Patent SG-11201901047X-A (SG)
Title: Optical measurement of step size and plated metal thickness
Inventor: XU JAMES JIANGUO
IPC: G06T7/60
Filed: 2017-08-08
Abstract: INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (43) International Publication Date 15 February 2018 (15.02.2018) WIP0 I PCT ill~~~~~~~~ 011101010VIIIOH olo olll omoniloommom oimIE (10) International Publication Number WO 2018/031567 Al (51) International Patent Classification: GO1B 11/02 (2006.01) GO6T 1/00 (2006.01) GO1B 9/04 (2006.01) G06T 7/60 (2006.01) G01B 11/24 (2006.01) (21) International Application Number: PCT/US2017/045938 (22) International Filing Date: 08 August 2017 (08.08.2017) (25) Filing Language: English (26) Publication Language: English (30) Priority Data: 15/233,812 10 August 2016 (10.08.2016) US 15/338,838 31 October 2016 (31.10.2016) US 15/346,594 08 November 2016 (08.11.2016) US (71) Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION [US/US]; Legal Department, One Technology Drive, Milpitas, Cali- fornia 95035 (US). (72) Inventors: XU, James Jianguo; 1029 Olmo Court, San Jose, California 95129 (US). SOETARMAN, Ronny; 48353 Avalon Heights Terrace, Fremont, California 94539 (US). HARTONO, Budi; 4141 Lowry Road, Fremont, Cal- ifornia 94555 (US). (74) Agent: MCANDREWS, Kevin et al.; KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION, Legal Department, One Technology Dri- ve, Milpitas, California 95035 (US). (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DJ, DK, DM, DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IR, IS, JO, JP, KE, KG, KH, KN, KP, KR, KW, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SA, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, ST, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). (54) Title: OPTICAL MEASUREMENT OF STEP SIZE AND PLATED METAL THICKNESS SEMI-AUTOMATED 3-D METROLOGY SYSTEM (57) : A method of generating 3D information includes: vary- ing the distance between the sample and an objective lens of the op- tical microscope at pre-determined steps, capturing an image at each pre-determined step; determining a characteristic value of each pix- el in each captured image; determining, for each captured image, the greatest characteristic value across all pixels in the captured image; comparing the greatest characteristic value for each captured image to determine if a surface of the sample is present at each pre-determined step; determining a first captured image that is focused on a first sur- face of the sample based on the characteristic value of each pixel in each captured image; determining a second captured image that is fo- cused on a second surface of the sample based on the characteristic value of each pixel in each captured image; and determining a first distance between the first surface and the second surface. W O 20 18/03 15 67 Al SEMI-AUTOMATED 3-D METROLOGY SYSTEM FIG. 1 [Continued on next page] WO 2018/031567 Al IIIII1 00 Published: — with international search report (Art. 21(3))