Patent · US Expired

Measuring apparatus for etching pits

US4840487A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
6References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 19, 1986
Grant dateJun 20, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 19, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B11/22
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring dry etching pits formed in a semiconductor device during the manufacture thereof by employing optical means. Wiring on semiconductor devices increasingly become fine or minute, i.e., the size of wiring of some devices is less than 1 .mu.m. A technical matter to be solved is to effect highly accurate dimensional measurement in such submicron region. The apparatus has a .theta. stage which is additionally provided on an XY stage, and a mechanism which provides excellent selectivity in detection of interference intensity of diffracted beam. In addition, a short wavelength laser, such as a He-Ne, He-Cd, N.sub.2 or Ar laser, is employed as a laser source. As a practical advantage, it is possible to monitor etching of a pit with a depth on the order of 10 .mu.m with respect to a pattern with a planar dimension of 0.3 .mu.m to 1.0 .mu.m.

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