Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Kurt Zimmermann

Mehdi Vaez-Iravani

Andrew V Hill

Yuval Ben-Dov

Hans J Hansen

Yingjian Wang

Zheng-wu Li

Courosh Mehanian

A system is provided herein for inspecting a specimen. In one embodiment, the system may include a dual-channel microscope, two illuminators, each coupled for illuminating a different channel of the dual-channel microscope and two detectors, each coupled to a different channel of the dual-channel microscope for acquiring images of the specimen. Means are provided for separating the channels of the dual-channel microscope, so that the two detectors can acquire the images of the specimen at substantially the same time. In one embodiment, the channels of the dual-channel microscope may be spectrally separated by configuring the two illuminators, so that they produce light in two substantially non-overlapping spectral ranges. In another embodiment, the channels of the dual-channel microscope may be spatially separated by positioning the two detectors, so that the illumination light do not overlap and the fields of view of the two detectors do not overlap within a field of view of an objective lens included within the system.

Systems and method for simultaneously inspecting a specimen with two distinct channels

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Kurt Zimmermann