Temperature monitoring sensor enables repeatable measurement
Sensors from Advanced Energy Industries have RubiLux and VioLux phosphor formulations to enable precise, repeatable measurement across an extended temperature range.
The latest additions to the Luxtron family of FluorOptic Thermometry (FOT) sensors are the Luxtron M-1000 converter with Rubilux and VioLux phosphor formulations. They operate over an expanded temperature range for advanced semiconductor etch and deposition processes, said Advanced Energy.
They feature a new light source and improved low noise photodetection. The Luxtron M-1000 provides dual channel capability with accuracy variations as low as ± 0.2 degrees C, stability above 0.05 degrees C and the industry’s broadest operating range from -200 to 450 degrees C, said the company. The converter is optimised to work with both phosphor formulations to accommodate the full temperature range.
“Wafer temperature is a critical process parameter for advanced high aspect ratio (HAR) etching used to create semiconductor devices such as 3D NAND,” said Jeff Hebb, vice president of strategic marketing and applications, critical sensing and control at Advanced Energy. To optimise HAR etch processes, semiconductor manufacturers are moving towards a wider range of operating temperatures ranging from cryogenic to hot chuck, he explained. “By delivering precise, repeatable measurement across a wide temperature range, the M-1000 converter and new phosphor formulations enable the full range of temperature measurement required for high-volume manufacturing of HAR processes.”
The Luxtron FOT sensing system combines a phosphor-coated fibre optic probe with a high performance converter that integrates a light source, a photo detector proprietary software algorithm and low noise amplification circuitry. Measurement is based on optical sensing, explained Advanced Energy, meaning that Luxtron FOT systems offer more accuracy than conventional electrical sensors in processes involving strong electromagnetic fields, including plasma etch and deposition, MRI systems and power transformers.
The Luxtron M-1000 will be showcased at Advanced Energy’s booth (844) at Semicon West 2022 (12 to 14 July) at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, USA.
