Adaptive groove focusing and leveling device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10274840-B2
Application number	US-201515541347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is an adaptive groove focusing and leveling device for measuring the height and the inclination of the surface of a measured object ( 400 ). The measured object ( 400 ) is provided with cyclic grooves ( 401 ) in the surface and supported by a moving table; the focusing and leveling device sequentially comprises an illumination unit, a projection unit, a detection unit and a detector ( 212 ); the measured object ( 400 ) is positioned between the projection unit and the detection unit along the light path, the projection unit comprises a projection slit ( 203 ) and is used for forming a plurality of measuring points ( 501 ) on the measured object ( 400 ), and each measuring point ( 501 ) comprises at least three measuring child light spots ( 502 ), wherein the at least three measuring child light spots ( 502 ) are arranged at unequal intervals, so that when the plurality of measuring points ( 501 ) are projected to the surface of the measured object ( 400 ), at least two of the at least three measuring child light spots ( 502 ) of each measuring point ( 501 ) can be positioned outside the grooves ( 401 ), and then the height and the inclination of the surface of the measured object ( 400 ) are measured.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A focusing and leveling apparatus adaptable to trenches, used to measure a height and a tilt of a surface of an object under measurement, the object under measurement having trenches formed in the surface thereof and the object under measurement being carried on a movable stage, wherein the focusing and leveling apparatus comprises, disposed sequentially, an illumination unit, a projection unit, a detection unit and a detector, the object under measurement disposed between the projection unit and the detection unit along an optical path, the projection unit comprising a projection slit configured to form a plurality of measuring points onto the object under measurement, each of the plurality of measuring points comprising at least three measuring light spots which are arranged in a non-equidistant manner such that upon projection of the plurality of measuring points on the surface of the object under measurement, at least two of the at least three measuring light spots of each of the plurality of measuring points are located outside the trenches, thereby allowing the measurement of the height and the tilt of the surface of the object under measurement, and wherein a distance between any two of the at least three measuring light spots is not equal to a multiple of a pitch of the trenches.

2. The focusing and leveling apparatus adaptable to trenches according to claim 1 , wherein a size of each of the at least three measuring light spots is greater than a width of each of the trenches.

3. The focusing and leveling apparatus adaptable to trenches according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of measuring points comprises three, four or five measuring light spots.

4. The focusing and leveling apparatus adaptable to trenches according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between a first and a last measuring light spots in each of the plurality of measuring points is not equal to a multiple of a pitch of the trenches.

5. The focusing and leveling apparatus adaptable to trenches according to claim 4 , wherein a distance between any adjacent two of the at least three measuring light spots is not equal to a multiple of the pitch of the trenches.

6. The focusing and leveling apparatus adaptable to trenches according to claim 1 , wherein the trenches have a pitch of 2 mm, wherein each of the plurality of measuring points comprises three measuring light spots, and wherein distances between adjacent ones of the measuring light spots are 1.5 mm and 1 mm, respectively.

7. The focusing and leveling apparatus adaptable to trenches according to claim 1 , wherein upon projection of the plurality of measuring points onto the surface of the object under measurement, for each of the plurality of measuring points, at least two of the at least three measuring light spots that are located outside of the trenches are identified based on distance(s) between measuring light spots that are detected by the detector.

8. The focusing and leveling apparatus adaptable to trenches according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination unit sequentially comprises a light source and a light-source lens group, wherein the projection unit comprises a projection slit, a front projection lens group, a projection reflector group and a rear projection lens group, disposed sequentially along the optical path, and wherein the detection unit comprises a front detection lens group, a detection reflector group and a rear detection lens group, disposed sequentially along the optical path, and wherein a relay unit is provided between the detection unit and the detector, the relay unit comprising a relay reflector and a relay lens group, disposed sequentially along the optical path.

9. A focusing and leveling method adaptable to trenches, used to measure a height and a tilt of a surface of an object under measurement, the object under measurement having trenches periodically formed in the surface thereof and the object under measurement being carried on a movable stage, wherein the method comprises the steps of: forming, by a focusing and leveling apparatus, a plurality of measuring points on the surface of the object under measurement, each of the plurality of measuring points comprising at least three measuring light spots arranged in a non-equidistant manner; moving the movable stage and hence the object under measurement carried thereon such that upon projection of the plurality of measuring points on the surface of the object under measurement, at least two of the at least three measuring light spots of each of the plurality of measuring points are located outside the trenches; and measuring the height and the tilt of the surface of the object under measurement by the focusing and leveling apparatus; and wherein the method further comprises: moving the movable stage to an initial position; detecting distances between the at least three measuring light spots by the focusing and leveling apparatus; and if at least one of the at least three measuring light spots is located in one of the trenches, relocating the at least three measuring light spots on the surface of the object under measurement by moving the object under measurement through the movable stage such that at least two of the at least three measuring light spots are located outside the trenches.

10. The focusing and leveling method adaptable to trenches according to claim 9 , wherein moving the object under measurement through the movable stage comprises: moving the movable stage in a first horizontal direction by a distance that is equal to 1/10to ½of a pitch at which the trenches are distributed along the first horizontal direction; and moving the movable stage in a second horizontal direction by a distance that is equal to 1/10to ½of a pitch at which the trenches are distributed along the second horizontal direction.

11. The focusing and leveling method adaptable to trenches according to claim 9 , wherein upon projection of the plurality of measuring points onto the surface of the object under measurement, for each of the plurality of measuring points, at least two of the at least three measuring light spots that are located outside of the trenches are identified based on distance(s) between measuring light spots that are detected by a detector.

Assignees

• Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Qi Jingchao
• Chen Feibiao

Classifications

• G03F9/7026 Primary

  Focusing · CPC title

• G01B11/26

  for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes · CPC title

• G03F7/70641 Primary

  Focus · CPC title

• G03F9/7034

  Leveling · CPC title

• G01B11/0608

  Height gauges · CPC title