High speed inspection of a sample using superbroad radiation coherent interferometer
US5892583A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 21, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 6, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 21, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/4795
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention are inspection methods and inspection apparatus using superbroad radiation. In particular, an embodiment of the present invention is an inspection apparatus which comprises: (a) a source of radiation which outputs superbroad inspection radiation and superbroad reference radiation; (b) an inspection applicator apparatus which applies the inspection radiation as input to the sample; (c) an inspection collection apparatus which collects at least a portion of the inspection radiation that is scattered by the sample and applies at least a portion of the scattered inspection radiation as input to a dispersal apparatus; and (d) a reference collection and delay apparatus which produces a predetermined number of reference radiation outputs having predetermined delays with respect to one another and applies the reference radiation outputs as inputs to the dispersal apparatus; wherein the dispersal apparatus applies radiation from the scattered inspection radiation as input to a coherence processor and applies radiation from the reference radiation outputs as input to the coherence processor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.