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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 18, 1989
Filed:
Apr. 30, 1985
Robert C Abbe, Newton, MA (US);
Neil H Judell, Jamaica Plain, MA (US);
Noel S Poduje, Needham Heights, MA (US);
Ade Corporation, Newton, MA (US);
Abstract
The present invention discloses means and method for obtaining an increased spacial resolution from a sensor that includes a probe having a characteristic physical dimension that limits its spacial resolution. Such a probe may include a rectangular sensing surface wherein the probe sensitivity increases with surface area while the spacial resolution decreases with increasing surface area. The probe and an object to be measured are controllably moved relatively to each other in such a way as to define preselected increments of relative movement that are selected to be a fraction of the characteristic physical dimension of the probe. Data is collected at each of the increments that is representative of a preselected characteristic of the object to be measured with a spacial resolution that is determined by the characteristic probe dimension and the data is digitally filtered to provide processed data representative thereof having a spacial resolution that is determined by the fractional increment of relative motion. In a preferred embodiment, the object measurement system and method of the instant invention has exemplary utility in a wafer profiling station having a capacitive sensor and operable to provide thickness data for regions of the wafer located within one probe-width of its edge. The capacitive sensor includes two capacitive probes each having a generally-rectangular sensing element that is surrounded by a generally-rectangular guard.