Abstract: An apparatus and a method for determining the focus of an optical system on a substrate are disclosed. A light source emits an auxiliary light beam into an auxiliary beam path, wherein the auxiliary light beam, after splitting, is offset in relation to an optical axis of a measuring objective. At least one optical switch is provided in the auxiliary beam path for switching the path of the auxiliary beam path from one side offset from the optical axis to the other side offset from the optical axis of the measuring objective.

Abstract: A method for measuring structures (3) on a substrate (2) with a coordinate measuring machine (1) is disclosed. A predefined measuring method is used for measuring at least one structure (3) on the substrate (2), wherein the measuring includes the position and/or the width of the structure (3). The predefined measuring method consists of a plurality of processes linked with the coordinate system (1a) of the coordinate measuring machine (2). The measuring method for a substrate is defined by a first orientation with respect to the coordinate system of the coordinate measuring machine (1). The predefined measuring method is applied to a second orientation of the substrate (2).

Abstract: A method of determining defects in a plurality of images having essentially the same image contents is disclosed. A comparison operation is carried out once three fully comparable images having essentially the same image contents are present in the intermediate memory. The stored individual images are accessed randomly. A paired comparison operation between the three difference images is carried out.

Abstract: A method for improving the reproducibility of a coordinate measuring machine and its accuracy is disclosed. Using at least one measuring field of a camera, a plurality of images of at least one structure on the substrate are recorded. The substrate is placed on a measuring stage traversable in the X coordinate direction and the Y coordinate direction, the position of which is determined during imaging using a displacement measuring system. The measuring field is displaced by the amount of the deviation determined.

Abstract: An interferometric device for position measurement of an element moveable in a plane is disclosed. A laser light source measures the position of the moveable element and emits the required measuring light. A beam splitter splits the measuring light into a first partial beam path and a second partial beam path, which each impinge on a reflecting surface of the moveable element via an interferometer. Herein, at least the beam splitter, which splits the measuring light into a first partial beam path and a second partial beam path, and the beam splitter, which directs the third partial beam path onto an etalon via an interferometer, have a respective beam trap associated with them, which traps the light returning from the respective interferometers.

Abstract: In order to improve the detectability of defects in structures incorporated beneath the surface of a wafer, it is suggested to acquire an IR subimage of the illuminated wafer with an IR image acquisition device and a VIS subimage with a VIS image acquisition device. The acquisition is performed simultaneously and is controlled such that the same area of the wafer is imaged sharply by both image acquisition devices. An image processor is used to determine whether a detected defect is attributable to a defect on the surface or to a defect of the structures located beneath the surface.

Abstract: A method, a device and the application for the inspection of defects on the edge region of a wafer (6) is disclosed. At least one illumination device (41) illuminates the edge region (6a) of the wafer (6). At least one optical unit (40) is provided, said optical unit (40) being positionable subject to the position of the defect (88) relative to a top surface (30) of the edge of the wafer (6a) or a bottom surface (31) of the edge of the wafer (6a) or a face (32) of the edge of the wafer (6a) for capturing an image of said defect.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for inspecting a surface of a wafer disclosed. At least one incident-light illuminator is provided to illuminate an area of the surface of the wafer in a first and a second illumination mode, in particular a bright-field and a dark-field illumination. At least one image detector is provided to detect an image of the illuminated area. A storage device is used for storing values on the intensity and the color of an optimized illumination of each incident-light illumination mode.

Abstract: A device for recording a number of images of disk-shaped objects (6), which is provided with at least two lighting device (8), which are designed so that the light exiting the lighting devices (8) is spectrally variable. A single recording device (12) is arranged in relation to the disk-shaped object so that the recording device (12) simultaneously records a number of spectrally variable images of the disk-shaped object (6).

Abstract: A method for allocating correction values of the degree of bending of a substrate (2) relative to a coordinate system (40) of a coordinate measuring machine (1) is disclosed. The positions of the at least two reference marks (32) on the substrate holder (27) are automatically determined relative to the coordinate system (40) of the coordinate measuring machine (1) for each substrate (2) currently placed in the substrate holder (27) in the coordinate measuring machine (1).

Abstract: A device for measuring or inspecting substrates of the semiconductor industry, including a base frame and a module detachably mounted thereon via a module frame, wherein the module frame is detachably connected to the base frame via at least two self-aligning coupling elements and at least one alignment element, wherein the base frame and the module frame are in exactly defined spatial alignment with each other, when the module frame is detachably connected to the base frame.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for illuminating and inspecting a specular surface, comprising a light source, a collector optics for collecting the light from the light source, a homogenizing optics for transmitting the light from the collector optics having a first micro-lens array downstream of the collector optics, and a second micro-lens array downstream of the first micro-lens array, a Fourier optics for transmitting the light from the homogenizing optics onto the specular surface, an objective optics, and a detector for receiving an image, wherein the collector optics and the first micro-lens array project the light source onto the second micro-lens array and wherein the second micro-lens array and the Fourier optics project the first micro-lens array onto the specular surface, and wherein the objective optics projects the specular surface onto the detector.

Abstract: A method for optical inspection, detection and visualization of defects (9) on wafers (2) is disclosed, wherein at least one camera (5) acquires images of at least one portion (11) of the wafer (2) relative to a reference point (12) of the wafer (2), and the Cartesian coordinates of the image data associated with the at least one portion (11) of the wafer (2) are transformed into polar coordinates.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for inspecting a surface of a wafer with regions of different detection sensitivity. For this purpose, an image of the selected surface of the wafer is acquired using a detector. At least one region handled with a different detection sensitivity than the rest of the wafer may be defined on the surface of the wafer by means of an input unit. The detection sensitivity set for the regions is a percentage less than the detection sensitivity for the surface of the wafer without the regions with the different detection sensitivity.

Abstract: A method for determining the focal position of at least two edges of structures (31) on a substrate (30) is disclosed. During the movement of a measurement objective (21) in the Z-coordinate direction, a plurality of images of the at least one structure (31) is acquired with at least one measurement window (45) of a detector. An intensity profile of the structure (31) is determined for each image.

Abstract: A method for processing the image data of the surface of a wafer (2) recorded by at least one camera (5) is disclosed, wherein an image field (15) is defined for each camera (5) in such a way that the recorded image content is repeated after N recorded images. In an evaluation electronics (18) M utility programs (19) are determined, wherein M is equal to the number of recorded images after which the image content is repeated. The number M of utility programs (19) is adapted to the number N of images. Each of the M utility programs (19) of the plurality of recorded images is only fed with images having the same image contents in order to detect defects on the basis of the image contents of the images of the surface of the wafer. The results of the M utility programs (19) are respectively forwarded to a central program (20) in a sequential manner, which compiles a distribution of the defects present on the surface of the wafer (2) from the individual results of the M utility programs (19).

Abstract: The invention relates to a coordinate measuring machine (1) and a method for adapting the temperature of substrates. The coordinate measuring machine (1) includes at least one measurement table (20) movable in the X-coordinate direction and in the Y-coordinate direction, a measurement objective (9) and a camera (10) for determining the positions of the structures (3) on the substrate (2). There is further provided an interferometer (24) for determining the positions of the measurement objective (9) and the measurement table (20). The entire system is enclosed by a housing (50) forming a climatic chamber, in which there are further provided a magazine (32) for substrates (2), a loading station (35) for substrates (2) and a transport means (38) transporting the substrates (2) between the loading station (35), the magazine (32) and/or the measurement table (20).

Abstract: A method for the high-precision measurement of coordinates on a substrate is disclosed. The substrate is placed on a stage moveable in X/Y coordinate directions. First, a plurality of images of a structure on a substrate are imaged by means of a 2-dimensional detector during the relative movement of a measuring objective in Z coordinate direction and the simultaneous movement of the stage in X and Y coordinate directions.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a surface of a wafer includes an illumination device for illuminating an imaging area of the wafer with at least one broad-band spectrum, and an optical imaging device with a detector for polychromatic imaging of the imaging area of the wafer based on the illumination, wherein the imaging device includes a filter arrangement for selecting a plurality of narrow-band spectra. In addition, a method for inspecting the surface of a wafer, includes the steps of leveling a plurality of narrow-band spectra to a common intensity range, illuminating an imaging area of the wafer with at least one broad-band spectrum, and imaging a plurality of narrow-band spectra from the imaging area based on the illumination.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of an edge bead removal line of a disk-like object having an edge area and an alignment mark on the edge area is disclosed, wherein the edge area including the edge bead removal line is imaged on a line-by-line basis, an intensity profile I of the imaged edge area including the edge bead removal line is obtained with a camera on a line-by-line basis, and the edge area and the alignment mark are detected, wherein the local intensity maxima I?max of the intensity profile I are plotted as points in a diagram, segment sets are formed in the diagram, the segment sets are fitted in ellipses, and a quality criterion qges is determined for each ellipse.