Dual scanning stage

• US 8,285,418 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation (KLA Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation (KLA Corporation)
• Inventors: Balan, Aviv
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US12/834,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 700/4, 700/19, 700/245, 700/247, 700/248, 700/251, 356/237.2
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0096 co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67288 Monitoring of warpage, curvature, damage, defects or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68 for positioning, orientation or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14

Abstract

A profilometer having a guide beam for providing translational movement of substrates in a Y axis relative to a stylus. A first stage receives a first substrate, where the first stage is slidably mounted to the guide beam. The first stage is associated with a first motor for providing independent translational movement for the first stage in an X axis relative to the stylus. A second stage receives a second substrate, where the second stage is slidably mounted to the guide beam. The second stage is associated with a second motor for providing independent translational movement for the second stage in the X axis relative to the stylus, where the first stage and the second stage move together in the Y axis as the guide beam moves in the Y axis, and move independently of one another in the X axis. A robot loads the substrates onto and unloads the substrates off of the first stage and the second stage. A controller directs the robot to load the second substrate onto the second stage, while simultaneously directing the first stage and the guide beam to scan the first substrate on the first stage in the X and Y axes under the stylus, thereby generating profile readings of the first substrate on the first stage.

Claims

1. A profilometer, comprising:

a guide beam for providing translational movement of substrates in a Y axis relative to a stylus,

a first stage for receiving a first substrate, the first stage slidably mounted to the guide beam, the first stage associated with a first motor for providing independent translational movement for the first stage in an X axis relative to the stylus,

a second stage for receiving a second substrate, the second stage slidably mounted to the guide beam, the second stage associated with a second motor for providing independent translational movement for the second stage in the X axis relative to the stylus,

where the first stage and the second stage can only move together in the Y axis, as the guide beam moves in the Y axis, and move independently of one another in the X axis,

a robot for loading the substrates onto and unloading the substrates off of the first stage and the second stage, and

a controller for directing the robot to load the second substrate onto the second stage, while simultaneously directing the first stage and the guide beam to scan the first substrate on the first stage in the X and Y axes under the stylus, thereby generating profile readings of the first substrate on the first stage.

2. The profilometer of claim 1, further comprising a first Z motor for moving the first stage in a Z axis relative to the stylus, and a second Z motor for moving the second stage in the Z axis relative to the stylus, where the movement of the first stage in the Z axis is independent of the movement of the second stage in the Z axis.

3. The profilometer of claim 1, further comprising a first rotational motor for rotating the first stage relative to the stylus, and a second rotational motor for rotating the second stage relative to the stylus, where the rotation of the first stage is independent of the rotation of the second stage.

4. The profilometer of claim 1, wherein the robot comprises a first robot and a second robot, the first robot for loading the first substrate onto and unloading the first substrate off of the first stage, and the second robot for loading the second substrate onto and unloading the second substrate off of the second stage.

5. A method of profiling a first substrate and a second substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

loading the first substrate onto a first stage,

scanning the first stage in an X axis and a Y axis,

generating profile readings of the first substrate with a stylus,

loading the second substrate onto a second stage while continuing to generate the profile readings of the first substrate,

scanning the second stage in the X axis and the Y axis, where movement in the X axis is independent between the first stage and the second stage, and movement in the Y axis is not independent between the first stage and the second stage, and

generating profile readings of the second substrate with the stylus while the first substrate is unloaded from the first stage.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising moving the first stage in a Z axis relative to the stylus, and moving the second stage in the Z axis relative to the stylus, where the movement of the first stage in the Z axis is independent of the movement of the second stage in the Z axis.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising rotating the first stage relative to the stylus, and rotating the second stage relative to the stylus, where the rotation of the first stage is independent of the rotation of the second stage.