Patent · US Expired

Systems for inspection of patterned or unpatterned wafers and other specimen

US7068363B2 · kind B2 · utility

112Cited by
28References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 6, 2003
Grant dateJun 27, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 16, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N21/94
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Systems for inspection of patterned and unpatterned wafers are provided. One system includes an illumination system configured to illuminate the specimen. The system also includes a collector configured to collect light scattered from the specimen. In addition, the system includes a segmented detector configured to separately detect different portions of the light such that azimuthal and polar angular information about the different portions of light is preserved. The detector may also be configured to produce signals representative of the different portions of the light. The system may also include a processor configured to detect defects on the specimen from the signals. In another embodiment, the system may include a stage that is configured to rotate and translate the specimen. In one such embodiment, the system may also include an illumination system configured to scan the specimen in a wide scan path during rotation and translation of the specimen.

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