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:
Aug. 28, 2007
Filed:
Apr. 23, 2004
Hsien-ping Feng, Yonghe, TW;
Min-yuan Cheng, Taipei, TW;
Hsi-kuei Cheng, Jhubei, TW;
Steven Lin, Shih-Chu, TW;
Huang-yi Huang, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Yuh-da Fan, Shin Chu, TW;
Hsien-Ping Feng, Yonghe, TW;
Min-Yuan Cheng, Taipei, TW;
Hsi-Kuei Cheng, Jhubei, TW;
Steven Lin, Shih-Chu, TW;
Huang-Yi Huang, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Yuh-Da Fan, Shin Chu, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Abstract
A method for monitoring copper film quality and for evaluating the annealing efficiency of a copper annealing process includes measuring hardness of a copper film formed on a substrate before and after annealing and comparing the hardness measurement results. The measurements can be correlated to grain boundary saturation levels, copper grain sizes and therefore conductivity. Hardness measurements may be taken at a plurality of locations throughout the substrate to account for variations in the copper film grain structure.