Patent ID: 7350476

Claim:
A method for monitoring a condition of a consumable component in a substrate processing system, comprising: inserting at least one tapered plug into at least one consumable component, said tapered plug including: a first axis; a second axis intersecting said first axis; a top portion having a first width along said first axis; a bottom portion having a second width along said first axis; and at least one sidewall joining said top portion and said bottom portion such that a cross sectional profile of said tapered plug that is substantially parallel to said top and bottom portions and has a cross sectional width that varies according to a location where said cross sectional profile intersects said second axis, wherein said at least one tapered plug is inserted into said at least one consumable component such that said top portion is exposed to a processing environment of a plasma processing system calculating a critical width of each of said at least one tapered plug inserted into said at least one consumable component; monitoring said first width of said top portion of each of said at least one tapered plug inserted into said at least one consumable component; and comparing said critical width to said first width.