Mercury Probe Contact Area Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The calibration of contact area between a mercury droplet and a semiconductor material surface in IC manufacturing is costly and time-consuming, relying on third-party vendors, which delays the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a conductive probe with a mercury control system and an image sensor to form and measure the contact area of a mercury droplet on the material surface, allowing for real-time adjustment of the contact area for accurate electrical property measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If third-party vendor calibration is used to measure contact area accurately, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time and productivity deteriorate due to delays in manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-calibration by capturing images of the mercury droplet and automatically calculating contact area using image processing algorithms. The processor independently determines contact area metrics without requiring external vendor calibration services, allowing the manufacturing system to perform its own calibration internally and eliminating waiting time for external calibration.
2Measurement precision
If third-party vendor calibration is used to measure contact area accurately, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost worsen due to external dependencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual or mechanical calibration procedures with an automated optical measurement system. An image sensor captures visual data of the mercury droplet, and a processor automatically calculates contact area using image processing algorithms, substituting complex mechanical calibration mechanisms with simpler optical and computational methods.
3Ease of operation
If traditional mercury probe systems are used, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity deteriorates due to reliance on external calibration services
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs contact area measurement and calibration activities automatically as part of the standard measurement process. By capturing images and calculating contact area in advance before actual electrical property measurements begin, the system eliminates the need for separate calibration steps, maintaining operational simplicity while improving manufacturing throughput.
Data Source
AI summary
An illustrative system disclosed herein includes a conductive probe that is adapted to hold a quantity of mercury, wherein the conductive probe includes a conductive body with an outlet and a mercury control system adapted to supply mercury to the conductive probe. In this example, the system also includes an image sensor that is adapted to obtain an image of a mercury droplet positioned on a surface of a material and a measurement system that is adapted to receive the image of the mercury droplet and calculate a contact area between the mercury droplet and the surface of the material based upon the image of the mercury droplet.