Patent · US Expired

Axis determination apparatus, film-thickness measurement apparatus, deposition apparatus, axis determination method, and film-thickness measurement method

US6753964B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
4References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 5, 2001
Grant dateJun 22, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 28, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/681
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A film-thickness measurement apparatus of the present invention includes a lifter, a support mount, a light-emitting device, and a light-receiving device. With the center of a wafer staying in alignment with that of the support mount, the lifter places the wafer onto the surface of the support mount to determine the center of the wafer. While the wafer is being rotated about the center of the wafer, the light-emitting device irradiates the circumferential portion of the wafer with a laser beam, thereby allowing the position of a notch to be detected depending on whether or not the laser beam passes through the notch. This makes it possible to detect the positions of the notch and the center of the wafer to determine the center axis line of the surface of the wafer, thereby allowing the coordinates of a given position on the surface of the wafer to be defined in accordance with the center axis line and the center of the wafer. The thickness of the thin film on the surface of the wafer at the predetermined positions can then be determined.

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