{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11961721","patent":{"patent_number":"US-11961721","title":"Normal-incidence in-situ process monitor sensor","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2024-04-16T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["H01L","H01L","G01N","H01L"],"num_claims":8,"abstract":"An apparatus for in-situ etching monitoring in a plasma processing chamber includes a continuous wave broadband light source, an illumination system configured to illuminate an area on a substrate with an incident light beam being directed from the continuous wave broadband light source at normal incidence to the substrate, a collection system configured to collect a reflected light beam being reflected from the illuminated area on the substrate, and to direct the reflected light beam to a first light detector, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a property of the substrate or structures formed thereupon based on a reference light beam and the reflected light beam, and control an etch process based on the determined property. The reference light beam is generated by the illumination system by splitting a portion of the incident light beam and directed to a second light detector."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Normal-incidence in-situ process monitor sensor","description":"An apparatus for in-situ etching monitoring in a plasma processing chamber includes a continuous wave broadband light source, an illumination system configured to illuminate an area on a substrate wit","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11961721","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11961721","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Normal-incidence in-situ process monitor sensor\" (US-11961721). https://patentable.app/patents/US-11961721","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11961721","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-11961721","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-05-31T10:40:06.980Z"}