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. 27, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 30, 1997
Vladimir Sokolov, Shakopee, MN (US);
TLC Precision Wafer Technology, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
A non-destructive and non-invasive method for monitoring a selected characteristic of a fabricated semiconductor sample while inside a fabrication chamber and during the fabrication process, where selected materials are deposited on a planar surface of a wafer substrate in a fabrication chamber, employs one or more viewports in the walls of the fabrication chamber. A focused electromagnetic wave is generated external to the fabrication chamber, and directed through a viewport to impinge upon a selected portion of the planar surface of the wafer substrate at an oblique incident angle relative to the planar surface of the wafer substrate. In turn, a reflected electromagnetic wave emanating from the planar surface of the wafer substrate is detected. A signal processor then determines a reflection coefficient as a function of a selected characteristic of the focused electromagnetic wave and the reflected electromagnetic wave.