In-situ measurement method and apparatus in adverse environment

1. Field of the Invention A method and apparatus for making in situ measurements of process parameters in the adverse environment of manufacturing processes such as silicon wafer processing. Rather than using surrogate "smart wafers" that limit the ranges of processing parameters to those that allow the measuring circuitry to survive the process, the present method mounts, on the actual wafer, an enclosed, shielded apparatus in which the electronic circuitry is protected from the adverse effects of conditions such as high temperatures, electromagnetic radiation and plasmas. The wafer plus the mounted apparatus is then transported through the entire process cycle and measurements are made and recorded.