Measuring apparatus that measures height position or thickness of measurement-target object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11860097-B2
Application number	US-202117452099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2021
Priority date	Nov 20, 2020
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A measuring apparatus includes a holding table that holds a measurement-target object and a measuring unit that measures a height or a thickness of the measurement-target object held by the holding table. The measuring unit includes a light source unit, an optical fiber that guides light emitted by the light source unit, and a light collector that focuses the light guided by the optical fiber on the measurement-target object held by the holding table. The light source unit includes an excitation light source, a fluorescent body that emits fluorescence when receiving excitation light emitted by the excitation light source, and a collecting lens that focuses the excitation light emitted by the excitation light source on the fluorescent body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A measuring apparatus comprising:
a holding table that holds a measurement-target object; and
a measuring unit that measures a height or a thickness of the measurement-target object held by the holding table,
the measuring unit including
a light source unit,
an optical fiber that guides light emitted by the light source unit, and
a light collector that focuses the light guided by the optical fiber on the measurement-target object held by the holding table,

the light source unit including
an excitation light source that emits excitation light,
a fluorescent body that emits fluorescence with a wavelength different from that of the excitation light when receiving the excitation light emitted by the excitation light source, and
a first collecting lens that focuses the excitation light emitted by the excitation light source on the fluorescent body,

wherein the measurement-target object is irradiated with the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent body.

2. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the fluorescent body is disposed on a reflective substrate, and
the light source unit further includes
a dichroic mirror that is disposed between the first collecting lens and the fluorescent body and allows the excitation light to be transmitted through the dichroic mirror and reflects the fluorescence, and
a second collecting lens that focuses the fluorescence reflected by the dichroic mirror on the optical fiber.

3. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the fluorescent body is disposed on a reflective substrate, and
the light source unit further includes
a dichroic mirror that is disposed between the first collecting lens and the fluorescent body and reflects the excitation light and allows the fluorescence to be transmitted through the dichroic mirror, and
a second collecting lens that focuses the fluorescence transmitted through the dichroic mirror on the optical fiber.

4. The measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
a cooling mechanism that cools the fluorescent body is coupled to the reflective substrate on which the fluorescent body is disposed.

5. The measuring apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
a cooling mechanism that cools the fluorescent body is coupled to the reflective substrate on which the fluorescent body is disposed.

6. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the fluorescent body is disposed on a transparent substrate, and
the light source unit further includes
a second collecting lens that focuses the fluorescence that is emitted by the fluorescent body and that is transmitted through the transparent substrate on the optical fiber.

7. The measuring apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the fluorescent body is disposed with a shape including an annular region on the transparent substrate that has a rotating shaft and that is circular, and
the light source unit further includes
a rotational drive source that suppresses a temperature rise of the fluorescent body by rotating the transparent substrate around the rotating shaft.

8. The measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the fluorescent body is disposed with a shape including an annular region on the reflective substrate that has a rotating shaft and that is circular, and
the light source unit further includes
a rotational drive source that suppresses a temperature rise of the fluorescent body by rotating the reflective substrate around the rotating shaft.

9. The measuring apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the fluorescent body is disposed with a shape including an annular region on the reflective substrate that has a rotating shaft and that is circular, and
the light source unit further includes
a rotational drive source that suppresses a temperature rise of the fluorescent body by rotating the reflective substrate around the rotating shaft.

10. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the fluorescent body is buried in the optical fiber.

11. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the fluorescent body is disposed on an end surface of the optical fiber.

12. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the excitation light source is a laser diode.

Assignees

• Disco Corp

Inventors

• Kimura Nobuyuki
• Nomaru Keiji

Classifications

• H10P72/0428

  Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting · CPC title

• H10P34/42

  with electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser annealing (laser cutting H10P54/20) · CPC title

• G01N21/6456 Primary

  Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging · CPC title

• G01J3/4406

  Fluorescence spectrometry · CPC title

• G01N21/6452

  Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates · CPC title