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. 26, 2014
Filed:
Sep. 06, 2011
Paul Doyle, San Jose, CA (US);
Guoheng Zhao, Milpitas, CA (US);
Alexander Belyaev, Campbell, CA (US);
Christian H. Wolters, San Jose, CA (US);
Howard W. Dando, Aptos, CA (US);
Mehdi Vaez-iravani, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Carmela C. Moreno, Fremont, CA (US);
Paul Doyle, San Jose, CA (US);
Guoheng Zhao, Milpitas, CA (US);
Alexander Belyaev, Campbell, CA (US);
J. Rex Runyon, Fremont, CA (US);
Christian H. Wolters, San Jose, CA (US);
Howard W. Dando, Aptos, CA (US);
Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Los Gatos, CA (US);
KLA-Tencor Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
A tool for investigating a substrate, where the tool has a tool head for investigating the substrate, a chuck for disposing an upper surface of the substrate in proximity to the tool head, and an air bearing disposed on the tool head adjacent the substrate. The air bearing has a pressure source and a vacuum source, where the vacuum source draws the substrate toward the air bearing and the pressure source prevents the substrate from physically contacting the air bearing. The pressure source and the vacuum source work in cooperation to dispose the upper surface of the substrate at a known distance from the tool head. By using the air bearing as part of the tool in this manner, registration of the substrate to the tool head is accomplished relative to the upper surface of the substrate, not the back side of the substrate.