METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING MOLECULAR CONTAMINATION OF CRITICAL SURFACE USING COATED SURFACE ACOUSTIC WAVE (SAW)

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide reliability for an estimated adhesion coefficient of surface molecular contamination (SMC) on critical surfaces and related estimations by highly sensitively monitoring in real time and substantially reducing, if not eliminating, the effects of the deposition of airborne molecular contamination to the critical object surfaces. SOLUTION: A molecular contamination monitor is used for monitoring molecular contamination on the object surfaces sensitive to degradation due to molecular contaminants. The monitor is a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device having an SAW measuring surface. The SAW device is provided with an electric circuit for providing an output signal which indicates contaminants on the measuring surface. The SAW measuring surface is provided with coatings equivalent to the object material to spontaneous contamination due to the contaminants. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO