Improved spatial resolution measurement system and method
US4849916A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 30, 1985 |
| Grant date | Jul 18, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 30, 2005 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B7/28
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention discloses means and method for obtaining an increased spacial resolution from a sensor that includes a probe having a characteristic physical dimension that limits its spacial resolution. Such a probe may include a rectangular sensing surface wherein the probe sensitivity increases with surface area while the spacial resolution decreases with increasing surface area. The probe and an object to be measured are controllably moved relatively to each other in such a way as to define preselected increments of relative movement that are selected to be a fraction of the characteristic physical dimension of the probe. Data is collected at each of the increments that is representative of a preselected characteristic of the object to be measured with a spacial resolution that is determined by the characteristic probe dimension and the data is digitally filtered to provide processed data representative thereof having a spacial resolution that is determined by the fractional increment of relative motion. In a preferred embodiment, the object measurement system and method of the instant invention has exemplary utility in a wafer profiling station having a capacitive sensor…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.