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US 12,276,490 B2Granted
System and method to map thickness variations of substrates in manufacturing systems
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsMehdi Vaez-Iravani, Todd J. Egan, Gopalakrishna B. Prabhu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Implementations disclosed describe, among other things, a system and a method of scanning a substrate with a beam of light and detecting for each of a set of locations of the substrate, a respective one of a set of intensity values associated with a beam of light reflected from (or transmitted through) the substrate. The detected intensity values are used to determine a profile of a thickness of the substrate.
Claims24
A method comprising:
- scanning a substrate with a first beam of light;
- obtaining, for each of a plurality of locations of the substrate, a respective one of a first plurality of intensity values associated with a second beam of light, wherein the second beam of light is caused by interaction of the first beam of light with the substrate, and wherein the first plurality of intensity values characterizes one or more spatial interference fringes caused by interference of a first portion of the second beam of light originating at a first surface of the substrate with a second portion of the second beam of light originating at a second surface of the substrate;
- scanning the substrate with a third beam of light, wherein the third beam of light is different from the first beam of light in at least one of a wavelength or an angle of incidence on the substrate;
- obtaining, for each of the plurality of locations of the substrate, a respective one of a second plurality of intensity values associated with a fourth beam of light, wherein the fourth beam of light is caused by interaction of the third beam of light with the substrate, and wherein the second plurality of intensity values characterizes one or more additional spatial interference fringes caused by interference of a third portion of the third beam of light originating at the first surface of the substrate with a fourth portion of the fourth beam of light originating at the second surface of the substrate;
- and
- determining, using the first plurality of intensity values and the second plurality of intensity values, profile data characterizing variation of a thickness of the substrate.
3 more elements
A system configured to scan a substrate, the system comprising:
- a first light source to emit a first beam of light;
- a first optical sensor to obtain, for each of a plurality of locations of the substrate, a respective one of a first plurality of intensity values associated with a second beam of light, wherein the second beam of light is caused by interaction of the first beam of light with the substrate, and wherein the first plurality of intensity values characterizes one or more spatial interference fringes caused by interference of a first portion of the second beam of light originating at a first surface of the substrate with a second portion of the second beam of light originating at a second surface of the substrate;
- one or more optical elements to direct a third beam of light to the substrate;
- a second optical sensor to obtain, for each of the plurality of locations of the substrate, a respective one of a second plurality of intensity values associated with a fourth beam of light, wherein the second beam of light is caused by interaction of the third beam of light with the substrate, and wherein the second plurality of intensity values characterizes one or more additional spatial interference fringes caused by interference of a third portion of the third beam of light originating at the first surface of the substrate with a fourth portion of the fourth beam of light originating at the second surface of the substrate;
- and
- a processing device configured to determine, using the first plurality of intensity values and the second plurality of intensity values, profile data characterizing variation of a thickness of the substrate.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- a movable stage to support a substrate;
- a light source to direct a first beam of light to scan the substrate being transported on the movable stage;
- a first optical sensor to obtain, for each of a plurality of locations of the substrate, a respective one of a first plurality of intensity values associated with a second beam of light, wherein the second beam of light is caused by interaction of the first beam of light with the substrate, and wherein the first plurality of intensity values characterizes one or more spatial interference fringes caused by interference of a first portion of the second beam of light originating at a first surface of the substrate with a second portion of the second beam of light originating at a second surface of the substrate;
- one or more optical elements to direct a third beam of light to scan the substrate;
- a second optical sensor to obtain, for each of the plurality of locations of the substrate, a respective one of a second plurality of intensity values associated with a fourth beam of light, wherein the second beam of light is caused by interaction of the third beam of light with the substrate, and wherein the second plurality of intensity values characterizes one or more additional spatial interference fringes caused by interference of a third portion of the third beam of light originating at the first surface of the substrate with a fourth portion of the fourth beam of light originating at the second surface of the substrate;
- and
- a processing device communicatively coupled to the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor, the processing device to generate, using the first plurality of intensity values and the second plurality of intensity values, profile data characterizing variation of a thickness of the substrate.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.