Method and system for determining dimensions of a structure having a re-entrant profile

• US 20060126915A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Hwu, Justin Jia-Jen
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/151
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30148 Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining dimensions of a structure that has a re-entrant profile are disclosed. A method includes imaging at least a portion of a top surface of the structure. Subsequently, a second portion of the structure is imaged from a plurality of perspectives. A third portion of the structure is also imaged from a plurality of perspectives. A dimension of a bottom portion of the structure is determined based on the imaging.

Claims

1. A method for determining dimensions of a structure having a re-entrant profile, comprising:

imaging at least a portion of a top surface of said structure;

imaging a second portion of said structure from a plurality of imaging perspectives;

imaging a third portion of said structure from a plurality of imaging perspectives; and

determining a dimension of a bottom portion of said structure based on said imaging.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining is based on trigonometric relationships between surfaces of said structure.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein re-entrant angles of said structure are determined based on said imaging.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining of said dimension of said bottom portion of said structure does not require references external to said structure.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining a dimension of a bottom portion of said structure is based on the identification of three edges.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said three edges are determined by a user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein images are acquired from two different perspectives on opposite sides of said structure.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein move-acquire-measure (MAM) time is estimated to be less than 200 seconds.

9. In an imaging system, a method for determining a bottom dimension of a structure having a re-entrant profile, comprising:

generating image data related to a top dimension of said structure;

generating image data from a plurality of imaging positions that are oriented in a first direction;

generating image data from a plurality of imaging positions that are oriented in a second direction; and

determining a bottom dimension of said structure based on said image data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said determining said bottom dimension of said structure is based on trigonometric relationships between surfaces of said structure.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein re-entrant angles of said structure are determined based on said imaging.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said determining a bottom dimension of said structure does not require references external to said structure.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said determining said dimension of said bottom portion of said structure is based on the identification of three edges.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said three edges are determined by a user.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein images are acquired from two different perspectives on each side of said structure.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein MAM time is estimated to be less than 200 seconds.

17. A method for determining dimensions of a structure having a re-entrant profile, comprising:

determining a top dimension of said structure;

determining a dimension of a first portion of said top dimension of said structure;

determining a dimension of a second portion of said top dimension of said structure; and

determining a bottom dimension of said structure by subtracting said dimension of said first portion of said top dimension of said structure and said dimension of said second portion of said top dimension of said structure from said top dimension of said structure.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said determining said dimension of said first portion of said top dimension of said structure and said determining said second portion of said top dimension of said structure is based on trigonometric relationships between surfaces of said structure.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein re-entrant angles of said structure are determined based on said imaging.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said determining of said dimension of said bottom portion of said structure does not require references external to said structure.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein said determining a dimension of a bottom portion of said structure is based on the identification of three edges.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said three edges are determined by a user.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein images are acquired from two respective perspectives on each side of said structure.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein MAM time is estimated to be less than 200 seconds.

25. A system for determining dimensions of a structure having a re-entrant profile, comprising:

an imager that images at least a portion of a top surface of said structure, at least a second portion of said structure from a plurality of imaging perspectives and at least a third portion of said structure from a plurality of imaging perspectives; and

a determiner that determines a dimension of a bottom portion of said structure based on said imaging.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said determiner determines a dimension of a bottom portion of said structure based on trigonometric relationships between surfaces of said structure.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein said determiner determines re-entrant angles of said structure based on said imaging.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein said determiner determines said dimension of said bottom portion of said structure in a manner that does not require references external to said structure.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein said determiner determines a dimension of a bottom portion of said structure based on an identification of three structure edges.

30. The system of claim 25 wherein said three edges are determined by a user.

31. The system of claim 25 wherein images are acquired from two different perspectives on opposite sides of said structure.

32. The system of claim 25 wherein MAM time is estimated to be less than 200 seconds.