process area within the manufacturing facility. The in-line TAMC can be moved from location A to location B to cover AMC monitoring in location B, which has multiple process equipment. In another embodiment, the single in-line TAMC system connected to multiple process equipment / modules via an extended manifold design (more sampling channels) to cover a specific process area within the manufacturing facility can be movable. The in-line TAMC can be moved from location A to location B to cover AMC monitoring in location B, which has multiple process equipment. Figure 9 illustrates another embodiment of the in-line monitoring system 900. The monitoring system 900 is similar in most respects to the monitoring system 200 shown in Figure 2: the fluid couplings between the TAMC 226 and the different chambers of the process equipment module (such as substantially 202) are substantially the same, and the communication couplings between the TAMC 226, the process equipment module 202 and the remote data / control server 228 are also substantially the same. The main difference between System 900 and System 200 is that in System 900, TAMC 226 includes its own load port 902 to which a mobile carrier 904 can be coupled for analysis, just as a mobile carrier can be coupled to load port 204 of process equipment module 202. In one embodiment, load port 902 provides additional location where mobile carriers 904 and 206 can be coupled for analysis. In another embodiment, load port 902 allows TAMC 226 to act as a base station for a dedicated mobile carrier 904. For example, a mobile carrier 904 can be a special process health monitoring FOUP carrying a battery-powered sensor or sampling collector (instead of the semiconductor wafer it would typically carry) to perform further detailed TAMC analysis, FOUP cleaning, or battery charging within the FOUP. Dedicated mobile carriers / FOUPs can also be moved to load port 204, just like a conventional process FOUP. Load port 902 can also be used to perform AMC analysis directly on standard removable carriers or process FOUPs (with or without wafers). The above description of embodiments containing the content described in the abstract is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the forms described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, specific embodiments of the invention and examples used in the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, but various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention in light of the above detailed description. An in-line TAMC system with a load port design is used for direct FOUP connection and analysis. The terminology used in the following claims should not be construed as limiting the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and claims. In fact, the scope of the invention should be determined entirely by the following claims, and established rules for interpreting claims should be used to interpret these claims.

[0005] 100: Manufacturing Line 102: Enclosure / Facilities 104: Process Equipment Module 106: Mobile Vehicles 108: Track 110: Wheeled and motorized brackets 112: Elevator 200: In-line monitoring system 202: Process Equipment Module 204: Load Port 206: Mobile Vehicles 208: Front Interface 210: Process load lock chamber 212: Process Chamber 214: Sampling tube manifold 216: Individual sampling tube 218: Individual sampling tube 220: Individual sampling tube 222: Individual sampling tube 224: Sampling tube manifold 226: Total Air Molecular Pollution (TAMC) Device 228: Remote Data / Control Server 230: Electrical wire 232: Electrical wire 300: Total Air Molecular Pollution (TAMC) Device 302: Outer shell 304: manifold 306: pipe 307: Valve 308: Analyzer 310: Analyzer 312: Analyzer 314: Analyzer 316: Analyzer 318: Analyzer 320: Analyzer 322: Analyzer 324: Analyzer 326: Analyzer 328: Analyzer 332: Control and Communication Systems 350: Manifold 352a: Individual sampling tube 352b: Individual sampling tube 352c: Individual sampling tube 352d: Individual sampling tube 352e: Individual sampling tube 354: Imported Pipe 356a: Valve 356e: Valve 358: Three-way valve 360: Buffer slot 362: Pressure Controller 364: Valve 366: Valve 368: Sampling Pump 370: Valve 372: Ambient Air Inlet 374: Valve 375: Manifold 376: Valve 380: Flow deflector 382: Temperature / Humidity Analyzer 384: Analyzer 386: Sampling pump 390: manifold 392: pipe 400: In-line monitoring system 402: Process Equipment Module 404: Process equipment module 406: Total Molecular Air Pollution (TAMC) 408: Sampling tube manifold 410: Sampling tube manifold 500: In-line monitoring system 502: Process Equipment Module 504: Total Molecular Air Pollutants (TAMC) 506: Total Molecular Air Pollution (TAMC) 508: Total Air Molecular Pollution (TAMC) 600: In-line monitoring system 602: Sampling tube manifold 604: Sampling tube manifold 606: Total Molecular Air Pollution (TAMC) 608: Total Molecular Air Pollution (TAMC) 610: Remote Server / Control Center 700: In-line monitoring system 702: Sampling tube manifold 704: Sampling tube manifold 706: Total Molecular Air Pollution (TAMC) 708: Total Molecular Air Pollution (TAMC) 710: Remote Server / Control Center 800: In-line monitoring system 802: Sampling tube manifold 804: Sampling tube manifold 806: Total Molecular Air Pollution (TAMC) 810: Remote Server / Control Center 900: In-line monitoring system 902: Load Port 904: Mobile Vehicle P1: Processing equipment module P2: Processing equipment module P3: Processing Equipment Module P4: Processing Equipment Module P5: Processing Equipment Module P6: Processing Equipment Module P7: Processing Equipment Module L1: Process Equipment Module L2: Process Equipment Module L3: Process Equipment Module L4: Process Equipment Module L5: Process Equipment Module L6: Process Equipment Module L7: Process Equipment Module L8: Process Equipment Module L9: Process Equipment Module L10: Process Equipment Module L11: Process Equipment Module L12: Process Equipment Module L13: Process Equipment Module L14: Process Equipment Module L15: Process Equipment Module L16: Process Equipment Module

Claims

1. A manifold adapted for use in an air molecular pollution (AMC) monitoring device, the manifold comprising: An inlet pipe is configured to fluidly couple to a plurality of individual sampling tubes, each of which is fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe via a first multi-way valve; a plurality of outlet pipes are fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe via a second multi-way valve, each outlet pipe being configured to fluidly couple to a corresponding analyzer via a valve; and at least one of the first multi-way valves is a three-way valve having a port that can be used as a flushing port for one of its individual sampling tubes; and the first multi-way valve, the second multi-way valve, and the valve that fluidly couples the plurality of outlet pipes to the corresponding analyzer can be configured such that the manifold can be flushed.

2. The manifold of claim 1, wherein the plurality of outlet pipes are fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe via a buffer tank, the buffer tank being fluidly coupled to the second multi-way valve.

3. The manifold of claim 2 further includes a clean air inlet and a clean air outlet, which are fluidly coupled to the buffer tank.

4. The manifold of claim 3 further includes fluid coupling to one of the ambient air inflows into the buffer tank.

5. The manifold of claim 2 further includes a pump fluidly coupled to the buffer tank.

6. The manifold of claim 1, wherein the plurality of outlet pipes are fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe via a pipe fluidly coupled to the second multi-way valve.

7. The manifold of claim 6 further includes a clean air inlet and a clean air outlet, which are fluidly coupled to the manifold.

8. The manifold of claim 7 further includes fluid coupling to an ambient air inflow into the manifold.

9. The manifold as claimed in claim 6 further includes a pump fluidly coupled to the manifold.

10. The manifold of claim 1 further includes a pump fluidly coupled to the second multi-way valve.

11. The manifold of claim 1, wherein the inlet pipe is adapted to eliminate ineffective spaces for trapping contaminants.

12. A manifold adapted for use in an air molecular pollution (AMC) monitoring device, the manifold comprising: An inlet pipe adapted for fluid coupling to a plurality of individual sampling tubes in a sampling tube manifold, each of the individual sampling tubes being fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe via a first multi-way valve; and a plurality of outlet pipes adapted for fluid coupling to the inlet pipe via a second multi-way valve, each outlet pipe being adapted for fluid coupling to a corresponding analyzer via a valve; and at least one of the first multi-way valves being a three-way valve having a port that can be used as a flushing port for one of its individual sampling tubes.

13. The manifold of claim 12, wherein the plurality of outlet pipes are fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe via a buffer tank, the buffer tank being fluidly coupled to the second multi-way valve.

14. The manifold of claim 13 further includes a clean air inlet and a clean air outlet, the latter being fluidly coupled to the buffer tank.

15. The manifold of claim 14 further includes fluid coupling to one of the ambient air inflows into the buffer tank.

16. The manifold of claim 13 further includes a pump fluidly coupled to the buffer tank.

17. The manifold of claim 12, wherein the plurality of outlet pipes are fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe via a pipe fluidly coupled to the second multi-way valve.

18. The manifold of claim 17 further includes a clean air inlet and a clean air outlet, the latter being fluidly coupled to the manifold.

19. The manifold of claim 18 further includes fluid coupling to an ambient air inflow into the manifold.

20. The manifold of claim 17 further includes a pump fluidly coupled to the manifold.

21. The manifold of claim 12 further includes a pump fluidly coupled to the second multi-way valve.

22. The manifold of claim 12, wherein the inlet pipe is adapted to eliminate ineffective spaces for trapping contaminants.

23. An air molecular pollution (AMC) monitoring device, comprising: A manifold comprising: an inlet pipe adapted for fluid coupling to a plurality of individual sampling tubes, each of the individual sampling tubes being fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe via a first multi-way valve; a plurality of outlet pipes fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe via a second multi-way valve, each outlet pipe adapted for fluid coupling to a corresponding analyzer via a valve; at least one of the first multi-way valves being a three-way valve having a port that can be used as a flushing port for one of its individual sampling tubes; and wherein the first multi-way valve, the second multi-way valve, and the valve fluidly coupling the plurality of outlet pipes to the corresponding analyzer are configurable such that the manifold can be flushed; two or more analyzers, each fluidly coupled to a corresponding outlet pipe, for analyzing fluid drawn into the manifold through one or more of the plurality of individual sampling tubes; and a control and communication system coupled to the two or more analyzers.

24. The AMC monitoring device of claim 23, wherein the plurality of outlet pipes are fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe via a pipe, which is fluidly coupled to the second multi-way valve.

25. The AMC monitoring device of claim 24, further comprising a clean air inlet and a clean air outlet, the latter being fluidly coupled to the tube.

26. The AMC monitoring device of claim 25, further comprising fluid coupling to an ambient air inflow into the tube.

27. The AMC monitoring device of claim 24, further comprising a pump fluidly coupled to the pipe.

28. The AMC monitoring device as claimed in claim 23, further comprising a pump fluidly coupled to the second multi-way valve.

29. The AMC monitoring device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the inlet pipe is adapted to eliminate ineffective spaces where contaminants can be captured.

30. The AMC monitoring device as claimed in claim 23, wherein each of the individual sampling tubes is coupled to a chamber of a process equipment station.

31. The AMC monitoring device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the two or more analyzers may include a single or total volatile organic compound (VOC) detector, an acid compound detector, an alkali compound detector, a sulfide compound detector, an amine compound detector, an air particle or aerosol counter detector, a humidity detector, a temperature detector, a chemical coolant detector, an anion detector, a cation detector, a metal ion detector, or a dopant ion detector.

32. The AMC monitoring device as claimed in claim 23, further comprising one or more analyzers fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe upstream of the second multi-way valve.

33. The AMC monitoring device as claimed in claim 32, wherein the one or more analyzers coupled to the inlet pipe upstream of the second multi-way valve include a temperature analyzer or a humidity analyzer.

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