A method for optical inspection includes illuminating a patterned polymer layer on a semiconductor wafer with optical radiation over a range of infrared wavelengths, measuring spectral properties of the optical radiation reflected from multiple points on the patterned polymer layer over the range of infrared wavelengths, and based on the measured spectral properties, computing a complex refractive index of the patterned polymer layer.

An optical element includes a conversion layer and a metal piece layer. The conversion layer is provided with a light-incidence surface including an uneven surface, the conversion layer being configured to receive light incident on the uneven surface and output the light from the uneven surface as light in a different state than the incident light. The metal piece layer is configured by a plurality of metal pieces to cover at least part of the uneven surface.

A method for detecting a bonding failure part of a compound semiconductor chip cut from a compound semiconductor wafer in which a first transparent substrate composed of a compound semiconductor having a light-emitting layer is bonded with a second transparent substrate composed of a compound semiconductor, includes: irradiating the compound semiconductor chip with a coaxial vertical light, and identifying a color of a reflected-light from the bonding failure part of the compound semiconductor chip to detect the bonding failure part. As a result, a method for detecting a bonding failure part can precisely detect a bonding failure part on a bonding interface of a compound semiconductor chip cut from a compound semiconductor wafer in which two transparent substrates composed of a compound semiconductor are directly bonded with each other.

A method and device of thin film spectroellipsometric imaging are disclosed. The device comprises an illuminator to direct light through a polarization generator system toward an extended area of a sample; an imaging system to form images; a detection system to record in a plurality of spectral channels; a computer to display and analyze the recorded images; and at least one reference phantom with known optical properties to replace the sample for calibration. The method comprises directing light from an illuminator through a polarization generator system toward an extended area of a sample having a geometrical shape; forming images with an imaging system; adjusting a polarization generator system and a polarization analyzer system to obtain a series of polarimetric setups; recording the images with a detection system in a plurality of spectral channels; replacing the sample with at least one reference phantom; and analyzing the recorded images with a computer.

Technologies are described for monitoring characteristics of layers of integrated computational elements (ICEs) during fabrication using an in-situ spectrometer operated in step-scan mode in combination with lock-in or time-gated detection. As part of the step-scan mode, a wavelength selecting element of the spectrometer is discretely scanned to provide spectrally different instances of probe-light, such that each of the spectrally different instances of the probe-light is provided for a finite time interval. Additionally, an instance of the probe-light interacted during the finite time interval with the ICE layers includes a modulation that is being detected by the lock-in or time-gated detection over the finite time interval.

An optical bonding machine is provided, including a transparent datum located within the optical bonding machine, wherein the transparent datum supports a first substrate, a robotic placement head configured to pick up a second substrate and place the second substrate into contact with the first substrate, on the transparent datum, a camera disposed proximate the transparent datum, the camera capturing a video of a flow of an optically clear adhesive between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a curing source disposed proximate the transparent datum, the curing source emitting UV rays that pass through the transparent datum and the first substrate to cure an optically clear adhesive between a bonded substrate comprising the first substrate, the optically clear adhesive, and the second substrate. An associated method is also provided.

A method for optical inspection includes illuminating a patterned polymer layer on a semiconductor wafer with optical radiation over a range of infrared wavelengths, measuring spectral properties of the optical radiation reflected from multiple points on the patterned polymer layer over the range of infrared wavelengths, and based on the measured spectral properties, computing a complex refractive index of the patterned polymer layer.

The present disclosure provides a method for detecting etching defects of an etching equipment, belonging to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology. The method includes: providing a test wafer, the test wafer including a substrate, a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer, the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer being sequentially formed on a top surface of the substrate, and capacitor contact structures being disposed in the substrate; transferring the test wafer to the etching equipment to be detected, and etching part of the second dielectric layer and part of the first dielectric layer to form capacitor holes; removing the second dielectric layer to form a measured wafer; transferring the measured wafer to a defect detection equipment and detecting the shapes of the capacitor holes of the measured wafer.

Disclosed are methods that, by not physically touching a material being measured, can measure the material's differential response quite accurately. A collimated light shines on the material under test, is reflected off it, and is then captured by a device that records the position where the reflected light is captured. This process is done both before and after the material is processed in some way (e.g., by applying a coat of paint). The change in position where the reflected light is captured is used in calculating the deflection of the material as induced by the process. This measured induced deflection is then used to accurately determinate the stress introduced into the material by the process. Other characteristics of the material under test, such as aspects of the material composition of a bi-metallic strip, for example, may also be determined from a deflection measurement.

Additive manufacturing systems using artificial intelligence can identify an anomaly in a printed layer of an object from a generated topographical image of the printed layer. The additive manufacturing systems can also use artificial intelligence to determine a correlation between the identified anomaly and one or more print parameters, and adaptively adjust one or more print parameters. The additive manufacturing systems can also use artificial intelligence to optimize one or more printing parameters to achieve desired mechanical, optical and/or electrical properties.