Wafer thickness measuring device and method

Abstract

To provide a wafer thickness measurement device capable of measuring thickness of a wafer with high accuracy while utilizing the performance of an optical interferometer, and a method therefor.SOLUTION: A wafer thickness measurement device S in the present invention acquires, on the basis of: first and second interferometer reference measurement results obtained by measuring a reference measurement point which is included on a reference piece and has known thickness with an A surface optical interferometer 1A and a B surface optical interferometer 1B; first and second distance meter reference measurement results obtained by measuring the reference measurement point with an A surface distance meter 2A and a B surface distance meter 2B; first and second interferometer measurement results obtained by measuring the measurement point of the wafer with the A surface optical interferometer 1A and the B surface optical interferometer 1B; and first and second distance measurement results obtained by measuring the measurement point with the A surface distance meter 2A and the B surface distance meter 2B, a phase number between reference displacement based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results and displacement based on the first and second interferometer measurement results, and acquires thicknesses of the wafer at the measurement points.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wafer thickness measuring device and a wafer thickness measuring method for measuring the thickness of a wafer. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in recent years, high flatness is required for wafers that are used as substrates for magnetic disks or materials for integrated circuits, due to higher recording density and higher circuit integration. For example, 7-nanometer and 5-nanometer rules have been realized in integrated circuits. In order to obtain this flatness, it is necessary to measure the thickness of the wafer with high accuracy, for example, on the order of 10 nanometers or less. A wafer thickness measuring device for measuring the thickness of this wafer is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1.

[0003] The wafer thickness measurement device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a wafer thickness measurement device using an optical heterodyne interferometer, and includes a sample piece that is arranged corresponding to the height position of the wafer and tilted at a predetermined angle substantially corresponding to the tilt angle due to the bending of the wafer, and has a known constant thickness equivalent to that of the wafer, a first detector that generates a detection signal according to the distance from a predetermined reference position on the front side of the wafer to a front side position of the wafer corresponding to a measurement point of the optical heterodyne interferometer, a second detector that generates a detection signal according to the distance from a predetermined reference position on the back side of the wafer to a back side position of the wafer corresponding to a measurement point of the optical heterodyne interferometer, and a detection signal on the front or back side of the sample piece. The optical heterodyne interferometer measures the amount of displacement of the surface at a number of measurement points, and a data collection / storage means stores the detection values ​​obtained at each of the measurement points from the detection signals of the first and second detectors in correspondence with the amount of displacement at that measurement point, and obtains detection values ​​from the detection signals of the first and second detectors at any measurement point of the wafer whose front and back are within the height range of the front and back of the sample piece, and obtains from each of these detection values ​​the amount of displacement corresponding to the detection values ​​measured by the optical heterodyne interferometer and stored by the data collection / storage means, and calculates the thickness of the wafer based on the obtained amount of displacement and the thickness of the sample piece. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-234912 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] By the way, the wafer thickness measuring device disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 has

[0006] Paragraphs and

[0007] According to the descriptions in the paragraphs, the thickness of the wafer to be measured is obtained by adding and subtracting the amount of deviation between the front and back sides from the thickness of a reference sample piece with a constant thickness. Therefore, the measurement accuracy of the wafer thickness measuring device disclosed in Patent Document 1 depends on the uniformity of the thickness of the sample piece. To measure the thickness of a wafer with high accuracy, a sample piece with a high accuracy and constant thickness is required, and the wafer thickness measuring device disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not fully utilize the performance of the optical interferometer (optical heterodyne interferometer in Patent Document 1).

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a wafer thickness measurement device and a wafer thickness measurement method that can measure the thickness of a wafer with high precision by utilizing the performance of an optical interferometer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of various investigations, the present inventors have found that the above object can be achieved by the present invention described below. That is, a wafer thickness measurement apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of first and second optical interferometers arranged to face each other across a wafer to be measured, a pair of first and second distance meters arranged to face each other across the wafer to be measured and measuring absolute distance, and a thickness calculation unit that calculates a thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point based on first and second interferometer reference measurement results obtained by measuring a reference measurement point of a reference piece having a reference measurement point of a known thickness with the first and second optical interferometers, first and second distance meter reference measurement results obtained by measuring the reference measurement point with the first and second distance meters, first and second interferometer measurement results obtained by measuring a measurement point on the wafer to be measured with the first and second optical interferometers, and first and second distance meter measurement results obtained by measuring the measurement point with the first and second distance meters, thereby calculating a phase number between a reference displacement calculated based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results and a displacement calculated based on the first and second interferometer measurement results.

[0008] Since such a wafer thickness measuring device determines the phase number between the reference displacement determined based on the reference measurement results of the first and second interferometers and the displacement determined based on the measurement results of the first and second interferometers, the wafer thickness can be determined based on the measurement results of the first and second optical interferometers, and the wafer thickness can be measured with high accuracy by utilizing the performance of the optical interferometer. Since the wafer thickness measuring device requires only one reference measurement point, any member can be used as the reference piece.

[0009] In another aspect, in the above-mentioned wafer thickness measurement device, if the known thickness is W0, the phase number is an integer N, the wavelength of the measurement light in the first and second optical interferometers is λ, the reference displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results is Wiref, the reference thickness obtained based on the first and second distance meter reference measurement results is Wmref, the displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer measurement results is Wi, and the thickness obtained based on the first and second distance meter measurement results is Wm, the thickness calculation unit obtains the phase number N by obtaining the integer N that minimizes Wm-Wmref-((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)), and obtains the thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point by ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2))+W0. Preferably, in the above-mentioned wafer thickness measuring device, the reference piece is the wafer to be measured, the reference measurement point is a predetermined point on the wafer to be measured, the known thickness W0 is a reference thickness Wmref, and the thickness calculation unit determines the thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point by ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2))+Wmref.

[0010] Such a wafer thickness measurement device can determine the thickness of the wafer being measured at the measurement point by ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2))+W0 using the measurement results from the first and second optical interferometers, and can therefore take advantage of the performance of the optical interferometer to measure the wafer thickness with high accuracy.

[0011] In another aspect, in the above-mentioned wafer thickness measurement device, the thickness calculation unit determines the phase number based on first and second interferometer reference calibration measurement results obtained by measuring a first calibration point on a predetermined first calibration piece with the first and second optical interferometers when calibrating the wafer thickness measurement device, first and second distance meter reference calibration measurement results obtained by measuring a second calibration point on a predetermined second calibration piece with the first and second distance meters when calibrating the wafer thickness measurement device, first and second interferometer calibration measurement results obtained by measuring the first calibration point with the first and second optical interferometers after the calibration and before measuring the thickness of the wafer to be measured, first and second distance meter calibration measurement results obtained by measuring the second calibration point with the first and second distance meters before the measurement, the first and second interferometer reference measurement results, the first and second distance meter reference measurement results, the first and second interferometer measurement results, and the first and second distance meter measurement results, to determine the thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point.

[0012] Such a wafer thickness measuring device can be calibrated using a calibration piece, and even if a drift (shift) occurs in the measurement results of the first and second optical interferometers or the first and second distance meters due to, for example, aging, the wafer thickness can be determined by correcting (correcting) the drift (shift).

[0013] In another aspect, in the above-mentioned wafer thickness measurement device, the known thickness is W0, the phase number is an integer N, the wavelength of the measurement light in the first and second optical interferometers is λ, the reference calibration displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference calibration measurement results is Wicref, the reference calibration thickness obtained based on the first and second distance meter reference calibration measurement results is Wmcref, the calibration displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer calibration measurement results is Wic, the calibration thickness obtained based on the first and second distance meter calibration measurement results is Wmc, and the reference displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results is where Wiref is the reference thickness obtained based on the first and second rangefinder reference measurement results, Wmref is the displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer measurement results, Wi is the displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer measurement results, and Wm is the thickness obtained based on the first and second rangefinder measurement results, the thickness calculation unit obtains the phase number by determining the integer N that minimizes Wm-Wmref-(Wmc-Wmcref)-((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref)), and obtains the thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point by ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref))+W0. Preferably, in the above-mentioned wafer thickness measuring device, the reference piece is the wafer to be measured, the reference measurement point is a predetermined point on the wafer to be measured, the known thickness W0 is a reference thickness Wmref, and the thickness calculation unit determines the thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point by ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref))+Wmref.

[0014] Such a wafer thickness measuring device can determine the corrected thickness by ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref))+W0.

[0015] A wafer thickness measurement method according to another aspect of the present invention includes an interferometer reference measurement step of measuring a reference measurement point of a reference piece having a known thickness with a pair of first and second optical interferometers arranged to face each other across a wafer to be measured, and obtaining first and second interferometer reference measurement results; a distance meter reference assumption step of measuring the reference measurement point with a pair of first and second distance meters arranged to face each other across the wafer to be measured and measuring absolute distance, and obtaining first and second distance meter reference measurement results; and an interferometer measurement step of measuring a measurement point on the wafer to be measured with the first and second optical interferometers, and obtaining first and second interferometer measurement results. the first and second interferometer reference measurement results obtained in the interferometer reference measurement process, the first and second interferometer reference measurement results obtained in the interferometer measurement process, the first and second interferometer measurement results obtained in the interferometer measurement process, and the first and second interferometer measurement results obtained in the interferometer measurement process, to determine the phase number between a reference displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results and a displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer measurement results, thereby determining the thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point.

[0016] In this wafer thickness measurement method, the phase number between the reference displacement obtained based on the reference measurement results of the first and second interferometers and the displacement obtained based on the measurement results of the first and second interferometers is determined, so that the wafer thickness can be determined based on the measurement results of the first and second optical interferometers, and the wafer thickness can be measured with high accuracy by utilizing the performance of the optical interferometer. In the above wafer thickness measurement method, a single reference measurement point is sufficient, so any member can be used as the reference piece. Effect of the Invention

[0017] The wafer thickness measuring device and method according to the present invention can measure the wafer thickness with high accuracy by utilizing the performance of an optical interferometer. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a wafer thickness measuring device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a first stage in the wafer thickness measuring device. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a transport unit in the wafer thickness measuring device. FIG. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining a thickness calculation method in the wafer thickness measuring device. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the wafer thickness measuring device. [Figure 6] 10A to 10C are diagrams for explaining a first modified embodiment of the wafer thickness measuring device. [Figure 7] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining a second modified embodiment of the wafer thickness measuring device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, one or more embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. In addition, configurations with the same reference numerals in each drawing indicate that they are the same configurations, and their description will be omitted as appropriate. In this specification, when referring to a general term, a reference numeral without a subscript is used, and when referring to an individual configuration, a reference numeral with a subscript is used.

[0020] The wafer thickness measuring device in the embodiment is a device that measures the thickness of a wafer such as a magnetic disk substrate or a material for an integrated circuit, mainly using an optical interferometer capable of high-precision measurement. This wafer thickness measuring device includes a pair of first and second optical interferometers arranged to face each other across the wafer to be measured, a pair of first and second distance meters arranged to face each other across the wafer to be measured and measuring absolute distance, and a thickness calculation unit that calculates the phase number between the reference displacement calculated based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results and the displacement calculated based on the first and second interferometer measurement results based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results obtained by measuring a reference measurement point of a reference piece having a known thickness with the first and second optical interferometers, the first and second distance meter reference measurement results obtained by measuring the reference measurement point with the first and second distance meters, the first and second interferometer measurement results obtained by measuring a measurement point on the wafer to be measured with the first and second optical interferometers, and the first and second distance meter measurement results obtained by measuring the measurement point with the first and second distance meters, thereby calculating the thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point. Hereinafter, such a wafer thickness measuring device and a wafer thickness measuring method implemented therein will be described in more detail.

[0021] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a wafer thickness measuring device in an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a first stage in the wafer thickness measuring device. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a transport unit in the wafer thickness measuring device. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining a thickness calculation method in the wafer thickness measuring device.

[0022] For ease of explanation, one side (one main surface) of the wafer WA to be measured will be appropriately referred to as side A, and the other side (the other main surface) of the wafer WA which is in a reverse relationship to side A will be appropriately referred to as side B. In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3, when the wafer WA is placed on the first and second stages 4, 5, side A is the upper surface, and side B is the lower surface.

[0023] The wafer thickness measuring apparatus S in the embodiment includes, for example, an A-plane optical interferometer 1A, a B-plane optical interferometer 1B, an A-plane distance meter 2A, a B-plane distance meter 2B, an arithmetic control unit 3, a first stage 4, a second stage 5, a transport unit 6, an input unit 7, and an output unit 8, as shown in FIG.

[0024] The A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B are optical interferometers arranged to face each other across the wafer WA to be measured, as shown in Figures 1 to 3. That is, the A-plane optical interferometer 1A is arranged to face the A-plane of the wafer WA, and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B is arranged to face the B-plane of the wafer WA, and these A-plane optical interferometer 1A and B-plane optical interferometer 1B are arranged to measure the same measurement points on the front and back of the wafer WA. The optical interferometer for thickness measurement is configured to cause two coherent first and second light beams to interfere with each other after propagating through the first and second optical paths, and to obtain the first and second optical path length difference based on the phase difference generated according to the difference between the first optical path length of the first optical path and the second optical path length of the second optical path, and the first light beam is used as a reference light and the second light beam is used as a measurement light, and when there is no measurement target in the second optical path, the first and second optical path lengths are made equal and a measurement target is placed in the second optical path, thereby detecting the thickness change (displacement) of the measurement target as the first and second optical path length difference and measuring the thickness change of the measurement target. Various types of such optical interferometers are known, such as a heterodyne optical interferometer, a homodyne optical interferometer, and a Fizeau optical interferometer. The heterodyne optical interferometer generates a beat signal having a frequency that is the difference between two laser beams having different frequencies by interfering with each other, and detects the phase change of the generated beat signal. The phase change of the beat signal corresponds to the difference in the optical path length between the two laser beams, and is therefore related to the thickness change (displacement) of the measurement target. Such a device for thickness measurement using a heterodyne optical interferometer is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-180708 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-168339. The homodyne optical interferometer splits laser light from the same light source into two beams, one of which is used as a reference light and the other as a measurement light, in order to make the laser light of the same frequency as the heterodyne optical interferometer, for example, by a beam splitter, and uses one of the laser light beams as a reference light and the other as a measurement light. Such a device for thickness measurement using a homodyne optical interferometer is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-197376.The Fizeau optical interferometer divides a measurement light into a first measurement light (reference light) that propagates through a first optical path reflected by a reference plane and a second measurement light that propagates through a second optical path reflected by a surface of the measurement object, and causes the first measurement light reflected by the reference plane to interfere with the second measurement light reflected by the surface of the measurement object. Such a thickness measurement device using a Fizeau interferometer is disclosed in, for example, JP 2016-095276 A and JP 2016-176784 A.

[0025] In this embodiment, heterodyne optical interferometers are used for the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B, and the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B are each connected to the calculation control unit 3, perform measurements under the control of the calculation control unit 3, and output the measurement results to the calculation control unit 3.

[0026] As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the A-side range finder 2A and the B-side range finder 2B are arranged to face each other across the wafer WA to be measured, and are range finders that measure absolute distances. That is, the A-side range finder 2A is arranged to face the A-side of the wafer WA, and the B-side range finder 2B is arranged to face the B-side of the wafer WA, and these A-side range finder 2A and B-side range finder 2B are arranged to measure the same measurement point on the front and back of the wafer WA. For example, a capacitance sensor, a confocal sensor, a triangulation sensor, and a spectroscopic interference laser displacement meter are used as such range finders. The A-side range finder 2A is connected to the calculation control unit 3, and measures the distance from the arrangement position of the A-side range finder 2A to the A-side of the wafer WA under the control of the calculation control unit 3, and outputs the measurement result to the calculation control unit 3. The B-side range finder 2 is connected to the calculation control unit 3, and measures the distance from the arrangement position of the B-side range finder 2B to the B-side of the wafer WA under the control of the calculation control unit 3, and outputs the measurement result to the calculation control unit 3. The thickness T of the wafer WA at the measurement point is found by subtracting the distance La to the A side of the wafer WA measured by the A side distance meter 2A and the distance Lb to the B side of the wafer WA measured by the B side distance meter 2B from the distance Lab between the position of the A side distance meter 2A and the position of the B side distance meter 2B (T=Lab-(La+Lb)).

[0027] The first stage 4 is connected to the calculation control unit 3, and is a device that moves the wafer WA in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the wafer WA to be measured under the control of the calculation control unit 3. The first stage 4 may be an XY stage that can move the wafer WA in the X-axis and Y-axis directions when an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set in which the thickness direction of the wafer WA is the Z-axis direction; however, in this embodiment, when the wafer WA is a semiconductor wafer, the first stage 4 is a device that can rotate and move the wafer WA and also move it in the radial direction of the rotation, since semiconductor wafers generally have a disk-like shape.

[0028] 2, the first stage 4 includes three arm members extending radially from a central member so that the thickness of the wafer WA at a measurement point MP can be measured with high accuracy and high speed without being affected by vibration of the wafer WA, and includes a support unit 44 at the tip of the arm member for supporting the wafer WA at three points on the circumference at its edge portion (edge ​​region), a rotation shaft 41 connected to the central member of the support unit 44, a rotation drive unit 42 for driving and rotating the rotation shaft 41, and a linear drive unit 43 for moving the rotation drive unit 42 linearly within a predetermined movement range. The rotation drive unit 42 and the linear drive unit 43 are configured with a drive mechanism such as an actuator such as a servo motor or a reduction gear.

[0029] In the first stage 4 configured as above, the wafer WA is placed on each of the tips of the three arm members of the support part 44 and is supported at three points by the support part 44. When the wafer WA is placed on the first stage 4 in this manner, the first stage 4 is disposed relative to the arrangement positions of the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B so that the A-plane and B-plane optical interferometer 1B can measure the A-plane and B-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B.

[0030] In the first stage 4 configured as above, the rotation drive unit 42 rotates under the control of the calculation control unit 3, which causes the support unit 44 to rotate via the rotation shaft 41, and the wafer WA rotates around the rotation shaft 41 (the central member of the support unit 44). Then, the linear drive unit 43 linearly moves the rotation drive unit 42 under the control of the calculation control unit 3, which causes the wafer WA to move along the radial direction. By combining the rotational movement of the wafer WA by the rotation drive unit 42 and the linear movement of the wafer WA by the linear drive unit 43, a desired measurement point MP of the wafer WA can be measured within the movement range of the first stage 4.

[0031] The second stage 5 is connected to the calculation control unit 3, and is a device that moves the wafer WA in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the wafer WA to be measured under the control of the calculation control unit 3, and in this embodiment is configured similarly to the first stage 4. When the wafer WA is placed on the second stage 5, the second stage 5 is disposed relative to the positions of the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B so that the A-surface and B-surface of the wafer WA can be measured by the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B.

[0032] The transfer unit 6 is connected to the calculation control unit 3, and is a device that transfers the wafer WA to be measured between the first and second stages 4 and 5 under the control of the calculation control unit 3. More specifically, the transfer unit 6 is configured by a transfer robot 6 that includes an arm unit 64 that grips the wafer WA to be measured, a first rotation unit 63 that rotates and moves the arm unit 64 within the XY plane, a second rotation unit 62 that rotates and moves the first rotation unit 63 within the XY plane, and a movement unit 61 that moves the second rotation unit 62 between the first and second stages 4 and 5, as shown in FIG.

[0033] The input unit 7 is connected to the calculation control unit 3 and is a device that inputs various commands, such as a command to start thickness measurement, and various data required to operate the wafer thickness measurement device S, such as the name of the wafer WA to be measured (e.g., serial number, etc.), to the wafer thickness measurement device S, and is, for example, a plurality of input switches, a keyboard, a mouse, etc., to which predetermined functions are assigned. The output unit 8 is connected to the calculation control unit 3 and is a device that outputs the commands and data input from the input unit 7 and the measurement results, etc., under the control of the calculation control unit 3, and is, for example, a display device such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, or an organic EL display, or a printing device such as a printer.

[0034] The input unit 7 and the output unit 8 may constitute a so-called touch panel. In the case of constituting this touch panel, the input unit 7 is a position input device that detects and inputs an operation position, for example, a resistive film type or a capacitive type, and the output unit 8 is a display device. In this touch panel, the position input device is provided on the display surface of the display device, and one or more input content candidates that can be input to the display device are displayed. When a user touches a display position that displays the input content that the user wants to input, the position is detected by the position input device, and the display content displayed at the detected position is input to the wafer thickness measuring device S as the user's operation input content. In such a touch panel, the user can easily intuitively understand the input operation, and therefore a wafer thickness measuring device S that is easy for the user to handle is provided.

[0035] The arithmetic control unit 3 is a circuit that controls each part of the wafer thickness measuring device S according to the function, and is composed of, for example, a control program for controlling each part of the wafer thickness measuring device S according to the function, a calculation program for calculating the thickness of the wafer WA based on the outputs of the A-surface optical interferometer 1A, the B-surface optical interferometer 1B, the A-surface distance meter 2A, and the B-surface distance meter 2B, various predetermined programs, and various predetermined data such as data required for executing the predetermined programs, a ROM (Read Only Memory) which is a nonvolatile storage element, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) which is a rewritable nonvolatile storage element, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) which performs predetermined arithmetic processing and control processing by reading and executing the predetermined programs, a RAM (Random Access Memory) which is a so-called working memory of the CPU which stores data generated during the execution of the predetermined programs, and a microcomputer equipped with these peripheral circuits. The arithmetic control unit 3 functionally includes a thickness calculation unit 31 and a stage transport control unit 32.

[0036] The stage transport control unit 32 controls the operation of each of the rotational drive units 42 and linear drive units 43 in the first stage 4 so that the wafer WA moves in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the thickness direction in order to measure multiple measurement points MP on the wafer WA, controls each of the units 61-64 in the transport unit 6 so as to transport the wafer WA between the first and second stages 4, 5, and controls the operation of each of the rotational drive units and linear drive units in the second stage 5 so that the wafer WA moves in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the thickness direction in order to measure multiple measurement points MP on the wafer WA.

[0037] The thickness calculation unit 31 calculates the thickness of the wafer WA to be measured at the measurement point based on first and second interferometer reference measurement results obtained by measuring a reference measurement point of a reference piece having a known thickness with an A-plane optical interferometer 1A and a B-plane optical interferometer 1B, first and second distance meter reference measurement results obtained by measuring the reference measurement point with an A-plane optical interferometer 2A and a B-plane distance meter 2B, first and second interferometer measurement results obtained by measuring a measurement point on the wafer WA to be measured with the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B, and first and second distance meter measurement results obtained by measuring the measurement point with the A-plane optical interferometer 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B, thereby calculating the phase number between the reference displacement calculated based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results and the displacement calculated based on the first and second interferometer measurement results.

[0038] More specifically, the thickness T of the wafer WA is obtained as shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows a reference thickness Wmref obtained based on first and second distance meter reference measurement results obtained by measuring a reference measurement point of a reference piece having a reference measurement point of a known thickness with the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B, and a thickness Wm obtained based on the first and second distance meter measurement results obtained by measuring a measurement point on the wafer WA to be measured with the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B. As described above, the reference thickness Wmref is obtained by subtracting the distance to the A side of the wafer WA measured by the A-side distance meter 2A (first distance meter reference measurement result) and the distance to the B side of the wafer WA measured by the B-side distance meter 2B (second distance meter reference measurement result) from the distance between the placement positions of the A-side distance meter 2A and the B-side distance meter 2B; similarly, the thickness Wm is obtained by subtracting the distance to the A side of the wafer WA measured by the A-side distance meter 2A (first distance meter measurement result) and the distance to the B side of the wafer WA measured by the B-side distance meter 2B (second distance meter measurement result) from the distance between the placement positions of the A-side distance meter 2A and the B-side distance meter 2B. Similarly, the reference displacement Wiref obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results obtained by measuring the reference measurement point with the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B is shown, and the displacement Wi obtained based on the first and second interferometer measurement results obtained by measuring the reference measurement point with the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B is shown. In the displacement measurement using the heterodyne optical interferometer, the following formulas 1 to 4 are established, and the displacement z is obtained, assuming that the beat signal intensity of the measurement light is Is, the beat signal intensity of the reference light is Ir, the frequencies of the two laser lights are f1 and f2, respectively, the phase difference between the beat signal of the measurement light and the beat signal of the reference light is φ, the wavelength of the reference light is λs, and the displacement between the heterodyne optical interferometer and the measurement target is z. Here, the beat signal of the measurement light and the beat signal of the reference light are generated by the interference of the light of frequencies f1 and f2, and the light of frequencies f1 and f2 is generated by modulating the reference light of wavelength λs.In addition, after generating the light of frequencies f1 and f2, the reference light is the light of frequencies f1 and f2 that are directly interfered with each other, and the measurement light is the light of frequencies f1 or f2 that is interfered with after passing through an optical path in which one of the lights is reflected on the wafer surface. Equation 1; Is∝I0×cos(△ωt-φ) Equation 2; Ir∝I0×cos(△ωt) Equation 3;△ω=2π|f1-f2| Equation 4: φ = (4π / λs) × z The reference displacements Wiref and Wi shown in FIG. 4 were obtained by adding the phase φ in the above equation 4 by the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B, normalizing it in the range of 0 to 2π, and further multiplying it by λs / 4π to convert it to a displacement z.

[0039] The sizes of the circles (○, ●) representing the reference thickness Wmref, thickness Wm, reference displacement Wiref, and displacement Wi, respectively, symbolically represent the measurement accuracy. The measurement accuracy of the displacement measured by the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B is higher than the measurement accuracy of the thickness measured by the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B; for example, the measurement accuracy of the thickness measured by the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B is about 10 nm, and the measurement accuracy of the displacement measured by the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B is about 1 nm.

[0040] In an optical interferometer, when the wavelength of the measurement light is λ (for example, the wavelength λ of a helium-neon laser light is 632.8 nm, etc.), the measurement can only be performed within the range of ±λ / 4 (±158.2 nm, etc. in the above example), so even if a wafer WA with a thickness of λ / 2 or more is measured, the measurement result will be within the range of ±λ / 4 as shown in FIG. 4. For this reason, in measuring the displacement using an optical interferometer, the thickness of a certain point is usually measured and optical phase unwrapped to obtain a relative displacement based on the certain point beyond the range of ±λ / 4. In this embodiment, as can be seen from FIG. 4, the number of phases between the reference displacement Wiref obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results and the displacement Wi obtained based on the first and second interferometer measurement results is an integer N, and the error between the measurement results obtained by the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B and the measurement results obtained by the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B is ε, the following formula 5 is established. Equation 5;|ε|=Wm-Wmref-((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)) Therefore, if the measurement accuracy of the A-side distance meter 2A and the B-side distance meter 2B is 1 / 2 or less of λ / 4, the phase number N can be found by finding the integer N that minimizes Wm-Wmref-((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)). Once the phase number N is found, and the known thickness is W0, the thickness T of the wafer WA to be measured at the measurement point can be found by the following equation 6. Equation 6;T=((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2))+W0

[0041] Here, by using a reference piece having a reference measurement point of a known thickness, the thickness T of the wafer WA can be obtained by the above formula 6 without being affected by the measurement accuracy of the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B, and can be measured with the measurement accuracy of the A-surface optical interferometer 1A and the B-surface optical interferometer 1B. However, as can be seen from the above calculation method, when the phase number N is obtained, the measurement accuracy of the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B is excluded. Therefore, the reference piece is the wafer to be measured, the reference measurement point is a predetermined point on the wafer to be measured, the known thickness W0 is the reference thickness Wmref, and the thickness T of the wafer WA can be obtained by the following formula 7. Even in this case, the thickness T of the wafer WA can be obtained without being affected by the measurement accuracy of the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B, and can be measured with the measurement accuracy of the A-surface optical interferometer 1A and the B-surface optical interferometer 1B. Equation 7;T=((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2))+Wmref

[0042] The A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B correspond to an example of a pair of first and second optical interferometers arranged to face each other across the wafer to be measured, and the A-plane rangefinder 2A and the B-plane rangefinder 2B correspond to an example of a pair of first and second rangefinders that measure absolute distance and are arranged to face each other across the wafer to be measured.

[0043] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to a flow chart shown in FIG 5, which illustrates the operation of the wafer thickness measuring device.

[0044] For example, when a power switch (not shown) is turned on, the wafer thickness measuring device S is started up and the necessary parts are initialized by the calculation control unit 3, and the calculation control unit 3 is functionally configured to include a thickness calculation unit 31 and a stage transport control unit 32.

[0045] In the wafer thickness measuring device S in the embodiment, the measurement using the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B and the measurement using the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B need to be performed on the same measurement point MP. For this reason, accurate positioning is performed before the measurement. First, in the positioning in the XY direction, each measurement spot (the irradiation point (irradiation position) of the measurement light) in the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B is mechanically adjusted to be located at the center of the first stage 4. Similarly, each measurement spot in the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B is mechanically adjusted to be located at the center of the second stage 5. Then, when the wafer WA is transported to the first stage 4, the transport unit 6 is adjusted so that the center of the wafer WA is located and clamped at the center of the first stage 4, and when the wafer WA is transported to the second stage 4, the transport unit 6 is adjusted so that the center of the wafer WA is located and clamped at the center of the second stage 4. In positioning in the rotation direction, the scribing position of the wafer WA is detected, for example, by a camera (not shown) and the first stage 4 is driven so that this detected scribing position is located at a preset initial position. Similarly, the scribing position of the wafer WA is detected, for example, by a camera (not shown) and the second stage 5 is driven so that this detected scribing position is located at a preset initial position. For example, when the wafer WA is a semiconductor wafer, a notch indicating the scribing position is formed in the semiconductor wafer at 300 mm or more, and an orientation flat indicating the crystal orientation of the wafer is formed in the semiconductor wafer at 200 mm or less, and this orientation flat can be used as the scribing position.

[0046] After such positioning adjustment, when a command to start measurement is received from, for example, the input unit 7, the wafer thickness measuring device S in Fig. 5 drives the first stage 4 by the stage transport control unit 32 of the calculation control unit 3 so that the measurement spots of the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B are positioned at a preset reference measurement point MP0 of the wafer WA, and measures the reference measurement point MP0 with the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B (S1). This provides the first and second interferometer reference measurement results.

[0047] Next, the wafer thickness measuring device S drives the first stage 4 by the stage transport control unit 32 so that the measurement spots of the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B are positioned at each measurement point MPk of the wafer WA that has been previously set, and measures each of the measurement points MPk with the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B (S2). This provides the first and second interferometer measurement results.

[0048] More specifically, for example, in this embodiment, the stage transport control unit 32 rotates the wafer WA by controlling the rotation drive unit 42 of the first stage 4, while moving the wafer WA in a linear direction by controlling the linear drive unit 43 of the first stage 4. While the stage transport control unit 32 controls the first stage 4 in this way, the calculation control unit 3 performs measurements with the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B every time the measurement spots of the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B reach a predetermined position (measurement point) MP that has been set in advance. Through such an operation, the first and second interferometer measurement results are obtained at each measurement point MPk on the wafer WA, so that the locus of the multiple measurement points MPk draws a spiral. Alternatively, for example, the stage transport control unit 32 rotates the wafer WA by controlling the rotation drive unit 42 of the first stage 4, while the calculation control unit 3 measures the wafer WA by the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B every time the measurement spots of the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B reach a predetermined position (measurement point) MP that has been set in advance. Next, when the wafer WA rotates once, the calculation control unit 3 moves the wafer WA a predetermined distance in a linear direction by controlling the linear drive unit 43 of the first stage 4. Then, when the wafer WA has moved a predetermined distance in this linear direction, the calculation control unit 3 rotates the wafer WA while measuring the wafer WA by the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B in the same manner as described above. Through such an operation, the first and second interferometer measurement results are obtained at each measurement point MPk at each position on the circumference of the circles with different radii.

[0049] The reference measurement point MP0 of the wafer WA may be appropriately set on the wafer WA, but the first measurement point MP1 of each measurement point MPk measured as described above may be set as the reference measurement point MP0 of the wafer WA. This allows the processes S1 and S2 to be performed smoothly and continuously.

[0050] Next, the wafer thickness measuring device S transfers the wafer WA from the first stage 4 to the second stage 5 by the stage transfer control unit 32 (S3).

[0051] Next, the wafer thickness measuring device S drives the second stage 5 by the stage transport control unit 32 so that the measurement spots of the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B are positioned at the reference measurement point MP0, and measures the reference measurement point MP0 with the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B (S4). This provides the first and second distance meter reference measurement results.

[0052] Next, the wafer thickness measuring device S drives the second stage 4 by the stage transport control unit 32 so that the measurement spots of the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B are positioned at each of the measurement points MPk, and measures each of the measurement points MPk with the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B (S5). This provides the first and second distance meter measurement results.

[0053] Next, the wafer thickness measuring device S, by the thickness calculation unit 31 of the calculation control unit 3, outputs first and second interferometer reference measurement results obtained by measuring the reference measurement point MP0 with the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B in process S1, first and second distance meter reference measurement results obtained by measuring the reference measurement point MP0 with the A-plane optical interferometer 2A and the B-plane optical interferometer 2B in process S4, and first and second distance meter reference measurement results obtained by measuring each measurement point MPk with the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B in process S2. Based on the first and second interferometer measurement results of each of the measurement points MPk obtained by measuring each of the measurement points MPk with the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B in step S5, the phase number N between the reference displacement Wiref obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results and the displacement Wi obtained based on the first and second interferometer measurement results is obtained, and each thickness Tk of the wafer WA at each of the measurement points MPk is obtained (S6). In this embodiment, an integer N that minimizes Wm-Wmref-((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)) is obtained for each of the measurement points MPk, and the thickness T of the wafer WA is obtained by ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2))+Wmref.

[0054] Then, the wafer thickness measuring device S outputs each thickness Tk of the wafer WA at each measurement point MPk obtained in step S6 to the output unit 8, and ends this process (S7).

[0055] As described above, the wafer thickness measuring device S and the wafer thickness measuring method implemented therein in the embodiment obtain the phase number N between the reference displacement Wiref obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results and the displacement Wi obtained based on the first and second interferometer measurement results, so that the thickness T of the wafer WA can be obtained based on the measurement results of the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B, and the thickness T of the wafer WA can be measured with high accuracy by utilizing the performance of the optical interferometer. The wafer thickness measuring device S and the wafer thickness measuring method can measure the thickness of the wafer WA with an accuracy of, for example, several nanometers. The wafer thickness measuring device S and the wafer thickness measuring method can use any member as the reference piece because only one reference measurement point is required.

[0056] The above-mentioned wafer thickness measuring device S and wafer thickness measuring method use A-plane optical interferometer 1A and B-plane optical interferometer 1B to obtain the thickness T of the wafer WA to be measured at the measurement point MP using ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2))+W0, and in the above-mentioned example, ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2))+Wmref, so that the thickness T of the wafer WA can be measured with high accuracy by utilizing the performance of the optical interferometer.

[0057] In the above-described embodiment, the wafer thickness measurement apparatus S may further include a first calibration piece CB1 for calibrating the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B and a second calibration piece CB2 for calibrating the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B, as shown in FIG. 6, and may be calibrated by these first and second calibration pieces CB1, CB2.

[0058] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a first modified embodiment of the wafer thickness measuring device. More specifically, in the wafer thickness measuring device S in the first modified embodiment, appropriate members are prepared in advance as the first and second calibration pieces CB1 and CB2, the first calibration piece CB1 is arranged at a position where it can be measured by the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B, and the second calibration piece CB2 is arranged at a position where it can be measured by the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B. For example, the first calibration piece CB1 is attached to any one of the three arm members in the support part 44 of the first stage 4 so that it can be measured by the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B. Similarly, the second calibration piece CB2 is attached to any one of the three arm members in the support part of the second stage 4 so that it can be measured by the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B.

[0059] The thickness calculation unit 31 then obtains first and second interferometer-based calibration measurement results obtained by measuring a first calibration point on a first calibration piece CB1 with the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B when calibrating the wafer thickness measurement device S, first and second distance meter-based calibration measurement results obtained by measuring a second calibration point on a second calibration piece CB2 with the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B when calibrating the wafer thickness measurement device S, and a measurement result of the first calibration point measured by the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B after the calibration and before measuring the thickness T of the wafer WA to be measured. and the first and second interferometer calibration measurement results obtained by measuring the second calibration point with the A-surface distance meter 2A and the B-surface distance meter 2B before the measurement, the first and second interferometer reference measurement results, the first and second distance meter reference measurement results, the first and second interferometer measurement results, and the first and second distance meter measurement results are used to determine the thickness T of the wafer WA to be measured at the measurement point.

[0060] More specifically, if the reference calibration displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference calibration measurement results is Wicref, the reference calibration thickness obtained based on the first and second distance meter reference calibration measurement results is Wmcref, the calibration displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer calibration measurement results is Wic, and the calibration thickness obtained based on the first and second distance meter calibration measurement results is Wmc, the following formula 8 is established similarly to the above-mentioned formula 5, so the phase number N is obtained by obtaining an integer N that minimizes Wm-Wmref-(Wmc-Wmcref)-(((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref))), and the thickness T of the wafer WA to be measured at the measurement point MP is obtained by the following formula 9. Alternatively, the thickness T of the wafer WA to be measured at the measurement point MP may be obtained by the following formula 10. Equation 8;|ε|=Wm-Wmref-(Wmc-Wmcref)-((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref)) Equation 9;T=((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref))+W0 Equation 10;T=((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref))+Wmref

[0061] In such a wafer thickness measuring apparatus S, during calibration, for example, by the manufacturer at the shipping stage or, for example, by the user after delivery and before measurement begins, a first calibration point on a first calibration piece CB1 is measured with an A-plane optical interferometer 1A and a B-plane optical interferometer 1B to obtain first and second interferometer reference calibration measurement results, and a second calibration point on a second calibration piece CB2 is measured with an A-plane distance meter 2A and a B-plane distance meter 2B to obtain first and second distance meter reference calibration measurement results, and these first and second interferometer reference calibration measurement results and the first and second distance meter reference calibration measurement results are stored in the calculation control unit 3.

[0062] Then, at the time of measurement, before the process S1 described above with reference to FIG. 5, the first stage 4 is driven so that the measurement spots of the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B are positioned at the first calibration point, and the process of measuring the first calibration point with the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B is performed. This results in the first and second interferometer calibration measurement. Then, each process S1 to S3 described above with reference to FIG. 5 is performed sequentially. Then, before the process S4 described above with reference to FIG. 5, the second stage 5 is driven so that the measurement spots of the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B are positioned at the second calibration point, and the process of measuring the second calibration point with the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B is performed. This results in the first and second distance meter calibration measurement. Then, each process S4 to S6 described above with reference to FIG. 5 is performed sequentially. In this process S6, thickness calculation unit 31 determines the integer N that minimizes Wm-Wmref-(Wmc-Wmcref)-((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref)) as the number of phases N, and determines the thickness T of wafer WA at measurement point MP from ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref))+Wmref. Then, process S7 described above with reference to FIG. 5 is performed, and the measurement is completed.

[0063] Such a wafer thickness measurement device S and wafer thickness measurement method can be calibrated by the first and second calibration pieces CB1 and CB2, and even if the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B or the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B cause a drift (shift) in the measurement results due to, for example, aging, the thickness T of the wafer WA can be obtained by correcting (correcting) the drift (shift). The above-mentioned wafer thickness measurement device S and wafer thickness measurement method can obtain the corrected wafer WA thickness T by ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref))+W0, or ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref))+Wmref in the above example.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the wafer thickness measurement device S includes a first stage 4 for the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B, a second stage 5 for the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B, and a transport unit 6 for transporting the wafer WA between the first and second stages 4, 5, but the first and second stages 4, 5 may be integrated into one stage for the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B and for the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B. This makes it possible to omit the second stage 5 and the transport unit 6, and also omit the positioning of the second stage 5.

[0065] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a second modified embodiment of the wafer thickness measuring device. More specifically, in the wafer thickness measuring device S in the second modified embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B and the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B are arranged so that the measurement spots of the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B are positioned on the wafer WA placed on the not shown stage, and the measurement spots of the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B are positioned on the wafer WA. The not shown stage has the same configuration as the first stage 4 shown in FIG. 2, for example. Then, the positional relationship between the positions of the measurement spots of the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B and the positions of the measurement spots of the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B is stored in the calculation control unit 3. Based on the positional relationship, the calculation control unit 3 drives the stage (not shown) so that the measurement points measured by the A-side rangefinder 2A and the B-side rangefinder 2B coincide with the measurement points measured by the A-side rangefinder 2A and the B-side rangefinder 2B.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 7, first and second calibration pieces CB1 and CB2 may be used. In this case, for example, the first calibration piece CB1 is attached to one of the three arm members in the support portion of the stage as shown in the figure so that it can be measured by the A-plane optical interferometer 1A and the B-plane optical interferometer 1B, and the second calibration piece CB2 is attached to another of the three arm members in the support portion of the stage as shown in the figure so that it can be measured by the A-plane distance meter 2A and the B-plane distance meter 2B.

[0067] In order to express the present invention, the present invention has been described adequately and sufficiently through the embodiments with reference to the drawings in the above description, but it should be recognized that those skilled in the art can easily change and / or improve the above-mentioned embodiments. Therefore, unless the changes or improvements made by those skilled in the art are at a level that departs from the scope of the claims described in the claims, the changes or improvements are interpreted as being included in the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] S Wafer thickness measuring device 1A A-plane optical interferometer (an example of the first optical interferometer) 1B B-plane optical interferometer (an example of the second optical interferometer) 2A A-surface rangefinder (an example of the first rangefinder) 2B B-plane rangefinder (an example of a second rangefinder) 3. Calculation and control unit 4. First Stage 5. Second Stage 6. Conveyor 31 Thickness calculation unit

Claims

1. a pair of first and second optical interferometers arranged to face each other across a wafer to be measured; a pair of first and second distance meters that are arranged to face each other across the wafer to be measured and that measure absolute distances; a thickness calculation unit that calculates a phase number between a reference displacement calculated based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results and a displacement calculated based on the first and second interferometer measurement results, based on first and second interferometer reference measurement results obtained by measuring a reference measurement point of a reference piece having a known thickness with the first and second optical interferometers, first and second distance meter reference measurement results obtained by measuring the reference measurement point with the first and second distance meter, first and second interferometer measurement results obtained by measuring a measurement point on the wafer to be measured with the first and second optical interferometers, and first and second distance meter measurement results obtained by measuring the measurement point with the first and second distance meter, thereby calculating a thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point. Wafer thickness measurement device.

2. where W0 is the known thickness, N is the phase number, λ is the wavelength of the measurement light in the first and second optical interferometers, Wiref is the reference displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results, Wmref is the reference thickness obtained based on the first and second distance meter reference measurement results, Wi is the displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer measurement results, and Wm is the thickness obtained based on the first and second distance meter measurement results, the thickness calculation unit obtains the phase number N by obtaining the integer N that minimizes Wm-Wmref-((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)), and obtains the thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point by ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2))+W0.

2. The wafer thickness measuring apparatus of claim 1.

3. the thickness calculation unit obtains the phase number based on first and second interferometer reference calibration measurement results obtained by measuring a first calibration point on a predetermined first calibration piece with the first and second optical interferometers when calibrating the wafer thickness measurement device, first and second distance meter reference calibration measurement results obtained by measuring a second calibration point on a predetermined second calibration piece with the first and second distance meters when calibrating the wafer thickness measurement device, first and second interferometer calibration measurement results obtained by measuring the first calibration point with the first and second optical interferometers after the calibration and before measuring the thickness of the wafer to be measured, first and second distance meter calibration measurement results obtained by measuring the second calibration point with the first and second distance meters before the measurement, the first and second interferometer reference measurement results, the first and second distance meter reference measurement results, the first and second interferometer measurement results, and the first and second distance meter measurement results, to obtain the thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point; 3. The wafer thickness measuring device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The known thickness is W0, the phase number is an integer N, the wavelength of the measurement light in the first and second optical interferometers is λ, the reference calibration displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference calibration measurement results is Wcref, the reference calibration thickness obtained based on the first and second distance meter reference calibration measurement results is Wmcref, the calibration displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer calibration measurement results is Wic, the calibration thickness obtained based on the first and second distance meter calibration measurement results is Wmc, the reference displacement obtained based on the first and second interferometer reference measurement results is Wiref, and a reference thickness calculated based on the second distance meter reference measurement result is Wmref, a displacement calculated based on the first and second interferometer measurement results is Wi, and a thickness calculated based on the first and second distance meter measurement results is Wm, the thickness calculation unit calculates the phase number by calculating an integer N that minimizes Wm-Wmref-(Wmc-Wmcref)-((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref)), and calculates the thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point by ((Wi-Wiref)+N×(λ / 2)-(Wic-Wicref))+W0.

4. The wafer thickness measuring apparatus according to claim 3.

5. an interferometer reference measurement step of measuring a reference measurement point of a known thickness on a reference piece with a pair of first and second optical interferometers arranged to face each other across the wafer to be measured, thereby obtaining first and second interferometer reference measurement results; a distance meter reference measurement step of measuring the reference measurement point with a pair of first and second distance meters that are arranged to face each other across the wafer to be measured and measure absolute distances, thereby obtaining first and second distance meter reference measurement results; an interferometer measurement step of measuring a measurement point on the wafer to be measured with the first and second optical interferometers to obtain first and second interferometer measurement results; a range finder measurement step of measuring the measurement point with the first and second range finders to obtain first and second range finder measurement results; a thickness calculation step of calculating a phase number between a reference displacement calculated based on the first and second interferometer-reference measurement results and a displacement calculated based on the first and second interferometer measurement results, based on the first and second interferometer-reference measurement results obtained in the interferometer-reference measurement step, the first and second distance-meter-reference measurement results obtained in the distance-meter-reference measurement step, the first and second interferometer measurement results obtained in the interferometer measurement step, and the first and second distance-meter measurement results obtained in the distance-meter measurement step, to calculate a thickness of the wafer to be measured at the measurement point. Wafer thickness measurement method.

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