FORCE-FEEDBACK SEISMOMETER
Granted: September 9, 2010
Application Number:
20100226211
A broadband weak-motion seismometer includes: a frame, a mass, a suspension means for movably connecting the mass to the frame, a sensing transducer for measuring displacement of the mass with respect to the frame and for generating a sensing transducer output signal, which is a function of the measured displacement, a forcing transducer for applying a feedback force in a predetermined direction to the mass, and a control circuit. The control circuit receives the sensing transducer…
CAPACITIVE DISPLACEMENT TRANSDUCER
Granted: September 9, 2010
Application Number:
20100223998
A broadband weak-motion inertial sensor includes a frame, a movable inertial mass, a forcing transducer for keeping the inertial mass stationary relative to the frame during operation, and a flexure for suspending the movable mass in the frame. Two or more closely spaced, substantially parallel capacitor plates, at least one attached to the frame, and one attached to the movable inertial mass, form a capacitive displacement transducer. The capacitor plates have a plurality of apertures…
Apparatus and Method for Electrical Characterization by Selecting and Adjusting the Light for a Target Depth of a Semiconductor
Granted: June 24, 2010
Application Number:
20100156445
The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus that enable characterization of an electrical property of a semiconductor specimen, e.g., dopant concentration of a near-surface region of the specimen. In exemplary method, a target depth for measurement is selected. This thickness may, for example, correspond to a nominal production thickness of a thin active device region of the specimen. A light is adjusted to an intensity selected to characterize a target region of the specimen…
Method for Evaluating Microstructures on a Workpiece Based on the Orientation of a Grating on the Workpiece
Granted: June 3, 2010
Application Number:
20100135571
In a measuring system, a method for evaluating parameters of a workpiece includes measuring a periodic structure, such as a grating, on the workpiece to produce image data. An orientation of features in the image data, produced by higher order diffractions from the periodic structure, is identified. An orientation of the periodic structure is determined based on the orientation of the features in the image data. The image data is then modified, based on the orientation of the periodic…
Imaging Diffraction Based Overlay
Granted: December 3, 2009
Application Number:
20090296075
An overlay error is determined using a diffraction based overlay target by generating a number of narrow band illumination beams that illuminate the overlay target. Each beam has a different range of wavelengths. Images of the overlay target are produced for each different range of wavelengths. An intensity value is then determined for each range of wavelengths. In an embodiment in which the overlay target includes a plurality of measurement pads, which may be illuminated and imaged…
Modeling Conductive Patterns Using An Effective Model
Granted: November 5, 2009
Application Number:
20090276198
A model of a sample with a periodic or non-periodic pattern of conductive and transparent materials is produced based on the effect that the pattern has on TE polarized incident light. The model of the pattern may include a uniform film of the transparent material and an underlying uniform film of the conductive material. When the pattern has periodicity in two directions, the model may include a uniform film of the transparent material and an underlying portion that based on the…
Sealing Ring Assembly and Mounting Method
Granted: September 17, 2009
Application Number:
20090229997
A sealing ring assembly and an improved method for mounting a sealing ring into an electrochemical cell used for Electrochemical Capacitance Voltage (ECV) profiling measurements. The ring is located in a holder having at least one secondary bore providing fluid communication between a forward face of the holder and the central bore of the ring, directed parallel to but tangentially offset relative to the inner wall of the central bore so as to impart a degree of rotational flow to…
Line Profile Asymmetry Measurement
Granted: July 30, 2009
Application Number:
20090190138
This disclosure provides methods for measuring asymmetry of features, such as lines of a diffraction grating. On implementation provides a method of measuring asymmetries in microelectronic devices by directing light at an array of microelectronic features of a microelectronic device. The light illuminates a portion of the array that encompasses the entire length and width of a plurality of the microelectronic features. Light scattered back from the array is detected. One or more…
Support Pin with Dome Shaped Upper Surface
Granted: June 11, 2009
Application Number:
20090148256
A chuck, which may hold a substrate during stress measurements, includes a number of pins that support the substrate. Each support pin has a dome shaped upper surface that contacts a bottom surface of a substrate when supporting the substrate. The dome shaped upper surface minimizes contact with the substrate as well as assists in maintaining the same contact location with the substrate regardless of substrate shape. The dome shaped upper surface may be formed of a layer of soft material…
Determining Overlay Error Using an In-chip Overlay Target
Granted: May 7, 2009
Application Number:
20090116014
Overlay error between two layers on a substrate is measured using an image of an overlay target in an active area of a substrate. The overlay target may be active features, e.g., structures that cause the device to function as desired when manufacturing is complete. The active features may be permanent structures or non-permanent structures, such as photoresist, that are used define the permanent structures during manufacturing. The image of the overlay target is analyzed by measuring…
In-Plane Optical Metrology
Granted: February 12, 2009
Application Number:
20090040613
A structure that is located adjacent to a measurement target on a substrate is used to convert incident radiation from an optical metrology device to be in-plane with the measurement target. The structure may be, e.g., a grating or photonic crystal, and may include a waveguide between the structure and the measurement target. The in-plane light interacts with the measurement target and is reflected back to the structure, which converts the in-plane light to out-of-plane light that is…
Method for Automatically De-Skewing of Multiple Layer Wafer for Improved Pattern Recognition
Granted: January 8, 2009
Application Number:
20090010529
A method for processing wafers includes learning a first pattern at a de-skew site on a first wafer layer, saving the first patterns in a recipe for de-skewing wafers, learning a second pattern at the de-skew site a second wafer layer, and saving the second pattern in the same recipe for de-skewing wafers. Learning the first pattern may include determining a score of uniqueness for the first pattern. The method further includes finding the de-skew site on the second wafer layer using the…
Overlay Measurement Target
Granted: September 11, 2008
Application Number:
20080217794
In an overlay metrology method used during semiconductor device fabrication, an overlay alignment mark facilitates alignment and/or measurement of alignment error of two layers on a semiconductor wafer structure, or different exposures on the same layer. A target is small enough to be positioned within the active area of a semiconductor device combined with appropriate measurement methods, which result in improved measurement accuracy.
INERTIAL SENSOR
Granted: June 26, 2008
Application Number:
20080148851
A long-period weak-motion inertial sensor includes a frame having a frame mounting surface, a movable mass having a movable mass mounting surface, a transducer for sensing displacements of the movable mass with respect to the frame, and a monolithic flexure element for suspending the movable mass in the frame. The monolithic flexure element includes: a stiff frame integral clamp attachable to the frame mounting surface of the frame, a stiff movable mass integral clamp attachable to the…
SEISMIC SENSOR
Granted: June 12, 2008
Application Number:
20080134786
A seismic sensor includes a frame, a pendulum pivotably mounted to the frame, a mechanism for sensing angular position of the pendulum, and a monolithic flat spring oriented between the frame and the pendulum for balancing the pendulum at an equilibrium position. The monolithic flat spring includes: (i) an operating region for providing a restoring force to the pendulum proportional to an angular displacement of the pendulum; and (ii) a suspension region for transmitting a force to a…
Generation of Monochromatic and Collimated X-Ray Beams
Granted: March 27, 2008
Application Number:
20080075229
A compact x-ray source includes an electron beam source with a metallic film on a diamond window. The metallic film, which may be copper or scandium, absorbs the electron beams and produces k-alpha x-rays. The diamond window is a single crystal of diamond with a crystallographic orientation to diffract the x-rays, thereby producing a monochromatic and well collimated x-ray beam. The orientation of the crystal lattice may be configured to produce multiple x-ray beams. A plurality of…
Non-Contact Apparatus and Method for Measuring a Property of a Dielectric Layer on a Wafer
Granted: January 24, 2008
Application Number:
20080018882
Non-contact apparatus and methods for evaluating at least one of the DC (or RF) dielectric constant, the hardness, and Young's Modulus of a dielectric material on a microelectronic workpiece under process and for generating a correlation factor that relates a measured IR spectrum to at least one of the dielectric constant, the hardness, and Young's Modulus of the dielectric material. A specific example of a method comprises measuring a thickness of the dielectric material on the process…
Methods and apparatuses for assessing overlay error on workpieces
Granted: January 24, 2008
Application Number:
20080018897
Methods and apparatuses for evaluating overlay error on workpieces are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a beam having a wavelength, and irradiating a first alignment structure on a first layer of a workpiece and a second alignment structure on a second layer of the workpiece by passing the beam through an object lens assembly that focuses the beam to a focus area at a focal plane. The beam is simultaneously focused through angles of incidence having (a)…
IMAGE CONTROL IN A METROLOGY/INSPECTION POSITIONING SYSTEM
Granted: September 27, 2007
Application Number:
20070222991
A metrology system includes a positioning system that produces linear and rotational motion between an imaging system and the wafer. The imaging system produces signals representing the image of the wafer in the field of view of the imaging system. A control system receives and processes the image signals, and generates corrected signals that compensate for rotational movement between the imaging system and the wafer. In response to the corrected signals, a monitor displays an image with…
Reference calibration of metrology instrument
Granted: February 17, 2005
Application Number:
20050036143
A metrology instrument is calibrated using two reference locations with different optical properties designed to produce different measurement results, e.g., different thicknesses. The metrology instrument, for example, may be an ellipsometer with a variable phase retarder. By comparing initial measurements of the two reference locations with later measurements of the two reference locations, the amount of calibration error can be easily determined. In addition, an ellipsometer having a…
