Process monitor and semiconductor manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

A sensor on a semiconductor wafer is used as a process monitor and a capacitor is employed as a power supply for the sensor. The capacitor can be formed by stacking a poly-silicon layer and a silicon nitride layer on the wafer. A timer can be used to specify an operation time or an operation timing, etc. Furthermore, unauthorized use is prevented by storing a keyword in an ROM of the process monitor.

1 . A process monitoring apparatus for monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process, comprising:
 a container element;   a monitor element including a wafer and a plurality of sensors attached to the wafer, the monitor element being able to be transferred into target environments in a process facility or into the container element by a transfer robot; and   an electronics module attached to the container element, the electronics module being available for communication with the monitor element when the monitor element is transferred into the container element.