Patent · US Expired

Reduced coherence symmetric grazing incidence differential interferometer

US7057741B1 · kind B1 · utility

16Cited by
33References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 5, 2000
Grant dateJun 6, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 5, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B2290/30
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A system for inspecting specimens such as semiconductor wafers is provided. The system provides scanning of dual-sided specimens using a diffraction grating that widens and passes nth order (n>0) wave fronts to the specimen surface and a reflective surface for each channel of the light beam. Two channels and two reflective surfaces are preferably employed, and the wavefronts are combined using a second diffraction grating and passed to a camera system having a desired aspect ratio. The system preferably comprises a damping arrangement which filters unwanted acoustic and seismic vibration, including an optics arrangement which scans a first portion of the specimen and a translation or rotation arrangement for translating or rotating the specimen to a position where the optics arrangement can scan the remaining portion(s) of the specimen. The system further includes means for stitching scans together, providing for smaller and less expensive optical elements.

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