Title:
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE TARGET CLEANLINESS CHARACTERIZATION BY TYPES OF FLAWS SORTED BY SIZE AND LOCATION
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO2003014718
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
A preferred, non-destructive method for characterizing sputter target cleanliness includes the steps of sequentially irradiating the test sample (52') with sonic energy (62') predominantly of target sputter track areas; detecting echoes (64') induced by the sonic energy (62'); and discriminating texture-related backscattering noise from the echoes (64') to obtain modified amplitude signals. These modified amplitude signals are compared with one or more calibration values so as to detect flaw data points at certain positions or locations where the comparison indicates the presence of at least one flaw (72'). Most preferably, groups of the flaw data pixels corresponding to single large flaws are bound together so as to generate an adjusted set of flaw data points in which each group is replaced with a single, most significant data point. The adjusted set of flaw data points is used to calculate one or more cleanliness factors, or to plot a histogram, which characterizes the cleanliness sample.
Inventors:
LEYBOVICH ALEXANDER (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2002/023362
Publication Date:
May 08, 2003
Filing Date:
July 23, 2002
Export Citation:
Assignee:
TOSOH SMD INC (US)
LEYBOVICH ALEXANDER (US)
LEYBOVICH ALEXANDER (US)
International Classes:
C23C14/34; C23C14/56; G01N29/11; G01N29/30; G01N29/34; G01N29/44; G01N29/04; G01N29/48; G01R33/465; (IPC1-7): G01N24/00; G01N29/00; G01N29/04; G01N33/00; C23C14/00; B07C5/00
Domestic Patent References:
| WO1999064854A1 | 1999-12-16 |
Foreign References:
| US5887481A | 1999-03-30 | |||
| US6269699B1 | 2001-08-07 |
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