Patent ID: 6532069
Filing Date: 2003-03-11
Classification: G01N,H01L

Abstract:
A particle-measuring method for measuring the number of particles included in an exhaust gas exhausted from a processing system for generating an atmosphere including atmospheric air or a gas exhausted from within a processing chamber by a vacuum pump, and for processing an object relating to a semiconductor manufacturing in this atmosphere, the method comprising the steps of:modeling a parameter regarding a principle of generating particles and a parameter representing a feature of the generated particles; carrying out a numerical simulation for expressing trajectory of an exhaust gas that includes particles flowing through an exhaust pipe; carrying out a trajectory numerical simulation of an exhaust gas and particles; confirming an optimum position for measuring particles; determining sensor installation position; installing the sensor; and counting the number of particles flowing in the exhaust pipe, wherein trajectory of particles that flow through the exhaust pipe after the particles have been generated inside the processing chamber and exhausted from the processing chamber are simulated, to select an area where the density of the particles is the highest in the radial direction of the exhaust pipe, a laser beam irradiator is disposed at a position in this area where laser beams for measurement pass through and a scattered light detector is disposed in a direction orthogonal with the laser beams, thereby to measure the number of the particles.