G01B11/0625

USING LIGHT COUPLING PROPERTIES FOR FILM DETECTION

Exemplary semiconductor processing systems may include a substrate support defining an aperture therethrough. The processing systems may include a light assembly having a light source that emits an optical signal that is directed toward the aperture. The optical signal may have a high angle of incidence relative to the substrate support. The processing systems may include a photodetector aligned with an angle of reflectance of the optical signal.

USING LIGHT COUPLING PROPERTIES FOR MACHINE-LEARNING-BASED FILM DETECTION

Exemplary semiconductor processing systems may include a substrate support defining an aperture therethrough. The processing systems may include a light assembly having a light source that emits an optical signal that is directed toward the aperture. The optical signal may have a high angle of incidence relative to the substrate support. The processing systems may include a photodetector aligned with an angle of reflectance of the optical signal. A controller for the processing system may be programmed to receive an amount of the optical signal received by the photodetector and determine a thickness of the outermost layer of film. The controller may include a model trained to classify based on the optical signal. The output of the model may be used to control a process performed on the substrate.

Film thickness measuring system and film thickness measuring method
11519717 · 2022-12-06 · ·

A film thickness measuring system measures thicknesses of first films of respective first substrates by spectroscopy, captures first image data of surfaces of second substrates each having a second film to acquire first color information of the surfaces of the second substrates, and calculates a correlation between a thickness of the second film and color information of the surface of the second substrate by using the measured thickness of the first films and the first color information. When estimating a thickness of a third film of a third substrate, the film thickness measuring system acquire second color information of the surface of the third substrate by using captured image data of the third substrate, and estimates a thickness of the third film in the second region, by using the calculated correlation and the second color information.

SYSTEM, DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MEASURING THE INTERIOR REFRACTORY LINING OF A VESSEL
20220373320 · 2022-11-24 · ·

A scanner assembly is configured to be mounted on a scanner manipulator arm, to be placed in proximity to an opening in a vessel or inserted into an opening in a vessel, and to measure distances from a scanner emitter/sensor within the scanner assembly to a plurality of points on the surface of the refractory lining to characterize the concave interior of the vessel in a single scan. A scanner manipulator having a manipulator arm attached to the scanner assembly maintains the scanner assembly in measurement positions. A control system controls the position of the scanner assembly, the orientation of the emitter sensor, and the acquisition, storage, processing and presentation of measurements produced by the emitter/sensor. The field of view obtained from the scanner assembly in a single scan exceeds a hemisphere.

PROTECTIVE FILM THICKNESS MEASURING METHOD

A protective film thickness measuring method includes a step of applying light to a top surface of a wafer in a state in which no protective film is formed and measuring a first reflection intensity of the light reflected from the top surface, a step of forming the protective film including a light absorbing material, a step of irradiating the protective film with exciting light of a wavelength at which the light absorbing material fluoresces and measuring a second reflection intensity including fluorescence of the protective film and the light reflected from the top surface, and a step of excluding reflection intensity of patterns formed on the top surface, by subtracting the measured first reflection intensity from the measured second reflection intensity, and calculating fluorescence intensity of the protective film.

Inspection system and method for turbine vanes and blades
11592401 · 2023-02-28 · ·

A turbine blade or vane inspection apparatus comprising a controller, mounting for holding a turbine blade or vane, a source of illumination, and a camera. At least two of the source of illumination, the camera, and the mounting are moveable components. The controller is configured to control the moveable components to (a) position the turbine blade or vane mounted thereon relative to the illumination source so as to provide a contrast of illumination between a feature of the turbine blade or vane and an adjacent surface of the turbine blade or vane and (b), position the camera so that the optical axis of the camera is directed towards the feature. The controller is further configured to determine a dimension and/or shape of the feature based on an image obtained by the camera.

FILM THICKNESS MEASURING DEVICE AND FILM THICKNESS MEASURING METHOD

A film thickness measuring apparatus includes a light irradiation unit configured to irradiate an object with light in a planar shape, an optical element having a transmittance and a reflectance changing according to wavelengths in a predetermined wavelength range, the optical element being configured to separate light from the object by transmitting and reflecting the light, an imaging unit configured to photograph light separated by the optical element, and an analysis unit configured to estimate a film thickness of the object based on a signal from the imaging unit photographing light, in which the light irradiation unit emits light having a wavelength included in the predetermined wavelength range of the optical element.

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD

The substrate has a plurality of chip regions each being provided with a structure to be a power device, and is provided with a to-be-processed film. The thickness profile of the to-be-processed film in the radial direction is measured by scanning with the sensor in the radial direction while the substrate is rotated. The average thickness of the thickness profile is calculated. At least one radial position where the thickness profile has an average thickness is extracted as at least one candidate position. At least one of the at least one candidate position is determined to be at least one measurement position. Processing liquid is supplied from a nozzle onto the to-be-processed film of the substrate while the substrate is rotated. The sensor monitors the time-dependent change in the thickness of the to-be-processed film in at least one measurement position while the substrate is rotated.

Scatterometry based methods and systems for measurement of strain in semiconductor structures

Methods and systems for measuring optical properties of transistor channel structures and linking the optical properties to the state of strain are presented herein. Optical scatterometry measurements of strain are performed on metrology targets that closely mimic partially manufactured, real device structures. In one aspect, optical scatterometry is employed to measure uniaxial strain in a semiconductor channel based on differences in measured spectra along and across the semiconductor channel. In a further aspect, the effect of strain on measured spectra is decorrelated from other contributors, such as the geometry and material properties of structures captured in the measurement. In another aspect, measurements are performed on a metrology target pair including a strained metrology target and a corresponding unstrained metrology target to resolve the geometry of the metrology target under measurement and to provide a reference for the estimation of the absolute value of strain.

THz MEASURING DEVICE AND THz MEASURING METHOD FOR MEASURING A TRANSPORTED MEASURING OBJECT
20230095853 · 2023-03-30 ·

The present disclosure relates to a THz measuring device for measuring an extruded measuring object.