Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Rudolph Technologies, Inc.

Western Digital (fremont), Inc.

Sean P Leary

Guray Tas

George Andrew Antonelli

Michael Kotelyanskii

Christopher J Morath

Priya Mukundhan

Guenadiy Lazarov

Kurt Charles Ruthe

Zhongning Dai

Tong Zheng

Andre D Miller

Dario Alliata

Jamie I Ludke

Jana Clerico

A method and system to detect thickness variation of a subject material are described. In an aspect, tribological wear is assessed for a disk drive memory system at the pole tip region of a magnetic head. Images are obtained of a first region and a second region of a subject material utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM images are image processed to obtain a differential contrast between the first region and the second region. An image intensity variation is determined between masked SEM images of the first region and the second region by obtaining a surface profiler image of the first region and the second region, and overlaying and calibrating the SEM images with the surface profiler images. In an aspect, image intensity variation is converted to quantified thickness utilizing a fitted relation obtained from the calibration of the surface profiler images with the SEM images.

Detecting thickness variation and quantitative depth utilizing scanning electron microscopy with a surface profiler

Methods for correcting for thermal drift in microscopy images are described. One such method includes receiving an original image for correction, the original image having been generated using microscopy, receiving information indicative of a feature selected from within the original image by a user, the selected feature including an edge, storing the original image in a database including a plurality of images, each having one or more features, correlating the selected feature with one of the one or more features stored in the database to identify a first plurality of points defining the edge, removing one or more points of the first plurality of points using an outlier rejection technique, generating a smoothing spline approximation for a second plurality of points defining the edge, and generating a corrected image by shifting points of the original image in accordance with the smoothing spline approximation.

Methods for correcting for thermal drift in microscopy images

Methods for referencing related magnetic head microscopy scans to reduce processing requirements for high resolution imaging are provided. One such method includes performing a low resolution pole tip recession scan of a pole tip area of a magnetic head, performing a high resolution writer pole recession scan of a writer pole area of the magnetic head, preparing a portion of the low resolution scan for alignment, performing a rough leveling of the high resolution scan, aligning the portion of the low resolution scan and the high resolution scan using pattern recognition and a database of features, subtracting the high resolution scan from the aligned portion of the low resolution scan, and leveling the high resolution scan based on a result of the subtraction.

Methods for referencing related magnetic head microscopy scans to reduce processing requirements for high resolution imaging

A method for evaluating a manufacturing process is described. The method includes generating an optical pump beam pulse and directing the optical pump beam pulse to a surface of a sample. A probe pulse is generated and directed the probe pulse to the surface of the sample. A probe pulse response signal is detected. A change in the probe pulse varying in response to the acoustic signal forms the probe pulse response signal. An evaluation of one or more manufacturing process steps used to create the sample is made based upon the probe pulse response signal. Additionally the method may be used for process control of a CMP process. Apparatus are also described.

Characterization with picosecond ultrasonics of metal portions of samples potentially subject to erosion

An optical metrology system is provided with a data analysis method to determine the elastic moduli of optically transparent dielectric films such as silicon dioxide, other carbon doped oxides over metal or semiconductor substrates. An index of refraction is measured by an ellipsometer and a wavelength of a laser beam is measured using a laser spectrometer. The angle of refraction is determined by directing a light pulse focused onto a wafer surface, measuring a first set of x, y, and zcoordinates, moving the wafer in the z direction, directing the light pulse onto the wafer surface and measuring a second set of x, yand zcoordinates, using the coordinates to calculate an angle of incidence, calculating an angle of refraction from the calculated angle of incidence, obtaining a sound velocity v, from the calculated angle of refraction and using the determined sound velocity v, to calculate a bulk modulus. Hardware calibration and adjustments for the optical metrology system are also provided in order to minimize the variation of the results from tool to tool down to about 0.5% or below.

Measuring elastic moduli of dielectric thin films using an optical metrology system

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Saraburi, Thailand

Sean P Leary