Bright light source for metrology
AssigneeNanoverse Technologies Ltd
InventorsJeff Albelo, William Robertson, Garrett Budnik, Jared Richter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved Bright Field-Dark Field three-dimensional metrology system for semiconductor wafers, that encompasses an apparatus and method of providing a bright, white encoded light to a target that provides faster, superior surface defect detection with a higher resolution. It utilizes an illumination light that has its shape altered to closer approximate the shape of the line sensors that receive the reflected and refracted structured light from the illuminated target. The illuminating light is altered such that it is converging in one axis and convergent in the other axis with the angled light enabling better resolution of the defect areas investigated.
Claims9
An improved, brighter, elliptical, light source facilitating a faster, more precise semiconductor or Si wafer surface examination from a metrology apparatus, comprising:
- a white light source providing a collimated, circular, white light;
- a cylindrical lens;
- a rotatable modulator wheel;
- a one power relay/imaging lens that focuses said light onto said surface;
- wherein said collimated, structured white light passes through said cylindrical lens and exits as an elliptically configured light that is focused in one axis and collimated in the other axis, and then passes through said modulator wheel to provide a structured, collimated elliptical light to said relay/imaging lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.