Patent · US Active

Defect detection

US7796805B1 · kind B1 · utility

1Cited by
2References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 26, 2005
Grant dateSep 14, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 15, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N21/956
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A wafer having improved inspection sensitivity to foreign matter on a top-most surface of the wafer, as detected with a surface scanning optical inspection system that uses an inspection wavelength. The wafer includes a substantially homogenous first layer at the top-most surface of the wafer, the first layer having a first thickness. The first layer is at least partially transparent to the inspection wavelength. A substantially homogenous second layer immediately underlies the first layer, the second layer having a second thickness. The second layer is at least partially transparent to the inspection wavelength. A substrate immediately underlies the second layer. The first thickness and the second thickness are set in a combination that produces a local minimum of an electric field at the top-most surface and a local maximum of an electric field within one hundred nanometers above the top-most surface.

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