| US 7,616,804 B2 | ||
| Wafer edge inspection and metrology | ||
| Ajay Pai, Crystal, Minn. (US); and Tuan D. Le, Minneapolis, Minn. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Rudolph Technologies, Inc., Flanders, N.J. (US) | ||
| Filed on Sep. 22, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/525,530. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/830015, filed on Jul. 11, 2006. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0013822 A1, Jan. 17, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. G06K 9/00 (2006.01); G06K 9/36 (2006.01); G06K 9/46 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 382—145 [382/199; 382/232] | 11 Claims |
| 1. A wafer edge inspection method comprising:
acquiring a plurality of images about an edge portion of a wafer, each of the images comprising an array of pixels having
a first dimension and a second dimension, each pixel of the array of pixels having a characteristic pixel value;
generating a composite image of compressed pixel arrays by compressing each of the pixel arrays in the first dimension based
on an average of the characteristic pixel values of the pixel across the first dimension and concatenating the pixel arrays;
analyzing the composite image to evaluate a wafer feature; and
modifying a wafer processing step in an edge inspection system based on the composite image.
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