Surface micro sensor and method

[0025]The present invention provides a surface micro sensor for monitoring the cleaning and drying processes on the surface of a dielectric film during the manufacture of ICs, MEMS and other micro devices. The surface of the dielectric can be non-porous, in which case the surface cleaning process is rate limited by the desorption of species from the surface or by removal of the species away from the surface. The dielectric can also be porous, or have other micro features present in it. Furthermore, a cell (biologic or other) may be placed on the surface and monitored.

[0026]As shown in FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a surface micro sensor 30 for in-situ monitoring of the process of cleaning, rinsing and drying of surfaces and the micro features in those surfaces comprises two conducting electrodes 32 and 33 (e.g. copper or doped polysilicon with a typical thickness of 1 μm) that lie in the same plane, embedded in the surface of a supporting dielectric 56 on a substrate 54 (e.g. a si