Etching apparatus and methods
AssigneeSPTS Technologies Limited
InventorOliver James Ansell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is for etching the whole width of a substrate to expose buried features. The method includes etching a face of a substrate across its width to achieve substantially uniform removal of material; illuminating the etched face during the etch process; applying edge detection techniques to light reflected or scattered from the face to detect the appearances of buried features; and modifying the etch in response to the detection of the buried feature. An etching apparatus for etching substrate across its width to expose buried is also disclosed.
Claims7
Etching apparatus for etching substrate across its width to expose buried features including:
- (a) an etch chamber for etching a substrate;
- (b) a support for a substrate for retaining the substrate in a generally horizontal position with a face to be etched exposed;
- (c) an illumination source mounted at an acute angle with respect to the support for illuminating the face;
- (d) a camera for computing light reflected or scattered from the face at an acute angle;
- (e) an edge detector coupled to the camera for detecting the appearance of at least one edge on the face, and
- (f) a controller for controlling the etch operation of the chamber and stopping the etch in response to the detection of an edge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.