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 method and a system for illuminating a substrate, the system may include an acousto-optic device (AOD); and an etendue expanding optical module. The AOD may include a surface having an illuminated region; wherein the illuminated region is configured to receive a collimated input beam while being fed with a control signal that causes the illuminated region to output illuminated region output beams that are collimated and exhibit deflection angles that scan, during a scan period, a deflection angular range. The etendue expanding optical module is configured to convert the illuminated region output beams to collimated output beams that impinge on an output aperture; wherein a collimated output beam has a width that exceeds a width of an illuminated region output beam; and wherein the etendue expanding optical module comprises a Dammann grating that is configured to output diffraction patterns, each diffraction pattern comprises diffraction orders that cover a continuous angular range.

An optical inspection system for detecting sub-micron features on a sample component. The system may have a controller, a camera responsive to the controller for capturing images, an objective lens able to capture submicron scale features on the sample component, and a pulsed light source. The pulsed light source may be used to generate light pulses. The camera may be controlled to acquire images, using the objective lens, only while the pulsed light source is providing light pulses illuminating a portion of the sample component. Relative movement between the sample component and the objective lens is provided to enable at least one of a desired subportion or an entirety of the sample component to be scanned with the camera.

A physical object processing system is described that includes a process station, a transport facility, an optical imaging system, an image sensor and data process facilities. The transport facility transports objects along the process station that performs processing steps to the object. The image sensor acquires a digital image from an optical image of the physical objects provided by the optical imaging system. The data process facilities in turn process the digital image to control the process station. The optical imaging system maps the optical image of the at least one physical object onto the image sensor at an at least substantially fixed position during a time-interval for acquiring the digital image.

A defect detection apparatus is provided that can inspect a measurement region of a target object at one time and without inconsistencies arising within the measurement region. A defect detection apparatus 10 includes: a generation unit (signal generator 11 and vibrator 12) for generating an elastic wave in a target object S; an illumination unit (pulsed laser light source 13 and illumination light lens 14) for performing stroboscopic illumination onto a measurement region of a surface of the target object S; and a displacement measurement unit (speckle shearing interferometer 15) for collectively measuring displacements in a normal direction at each point of the measurement region with respect to at least three mutually-different phases of the elastic wave by controlling a phase of the elastic wave and a timing of the stroboscopic illumination. Defects in the measurement region are detected based on the displacements in the normal direction at each point of the measurement region with respect to at least three phases that are obtained by the displacement measurement unit.

A digital flashlamp controller, a flashlamp control system and a method of controlling a flashlamp bulb employing digital control electronics are provided herein. In one embodiment, the digital flashlamp controller includes: (1) a trigger interface configured to provide firing signals to control a trigger element for a flashlamp bulb and (2) digital electronics configured to generate the firing signals and control multiple pulsing of the flashlamp bulb.

A displacement measurement device 10 is provided with: a laser light source 11 for emitting laser light to a measurement area R of a measurement target object S; a focusing optical system (the beam splitter 151, the first reflecting mirror 1521, the condenser lens 155) having a front focal point in the measurement area R and a rear focal point on a predetermined imaging surface (the detection surface 1561); a non-focusing optical system (the beam splitter 151, the diffuser 153, the second reflecting mirror 1522, and the condenser lens 155) in which light from a measurement area R of a correspondence point in the measurement area corresponding to each point of the imaging surface with respect to the focusing optical system is incident on the point of the imaging surface; and a photodetector (image sensor 156) configured to detect light intensity on the imaging surface for each point. Thus, corresponding to each of a large number of points in the measurement area R, main reflected light reflected at the point and reference light reflected at the surrounding range of the point are incident on each of a large number of points in the imaging surface, and the main reflected light and the reference light interfere at a large number of points in the imaging surface. Thus, an interference pattern is obtained.

A system for providing an automatically focused image comprises an imaging system including a high speed periodically modulated variable focal length (VFL) lens, a VFL lens controller, a VFL-projected light source, a focus determining portion, an exposure timing adjustment circuit, and an exposure strobe time controller. The focus determining portion comprises an optical detector that inputs reflected VFL-projected light that is projected to, and reflected from, a workpiece through the VFL lens, and provides a focus deviation signal. The exposure timing adjustment circuit provides an exposure timing adjustment signal based on the focus deviation signal, which indicates a time when the imaging system focus Z-height approximately coincides with the workpiece surface Z height. The exposure strobe time controller uses the exposure timing adjustment signal to adjust the image exposure time so the imaging system focus Z-height coincides with the workpiece surface Z height at the adjusted image exposure time.

A pulse multiplier includes a beam splitter and one or more mirrors. The beam splitter receives a series of input laser pulses and directs part of the energy of each pulse into a ring cavity. After circulating around the ring cavity, part of the pulse energy leaves the ring cavity through the beam splitter and part of the energy is recirculated. By selecting the ring cavity optical path length, the repetition rate of an output series of laser pulses can be made to be a multiple of the input repetition rate. The relative energies of the output pulses can be controlled by choosing the transmission and reflection coefficients of the beam splitter. This pulse multiplier can inexpensively reduce the peak power per pulse while increasing the number of pulses per second with minimal total power loss.

An illumination module may include a laser diode array configured to emit laser radiation; a phosphor illumination unit that is configured to emit phosphor radiation following an exposure to the laser radiation; a multiple-angle illumination unit; and intermediate optics that is configured to convey the phosphor radiation to the multiple-angle illumination unit. The multiple-angle illumination unit is configured to receive the phosphor radiation and to dark field illuminate a region of a sample wafer from multiple angles during inspection of the wafer.