Test of an examination tool
AssigneeApplied Materials Israel Ltd.
InventorGagandeep Narang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided a system and a method of testing an optical device in a scanner for scanning a semiconductor specimen, the method comprising controlling, by a processor and memory circuitry (PMC) operatively connected to the scanner, an optical element optically connected to the optical device to deviate an optical path of light transmitted by the optical device so to transmit towards an imaging sensor, thereby enabling acquiring, by the imaging sensor, image data informative of the optical device, wherein in a scanning mode the optical element enables light transmitting from the optical device towards another optical device comprised in the scanner, and processing the acquired image data to obtain results informative of operability of the optical device.
Claims20
A system for testing an optical device in a scanner for scanning a semiconductor specimen, the system comprising:
- a light source producing an illuminating beam;
- a scanner optically connected to the light source and comprising:
- a plurality of optical devices including a first optical device, wherein the first optical device is configured, in a scanning mode, to transmit light along an optical path towards a second optical device;
- at least one optical element optically connected to the first optical device and capable of deviating the optical path of light transmitted by the first optical device;
- and
- at least one imaging sensor;
- at least one light detector configured to detect light resulted from scanning at least part of the semiconductor specimen;
- and
- a processor and memory circuitry (PMC) operatively connected to the scanner and configured, in a test mode of at least the first optical device in which the system does not scan any semiconductor specimen, to:
- control the at least one optical element to deviate the optical path of light transmitted by the first optical device to transmit along a second optical path comprising the at least one imaging sensor, instead of transmitting towards the second optical device, thereby enabling acquiring, by the at least one imaging sensor, image data informative of the first optical device, wherein light deflected by the at least one optical element along the second optical path to reach the at least one imaging sensor in the test mode had not been reflected by any semiconductor specimen;
- and
- process the image data to obtain results informative of operability of the first optical device.
A method of testing an optical device in a scanner for scanning a semiconductor specimen, the method comprising:
- controlling, by a processor and memory circuitry (PMC) operatively connected to the scanner, an optical element optically connected to the optical device to deviate an optical path of light transmitted by the optical device to transmit along a second optical path towards an imaging sensor, thereby enabling acquiring, by the imaging sensor, image data informative of the optical device, wherein, in a scanning mode, the optical element enables light transmitting from the optical device towards another optical device comprised in the scanner, and wherein light deflected by the optical element along the second optical path to reach the at least one imaging sensor in the testing of the optical device had not been reflected by any semiconductor specimen;
- and
- processing, by the PMC, the image data to obtain results informative of operability of the optical device.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor and memory circuitry (PMC), cause the PMC to perform testing of an optical device in a scanner for scanning a semiconductor specimen, the testing comprising operations comprising:
- controlling an optical element optically connected to the optical device to deviate an optical path of light transmitted by the optical device to transmit along a second optical path towards an imaging sensor, thereby enabling acquiring, by the imaging sensor, image data informative of the optical device, wherein in a scanning mode the optical element enables light transmitting from the optical device towards another optical device comprised in the scanner, and wherein light deflected by the optical element along the second optical path to reach the at least one imaging sensor in the testing of the optical device had not been reflected by any semiconductor specimen;
- and
- processing the image data to obtain results informative of operability of the optical device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.