Non-contact optical profilometer with orthogonal beams

Details Non-contact optical profilometer with orthogonal beams Non-contact optical profilometer with orthogonal beams

2006-08-01

2006-08-01

Lee, Hwa (Andrew) (Department: 2877)

Optics: measuring and testing

By polarized light examination

Of surface reflection

C356S601000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07084979

ABSTRACT:
An optical profilometer apparatus10having a stage with a support surface42on which a wafer substrate may rest. The wafer stage is capable of moving the wafer in (x, y) or (r, θ) mode to achieve complete wafer scan. Polarized light from a monochromatic source12is directed towards the wafer surface22. Surface profiling is achieved by sensing beam shift on a segmented sensor caused by level/height change at the wafer surface. In preferred embodiment of the profilometer, a single light beam is engineered to propagate in two orthogonal planes of incidence so that it becomes sensitive to height/level change on the wafer while being insensitive to local slope or wafer tilt. In another embodiment, slope of surface feature is measured. By integrating slope over the measurement spot, local feature height is obtained. This is particularly useful when the beam shift due to feature height change is below detection sensitivity. Since the beam propagates in two orthogonal planes of incidence, the slope measurement sensitivity and hence height sensitivity is doubled. The entire wafer surface can be profiled using (x, y) or (r, θ) scan of the wafer surface.

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