Patent · US Expired

Multiple beam ellipsometer

US6798512B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
16References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 9, 2002
Grant dateSep 28, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 30, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01J4/04
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An ellipsometric apparatus provides two impinging focused probe beams directed to reflect off the sample along two mutually distinct and preferably substantially perpendicular directions. A rotating stage rotates sections of the wafer into the travel area defined by two linear axes of two perpendicularly oriented linear stages. As a result, an entire wafer is accessed for measurement with the linear stages having a travel range of only half the wafer diameter. The reduced linear travel results in a small travel envelope occupied by the wafer and consequently in a small footprint of the apparatus. The use of two perpendicularly directed probe beams permits measurement of periodic structures along a preferred direction while permitting the use of a reduced motion stage.

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