Embodiments described herein provide apparatus, software applications, and methods of a coating process, such as an Electron Beam Physical Vapor Deposition (EBPVD) of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) on objects. The objects may include aerospace components, e.g., turbine vanes and blades, fabricated from nickel and cobalt-based super alloys. The apparatus, software applications, and methods described herein provide at least one of the ability to detect an endpoint of the coating process, i.e., determine when a thickness of a coating satisfies a target value, and the ability for closed-loop control of process parameters.

The present application discloses a deposition system. The deposition system includes a deposition module executing a first deposition recipe on a first wafer to turn a first wafer state of the first wafer to a second wafer state; a first measurement module collecting the second wafer state of the first wafer to generate a first set of data; and an artificial intelligence module coupled to the first measurement module and the etch module, analyzing the first set of data and update the first deposition recipe to a second deposition recipe when the first set of data is not within a predetermined range. The artificial intelligence module is configured for generating the second deposition recipe taking into consideration at least one of a deposition rate of the second wafer, a rate of rotation of the second wafer, and a tilt angle of the second wafer

The present application discloses a deposition system. The deposition system includes a deposition module executing a first deposition recipe on a first wafer to turn a first wafer state of the first wafer to a second wafer state; a first measurement module collecting the second wafer state of the first wafer to generate a first set of data; and an artificial intelligence module coupled to the first measurement module and the etch module, analyzing the first set of data and update the first deposition recipe to a second deposition recipe when the first set of data is not within a predetermined range. The artificial intelligence module is configured for generating the second deposition recipe taking into consideration at least one of a deposition rate of the second wafer, a rate of rotation of the second wafer, and a tilt angle of the second wafer

Methods and apparatus for a processing chamber are provided herein. The apparatus includes, for example, an inner volume defined in the processing chamber; a first sensor assembly coupled to a surface located in the inner volume of the processing chamber and including a first electrode configuration configured to measure an electrical characteristic associated with a film deposited within the inner volume of the processing chamber; and a second sensor assembly coupled to the surface located in the inner volume of the processing chamber in relative proximity to the first sensor assembly and including a second electrode configuration, different from the first electrode configuration, configured to measure the same electrical characteristic as the first electrode configuration.

A resistance measurement device for measuring sheet resistance of an electrically conductive film being long in one direction includes two probes disposed to face each other in spaced apart relation so as to allow the electrically conductive film to be interposed therebetween without contacting with the electrically conductive film; a scanning unit that allows the two probes to scan in a cross direction crossing the one direction; and an arithmetic unit that calculates a sheet resistance of the electrically conductive film based on a voltage measured by the two probes. The arithmetic unit includes a memory that memorizes a reference voltage measured by allowing the two probes to scan in the cross direction without interposing the electrically conductive film between the probes. The arithmetic unit corrects an actual voltage by allowing the two probes to scan in the cross direction with the electrically conductive film being interposed between the probes.

Methods and apparatus for a processing chamber are provided herein. The apparatus includes, for example, an inner volume defined in the processing chamber; a first sensor assembly coupled to a surface located in the inner volume of the processing chamber and including a first electrode configuration configured to measure an electrical characteristic associated with a film deposited within the inner volume of the processing chamber; and a second sensor assembly coupled to the surface located in the inner volume of the processing chamber in relative proximity to the first sensor assembly and including a second electrode configuration, different from the first electrode configuration, configured to measure the same electrical characteristic as the first electrode configuration.

Methods and apparatus for a processing chamber are provided herein. The apparatus includes, for example, an inner volume defined in the processing chamber; a first sensor assembly coupled to a surface located in the inner volume of the processing chamber and including a first electrode configuration configured to measure an electrical characteristic associated with a film deposited within the inner volume of the processing chamber; and a second sensor assembly coupled to the surface located in the inner volume of the processing chamber in relative proximity to the first sensor assembly and including a second electrode configuration, different from the first electrode configuration, configured to measure the same electrical characteristic as the first electrode configuration.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a process tool which includes a housing that defines a vacuum chamber. A wafer chuck is in the housing, and a carrier wafer is on the wafer chuck. A structure that is used for deposition processes is arranged at a top of the housing. A camera is integrated on the wafer chuck such that the camera faces a top of the housing. The camera is configured to wirelessly capture images of the structure used for deposition processes within the housing. Outside of the housing is a wireless receiver. The wireless receiver is configured to receive the images from the camera while the vacuum chamber is sealed.

Implementations disclosed describe a system that includes a deposition chamber, a light source to produce an incident beam of light, wherein the incident beam of light is to illuminate a region of the deposition chamber, and a camera to collect a scattered light originating from the illuminated region of the deposition chamber, wherein the scattered light is to be produced upon interaction of the first incident beam of light with particles inside the illuminated region of the deposition chamber. The described system may optionally have a processing device, coupled to the camera, to generate scattering data for a plurality of locations of the illuminated region, wherein the scattering data for each location comprises intensity of the scattered light originating from this location.

A soft-landing (SL) instrument for depositing ions onto substrates using a laser ablation source is described herein. The instrument of the instant invention is designed with a custom drift tube and a split-ring ion optic for the isolation of selected ions and is capable of operating at atmospheric pressure. The drift tube allows for the separation and thermalization of ions formed after laser ablation through collisions with an inert bath gas that allow the ions to be landed at energies below 1 eV onto substrates. The split-ring ion optic is capable of directing ions toward the detector or a landing substrate for selected components.