A method may comprise measuring, by a conductivity or resistance measuring device, the conductivity or resistance of a surface of a substrate; comparing, by the conductivity or resistance measuring device, the measured conductivity or resistance to a reference value; and/or determining, by the conductivity or resistance measuring device, a presence or an absence of an antimicrobial system on the surface. The antimicrobial system may comprise a first coating, wherein the first coating may comprise an antimicrobial compound, wherein the antimicrobial compound may comprise a first end and a second end opposite the first end with a hydrocarbon chain therebetween, wherein the antimicrobial compound may comprise a cationic functional group on the first end and a silane group on the second end.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus and methods for forming films having uniformity of thickness on substrates. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to measure thickness or other properties of films being deposited on a substrate without knowing beforehand the surface properties of the substrate. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to measure thickness or other properties of a plurality of layers being formed. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in measuring thickness of vertical memory stacks.

A system includes a displacement-type capacitive sensor probe and at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to calibrate the sensor probe to a known dielectric constant of a first material, send an instruction to the sensor probe to measure a capacitive response of a composite article comprising the first material and a second material, receive the measured capacitive response from the calibrated sensor probe, determine, based on the measured capacitive response, an equivalent thickness of the first material in the composite article, and determine a percentage of the first material in the composite article based on the equivalent thickness of the first material and a thickness of the composite article.

A quality control system in a battery manufacturing process includes two or more capacitive measurement apparatuses to obtain a capacitance measurement from two or more intermediate products generated during the battery manufacturing process. The system also includes processing circuitry to obtain the capacitive measurement from the two or more capacitive measurement apparatuses, to determine a characteristic of the corresponding intermediate product, and to control at least one process of the battery manufacturing process that produced at least one of the two or more intermediate products based on the characteristic.

In a method for obtaining the equivalent oxide thickness of a dielectric layer, a first semiconductor capacitor including a first silicon dioxide layer and a second semiconductor capacitor including a second silicon dioxide layer are provided and a modulation voltage is applied to the semiconductor capacitors to measure a first scanning capacitance microscopic signal and a second scanning capacitance microscopic signal. According to the equivalent oxide thicknesses of the silicon dioxide layers and the scanning capacitance microscopic signals, an impedance ratio is calculated. The modulation voltage is applied to a third semiconductor capacitor including a dielectric layer to measure a third scanning capacitance microscopic signal. Finally, the equivalent oxide thickness of the dielectric layer is obtained according to the equivalent oxide thickness of the first silicon dioxide layer, the first scanning capacitance microscopic signal, third scanning capacitance microscopic signal, and the impedance ratio.

A method may comprise measuring, by a conductivity or resistance measuring device, the conductivity or resistance of a surface of a substrate; comparing, by the conductivity or resistance measuring device, the measured conductivity or resistance to a reference value; and/or determining, by the conductivity or resistance measuring device, a presence or an absence of an antimicrobial system on the surface. The antimicrobial system may comprise a first coating, wherein the first coating may comprise an antimicrobial compound, wherein the antimicrobial compound may comprise a first end and a second end opposite the first end with a hydrocarbon chain therebetween, wherein the antimicrobial compound may comprise a cationic functional group on the first end and a silane group on the second end.

A device for detecting a foreign object attached on a surface of a sheet-like medium, comprising a static electricity providing part (A) for providing static electrical charges, a medium transporting part (B) for transporting a medium under detection, and a static electricity sensor and identifier part (C). The medium transporting part comprises a static electricity receiving unit and a static electricity absorbing unit sequentially connected. The static electricity receiving unit is connected to the static electricity providing part (A), and the static electricity absorbing unit is connected to the static electricity sensor and identifier part (C). The static electricity receiving unit is configured to transfer the static electrical charges obtained from the static electricity providing part (A) to the medium under detection. The static electricity absorbing unit is configured to absorb the static electrical charges of the medium under detection.

A device for monitoring deposition of a coating comprising a dielectric material during deposition of the coating. The device includes a parallel-plate capacitor having a first plate, and a second plate; a first lead electrically connected to the first plate; a second lead electrically connected to the second plate; and a power supply. The first plate and the second plate are parallel and separated by a spacing with a known spacing thickness. The first lead and the second lead can be electrically connected to positive and negative terminals of the power supply. The device is configured to register a capacitance when the first lead and the second lead are respectively connected to the positive and the negative terminals of the power supply and a dielectric material fills the spacing, and is configured to register no capacitance until the dielectric material fills the spacing.

A device for detecting a foreign object attached on a surface of a sheet-like medium, comprising a static electricity providing part (A) for providing static electrical charges, a medium transporting part (B) for transporting a medium under detection, and a static electricity sensor and identifier part (C). The medium transporting part comprises a static electricity receiving unit and a static electricity absorbing unit sequentially connected. The static electricity receiving unit is connected to the static electricity providing part (A), and the static electricity absorbing unit is connected to the static electricity sensor and identifier part (C). The static electricity receiving unit is configured to transfer the static electrical charges obtained from the static electricity providing part (A) to the medium under detection. The static electricity absorbing unit is configured to absorb the static electrical charges of the medium under detection.

A probe calibration device that includes a first offset element having a substantially rectangular first aperture. The probe calibration device includes a tuned pass element disposed adjacent to the first offset element. The tuned pass element has a non-rectangular second aperture. The probe calibration device includes a second offset element disposed adjacent to the tuned pass element and on a side opposite the first offset element. The second offset element has a substantially rectangular third aperture. The probe calibration device includes a backing element disposed adjacent to the second offset element. The first offset element, the tuned pass element, the second offset element and the backing element form a cavity.