Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for measuring lateral variations in thickness or refractive index of a transparent film on a substrate

US6801321B1 · kind B1 · utility

43Cited by
10References
34Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 7, 2001
Grant dateOct 5, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 7, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F7/70608
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method or apparatus for measuring lateral variations of a property such as thickness or refractive index of a transparent film on a semiconductor, in a region of repeated patterning comprises: illuminating over the patterned area with a beam of light of multiple wavelengths, the beam having dimensions to include repeated patterning; detecting the intensity of light reflected over the patterned area for each wavelength; producing a signal defining the variation of the intensity of the detected light as a function of the wavelength of the detected light; decomposing the signal into principal frequencies thereof, determining from the principal frequencies, values of the thickness etc. of the transparent film; and applying the values to repetitions within the repeated patterning.

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