Carl Zeiss Jena Gmbh

Rainer Danz

Ralf Wolleschensky

Ulrich Simon

Peter Dietrich

Carsten Hoyer

Michael Wagener

Alexander Soell

The invention is directed to a method of differential interference contrast in which the object is illuminated by natural light and the light coming from the object is first polarized after passing through the objective. The observation is carried out with a shearing interferometer which is known per se.

Arrangement and method for polarization-optical interference contrast

The invention describes the use of multiphoton laser scanning microscopy in material analysis, especially in the analysis of structured silicon wafers by using non-optical detection techniques such as, e.g., OBIC (optical beam induced current) or LIVA (light induced voltage alteration). OBIC and LIVA make use of the generation of an electron-hole charge carrier current or a change in potential due to the scanning laser beam to localize lattice defects in crystalline materials, especially p-n junctions. By using the high localization of the multiphoton excitation in all three spatial coordinates using high-aperture microscope objectives in laser scanning microscopy, this technique enables nondestructive three-dimensional localization of crystal defects. Accordingly, this technique advantageously dispenses with the detection of lattice defects by using two-dimensional laser scanning microscopy and the subsequent required successive mechanical removal of the crystal structure in conjunction with electron microscopy for detecting the defects in the third dimension as well.

Three dimensional optical beam induced current (3-D-OBIC)

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Goettingen, Germany

Rainer Danz