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:
Mar. 25, 2008

Filed:

Sep. 03, 2004
Applicant:

Toru Mikami, Kanagawa, JP;

Inventor:

Toru Mikami, Kanagawa, JP;

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

A method monitors a thickness of a subject film deposited on an underlying structure, the underlying structure contains at least one thin film formed on a substrate. The method includes determining thickness data of the underlying structure and storing the thickness data of the underlying structure in a thickness memory; measuring profile of optical spectrum of the subject film on the underlying structure; reading the thickness data of the underlying from the thickness memory; calculating theoretical profiles of the optimal spectrum of the subject film based upon corresponding candidate film thicknesses of the subject film and the thickness data of the underlying structure; and searching a theoretical profile of the subject film, which is closest to the measured profile of optical spectrum of the subject film so as to determine a thickness of the subject film.


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