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.

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.

There is described an online inspection method and system having an illumination system that provides bright-field and dark-field illumination concurrently or sequentially, at varying intensities, in order to acquire images that may be read by an image processing device. The image processing device may obtain measurements of features in the images and evaluate acceptability of the features.

A method for locating, in a deposition line including a succession of compartments, an origin of a defect affecting a stack of thin layers deposited on a substrate in the compartments, in which each thin layer is deposited in one or more successive compartments of the deposition line and pieces of debris remaining on the surface of a thin layer deposited in a compartment act as masks for the subsequent depositions of thin layers and are the origin of defects, includes obtaining at least one image showing the defect, determining, from the at least one image, a signature of the defect, the signature containing at least one characteristic representative of the defect, and identifying at least one compartment of the deposition line liable to be the origin of the defect from the signature of the defect and using reference signatures associated with the compartments of the deposition line.

An automatic optical inspection (AOI) device and method are disclosed. The device is adapted to inspect an object under inspection (OUI) (102) carried on a workpiece stage (101) and includes: a plurality of detectors (111, 112) for capturing images of the OUI (102); a plurality of light sources (121, 122) for illuminating the OUI (102) in different illumination modes; and a synchronization controller (140) signal-coupled to both the plurality of detectors (111, 112) and the plurality of light sources (121, 122). The synchronization controller (140) is configured to directly or indirectly control the plurality of detectors (111, 112) and the plurality of light sources (121, 122) based on the position of the OUI (102) so that each of them is individually activated and deactivated according to a timing profile, that each of the detectors (111, 112) is able to capture images of the OUI (102) in an illumination mode provided by a corresponding one of the light sources (121, 122), and that when any one of the light sources (121, 122) is illuminating the OUI (102), only the one of the detectors (111, 112) corresponding to this light source (121, 122) is activated. Through the timing control over the multiple light sources (121, 122) and detectors (111, 112) by the synchronization controller (140), inspection with multiple measurement configurations can be accomplished within a single scan, resulting in a significant improvement in inspection efficiency.

A combination of mismatch repair (MMR) and Metastasis Associated in Colon Cancer 1 (MACC1) gene expression status of the patient serve as a basis for risk stratification of early stage colon cancer patients. Patients with defective MMR (dMMR) status have improved survival and do not benefit from 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) therapies. In contrast, patients with a proficient MMR (pMMR) status have a higher risk of recurrence and worse survival. The pMMR patients are then further stratified on the basis of MACC1 gene expression. Patients with a pMMR status and a low MACC1 expression have a favorable prognosis similar to patients having a dMMR status, whereas patients having a pMMR status and high MACC1 expression have a less favorable prognosis.

A defect observation method for observing a defect on a sample detected by another inspection device with a scanning electron microscope including the steps of: optically detecting the defect using the position information for the defect: illuminating the sample including the defect with an illumination intensity pattern having periodic intensity variation in two dimensions by irradiating a plurality of illumination light beams onto the surface of the sample while phase modulating the light beams in a single direction and successively moving the light beams in small movements in a direction different from the single direction, imaging the surface of the sample that is illuminated by the illumination intensity pattern having periodic intensity variation in two dimensions and includes the defect detected by the other inspection device, and detecting the defect detected by the other inspection device from the image obtained through the imaging of the surface of the sample.

A measurement system is presented configured for integration with a processing equipment for applying optical measurements to a structure. The measurement system comprises: a support assembly for holding a structure under measurements in a measurement plane, configured and operable for rotation in a plane parallel to the measurement plane and for movement along a first lateral axis in said measurement plane; an optical system defining illumination and collection light channels of normal and oblique optical schemes and comprising an optical head comprising at least three lens units located in the illumination and collection channels; a holder assembly comprising: a support unit for carrying the optical head, and a guiding unit for guiding a sliding movement of the support unit along a path extending along a second lateral axis perpendicular to said first lateral axis; and an optical window arrangement comprising at least three optical windows made in a faceplate located between the optical head at a certain distance from the measurement plane. The optical windows are aligned with the illumination and collection channels for, respectively, propagation of illuminating light from the optical head and propagation of light returned from an illuminated region to the optical head, in accordance with the normal and oblique optical schemes.

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.

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.