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:
Mar. 23, 2004
Filed:
Feb. 26, 2003
Shankar Krishnan, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Christopher M. Pohlhammer, San Ramon, CA (US);
Michael P. Green, Palo Alto, CA (US);
KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for measuring a thickness of a substrate having an upper surface, without contacting the upper surface of the substrate. A platen having a base surface receives the substrate, and a reference surface is disposed at a known first height from the platen surface. A non contact sensor senses the known first height of the reference surface without making physical contact with the reference surface. The non contact sensor further senses a relative difference between the known first height of the reference surface and a second height of the upper surface of the substrate without making physical contact with the upper surface of the substrate. A controller controls the sensor and determines the thickness of the substrate based at least in part on the known first height of the reference surface and the relative difference between the known first height of the reference surface and the second height of the upper surface of the substrate.