High speed inspection of a sample using coherence processing of scattered superbroad radiation
US6014214A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 21, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jan 11, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 21, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B2290/65
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention are inspection methods and inspection apparatus for high speed, high precision inspection using parallel processing. In particular, an embodiment of a first aspect of the present invention is an inspection apparatus for inspecting a sample that uses parallel processing and which comprises: (a) a source of radiation which outputs superbroad inspection radiation having a frequency spectrum with an inspection width and reference radiation; (b) an inspection applicator apparatus which applies the inspection radiation as input to the sample; (c) an inspection collector 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; (d) wherein the dispersal apparatus applies radiation from the scattered inspection radiation as input to a plurality of coherence processors and applies radiation from the reference radiation as input to the plurality of coherence processors; and (e) a processor that fourier analyzes outputs from the coherence processors.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.