Optical-based validation of orientations of surfaces

#The present disclosure relates generally to methods and systems for surface-metrology of samples.

#Optical elements, such as glass prisms, are increasingly required to exhibit higher angular tolerances between surfaces thereof. To meet the required angular tolerances, high-precision metrology for validating the angles between surfaces is necessitated, which, in turn, necessitates use of high-end optical components, and complex alignment and calibration procedures. There is thus an unmet need in the art for simple and easily implementable metrology techniques, which avoid the use of high-end optical components, thereby addressing mass production demands

#Aspects of the disclosure, according to some embodiments thereof, relate to methods and systems for surface-metrology of samples. More specifically, but not exclusively, aspects of the disclosure, according to some embodiments thereof, relate to optical-based methods and systems for metrology of external surfaces of samples.

#Some embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference to the accompanying figures. The description, together with the figures, makes apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art how some embodiments may be practiced. The figures are for the purpose of illustrative description and no attempt is made to show structural details of an embodiment in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the disclosure. For the sake of clarity, some objects depicted in the figures are not drawn to scale. Moreover, two different objects in the same figure may be drawn to different scales. In particular, the scale of some objects may be greatly exaggerated as compared to other objects in the same figure.

#In the figures:

#FIG. 1A schematically depicts an optical-based system for external, flat surface metrology of samples, during inspection of a sample, according to some embodiments;

#The principles, uses, and implementations of the teachings herein may be better understood with reference to the accompanying description and figures. Upon perusal of the description and figures present herein, one skilled in the art will be able to implement the teachings herein without undue effort or experimentation. In the figures, same reference numerals refer to same parts throughout.

#In the description and claims of the application, the words “include” and “have”, and forms thereof, are not limited to members in a list with which the words may be associated.

#As used herein, the term “about” may be used to specify a value of a quantity or parameter (e.g. the length of an element) to within a continuous range of values in the neighborhood of (and including) a given (stated) value. According to some embodiments, “about” may specify the value of a parameter to be between 80% and 120% of the given value. For example, the statement “the length of the element is equal to about 1 m” is equivalent to the statement “the length of the element is between 0.8 m and 1.2 m”. According to some embodiments, “about” may specify the value of a parameter to be between 90% and 110% of the given value. According to some embodiments, “about” may specify the value of a parameter to be between 95% and 105% of the given value.