Thin film stress measurement 3D anisotropic volume
US8625083B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 12, 2011 |
| Grant date | Jan 7, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 10, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01L1/241
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system for measuring thin film stress, anisotropic or isotropic, such as from thin film deposition onto semiconductor substrates found in semiconductor manufacturing. The system uses resettled volume difference, V2−V1, of the surface of a material to calculate stress. The system includes a means to collect 3D surface points, a method to calculate volume and a method to calculate thin film stress from resettled volume difference. Calculating stress from resettled volume difference, V2−V1, eliminates the inaccuracy of calculating stress from the change in surface curvature or surface radius with equations such asThe inaccuracy of stress calculated from surface curvature is from the non-spherical deformation of anisotropic materials, such as semiconductor substrates, eg: silicon wafers in semiconductor manufacturing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.