The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Apr. 09, 2019

Filed:

Dec. 15, 2014
Applicant:

Nanometrics Incorporated, Milpitas, CA (US);

Inventors:

Ke Xiao, Hillsboro, OR (US);

Brennan Peterson, Veldhoeven, NL;

Timothy A. Johnson, Tigard, OR (US);

Assignee:

Nanometrics Incorporated, Milpitas, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01B 11/22 (2006.01); G01B 11/06 (2006.01); H01L 21/66 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01B 11/22 (2013.01); G01B 11/0608 (2013.01); H01L 22/12 (2013.01); G01B 2210/56 (2013.01); H01L 22/20 (2013.01);
Abstract

An optical metrology device determines physical characteristics of at least one via in a sample, such as a through-silicon vias (TSV), using signal strength data for modeling of the bottom critical dimension (BCD) and/or for refinement of the data used to determine a physical characteristic of the via, such as BCD and/or depth. The metrology device obtains interferometric data and generates height and signal strength data, from which statistical properties may be obtained. The height and signal strength data for the via is refined by removing noise using the statistical property, and the BCD for the via may be determined using the refined height and signal strength data. In one implementation, a signal strength via map for a via is generated using signal strength data and is fit to a model to determine the BCD for the via.


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