# US 5,710,631 A · Apparatus and method for storing interferometric images of scanned defects and for subsequent static analysis of such defects

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- Number: US 5,710,631 A
- Document ID: US5710631A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/789,031
- Filed: 1997-01-27
- Granted: 1998-01-20
- Earliest claimed: 1995-04-11
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Akram Aref Bou-Ghannam; Alan David Dorundo; Michael Gerard Lisanke; Huizong Lu; Lanphuong Thi Pena; Ali Reza Taheri; Samuel Sheung-Lok So; Kenneth Wayne Watts; Darell Smith Whitaker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5710631A

## CPC

- G01N 21/88: Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

An interferometer is used to locate and examine defects in a test surface of a test specimen. Defects are first located as the test surface is driven past the objective of the interferometer at a constant speed, with a darkfield interferogram being examined as it flows across a row of CCD elements. During this process, the location of each defect is stored. Next, the test specimen is sequentially moved into the locations at which static measurements are made using an area array of CCD elements. During these measurements, the phase angle relationship of the interferometer is varied so that heights of surface segments may be calculated. If some to these segments are located more than a quarter wave length of the interferometer light source from the surface at which the darkfield is established, a process is used to perform height corrections for segments within transition boundaries.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Apparatus for determining characteristics of a test surface of a test specimen, wherein said apparatus comprises:
an instrument having an objective section for viewing said test surface, a first optical path directing a first image of said test surface at said objective section to a first sensing means for sensing features of said first image along an image receptive line, said first sensing means operating first output means to provide a first signal responsive to variations in said image, and a second optical path directing a second image of said test surface in said objective section to a second sensing means for sensing features of said second image extending within an area;
specimen drive means for driving said test specimen so that said test surface is moved past said objective section according to a preferred path of motion;
defect detection means for detecting variations in said first signal as said test specimen is driven to produce a flowing image on said first sensing means;
data storage means;
location sensing means providing location data describing movement of said test surface past said objective section;
first control means storing said location data within said data storage means in response to said defect detection means; and
second control means operating said specimen drive means to move said test surface into locations corresponding to said location data stored within said data storage means, wherein said second control means moves said test surface successively between said locations, holding said test surface at said locations as a stationary image of said test surface is projected on said second sensing means.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1:
wherein said instrument is an optical interferometer producing a flowing darkfield interferogram image at said first sensing means as said test surface is moved by said objective section, and producing a stationary interferogram image at said second sensing means as said test surface is held stationary at said objective section; and
wherein a phase angle relationship between polarized beams creating said stationary interferogram is varied to determine spatial relationships among features of said test surface as a stationary image of said test surface is projected on said second sensing means.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1:
wherein an adjustment within said instrument is varied as said test surface is moved past said objective section, with variations in said adjustment being responsive to changes in said test specimen;
wherein said instrument includes means for providing adjustment data responsive to variation of said adjustment in response to movement of said test specimen past said objective section;
wherein said first control means stores said adjustment data within said data storage means when said defect detection means detects said variation in said first signal; and
wherein said second control means returns said adjustment to conditions referenced by said adjustment data stored within said data storage means when said test surface is moved successively between said locations to be held stationary as a stationary image of said test surface is projected on said second sensing means.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said instrument includes an objective lens within said objective section, and wherein said adjustment focusses said instrument by moving said objective lens along an optical path.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4:
wherein said instrument is an optical interferometer producing a flowing interferogram image at said first sensing means;
wherein a phase angle relationship between polarized beams creating said flowing interferogram image is varied to maintain a darkfield interferogram image at said first sensing means;
wherein said apparatus instrument includes means for providing phase angle control data describing variations made to control said phase angle relationship; and
wherein said first control means stores said phase angle control data within said data storage means when said defect detection means detects said variation in said first signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said instrument includes a Wollaston prism moved perpendicularly to said optical path to vary said phase angle relationship.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2:
wherein said first sensing means includes a plurality of photosensitive elements extending in a line perpendicular to a direction of motion of said image caused by movement of said image as said test surface is moved past said objective section along said preferred path of motion; and
wherein outputs of said photosensitive elements are sampled on a periodic basis, with an output of each said photosensitive element being responsive to an integrated sum of illumination received between sampling.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7:
wherein said optical interferometer produces first and second lines of illumination on said test specimen, said first and second lines of illumination being separated in a direction along said preferred path of motion by a shearing distance; and
wherein said test specimen is driven at a speed so that said test surface moves along said preferred path through an integral distance, which is a submultiple of said shearing distance, between times at which said photosensitive elements are sampled.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8:
wherein said first control means includes means responsive to sequential operation of said defect detection means as a surface defect of said test surface moves past said first and second lines of illumination; and
wherein said first control means stores said location data within said data storage means in response to operation of said defect detection means as said surface defect moves past said second line of illumination.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9:
wherein said first control means includes means responsive to continued operation of said defect detection means as a large surface defect of said test surface, said large surface defect being longer in a direction along said preferred path of motion than said integral distance, moves by said objective section; and
wherein said first control means stores said location data within said data storage means in response to a last operation of said defect detection means as said large surface defect moves by said objective section.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7:
wherein said defect detection means provides an intensity level signal indicating an integrated illumination level received between sampling; and
wherein said first control means stores said location data within said data storage means in response to operation of said defect detection means at sequential samples of said photosensitive elements.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2:
wherein said second sensing means includes an area array of photosensitive elements, with each said photosensitive element providing a signal in response to the illumination of a pixel of said second image; and
wherein said apparatus additionally comprises data processing means for determining a height of a segment of said test surface corresponding to each pixel of said second image.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said data processing means includes:
means for identifying transitional segment pairs, wherein a difference between said heights calculated for adjacent said segments exceeds a threshold level, and wherein said heights calculated for adjacent said segments place said segments on opposite sides of a plane corresponding to a dark image of said darkfield interferogram;
means for traversing adjacent said segment pairs to form an enclosure; and
means for correcting said heights calculated for segments within said enclosure.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for identifying transitional segment pairs compares heights calculated for segments adjacent in a first direction and heights calculated for segments adjacent in a second direction, said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said data processing means additionally includes:
means for identifying a failure to form said closed enclosure as an end of said enclosure is reached;
means for varying said threshold level to a lower value;
means for identifying an additional said transitional pair using said lower value; and
means for restoring said threshold level.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said data processing means additionally includes:
means for identifying a first intersection of said enclosure with a first boundary location, beyond which segment height data is unavailable, as said enclosure is traversed in a first traverse direction;
means for identifying a second intersection of said enclosure with a second boundary location, beyond which segment height data is unavailable, as said enclosure is traversed in a direction opposite said first traverse direction; and
means for including points extending, between said first boundary location and said second boundary location, along a boundary beyond which segment height data is unavailable, within said enclosure.

### Claim 17

A process for determining characteristics of a test surface of a test specimen, wherein said process comprises:
moving said test specimen past an objective section of an instrument in a preferred direction, wherein said instrument includes a first optical path directing a first image of said test surface at said objective section to a first sensing means for sensing features of said image along an image receptive line, said first sensing means operating first output means to provide a first signal responsive to variations in said image, and a second optical path directing a second image of said test surface in said objective section to a second sensing means for sensing features of said image extending within an area, detecting variations in said first signal, and storing locations corresponding to said variations in said first signal within data storage means; and
moving said test specimen among locations stored within said data storage means and holding said test surface at each said location as a stationary image of said test surface is projected on said second sensing means.