Capacitive sensor housing for chamber condition monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11415538-B2
Application number	US-202016812071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 6, 2020
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include a sensor assembly. In an embodiment, the sensor assembly comprises a sensor module and a housing assembly. In an embodiment, the sensor module comprises a substrate, a capacitor with a first electrode and a second electrode on the substrate, and a capacitive-to-digital converter (CDC) electrically coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode. In an embodiment, the housing assembly is attached to the sensor module and comprises a shaft, wherein the shaft is hollow, and a cap over a first end of the shaft, wherein the cap has an opening to expose the capacitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor assembly, comprising:
a sensor module, wherein the sensor module comprises:
a substrate;
a capacitor with a first electrode and a second electrode on the substrate; and
a capacitive-to-digital converter (CDC) electrically coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a housing assembly attached to the sensor module, wherein the housing assembly comprises:
a shaft, wherein the shaft is hollow, the shaft having a first end, and wherein the substrate of the sensor module laterally extends vertically over the first end of the shaft; and
a cap over the first end of the shaft, wherein the cap has an opening to expose the capacitor.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is over the first end of the shaft.

3. The sensor assembly of claim 2 , wherein the cap secures the substrate against the first end of the shaft.

4. The sensor assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first end of the shaft comprises a groove and a seal ring is in the groove, wherein the seal ring is compressed between the substrate and the shaft.

5. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plate covering a second end of the shaft, wherein the plate forms a hermetic seal with the shaft, wherein the substrate and the plate define an interior volume of the shaft.

6. The sensor assembly of claim 5 , wherein the CDC is within the interior volume of the shaft.

7. The sensor assembly of claim 5 , wherein the housing assembly further comprises:
a housing body, wherein the shaft is inserted into the housing body.

8. The sensor assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a vacuum electrical feedthrough attached to the housing body.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Pan Yaoling
• Tae Patrick John
• Tedeschi Leonard
• Willwerth Michael D
• Mccormick Daniel Thomas

Classifications

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0604 Primary

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• G01N27/228

  Circuits therefor (measuring capacitance per se G01R27/26) · CPC title

• G01N27/226 Primary

  Construction of measuring vessels; Electrodes therefor · CPC title