US 12,444,654 B2
Systems and methods for determining flow characteristics of a fluid segment for analytic determinations
Beau A. Marth, La Vista, NE (US)
Assigned to Elemental Scientific, Inc., Omaha, NE (US)
Filed by Elemental Scientific, Inc., Omaha, NE (US)
Filed on Aug. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/882,027.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/232,901, filed on Aug. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0050586 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 21/66 (2006.01); G01F 1/58 (2006.01); G01F 23/284 (2006.01); G01N 21/95 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 22/12 (2013.01) [G01N 21/9501 (2013.01); H01L 22/26 (2013.01); G01F 1/58 (2013.01); G01F 23/2845 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining whether liquid remains on a wafer surface following a scanning operation comprising:
transferring a fluid sample through a fluid transfer line from a fluid source to a scanning nozzle of a wafer processing system;
dispensing the fluid sample onto a wafer surface with the scanning nozzle;
determining, via a first liquid volume determination system positioned downstream from the fluid source and upstream from the scanning nozzle, a volume of liquid sample dispensed onto the wafer surface;
recovering the fluid sample from the wafer surface with the scanning nozzle;
determining, via a second liquid volume determination system positioned downstream from the scanning nozzle, a volume of liquid sample recovered from the wafer surface;
comparing, via a controller communicatively coupled with the first liquid volume determination system and the second liquid volume determination system, the volume of liquid sample recovered from the wafer surface to the volume of liquid sample dispensed onto the wafer surface; and
generating an alert if the volume of liquid sample recovered from the wafer surface is significantly less than the volume of liquid sample dispensed onto the wafer surface.