Optics: measuring and testing – Inspection of flaws or impurities – Surface condition
Reexamination Certificate
2005-03-08
2005-03-08
Rosenberger, Richard A. (Department: 2877)
Optics: measuring and testing
Inspection of flaws or impurities
Surface condition
C356S237500, C356S237200, C250S559440
Reexamination Certificate
active
06864971
ABSTRACT:
A system and method for performing optical inspection of structures on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. The wafer surface is illuminated with a polychromatic light source. A multiple-charged couple-device (CCD) camera is positioned to capture light diffracted by the structures on the wafer surface at the first order of diffraction. The captured light is then separated into a plurality of component wavelengths which are directed onto the CCDs. A digital filter creates a plurality of digitized diffractive images of the wafer surface at different component wavelengths. The diffractive images may be integrated and analyzed to detect defects in the structures, or may be, analyzed individually. An image at a particular wavelength may be selected and analyzed by using the known grating pitch of the structures to calculate the wavelength.
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Fu Yonghang
Hennessey A. Kathleen
Lin YouLing
Liu Yongqiang
Shimomura Ichiro
Barth Vincent P.
ISOA, Inc.
Rosenberger Richard A.
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