Measuring instrument and method for operating a measuring instrument for optical inspection of an object

US7420670B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Vistec Semiconductor Systems GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Klaus Rinn · Heuchelheim, DE
• Lambert Danner · Wetzlar, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 11, 2005
• Grant date: Sep 2, 2008
• Expiry date: Dec 12, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/70616
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A measuring instrument for optical inspection of an object includes a light source for illuminating an object; a detector; an illuminating beam path extending from the light source to the object; a detection beam path extending from the object to the detector; an illuminating optics disposed in the illuminating beam path and/or an imaging optics disposed in the detection beam path for imaging the object onto the detector; a position evaluation device for determining a distance between two points of the object; and an optical device for imposing a profile of a continuously monotonic function on an intensity of light from the light source. The optical device is disposed in at least one of a pupil plane of the imaging optics, a pupil plane of the illuminating optics, and a plane in the illuminating or imaging beam path conjugate with the pupil plane of the imaging optics or the pupil plane of the illuminating optics.