Slurry monitor coupling bulk size distribution and single particle detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10908059-B2
Application number	US-201916682314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2019
Priority date	Nov 16, 2018
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

Provided herein are particle detection systems, and related methods configured to characterize a liquid sample, comprising: a first probe configured to determine a first parameter set of a plurality of first particles in a liquid sample, the first particles characterized by a size characteristic selected from a first size range; wherein the first parameter set comprises a first size distribution and a first concentration; and a second probe configured to determine a second parameter set of one or more second particles in the liquid sample, the second particles being characterized by a size characteristic selected from a second size range; wherein the second parameter set comprises a second size distribution and a second concentration.

First claim

We claim:

1. A particle detection system configured to characterize a liquid sample, said particle detection system comprising:
a first probe configured to determine a first parameter set of a plurality of first particles in said liquid sample, said first particles being characterized by a size characteristic selected from a first size range;
wherein said first parameter set comprises a first size distribution and a first concentration; and

a second probe configured to determine a second parameter set of one or more second particles in said liquid sample, said second particles being characterized by a size characteristic selected from a second size range;
wherein said second parameter set comprises a second size distribution and a second concentration; and

wherein the first size range includes particles having sizes less than or equal to 200 nm and the second size range includes particles having sizes greater than 200 nm.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first size range and the second size range overlap.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a third probe, said third probe configured to determine a third parameter set of a plurality of third particles in said liquid sample, wherein said third particles are characterized by a size characteristic selected from a third size range.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said first size range, said second size range, and said third size range do not overlap with each other.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein said third size range includes particles having sizes greater than or equal to 100 nm and less than or equal to 500 nm.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said first size range includes particles having sizes selected from the range of 2 nm to 100 nm and wherein said second size range includes particles having sizes greater than 500 nm.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein each of said first, second, and third probes are independently selected from the group consisting of a light scattering probe, a light side scattering probe, a highly parallel light scattering probe, a near forward light scattering probe, a dynamic light scattering probe, a light diffraction probe, a laser diffraction probe, a laser scattering probe, an electroresistance probe, an electrostatic probe, a magnetic probe, a magnetoresistance probe, a pressure probe, flowrate probe, an acoustic probe, an ultrasonic probe, a pulsed Doppler acoustic probe, a structured laser beam probe, a light obscuration probe, an interferometry probe, an aerosolized condensation particle counter, a Coulter counter, an electrophoresis-based particle counter, a photoacoustic probe, a laser induced breakdown detection probe, an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) probe, and any combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first probe is configured to have a concentration detection range selected from the range of 10 3 particles/m L to 10 15 particles/m L.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said second probe is configured to have a concentration detection range selected from the range of 0.01 particle/mL to 10 5 particles/mL.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first probe and said second probe are configured to determine said first and said second parameter sets simultaneously.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system is configured to continuously monitor said first parameter set and said second parameter set.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system further comprises a sample chamber configured to receive said liquid sample continuously or discretely.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein a flow rate of said liquid sample in said system is changeable.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first probe is configured to measure said first parameter set in a first liquid fraction of said liquid sample, said first liquid fraction having a volume less than a volume of said liquid sample; and wherein said second probe is configured to measure said second parameter set in a second liquid fraction of said liquid sample, said second liquid fraction having a volume less than a volume of said liquid sample.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein a flow rate of said second liquid fraction is greater than a flow rate of said first liquid fraction.

16. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a first sample chamber having said first liquid fraction and a second sample chamber having said second liquid fraction.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein said liquid sample is a slurry.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein said liquid sample is a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) slurry or a diluted slurry.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein said liquid sample is a non-diluted chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) slurry.

20. A method for characterizing a liquid sample, said method comprising steps of:
feeding said liquid sample into a particle detection system comprising a first probe and a second probe;
measuring a first parameter set in said liquid sample with said first probe;
wherein said first parameter set comprises a first size distribution and a first concentration of a plurality of first particles, said first particles are characterized by a size characteristic selected from a first size range;

measuring a second parameter set in said liquid sample with said second probe;
wherein said second parameter set comprises a second size distribution and a second concentration of one or more second particles, said second particles are characterized by a size characteristic selected from a second size range; and

wherein the first size range includes particles having sizes less than or equal to 200 nm and the second size range includes particles having sizes greater than 200 nm.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the particle detection system further comprises a third probe; wherein the method further comprises a step of measuring a third parameter set in said liquid sample via said third probe; and wherein said third parameter set comprises a third size distribution and a third concentration of a plurality of third particles, said third particles characterized by a size characteristic selected from a third size range.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein said first probe is configure to have a concentration detection range selected from the range of 10 3 particles/mL to 10 15 particles/mL and said second probe is configured to have a concentration detection range selected from the range of 0.01 particle/mL to 10 5 particles/m L.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein said step of feeding is performed continuously or discretely, and said steps of measuring are performed continuously or discretely.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein said steps of measuring are performed simultaneously or are performed sequentially in any order.

25. The method of claim 20 , further comprising changing a flow rate of said liquid sample in a sample chamber of said system.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein each of said steps of measuring is independently characterized by a measurement time selected from the range of 1 microsecond to 60 minutes.

27. The method of claim 20 , wherein said step of feeding comprises flushing a sample chamber of said system with a reference liquid sample or with a blank liquid sample.

28. The method of claim 20 , further comprising a step of splitting said liquid sample into a first liquid fr

Assignees

• Particle Measuring Syst

Inventors

• Knollenberg Brian A
• Rodier Daniel

Classifications

• G01N2015/0283

  using control of suspension concentration · CPC title

• G01N2015/0222

  from dynamic light scattering, e.g. photon correlation spectroscopy · CPC title

• G01N2015/0053

  in liquids, e.g. trouble · CPC title

• G01N15/06

  Investigating concentration of particle suspensions (by weighing G01N5/00; investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions G01N15/04; investigating individual particles G01N15/10) · CPC title

• G01N15/0266

  with electrical classification · CPC title