Patent · US Expired

Methods and systems for measuring microroughness of a substrate combining particle counter and atomic force microscope measurements

US6552337B1 · kind B1 · utility

16Cited by
4References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 13, 2000
Grant dateApr 22, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 4, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S977/852
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods for measuring a wafer surface. A portion of the wafer surface is measured using a particle counter to provide first measurements corresponding to a plurality of points on the wafer surface. A selected area of the wafer surface including one of the plurality of points is measured using an atomic force microscope (AFM) to provide a microroughness measurement of the selected area. The selected area is a localized area of the portion of the wafer surface measured using the particle counter. The first measurements and the microroughness measurement are provided as a measurement of the wafer surface. The portion measured using a particle counter may, for example, be substantially the entire wafer surface.

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