There is provided an adapter tip to be employed with an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope and an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system suitable for imaging the optical-fiber endface of an angled-polished optical-fiber connector deeply recessed within a connector adapter. The adapter tip or microscope system comprises a relay optical system comprising a Rhomboid prism. The Rhomboid prism being disposed so as to receive light reflected from said optical-fiber endface during inspection and laterally shift the light beam reflected from the angled-polished optical-fiber endface.

An auto-focusing system is disclosed. The system includes an illumination source. The system includes an aperture. The system includes a projection mask. The system includes a detector assembly. The system includes a relay system, the relay system being configured to optically couple illumination transmitted through the projection mask to an imaging system. The relay system also being configured to project one or more patterns from the projection mask onto a specimen and transmit an image of the projection mask from the specimen to the detector assembly. The system includes a controller including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions. The program instructions being configured to cause the one or more processors to: receive one or more images of the projection mask from the detector assembly and determine quality of the one or more images of the projection mask.

The present invention allows observation or capturing of a high-contrast image of a sample for which sufficient contrast cannot be obtained in bright-field observation, such as a wafer having a pattern with a small pattern height. According to the present invention, a sample is illuminated through an objective lens used for capturing an image, and an imaging optics are provided with an aperture filter so that an image is captured while light of bright-field observation components is significantly attenuated.

A method and apparatus for optical metrology is disclosed. There is disclosed, for example, a method involving a radiation intensity distribution for a target measured using an optical component at a gap from the target, the method including calculating a correction factor for the variation of radiation intensity of the radiation intensity distribution as a function of variation of the distance of the gap.

The disclosed technology relates to an inspection apparatus that includes a stage configured to retain a specimen for inspection, an imaging device having a field of view encompassing at least a portion of the stage to view a specimen retained on the stage, and a plurality of lights disposed on a moveable platform. The inspection apparatus can further include a control module coupled to the imaging device, each of the lights and the moveable platform. The control module is configured to perform operations including: receiving image data from the imaging device, where the image data indicates an illumination landscape of light incident on the specimen; and automatically modifying, based on the image data, an elevation of the moveable platform or an intensity of one or more of the lights to adjust the illumination landscape. Methods and machine-readable media are also contemplated.

An EUV photomask inspection apparatus includes a plurality of optical systems respectively forming different confocal points in a mask structure including an EUV photomask and a pellicle on the EUV photomask. A first optical system among the plurality of optical systems includes a first light source emitting first light having a wavelength in a visible light range, a beam splitter transmitting or reflecting the first light, an objective lens configured to allow the first light to pass through at least a portion of the mask structure to form a first focus in the mask structure, a first light detector configured to detect first reflected light reflected from the mask structure by the incident first light, and a pinhole plate in front of the first light source. The first light detector includes a detection module including a PMT and an APD, and a thermoelectric cooling.

An optical system used in a charged particle beam inspection system. The optical system includes one or more optical lenses, and a compensation lens configured to compensate a drift of a focal length of a combination of the one or more optical lenses from a first medium to a second medium.

In the methods and systems, optical images of inspection care areas on a semiconductor wafer are acquired and analyzed to detect defects. However, during this analysis, the same threshold setting is not used for all inspection care areas. Instead, care areas are grouped into different care area groups, based on different design layouts and properties. Each group is associated with a corresponding threshold setting that is optimal for detecting defects in the inspection care areas belonging to that group. The assignment of the care areas to the different groups and the association of the different threshold settings with the different groups are noted in an index. This index is accessible during the analysis and used to ensure that each of the inspection care areas in a specific care area group is analyzed based on a corresponding threshold setting that is optimal for that specific care area group.

In some implementations, an optical component of a microscope may capture an image of a profile of a ferrule and a connector of an optical fiber based on the ferrule being received by a first opening of a first connector adapter of the microscope. A mechanical axis of the ferrule may be orthogonal to an optical path from a camera of the microscope to the ferrule when the ferrule is received by the first opening. One or more processors associated with the microscope may process the image to determine a measurement of a chamfer of the ferrule. The optical component may capture an image of an endface of the ferrule based on the ferrule being received by a second opening of a second connector adapter. The mechanical axis of the ferrule may be axially aligned with the optical path when the ferrule is received by the second opening.

A fiber optic connection inspection apparatus and method includes an adapter housing fitted to a video microscope camera configured to observe and records images of a Direct Contact and Expanded Beam fiber optic connector assemblies. The adapter housing is configured to rotatably connect the camera for 360 degree rotation about a longitudinal axis of the adapter housing, assuring inspection of a larger field of view. The field of view represents the three-dimensional nature of the various sectors of a fiber optic connector. The rotation of the camera permits the instrument to visualize the complete connector, enabling the technician to make an informed decision which surfaces to clean to improve signal transmission. The adapter housing may be constructed of soft material that enables camera manipulation to provide a comprehensive view of the optical connector surfaces. The rotating adapter housing may be 3D printed which enables flexibility of design and production.