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.

Date of Patent:
Feb. 19, 2008

Filed:

Oct. 25, 2004
Applicants:

Michael C. Smayling, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Dennis J. Yost, Los Gatos, CA (US);

Inventors:

Michael C. Smayling, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Dennis J. Yost, Los Gatos, CA (US);

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01R 31/26 (2006.01); H01L 21/66 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract

The present invention generally provides an apparatus and a method for inspecting a substrate in a substrate processing system. In one aspect, a voltage or current source is used in conjunction with a power density receiving device, such as a spectrometer, to inspect a substrate for various noise spectrum signatures. In one embodiment, spectral data collected from a given substrate is used to generate a current or voltage spectral signature. This spectral signature may then be compared to a reference spectral density signature to predict reliability of a feature structure of a substrate in processing and feedback to the substrate processing system for substrate processing control. Embodiments of the invention further include computer-readable media containing instructions for controlling the substrate processing system, and computer program products having computer-readable program code embodied therein for controlling the substrate processing system and inspecting defects on semiconductor features.


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