Patent · US Expired

Method and measuring instrument for determining the position of an edge of a pattern element on a substrate

US6920249B2 · kind B2 · utility

24Cited by

13References

16Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Leica Microsystems Semiconductor GmbH · DE

Inventors

Klaus Rinn · Heuchelheim, DE
Wolfgang Fricke · Netphen, DE
Joachim Wienecke · Jena, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Sep 24, 2001
Grant date	Jul 19, 2005
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Aug 1, 2023

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG06T2207/30148
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and a measuring instrument for determining the position of an edge to be measured on a pattern on a substrate are described. A complete, nonlinear model intensity profile, which identifies the edge to be measured, of a model edge is ascertained and stored, and a desired edge position xk is defined therein with subpixel accuracy. A camera image of the substrate having the edge to be measured is acquired, and a one-dimensional measured intensity profile of the edge to be measured is determined therefrom. The model intensity profile is identified in the measured intensity profile with an indication of its location xm relative to a reference point. The desired position p of the edge to be measured is determined with subpixel accuracy as p=xm+xk.

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