Patent · US Active

Near-field sensor height control

US10060736B1 · kind B1 · utility

0Cited by
1References
15Claims
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Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 21, 2016
Grant dateAug 28, 2018
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 1, 2037

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B15/00
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for determining a distance between a near field sensor and a substrate, the method may include creating a diffraction pattern by illuminating, with a beam of coherent radiation having a wavelength that does not exceed twenty nanometers, a slit that is formed between the substrate and an opaque element; detecting, by a detector, multiple portions of the diffraction pattern and generating detection signals indicative of the multiple portions of the diffraction pattern; processing the detection signals to determine a height of the slit; and determining the distance between the near field sensor and the substrate based upon (a) the height of the slit, and (b) a relationship between the height of the slit and a location of the near field sensor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.