CASE STUDY: MEMS Dual Sided Metrology
The Situation
A critical requirement in the field of MEMS is patterning both sides of a semiconductor wafer. Our client, one of the leader’s in lithography, had developed a backside alignment stepper and needed a method to determine to accurately measure front-to-back alignment of the patterns.
The Challenge
Designing a system to measure front-to-back registration at the sub-micron level has never been done before. The mechanical design had to provide excellent mechanical and thermal stability for the stages, optics and sample. The vision system design had to accommodate a wide variety of patterns, contrasts and 100% coverage of the wafer. Stringent footprint, cost and ergonomic requirements also needed to be met.
The Solution
Owens Design developed the first true dual sided alignment metrology tool capable of measuring front-to-back alignment over 100% of the wafer. The system is adaptable to a variety of advanced substrates and devices used in the manufacture of power devices, inkjet print heads, microactuators, inertial and pressure sensors, and optical components.
The critical optical, mechanical, and thermal tolerances required in the system were met with a unique approach including a custom air bearing stage, precise thermal control, and custom vision system algorithms. The system is controlled with a PC desktop using a Windows based operating system.
Additional Information
Case Studies
MEMS Dual Sided Metrology 
