Optical interference alignment and gapping apparatus

Optics: measuring and testing – By dispersed light spectroscopy – Utilizing a spectrometer

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

356356, 356363, G01B 902

Patent

active

060881038

ABSTRACT:
Alignment marks on first and second plates include a plurality of periodic gratings. A grating on a first plate has a period or pitch p.sub.1 paired up with a grating on the second plate that has a slightly different period p.sub.2. A grating on the first plate having a period p.sub.3 is paired up with a grating on the second plate having a slightly different period p.sub.4. Illuminating the gratings produces a first interference pattern characterized by a first interference phase where beams diffracted from the first and second gratings overlap and a second interference pattern characterized by a second interference phase where beams diffracted from the third and fourth gratings overlap. The plates are moved until the difference between the first and second interference phases correspond to a predetermined interference phase difference. Further invention uses an interrupted-grating pattern on the second plate with certain advantages. Further advantages are obtained using a checkerboard pattern on the second plate. In addition two inventions are made for measuring gap. One method uses the same marks on the second plate as used in aligning, and the second uses no marks on the second plate, which is an advantage in some cases.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4200395 (1980-04-01), Smith et al.
patent: 4340305 (1982-07-01), Smith et al.
patent: 4848911 (1989-07-01), Uchida et al.
patent: 5000573 (1991-03-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 5235408 (1993-08-01), Matsugu et al.
patent: 5355219 (1994-10-01), Araki et al.
patent: 5414514 (1995-05-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5559598 (1996-09-01), Matsumoto
patent: 5808742 (1998-09-01), Everett et al.
Moon et al., Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, "Immunity to Single Degradation by Overlayers Using a Novel Spatial-Phase-Matching Alignment System," vol. 13, No. 6, pp. 2648-2652, Nov./Dec., 1995.
Moel et al., Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, "Novel On-Axis Interferometric Alignment Method With Sub-10 nm Precision," vol. 11, No. 6, pp. 2191-2194, Nov./Dec., 1993.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Optical interference alignment and gapping apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Optical interference alignment and gapping apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Optical interference alignment and gapping apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-547382

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.