Patent · US Active

Center determination of rotationally symmetrical alignment marks

US7567699B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
5References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 7, 2005
Grant dateJul 28, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 28, 2027

Classification

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

Abstract

The invention provides a method for determining the center of a rotationally symmetrical alignment mark thereby using an image recognition software. The alignment mark is recognized by the image recognition software in different orientations by rotating the alignment mark around a symmetry angle with respect to which the alignment mark is rotationally symmetrical, and respective reference points are determined. The center of rotation of the determined reference points corresponds to the center of the alignment mark. Moreover, the invention provides a method for aligning two flat substrates each having a rotationally symmetrical alignment mark and being arranged substantially parallel with respect to each other. To this end, the centers of the alignment marks of the two substrates are determined by means of the method for determining the centers according to the present invention, and the two substrates are aligned by moving at least one of the two substrates in parallel so that the positions of the centers of the alignment marks coincide.

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