In-situ monitoring and control of conductive films by detecting changes in induced eddy currents
US6072313A · kind A · utility
106Cited by
32References
12Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 17, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jun 6, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 17, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B7/10
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The change in thickness of a film on an underlying body such as a semiconductor substrate is monitored in situ by inducing a current in the film, and as the thickness of the film changes (either increase or decrease), the changes in the current are detected. With a conductive film, eddy currents are induced in the film by a generating an alternating electromagnetic field with a sensor which includes a capacitor and an inductor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.