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EP0102470A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Ellipsometers

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1983-06-29
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Granted: —
•
Expires: 2003-06-29
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Abstract

Abstract An ellipsometer system for measuring the thickness of a film as it is being deposited on a substrate in a furnace. The system includes means for projecting a coherent beam through a window in the furnace. There are two reflective surfaces in the furnace on which films are being deposited which reflect the beam through an exit window in the furnace to a sensor located outside of the furnace. The drawings show a furnace (135) containing main substrates (140) and measuring substrates (136, 138). All the substrates are equally and simultaneously coded. A laser source (132) directs a monochromatic beam onto substrate (136) where it is reflected to substrate (138) and thereby out of the furnace. The receiver unit (144) contains a Wollaston prism which splits the light beam into I P , I s beams respectively polarised in perpendicular planes. The Ip, I s beams are detected by suitable detectors in the unit (144) and two electrical signals I P , I B generates. The Ip, I s signals, together with an 1 0 electrical signal representing the intensity of the original laser beam, are fed to an interface (146). The interface (146) provides a signal representing the relative magnitudes of the I P , I s beams to a data processor unit (148). The data processor unit (148) operates according to an alogirthm to convert the I P , I s values to film parameters. The output of unit (148) controls the furnace controller.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jean-Claude Andre Chastang
  • 👤 Walter William Hildenbrand
  • 👤 Menachem Levanoni

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 21:11
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01B; G01B11/00; G01B11/02; G01B11/06; G01B11/0616; G01B11/0641; G01B11/065; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/21; G01N21/211

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 128 words
An ellipsometer system for measuring the thickness of a film deposited upon a substrate comprising a processing chamber having an entry window and an exit window, a first substrate having a reflective surface positioned in said chamber in line with said entry window, means for projecting a coherent beam through the entry window onto said reflective surface of said first substrate to provide a first reflected beam, a second substrate having a reflective surface positioned in said chamber in line with said exit window, said second substrate reflective surface being positioned to reflect said first reflected beam through the exit window to provide a second reflected beam, and first detection means outside of said chamber for sensing said second reflected beam after it passes through said exit window.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 128 words
An ellipsometer system for measuring the thickness of a film deposited upon a substrate comprising a processing chamber having an entry window and an exit window, a first substrate having a reflective surface positioned in said chamber in line with said entry window, means for projecting a coherent beam through the entry window onto said reflective surface of said first substrate to provide a first reflected beam, a second substrate having a reflective surface positioned in said chamber in line with said exit window, said second substrate reflective surface being positioned to reflect said first reflected beam through the exit window to provide a second reflected beam, and first detection means outside of said chamber for sensing said second reflected beam after it passes through said exit window.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 22 words
A system as claimed in claim 1, including a first beam splitter positioned between said beam projecting means and said entry window.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
A system as claimed in claim 2, including second detection means associated with said first beam splitter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 33 words
A system as claimed in claim 1, 2, or 3, including means for separating said second reflected beam into p and s components positioned between said exit window and said first detector means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 27 words
A system as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein said entry window and said exit window are on the same side of said chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 24 words
A system as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein one window serves as both said entry window and said exit window.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 29 words
A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said first substrate and said second substrate are positioned in a perpendicular alignment to each other.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 66 words
A system as claimed in claim 2 or claim 2 and any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein said first detector means comprise a data processor, and an interface circuit receiving electrical signals representing the magnitude of-the two beams produced by the first beam splitter and providing an output signal to the data processor containing information as to the relative magnitudes of the two beams.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 39 words
A system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a furnace controller and wherein the processor generates an input control signal for the controller so that the furnace is controlled in dependence on the input signals to the processor.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

DE2430521A1 Cited
DE2616141A1 Cited
US4105337A Cited
US4168126A Cited

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