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:
Nov. 02, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 17, 1997
Sima Salamati-Saradh, Plano, TX (US);
Douglas E Paradis, Richardson, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A system (10, 110, 210) for detecting particles (144) on a surface of a substrate-supporting chuck (14, 114, 214) including an inspection subsystem (128, 130, 131, 116, 250, 252, 222, 216) for analyzing the surface of the chuck (14, 114, 214) to determine if any particles (144) are thereon, a movable table (16, 116, 216) for holding the chuck (14, 114, 214) to inspect it and for moving the chuck (14, 114, 214) during inspection, and a control unit (22, 122, 222) for moving the movable table (16, 116, 216) relative to the inspection subsystem (128, 130, 131, 116, 250, 252, 222, 216) to inspect the surface of the chuck (14, 114, 214) and to produce an indication signal if a particle (144) is detected on the surface of the chuck (14, 114, 214). A method for detecting a particle (114) on a substrate-supporting chuck (14, 114, 214) of photolithography equipment (18, 118) includes the steps of providing an inspection subsystem (128, 130, 131, 116, 250, 252, 222, 216); using a movable table (16, 116, 216) associated with a stepper (18, 118) to move a substrate-supporting chuck (14, 114, 214) relative the inspection subsystem (128, 130, 116, 250, 252, 222, 216), and using the inspection subsystem (128, 130, 131, 116, 250, 252, 222, 216) and movable table (16, 116, 216) to inspect a surface of the substrate-supporting chuck (14, 114, 214) to locate any particles thereon.