US 12,013,291 B2
Advanced temperature monitoring system with expandable modular layout design
Shuran Sheng, Saratoga, CA (US); Lin Zhang, San Jose, CA (US); and Joseph C. Werner, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 14, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/070,803.
Prior Publication US 2022/0113198 A1, Apr. 14, 2022
Int. Cl. G01K 3/00 (2006.01); G01K 3/10 (2006.01); G03F 7/42 (2006.01); G06F 119/08 (2020.01)
CPC G01K 3/005 (2013.01) [G01K 3/10 (2013.01); G03F 7/427 (2013.01); G06F 2119/08 (2020.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
8. A method of detecting processing temperature excursions in a processing system, comprising:
receiving, at a first input of a first connection module, first information from a first temperature sensor of a plurality of temperature sensors disposed external to a processing volume of a processing chamber;
receiving, at a temperature monitoring system (TMS) controller, the first information from an output of the first connection module;
receiving, at a first input of a second connection module, second information from a second temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors disposed external to the processing volume of the processing chamber;
receiving, at a second input of the first connection module, the second information from an output of the second connection module;
receiving, at the TMS controller, the second information from the output of the first connection module;
storing, in a memory of the TMS controller, data corresponding to the first information and second information received from each of the plurality of temperature sensors;
comparing the data to one or more process control models;
determining, based on the comparison of the data to the one or more process control models, whether a temperature excursion event has occurred; and
displaying, for a user, a visual representation of temperature excursion events corresponding to each of the plurality of temperature sensors.