Patent · US Expired

Characterization of objects by means of ultrasonic waves

US6250159A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
6References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 12, 1999
Grant dateJun 26, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 12, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2291/044
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

To characterize an object (3) to be measured, for example to gauge the thickness (d.sub.7) of a layer (7) borne by a substrate (4), an ultrasonic wave (8.1) is transmitted by a measuring device (1). Echo impulses (8.2, 8.5) reflected by boundary surfaces (5, 10) of the object (3) to be measured are detected by the measuring device (1); the measuring signal is digitalised and subjected to an evolution analysis in the time domain. The evolution analysis uses an algorithm which is computation-efficient by orthogonalisation and implemented search strategy. The characteristics of the object to be measured, for example the thicknesses, are determined from the delay time differences of the echo waves (8.2, 3.5).

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