Method and apparatus for mapping surface topography of a substrate

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 6621581
SERIAL NO

09418722

Stats

ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)

Importance

Loading Importance Indicators... loading....

Abstract

See full text

Full surface maps of slope and height are determined for the surface of a highly smooth surface such as a silicon wafer, by an apparatus which includes a light source for creating a light beam and scanning and wafer transport systems which cause the incident beam to be scanned over the full surface of the wafer. A quad cell light detector is positioned to receive the beam specularly reflected from the wafer surface, the quad cell detector having four cells arranged in quadrants with each cell providing an electrical signal indicative of the amount of light received by the cell. A processor is programmed to calculate changes in spot location on the detector based on the signals from the cells, and to calculate changes in surface slopes based on the changes in spot location. Full maps of X- and Y-slope are produced, and a line integration algorithm is used for calculating full surface height maps. Regions of surface height gradient exceeding a threshold are flagged as defects by the processor.

Loading the Abstract Image... loading....

First Claim

See full text

Family

Loading Family data... loading....

Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
ADE CORPORATION80 WILSON WAY WESTWOOD MA 02090

International Classification(s)

  • [Classification Symbol]
  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Clementi, Lee Dante Lake Wylie, SC 2 23
Hunt, James David Charlotte, NC 1 8
Monjak, Charles A Clover, SC 1 8

Cited Art Landscape

Load Citation

Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cite Landscape

Load Citation