IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,660,559
Granted Patent B2
US 12,660,559 · App. 17/908,293 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inspection device and inspection method

Inventors: Takeshi Sakamoto (Hamamatsu, JP); Takafumi Ogiwara (Hamamatsu, JP); Iku Sano (Hamamatsu, JP)
Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
H10P72/0614H10P72/0604H10P74/203
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,660,559
App. No.
17/908,293
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

This inspection device includes: a laser irradiation unit that irradiates a wafer having a back surface and a front surface with a laser beam from the back surface side of the wafer; an imaging unit that outputs light having permeability to the wafer and detects the light propagating through the wafer; and a control part configured to perform a first process of controlling the laser irradiation unit so that a modified region is formed inside the wafer by irradiating the wafer with the laser beam and a second process of deriving a position of the modified region on the basis of a signal output from the imaging unit that detects the light and deriving a thickness of the wafer on the basis of the derived position of the modified region and a set recipe.

Claims (14)

1 . An inspection device comprising:

an irradiation unit configured to irradiate a wafer having a first surface and a second surface with a laser beam from a first surface side of the wafer;

an imaging unit configured to output light having permeability to the wafer and to detect the light propagating through the wafer; and

a control part configured to perform a first process of controlling the irradiation unit so that a modified region is formed inside the wafer by irradiating the wafer with the laser beam, and a second process of deriving a position of the modified region based on a signal output from the imaging unit that has detected the light and deriving a thickness of the wafer from the first surface to the second surface based on the derived position of the modified region and set processing conditions,

wherein, in the second process, the control part derives a position of a virtual image of an end portion of the modified region on a second surface side based on a signal output from the imaging unit that has detected the light and derives a thickness of the wafer based on the position of the virtual image and the processing conditions.

2 . The inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the second process, the control part further derives a position of an end portion of the modified region on the first surface side based on the signal output from the imaging unit that has detected the light, further derives a width of the modified region based on the processing conditions, and derives a thickness of the wafer based on the position of the virtual image of the end portion of the modified region on the second surface side, the position of the end portion of the modified region on the first surface side, and the width of the modified region.

3 . The inspection device according to claim 2 , wherein the control part stores a database in which the processing conditions and the width of the modified region are associated with each other, and

in the second process, the control part derives the width of the modified region corresponding to the processing conditions by referring to the database.

4 . The inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the second process, the control part derives a constant consideration end position based on an estimated position of the end portion that is a position of the end portion of the modified region on the front surface side and is estimated from a processing depth of the laser beam with respect to the wafer, and a constant considering a refractive index of the wafer which are included in the recipe, and derives a thickness of the wafer based on the position of the virtual image of the end portion of the modified region on the second surface side and the end portion considering the constant.

5 . An inspection method comprising:

a first step of preparing a wafer having a first surface and a second surface and forming a modified region inside the wafer by irradiating the wafer with a laser beam;

a second step of outputting light having permeability to the wafer in which the modified region is formed by the first step and detecting light propagating through the wafer; and

a third step of deriving a position of the modified region based on the light detected in the second step, and deriving a thickness of the wafer from the first surface to the second surface based on the derived position of the modified region and set processing conditions,

wherein, in the third step a position of a virtual image of an end portion of the modified region on a second surface side is derived based on the detected light, and a thickness of the wafer is derived based on the position of the virtual image and the processing conditions.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2022
From: SAKAMOTO, TAKESHI; OGIWARA, TAKAFUMI; SANO, IKU
To: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
Reel/Frame 061336/0873 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-039067 · Mar 6, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230113051A1 · Apr 13, 2023
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