Patent · US Expired

Method for characterizing or controlling the production of a thin-layered component using optical methods

US7046379B2 · kind B2 · utility

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1References
15Claims
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Key dates

Filing dateJan 31, 2002
Grant dateMay 16, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 19, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N21/211
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for characterizing or controlling the production of a thin-layered component using optical methods. Acquired signals S1 and S2 are processed in order to obtain parameters x, ∈ of the deposited layers. The stacking is represented by the product of two Abeles matrices for each direction of polarization s (perpendicular to the incidence plane) and p (parallel to the incidence plane): a known matrix Mos,p representing the support and matrix dMs,p representing a thin transparent layer being deposited. The signal variations measured, dS1 and dS2, are inverted to obtain thickness x and dielectric constant ∈ of the thin layer by the following operations: Taylor expansion as a function of variation dx of thickness x of the thin layer of the coefficients of matrix dM; the coefficients of matrix Ms,p are calculated each in the form A(∈±2)dx2+B(∈±1)dx+C and the relation S1,2=A1,2(∈±2) dx2+B1,2(∈±1) dx+C1,2 is thereby deduced which connects signals S1 and S2 to parameters ∈ and dx; dx is eliminated and a master function P(∈±4)=0 is thereby deduced; the equation is solved and the solutions are selected corresponding to values that are physically plausible in order to measure ∈ and use t…

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