Confocal microscopy pad sample holder and method of hand...

Optics: measuring and testing – Sample – specimen – or standard holder or support

Reexamination Certificate

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C359S391000, C269S287000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07839496

ABSTRACT:
The present invention is a sample holder for confocal microscopy of CMP pad samples cut or otherwise removed from either new or used CMP pads that maintains a uniform load and pressure over the part of the sample visible to the confocal microscope by placing the pad behind a transparent window and holding it against the said window by a means comprising upper transparent window retaining means having an offset adjacent the transparent window having the same or essentially the same refractive index as the pad material so that when the pad is held against the transparent window, the edges of the pad are outside the outer edge of the transparent window; lower pad retaining means to press the pad under a known/load against the transparent window, which lower pad retaining means has a size less than the size of the pad; spherical force transmitting means pressed against the lower pad retaining means;, through a load cell to measure the load transferred to the sample through lower pad retaining means, the spherical force transmitting means, the force transfer means and load cell from the posterior structural housing of the sample holder which is forced together with the said window retaining means by a force generating means; and means to adjust the known load and a method of confocal microscopy of new and used CMP pad samples to determine relative surface area and other characteristics using the said confocal sample.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5438451 (1995-08-01), Schweizer
patent: 5838448 (1998-11-01), Aiyer et al.
patent: 6307628 (2001-10-01), Lu et al.
patent: 7120553 (2006-10-01), Benvegnu
patent: 2010/0128276 (2010-05-01), De Groot et al.
Elmufdi et al., A Novel Optical Technique to Measure Pad-Wafer Contact Area in Chemical Mechanical Planarization, Material Research Society Symposium Proc. vol. 914 (2006).

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