The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 04, 2020
Filed:
Sep. 27, 2017
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Mark Alan Arbore, Los Altos, CA (US);
Matthew A. Terrel, Campbell, CA (US);
Edward L. Hull, Los Altos, CA (US);
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Abstract
A confocal inspection system can optically characterize a sample. An objective lens, which can be a single lens or a combination of separate illumination and collection lenses, can have a pupil. The objective lens can deliver incident light to the sample through an annular illumination region of the pupil, and can collect scattered light returning from the sample to form collected light. Confocal optics can be positioned to receive the collected light. A detector can be configured with the confocal optics so that the detector generates signals from light received from a specified depth at or below a surface of the sample and rejects signals from light received from depths away from the specified depth. An optical element, such as a mask, a reconfigurable panel, or the detector, can define the annular collection region to be non-overlapping with the annular illumination region in the pupil.