The present disclosure relates generally to ion implantation, and more particularly, to systems and processes for measuring the temperature of a wafer within an ion implantation system. An exemplary ion implantation system may include a robotic arm, one or more load lock chambers, a pre-implantation station, an ion implanter, a post-implantation station, and a controller. The pre-implantation station is configured to heat or cool a wafer prior to the wafer being implanted with ions by the ion implanter. The post-implantation station is configured to heat or cool a wafer after the wafer is implanted with ions by the ion implanter. The pre-implantation station and/or post-implantation station are further configured to measure a current temperature of a wafer. The controller is configured to control the various components and processes described above, and to determine a current temperature of a wafer based on information received from the pre-implantation station and/or post-implantation station.

A calibration circuit providing a programmable voltage generator that is selectively connectable to a first capacitor plate of a capacitive structure to supply a voltage thereto. A reference voltage generator is coupled to the output of the programmable voltage generator and generates a reference voltage. A comparator receives the reference voltage and a discharging voltage from the capacitive structure during a discharge period and, based on those inputs, generates a signal that is output to a digital controller. A constant current source is selectively connectable to the capacitive structure to generate a constant current. Based on the output of the comparator, the constant current, and a count representing a time during which the discharging voltage decreases, the digital controller measures capacitance to calibrate a movable mirror of the capacitive structure. During calibration, the digital controller controls the programmable voltage generator and a second capacitor plate of the capacitive structure.

This invention relates to a container wall thickness inspection device 1 for inspecting a container 10A in which regions with a relatively greater wall thickness (flat portion Rf) and regions with a relatively smaller wall thickness (corner portion Rc) are distributed in the circumferential direction, the container wall thickness inspection device 1 comprising: a wall thickness measurement device (electrostatic capacity detector 4) with a sensor unit 5 for measuring a wall thickness of a site facing the sensor unit 5 on the outer peripheral surface of the container 10A; a rotary drive mechanism for axially rotating the container 10A around the central axis of the container in order to measure a wall thickness of the container over the entire circumference by the wall thickness measurement device; a region detection device (photoelectric sensor 8) for detecting which region of the container 10A corresponds to the site being measured for its wall thickness by the wall thickness measurement device; and a determination device for making a pass/fail determination with respect to the wall thickness of the container 10A based on measured wall thickness values over the entire circumference of the container 10a, which are obtained from outputs of the wall thickness measurement device. The determination device comprises a storage unit for storing a pass/fail determination standard value with respect to the wall thickness for each region, and a comparison unit for comparing each measured wall thickness value obtained from the outputs of the wall thickness measurement device with a pass/fail determination standard value stored in the storage unit corresponding to the region detected by the region detection device.

Methods of measuring thickness of a material using cross-capacitance. The method generally includes applying a time-varying signal to a first pad and monitoring a response of a capacitor formed by the first pad, a spaced apart second pad, and the material. The pads may be permanently affixed to the material, in spaced relation to each other. Based on the response, a capacitance of the capacitor is determined. The material may be homogenous or heterogeneous, and has dielectric properties. Because the material acts as a dielectric, the capacitance of the capacitor changes as the thickness of the material changes. Thus, the thickness of the material may be determined based on the determined capacitance. The method may be advantageously employed to measure the thickness of a vehicle tire or other material. Related apparatuses are also disclosed.

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for controlling surface characteristics by measuring capacitance of a process kit ring. The method includes interfacing a ring with a jig assembly for measuring capacitance in at least a first location of the ring. The ring has that includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and an inner surface opposite an outer surface. At least the bottom surface has an external coating placed thereon. The method further includes contacting a measuring device to the first location on the outer surface proximate the bottom surface. The measuring device contacts an opening in the external coating to the body. The measuring device contacts a first conductive member that is electrically coupled to the ring. A capacitance is measured on the measuring device. The capacitance across the top surface is measured.

A shape measurement device and a shape measurement method according to the present invention measure, for first and second distance measurement units which are disposed so as to be opposed to each other with a measurement object to be measured interposed therebetween and each measure a distance to the measurement object, first and second displacements of the first and second distance measurement units in an opposition direction, and obtain, as a shape of the measurement object, a thickness of the measurement object in the opposition direction, the thickness being corrected with the measured first and second displacements, based on first and second distance measurement results measured by the first and second distance measurement units, respectively.

A system and method for determining a change in a thickness and temperature of a surface of a material are disclosed herein. The system and the method are usable in a thermal protection system of a space vehicle, such as an aeroshell of a space vehicle. The system and method may incorporate micro electric sensors arranged in a ladder network and capacitor strip sensors. Corrosion or ablation causes a change in an electrical property of the sensors. An amount of or rate of the corrosion or the ablation and a temperature of the material is determined based on the change of the electrical property of the sensors.

Disclosed are a thickness detection device, method and system, a storage medium and a processor. The thickness detection device includes: a detection unit, including a plurality of thickness detection chips, wherein the thickness detection chips are sequentially arranged at least in a second direction; and a common unit, arranged opposite and spaced from the detection unit in a first direction, wherein distances between at least two positions of a first surface of the common unit and the detection unit are different, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction and a moving direction of an object to be detected, and the first surface is a surface of the common unit which is close to the measurement unit.

A vacuum pump includes: a rotating portion and a stator portion between which an internal flow path is formed; an exhaust mechanism which sends gas from a suction port toward an outlet port through the internal flow path; and a main sensor for detecting that a deposited material has reached a prescribed thickness at a detection object position of the internal flow path, wherein the main sensor includes at least a pair of electrodes disposed in the internal flow path at an interval corresponding to the prescribed thickness, and a capacitance detection circuit which is connected to the pair of electrodes and which detects a capacitance between the pair of electrodes, and the capacitance detection circuit detects that a deposited material in the internal flow path has reached the prescribed thickness on the basis of a drop in an increase rate of the capacitance.

Disclosed is a monitoring method for monitoring the film thickness of a lubricant within a lubricated bearing, the bearing having an inner ring, an outer ring and rolling elements being arranged between the inner ring and the outer ring/ The monitoring method comprises a capacitance measuring step for measuring the total capacitance of the bearing; a first calculation step for determining a film thickness of the lubricant based on the measured capacitance of the bearing and for determining whether the lubrication condition is fully flooded or starved, and when the lubrication condition is fully flooded, a second calculation step for correcting the film thickness determined in the first calculation step.