Centra hub supports eight-point wafer-temperature measurement
Image: Advanced Energy
Advanced Energy’s Centra Smart Hub connects up to eight remote sensors for non-contact temperature measurement in semiconductor-processing equipment.
The system targets lamp-heated silicon and silicon-carbide processes, including rapid thermal annealing and epitaxial growth. Its Remote Smart Sensors operate at measurement wavelengths of 3.3 µm or 5.2 µm and measure temperatures up to 1,700°C.
Infrared heating lamps can overwhelm the signal received by conventional near-infrared pyrometers. Advanced Energy says using different measurement wavelengths reduces the contribution from the lamps when detecting wafer temperature.
The hub sits in an instrument rack, while the remote sensors mount directly on the process chamber. Multiple sensors provide measurement points across the wafer, with the chamber-mounted devices supporting ambient temperatures up to 60°C.
Embedded EtherCAT and Ethernet connectivity provide interfaces to equipment-control systems.
Advanced Energy claims up to a 40% accuracy improvement over other standard solutions at the stated wavelengths. Its release does not identify the comparison instruments or give a complete set of comparison conditions.
The architecture separates the central electronics from the chamber-mounted sensing points, allowing one hub to serve several locations within the tool.
