Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for characterizing objects and monitoring manufacturing processes

US9157876B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
20References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 25, 2012
Grant dateOct 13, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 30, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10H20/01
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method of characterizing an object includes determining a depth-wise composition of the object at a measurement site within the object. A property of the object within a region adjacent to the measurement site can, optionally, be estimated based on the determining. Another method of characterizing an object includes disposing at least a portion of an object within a measurement region of a metrology tool, aligning a feature of the object and a location of a designated measurement site within the measurement region relative to each other, and performing a performing a compositional analysis of a portion of the object occupying the measurement site. Various apparatus for performing these methods are also disclosed, as are methods of monitoring manufacturing processes based on these methods.

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