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.

Date of Patent:
Aug. 08, 2017

Filed:

Jul. 20, 2015
Applicant:

Kla-tencor Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);

Inventors:

Chuanyong Huang, San Jose, CA (US);

Qing Li, San Jose, CA (US);

Donald Pettibone, San Jose, CA (US);

Buzz Graves, Los Gatos, CA (US);

Assignee:

KLA-Tencor Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 21/00 (2006.01); G01N 21/88 (2006.01); G01N 21/95 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 21/8806 (2013.01); G01N 21/9501 (2013.01); G01N 2021/8825 (2013.01);
Abstract

An inspection apparatus for simultaneous dark field (DF) and differential interference contrast (DIC) inspection includes an illumination source and a sample stage configured to secure a sample. The inspection apparatus includes a first sensor, a second sensor and an optical sub-system. The optical sub-system includes an objective, one or more optical elements arranged to direct, through the objective, illumination from the one or more illumination sources to a surface of the sample. The objective is configured to collect a signal from the surface of the sample, wherein the collected signal includes a scattering-based signal and/or a phase-based signal from the sample. The inspection apparatus includes one or more separation optical elements arranged to spatially separate the collected signal into a DF signal and a DIC signal by directing the DF signal and the DIC signal along a DF path and DIC path respectively.


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