Patent · US Active

Optical inspection using controlled illumination and collection polarization

US12399133B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
3References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 13, 2023
Grant dateAug 26, 2025
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 2, 2044

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N21/211
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical inspection system, including (a) an illumination optics that is configured to generate an illumination light beam and to illuminate a sample with the illumination light beam; (b) at least one collection optics configured to collect light from the sample as a result of an impingement of the illumination light beam on the sample; (c) at least one detector configured to detect at least one detected light beam outputted from the at least one collection optics; (d) multiple polarizers that comprise at least one inhomogeneous polarizer and at least one half-wave plate; and (e) at least one movement unit that is configured to move, under a control of a control unit of the optical inspection system, the at least one inhomogeneous polarizer thereby impacting a polarization of one or more light beams out of the illumination light beam, and the at least one detected light beam.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.