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AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsAvner Karpol, Silviu Reinhorn, Emanuel ElYasaf, Shimon Yalov, Boaz Kenan
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus for reducing speckle during inspection of articles used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, including wafers, masks, photomasks, and reticles. The coherence of a light beam output by a coherent light source, such as a pulsed laser, is reduced by disposing elements in a light path. Examples of such elements include optical fiber bundles; optical light guides; optical gratings; an integrating sphere; and an acousto-optic modulator. These various elements may be combined as desired, such that light beams output by the element combinations have optical path length differences that are greater than a coherence length of the light beam output by the coherent light source.
1-38. (Cancelled)
A method for electro-optically inspecting a patterned semiconductor wafer of dies for a defect, the method comprising:
A system for electro-optically inspecting a patterned semiconductor wafer of dies for a defect comprising:
An electro-optical device for inspecting a patterned semiconductor wafer containing dies for a defect comprising:
A method for electro-optically inspecting a patterned semiconductor wafer containing dies for a defect, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.