Patent ID: 8248606

Claim:
A system for use in mapping process samples while in an environmentally controlled chamber comprising: a) an environmental control chamber; b) a process sample supporting stage inside said environmental control chamber; c) a source and detector of a beam of electromagnetic radiation outside said environmental control chamber; and d) at least one material deposition source or etchant source inside said environmental control chamber; said process sample supporting stage being movable in an “X” axis translation direction; said source and detector of a beam of electromagnetic radiation being movable in a “Y” axis translation direction; said environmental control chamber further comprising windows for entering and exiting said beam of electromagnetic radiation provided by the source thereof from outside of said environmental control chamber; such that in use, before, while, or after, a process sample present in said environmental control chamber has material deposited thereupon or etched therefrom by operation of said at least one material deposition source or etchant source, said process sample is sequentially positioned in a plurality of “X” translation direction locations while said source and detector of a beam of electromagnetic radiation are positioned in a plurality of “Y” translation direction locations, thereby allowing investigation of a multiplicity of “X”-“Y” locations on said process sample without removing it from inside said environmental control chamber; said system being distinguished by the presence of a shield between said windows and said process sample, said shield being closer to said at least one material deposition source or etchant source than to said windows, and not being between said at least one material deposition source or etchant source and said process sample, said shield further having at least one opening therein through which said beam of electromagnetic radiation passes in use, the purpose of said shield being to protect said windows against having material deposited thereupon during use, other than that passing through said at least one opening.