Patent · US Active

Photoluminescence imaging with preferential detection of photoluminescence signals emitted from a specified material layer of a wafer or other workpiece

US7504642B2 · kind B2 · utility

16Cited by
27References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 27, 2006
Grant dateMar 17, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 27, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2021/646
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus uses photoluminescence to identify defects in one or more specified material layers of a sample. One or more filtering elements are used to filter out predetermined wavelengths of return light emitted from a sample. The predetermined wavelengths are selected such that only return light emitted from one or more specified material layers of the sample is detected. Additionally or alternatively, the wavelength of incident light directed into the sample may be selected to penetrate the sample to a given depth, or to excite only one or more selected material layers in the sample. Accordingly, defect data characteristic of primarily only the one or more specified material layers is generated.

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