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US4647850A
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Integrated circuit for measuring mask misalignment
Assignee: Unisys Corp
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Filing: 1984-10-05
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Granted: 1987-03-03
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Expires: 2004-10-05
Abstract
Abstract An integrated circuit for measuring conductor misalignment comprises: a set of 2n+1 conductor pairs where n is a predetermined positive integer; each conductor pair includes a U-shaped conductor having a central axis; each conductor pair also includes a rectangular shaped conductor having a central axis and which is narrow enough to fit between the legs of the U-shaped conductor provided their central axis are aligned; and the rectangular shaped conductor of each conductor pair has its central axis a distance δ+kΔd from the central axis of the U-shaped conductor where Δd is a fixed increment, k is an integer between +n and -n that differs for each conductor pair, and δis a misalignment between the central axis of each conductor pair.
Inventors
- 👤 Brian M. Henderson
- 👤 Alan M. Gundlach
- 👤 Anthony J. Walton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 19:50
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01B; G01B7/00; G01B7/30; G01B7/31; G01B7/003; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/102
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
An integrated circuit on a semiconductor substrate for measuring misalignment comprising: a set of 2n+1 conductor pairs where n is a predetermined positive integer; each conductor pair including a U-shaped conductor having a central axis; each conductor pair also including a rectangular shaped conductor having a central axis and which is narrow enough to fit between the legs of said U-shaped conductor provided their central axes are aligned; and the rectangular shaped conductor of each conductor pair having its central axis a distance δ+kΔd from the central axis of the U-shaped conductor where Δd is a fixed increment, k is an integer between +n and -n that differs for each conductor pair, and δ is a misalignment between the central axis of each conductor pair.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
An integrated circuit on a semiconductor substrate for measuring misalignment comprising: a set of 2n+1 conductor pairs where n is a predetermined positive integer; each conductor pair including a U-shaped conductor having a central axis; each conductor pair also including a rectangular shaped conductor having a central axis and which is narrow enough to fit between the legs of said U-shaped conductor provided their central axes are aligned; and the rectangular shaped conductor of each conductor pair having its central axis a distance δ+kΔd from the central axis of the U-shaped conductor where Δd is a fixed increment, k is an integer between +n and -n that differs for each conductor pair, and δ is a misalignment between the central axis of each conductor pair.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
An integrated circuit according to claim 1 wherein one conductor of each pair is polysilicon, and the other conductor is metal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
An integrated circuit according to claim 1 wherein one conductor of each pair is a doped region in said substrate and the other conductor is metal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
An integrated circuit according to claim 1 wherein one conductor of each pair is polysilicon and the other conductor is a doped region in said substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A integrated circuit according to claim 1 wherein both conductors of each pair are metal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
An integrated circuit according to claim 1 and further including a signal generating means coupled to said conductor pairs for generating signals indicating which rectangular shaped conductors are aligned to fit between the legs of their corresponding U-shaped conductors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
An integrated circuit according to claim 6 and further including a shift register means coupled to said signal generating means for receiving said signals and shifting them in a serial fashion to an output terminal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
An integrated circuit according to claim 1 wherein Δd is less than 0.15 microns.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
An integrated circuit according to claim 1 wherein n is at least 10.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
107 words
An integrated circuit comprising: a plurality of conductor pairs with the conductors of each pair being offset from each other by a different distance; some conductor pairs having their conductors offset such that they overlap and contact one another by varying degrees, while the remaining conductor pairs having their conductors offset such that they are spaced apart by varying degrees; said different offsets being selected such that the particular conductor pairs that have contacting conductors indicate the amount, if any, of misalignment between the conductors; and means, coupled to said plurality of conductor pairs, for generating electrical signals indicating which of said conductor pairs have contacting conductors.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
107 words
An integrated circuit comprising: a plurality of conductor pairs with the conductors of each pair being offset from each other by a different distance; some conductor pairs having their conductors offset such that they overlap and contact one another by varying degrees, while the remaining conductor pairs having their conductors offset such that they are spaced apart by varying degrees; said different offsets being selected such that the particular conductor pairs that have contacting conductors indicate the amount, if any, of misalignment between the conductors; and means, coupled to said plurality of conductor pairs, for generating electrical signals indicating which of said conductor pairs have contacting conductors.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
An integrated circuit according to claim 10 wherein one conductor of each conductor pair is U-shaped; the other conductor of each conductor pair is rectangular; and the rectangular shaped conductor is narrow enough to fit between the legs of the U-shaped conductor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
An integrated circuit according to claim 10 wherein both conductors of each conductor pair are rectangular.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-03-02 | 1990-09-01 | 1991-03-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-03-02 | 1994-09-01 | 1995-03-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-03-02 | 1998-09-01 | 1999-03-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |