Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for defect inspection. After pattern features are formed in a structure layer, a dummy filling material having dissimilar optical properties from the structure layer is filled in the pattern features. The dissimilar optical properties between materials in the pattern features and the structure layer increase contrast in images captured by an inspection tool, thus increasing the defect capture rate.

An inspection system for inspection a surface of a substrate, the inspection system may include an interface for holding the substrate; a movement mechanism for moving the interface, thereby moving the substrate between different positions; a bright field light source that is configured to illuminate different bright field illuminated parts of the surface of the substrate when the substrate is positioned at the different positions; at least one dark field light source that is configured to illuminate different dark field illuminated parts of the surface of the substrate when the substrate is positioned at the different positions; and a camera that is configured to: (a) generate bright field detection signals in response to light that is detected by the camera as a result of the illumination of the different bright field illuminated parts; and (b) generate dark field detection signals in response to light that is detected by the camera as a result of the illumination of the different dark field illuminated parts; and wherein light that is detected by the camera as the result of the illumination of the different bright field illuminated parts and as the result of the illumination of the different dark field illuminated parts does not include an image of the camera.

Reflective or embossed regions are supposed to be illuminated as uniformly as possible over the greatest possible angle range for optical inspection using in one aspect an apparatus for inspection having a passive lighting body spotlighted by a spotlight light source, which body illuminates a test region, as well as at least one optical sensor directed at the test region. The lighting body is configured to be partially transmissible, and the optical sensor is disposed, with reference to the test region, optically beyond the lighting body, detecting the test region through the lighting body, and/or the spotlight light source is directed at the lighting body and the lighting body extends continuously over at least 120 in a section plane that stands perpendicular to the surface of the flat items to be tested or inspected.

An inspection system for inspecting a semiconductor wafer. The inspection system comprises an illumination setup for supplying broadband illumination. The broadband illumination can be of different contrasts, for example brightfield and darkfield broadband illumination. The inspection system further comprises a first image capture device and a second image capture device, each configured for receiving broadband illumination to capture images of the semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer is in motion. The system comprises a number of tube lenses for enabling collimation of the broadband illumination. The system also comprises a stabilizing mechanism and an objective lens assembly. The system further comprises a thin line illumination emitter and a third image capture device for receiving thin line illumination to thereby capture three-dimensional images of the semiconductor wafer. The system comprises a reflector assembly for enabling the third image capture device to receive illumination reflected from the semiconductor wafer in multiple directions.

A plurality of images is acquired while changing the direction of light emission. Each captured image is compared with a corresponding reference image to acquire first dark regions from the captured image. Second light regions are acquired from the captured image. In a combination of one of a plurality of first dark region images indicating first dark regions and one of a plurality of second light region images indicating second light regions, a region of overlap between a first dark region and a second light region is acquired as a defect candidate region, and the existence of a defect is detected on the basis of the defect candidate region.

An inspection system for inspecting a semiconductor wafer. The inspection system comprises an illumination setup for supplying broadband illumination. The broadband illumination can be of different contrasts, for example brightfield and darkfield broadband illumination. The inspection system further comprises a first image capture device and a second image capture device, each configured for receiving broadband illumination to capture images of the semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer is in motion. The system comprises a number of tube lenses for enabling collimation of the broadband illumination. The system also comprises a stabilizing mechanism and an objective lens assembly. The system further comprises a thin line illumination emitter and a third image capture device for receiving thin line illumination to thereby capture three-dimensional images of the semiconductor wafer. The system comprises a reflector assembly for enabling the third image capture device to receive illumination reflected from the semiconductor wafer in multiple directions.

One variation of an optical inspection kit includes: an enclosure defining an imaging volume; an optical sensor adjacent the imaging volume and defining a field of view directed toward the imaging volume; a nest module defining a receptacle configured to locate a surface of interest on a first unit of a first part within the imaging volume at an image plane of the optical sensor; a dark-field lighting module adjacent and perpendicular to the nest module and including a dark-field light source configured to output light across a light plane and a directional light filter configured to pass light output by the dark-field light source normal to the light plane and to reject light output by the dark-field light source substantially nonparallel to the light plane; and a bright-field light source proximal the optical sensor and configured to output light toward the surface of interest.

According to one embodiment, an optical inspection method includes projecting first pattern light in a first basic modulation mode that periodically changes in bright and dark, onto an object, acquiring a first image by capturing an image of the object onto which the first pattern light has been projected, projecting second pattern light in a first inverted modulation mode in which bright and dark are inverted with respect to the first basic modulation mode, onto the object, acquiring a second image by capturing an image of the object onto which the second pattern light has been projected, and generating a singular light-scattered image in which a singular region including uniquely-scattered light that is extracted based at least on the first image and the second image is intensified.

A system includes a radiation source configured to emit a radiation beam. The system further includes a first optical sensor configured to detect a first intensity of a first portion of the radiation beam reflected from a surface of an object. The system further includes a second optical sensor configured to detect a second intensity of a second portion of the radiation beam scattered by the surface of the object. The system further includes a processing device communicatively coupled to the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor. The processing device is configured to determine at least one of a roughness or an emissivity of the surface of the object based on a comparison of the first intensity and the second intensity.

A surface defect inspecting device for hot-dip coated steel sheets comprising: an illuminating unit for illuminating an imaging target portion on a hot-dip coated steel sheet; a specular reflection light imaging unit for imaging specular reflection light from the imaging target portion; a diffuse reflection light imaging unit for imaging diffuse reflection light from the imaging target portion; and an image signal processing unit for processing specular reflection image and diffuse reflection image signals, the specular and diffuse reflection light imaging units simultaneously imaging light reflected from the imaging target region, the image signal processing unit extracting a portion having brightness level lower than a predetermined threshold, as a defect portion, from the specular reflection image signal, and threshold processing the diffuse reflection image signal, with respect to a portion corresponding to an extracted defect portion, to determine a defect type by classifying the extracted defect portion.