Aspects of the present disclosure include methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media for transmitting a light such that it is incident on a multi-layer stack, wherein the multi-layer stack includes the feature and a region without the feature, detecting a narrow-band light from the feature and the region without the feature, wherein the feature has a first optical response in response to a wavelength of the narrow-band light and the region without the feature has a second optical response in response to the wavelength of the narrow-band light, and generating, based on the narrow-band light, an image indicative of where the first optical response and the second optical response occur on the multi-layer stack.

The present invention provides an information processing apparatus for determining, for a substrate having undergone an imprint process that forms a pattern of an imprint material, presence/absence of a formation defect of the pattern, including a generating unit configured to generate learning models in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of different illumination conditions by using images obtained by capturing images of a plurality of substrates on which the pattern is formed under the plurality of illumination conditions, and an obtaining unit configured to input the images obtained by capturing images of the substrates having undergone the imprint process and containing the pattern, to a plurality of learning models generated by the generating unit, and obtain a temporary determination result temporarily indicating the presence/absence of a formation defect of the pattern from each of the plurality of learning models.

In a defect inspection device that irradiates a surface of a sample or a surface of a pattern chip with an illumination light shaped to extend in a first direction, and detects a scattered light generated from the surface of the sample or the surface of the pattern chip by the illumination light to detect a defect on the surface of the sample, the pattern chip has a dot pattern area in which multiple dots are arrayed in multiple rows and multiple columns, a minimum interval between the dots corresponding to the lines aligned in the first direction among the multiple dots arrayed in the dot pattern area in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction is smaller than a width of the illumination light, and a minimum interval between the multiple dots arrayed in the dot pattern area is larger than a resolution of the detection optical system.

An inspection system and a method for inspection an object. The method may include acquiring a defocused image of an area of an object, and processing the defocused image of the area to find a phase shift between optical paths associated with certain proximate points of the area. The phase shift may be indicative of a defect. The acquiring of the defocused image may include illuminating the area with a radiation beam that may be spatially coherent and collimated when impinging on the area. The illuminating may include passing the radiation beam through an aperture that may be defined by an aperture stop that may be positioned within an aperture stop plane. The size of the aperture may be a fraction of a size of the aperture stop.

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.

A semiconductor inspection tool system is disclosed. The system comprises a first illumination setup for generating at least one first illumination radiation and for directing the at least one first illumination radiation to at least one bonding region non-filled volume formed between two layers of a multi-layer stack. The system also comprises a second illumination setup being for generating at least one second illumination radiation and for directing the at least one second illumination radiation at multi-layer stack edges. The second illumination radiation is configured for illuminating at least a normal edge of at least two layers, the second illumination setup has different radiation parameters than the first illumination setup. The system further includes a bonding region sensor unit for collecting reflected electromagnetic radiation from a bonding region volume and generating at least one sensing data being indicative of the bonding region.

Optical inspection system detects defects of an object, such as an electronic device during manufacturing. The optical inspection system includes a first linear light source that irradiates a first light beam on a top surface of the object along a scan line across the width of the object. A second linear light source forms an angle with the first linear light source and irradiates a second light beam on a side surface of the object. A camera receives scattered light from the top surface and the side surface of the object and captures a subimage of the object along the scan line. An image processing system receives each subimage from the camera, stitches the subimages, and detects defects on the top surface and the side surface of the object.

A semiconductor wafer evaluation method includes acquiring a reflection image as a bright-field image by receiving reflected light which is obtained when irradiating one surface side of a semiconductor wafer to be evaluated with light; acquiring a scattered image as a dark-field image by receiving scattered light which is obtained when irradiating the surface side of the semiconductor wafer with light; and obtaining a distance between a bright zone that is observed in the reflection image and a bright zone that is observed in the scattered image. The semiconductor wafer to be evaluated is a semiconductor wafer in which a chamfered surface is formed in a wafer outer peripheral edge section, and the method includes evaluating a shape of a boundary part between a main surface on the surface side irradiated with the light of the semiconductor wafer to be evaluated and a chamfered surface adjacent to the main surface.

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.