Automated optical surface profile measurement system
US6157450A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 9, 1998 |
| Grant date | Dec 5, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 9, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B11/306
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A fully automated surface profiling system having a loading chamber and an adjacent measurement chamber containing a phase differential laser optical scanning system and a five-axis positioner having a vacuum chuck for holding and orienting a wafer for surface profile measurement. The positioner can displace a mounted wafer lengthwise and crosswise of the chamber, can rotate the wafer about vertical and horizontal axes through the positioner, and can rotate the wafer about its own axis. Each motion is motor-driven and can be carried out independently of all the others or in compound motion as needed. The positioner can accommodate a series of replaceable chucks for holding wafers of different diameters. The loading chamber has a cassette dock for receiving a cassette containing wafers to be tested, a robotic server, and a prealigner. All operations within the profilometer are controlled by a programmable CPU at a control station. Test results and analysis can be displayed on an onboard monitor or printed out or stored or transmitted. In operation, the robotic server selects a wafer from the cassette, presents the wafer to the prealigner for centering and orientation, and transfers …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.