Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for substrate surface inspection using spectral profiling techniques

US6693708B1 · kind B1 · utility

27Cited by
59References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 6, 2000
Grant dateFeb 17, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 26, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/681
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention generally provides an apparatus and a method for inspecting a substrate in a processing system. In one aspect, a light source is used in conjunction with an optical receiving device, such as a spectrometer, to illuminate and inspect a substrate for various optical signatures. In one embodiment, spectral data collected from a given substrate is used to generate a spectral signature. The spectral signature represents the intensity distribution of the color sonstituents of a substrate surface. This color signature may then be compared to a reference color signature to determine characteristics such as the substrate type, thickness, conformity, substrate surface uniformity, and residual materials in processing.

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