Fiber optic reflectance apparatus for in situ characterization of thin films
US6278809A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 29, 1998 |
| Grant date | Aug 21, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 29, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B11/303
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A fiber optic reflectometer employs an optical fiber near a target substrate in a deposition chamber. The optical fiber is positioned within the chamber so that deposition of a thin film on the substrate also occurs on a portion of the optical fiber. A combination of monochromatic and broadband white light is transmitted through the optical fiber to the film deposited on it, and light reflectance measurements are made to determine, in situ and substantially in real time, such characteristics of the film as its growth rate, thickness, composition, surface roughness and refractive index. Such measurements can be made without bulk optics and without the precise alignment requirements of ellipsometry techniques and apparatus.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.