System and method for counting number of layers of multilayer object by means of electromagnetic wave

• US 7,688,078 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Jungo, Ouchi, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dole; Timothy J
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHU, JOHN X
• Application Number:
  US10/566,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20060244629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 324/644, 324/637
• US Class Current: 324/637
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 15/02 for measuring thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8438 Mutilayers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3581 using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/41 Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length G01N21/21 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8422 Investigating thin films, e.g. matrix isolation method

Abstract

A system or method for counting the number of layers of a multilayer object is adapted for counting the number of layers by means of a simple arrangement of emitting an electromagnetic wave to strike the object that is in a multilayer state. In the system or method, an electromagnetic wave is caused to strike at least either the top surface or the bottom surface of a multilayer object and electromagnetic waves generated by reflection of the incident electromagnetic wave at the respective interfaces of the layers of the multilayer object or an electromagnetic wave generated by transmission of the electromagnetic wave through the multilayer object.

Claims

1. A system for counting the number of layers of a multilayer object, comprising:

an oscillation unit for oscillating an electromagnetic wave having a frequency in a range from 30 GHz to 100 THz to irradiate either a top surface or a bottom surface of the multilayer object;

a first reception unit for receiving the electromagnetic wave having pulses reflected at interfaces of the layers of the multilayer object;

a first processing unit for counting the number of pulses of the electromagnetic wave received by the first reception unit, and counting the number of layers of the multilayer object on the basis of the counted number of pulses;

a second reception unit for receiving the electromagnetic wave oscillated by said oscillation unit and transmitted through the multilayer object; and

a second processing unit for counting the number of layers of the multilayer object on the basis of a delay time detected by using the transmitted electromagnetic wave,

wherein the number of layers counted by the first processing unit is compared with the number of layers counted by the second processing unit to count the number of layers of the multilayer object.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a dividing unit for dividing the electromagnetic wave oscillated by said oscillation unit into a first electromagnetic wave for irradiating the multilayer object and a second electromagnetic wave to be propagated directly to said first reception unit or said second reception unit.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a propagation unit for propagating the electromagnetic wave oscillated by said oscillation unit through a propagation route getting to said first reception unit or said second reception unit.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the oscillation unit and the first and second reception units are photoconduction devices, respectively, and the temporal waveform is acquired through a terahertz time domain spectroscopy.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein if the number of layers counted by the first processing unit is not equal to the number of layers counted by the second processing unit, an average of the number of layers counted by both the first processing unit and the second processing unit is computed.

6. A method for counting the number of layers of a multilayer object, comprising:

an oscillation step of oscillating an electromagnetic wave having a frequency in a range from 30 GHz to 100 THz to irradiate either a top surface or a bottom surface of a multilayer object;

a first reception step of receiving the electromagnetic wave having pulses reflected at interfaces of the layers of the multilayer object;

a first processing step of counting the number of pulses of the electromagnetic wave received in the first reception step, and counting the number of layers of the multilayer object on the basis of the counted number of pulses;

a second reception step of receiving the electromagnetic wave oscillated in said oscillation step and transmitted through the multilayer object; and

second processing step of counting the number of layers of the multilayer object on the basis of a delay time detected by using the transmitted electromagnetic wave,

wherein the number of layers counted in the first processing step is compared with the number of layers counted in the second processing step to count the number of layers of the multilayer object.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein if the number of layers counted in the first processing step is not equal to the number of layers counted in the second processing step, an average of the number of layers counted in both the first processing step and the second processing step is computed.

8. A system for counting the number of layers of a multilayer object, comprising:

an oscillation unit for oscillating an electromagnetic wave having a frequency in a range from 30 GHz to 100 THz to irradiate either a top surface or a bottom surface of the multilayer object;

a reception unit for receiving the electromagnetic wave having pulses reflected at interfaces of the layers of the multilayer object; and

a processing unit for counting the number of layers of the multilayer object on the basis of the number of pulses, which is counted by using output values of the reflected electromagnetic wave by sampling

output values of the reflected electromagnetic wave pulses at every split time, said split time being shorter than a pulse width of a temporal waveform of the reflected electromagnetic wave,

wherein the sampling is performed for a predetermined amount of time.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the oscillation unit or the reception unit is comprised of a photoconductive switch, and the temporal waveform is acquired through a terahertz time domain spectroscopy.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein an object comprised in the multilayer object is within a range of tens of several μ

m to hundreds of several μ

m in thickness.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein said split time is shorter than a time necessary for the electromagnetic wave to proceed between layers of the multilayer object.

12. A method for counting the number of layers of a multilayer object, comprising:

an oscillation step of oscillating an electromagnetic wave having a frequency in a range from 30 GHz to 100 THz to irradiate either a top surface or a bottom surface of a multilayer object;

a reception step of receiving the electromagnetic wave having pulses reflected at interfaces of the layers of the multilayer object; and

a processing step of counting the number of layers of the multilayer object on the basis of the number of pulses, which is counted by using output values of the reflected electromagnetic wave by sampling

output values of the reflected electromagnetic wave pulses at every split time, said split time being shorter than a pulse width of a temporal waveform of the reflected electromagnetic wave,

wherein the sampling is performed for a predetermined amount of time.