Device and method for measuring thickness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12405106-B2
Application number	US-202318457548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2023
Priority date	Nov 16, 2022
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A thickness measuring device includes an imaging unit disposed above an inspection substrate, which includes a substrate, a pattern provided on the substrate, and an inspection layer disposed on the pattern. The imaging unit images the inspection substrate to output inspection image data and a data calculating unit receives the inspection image data and calculates a thickness value of the inspection layer from the inspection image data, wherein the imaging unit is disposed inclined at a fixed angle with respect to the inspection substrate, and wherein the data calculating unit calculates the thickness value of the inspection layer using a coordinate value of the pattern from the inspection image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thickness measuring device comprising:
an imaging unit disposed above an inspection substrate, wherein the inspection substrate includes a substrate, a pattern provided on the substrate, and an inspection layer disposed on the pattern, wherein the imaging unit images the inspection substrate to output inspection image data; and
a data calculating unit connected to the imaging unit to receive the inspection image data and calculate a thickness value of the inspection layer from the inspection image data,
wherein the imaging unit is disposed to be inclined at a fixed angle with respect to the inspection substrate, and
wherein the data calculating unit calculates the thickness value of the inspection layer using a coordinate value of the pattern from the inspection image data.

2. The thickness measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the inspection layer includes first to fourth side surfaces,
wherein at least one of the first to fourth side surfaces has an inclined surface that is inclined in a direction away from a center of the inspection layer.

3. The thickness measuring device of claim 2 , wherein the pattern overlaps at least one of the first to fourth side surfaces.

4. The thickness measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the inspection layer includes first to fourth corner portions,
wherein at least one of the first to fourth corner portions has an inclined surface that is inclined in a direction away from a center of the inspection layer.

5. The thickness measuring device of claim 4 , wherein the pattern overlaps at least one of the first to fourth corner portions.

6. The thickness measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the inspection layer is constructed from a transparent material.

7. The thickness measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the pattern includes a plurality of patterns.

8. The thickness measuring device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of patterns have different shapes.

9. The thickness measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the pattern overlaps a central portion of the inspection layer.

10. The thickness measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the inspection layer overlaps a portion of the substrate.

11. The thickness measuring device of claim 10 , wherein the pattern includes:
a first pattern portion overlapping the inspection layer; and
a second pattern portion non-overlapping the inspection layer.

12. The thickness measuring device of claim 11 , wherein the first pattern portion extends from the second pattern portion.

13. The thickness measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the data calculating unit calculates the thickness value of the inspection layer from a first coordinate value of the pattern when the inspection layer is absent, and a second coordinate value of the pattern when the inspection layer is present.

14. The thickness measuring device of claim 13 , wherein the data calculating unit calculates the thickness of the inspection layer using the following equation:

t
=

d

sin
⁢
θ
⁢

1
[

1
-

cos
⁢
θ
⁢
1

n
⁢

1
2

-

sin
2

⁢
θ
⁢
1

]

,

where t is a thickness of the inspection layer, d is a light path difference corresponding to a difference between the first coordinate value and the second coordinate value, θ1 is an imaging angle, and n 1 is a refractive index of the inspection layer.

15. A thickness measuring method, the method comprising:
providing a substrate;
forming a pattern on the substrate;
disposing an inspection layer on the substrate to partially overlap the pattern;
imaging the pattern via an imaging unit to output inspection image data; and
receiving the inspection image data via a data calculating unit; and calculating
a thickness value of the inspection layer from the inspection image data via the data calculating unit,
wherein the imaging unit is disposed to be inclined at a fixed angle with respect to the substrate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein, the calculating a thickness value includes extracting a first coordinate value of the pattern when the inspection layer is absent, extracting a second coordinate value of the pattern when the inspection layer is present are extracted from the inspection image data, and calculating the thickness value of the inspection layer from the first coordinate value and the second coordinate value by the data calculating unit.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the extracting the second coordinate value includes processing the first coordinate value to extract the second coordinate value from the first coordinate value.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the calculating a thickness value includes calculating the thickness value of the inspection layer from the following equation:

t
=

d

sin
⁢
θ
⁢

1
[

1
-

cos
⁢
θ
⁢
1

n
⁢

1
2

-

sin
2

⁢
θ
⁢

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Ohjune
• Hyun Jinho

Classifications

• G01B11/03

  by measuring coordinates of points · CPC title

• G01B11/022

  by means of tv-camera scanning · CPC title

• G06T7/50

  Depth or shape recovery · CPC title

• G01B11/06 Primary

  for measuring thickness {; e.g. of sheet material (thickness measurement by thermal means G01B21/085)} · CPC title