Wafer support for measuring wafer geometry
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsDaniel Fulford, Mark I. Gardner, H. Jim Fulford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wafer measurement stage for supporting a semiconductor wafer for surface geometry measurements. The wafer measurement stage includes a support body having a planar surface configured to face a wafer which is supported by the wafer measurement stage, and a wafer contact structure provided on the planar surface. The wafer contact structure is configured to contact a portion of a wafer such that the wafer is supported in an elevated position relative to the planar surface and to control gravity effects at non-contact portions of the wafer.
Claims18
A wafer measurement stage for supporting a semiconductor wafer for surface geometry measurements, comprising:
- a support body having a planar surface configured to face a wafer which is supported by the wafer measurement stage;
- and
- a wafer contact structure provided on the planar surface, wherein the wafer contact structure is configured to contact a portion of a wafer such that the wafer is supported in an elevated position relative to the planar surface and to control gravity effects at non-contact portions of the wafer,
- wherein the wafer contact structure comprises a line of support material which forms a closed shape structure, such as a ring contact structure on the planar surface.
An apparatus for measuring geometry of a wafer, comprising:
- a wafer measurement stage for supporting a semiconductor wafer, the wafer measurement stage comprising:
- a support body having a planar surface configured to face a wafer which is supported by the wafer measurement stage, and
- a wafer contact structure provided on the planar surface, wherein the wafer contact structure is configured to contact a portion of a wafer such that the wafer is supported in an elevated position relative to the planar surface and to control gravity effects at non-contact portions of the wafer,
- wherein the wafer contact structure comprises a line of support material which forms a closed shape structure, such as a ring contact structure on the planar surface;
- and
- a metrology tool configured to measure geometry of a wafer resting on the wafer measurement stage.
A method of measuring wafer geometry comprising:
- providing a wafer on a measurement stage comprising:
- a support body having a planar surface configured to face a wafer which is supported by the measurement stage, and
- a wafer contact structure provided on the planar surface, wherein the wafer contact structure is configured to contact a portion of a wafer such that the wafer is supported in an elevated position relative to the planar surface and to control gravity effects at non-contact portions of the wafer,
- wherein the wafer contact structure comprises a line of support material which forms a closed shape structure, such as a ring contact structure, on the planar surface;
- and
- measuring a geometry of the wafer resting on the wafer measurement stage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.