Abstract: A processor of the inspection support device acquires an image obtained by imaging a structure to be inspected and detects damage to the structure on the basis of the acquired image. In a case where two or more types of damage (cracking B and linear free lime C2) to the structure are detected, the processor determines whether or not two or more types of damage are detected from the same or adjacent positions. In a case where determination is made that the cracking B and the linear free lime C2 are detected from the same or adjacent positions when the processor outputs the damage detection result (a damage image, a damage diagram, and the like), the processor preferentially outputs a damage detection result of the linear free lime C2 in accordance with a priority of a damage type.

Abstract: A mirror, e.g. for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, includes an optical effective surface, a mirror substrate, a reflection layer stack for reflecting electromagnetic radiation incident on the optical effective surface, at least one first electrode arrangement, at least one second electrode arrangement, and an actuator layer system situated between the first and the second electrode arrangements. The actuator layer system is arranged between the mirror substrate and the reflection layer stack, has a piezoelectric layer, and reacts to an electrical voltage applied between the first and the second electrode arrangements with a deformation response in a direction perpendicular to the optical effective surface. The deformation response varies locally by at least 20% in PV value for a predefined electrical voltage that is spatially constant across the piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a measurement system and a measurement method related to the field of measurement techniques, the measurement system comprising: a light source configured to produce an original beam, wherein a return beam is formed by the original beam returning from a measured area of a measured object; an optical assembly configured to obtain a pending beam based on the return beam, wherein at least part of the pending beam acts as a first beam; a first detection device configured to obtain first detection information based on the first beam; a mobile device configured to move the optical assembly and the measured object with respect to each other in a direction of an optical axis of the optical assembly; and a processing system configured to determine an actual distance between the optical assembly and a fixed plane of the measured object at each first moment according to the first detection information at each first moment of a plurality of first moments.

Abstract: A heat treatment unit U2 includes a heat plate 20 configured to place a wafer W thereon and heat the wafer W placed thereon; multiple gap members 22 formed along a front surface 20a of the heat plate 20 on which the wafer W is placed, and configured to support the wafer W to secure a clearance V between the heat plate 20 and the wafer W; a suction unit 70 configured to suck the wafer W toward the heat plate 20; and an elevating pin 51 configured to penetrate the heat plate 20 and configured to be moved up and down to move the wafer W placed on the heat plate 20 up and down. The front surface 20a of the heat plate 20 has a concave region 20d inclined downwards from an outer side toward an inner side thereof.

Abstract: Provided are a dark-field confocal microscopy measurement apparatus and method.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide a wafer processing device for optimizing wafer shape. For example, the wafer processing device can include a first hot plate, a second hot plate and a controller. The first hot plate can be configured to heat a wafer. For example, the first hot plate can provide uniform heating across a surface of the first hot plate. The second hot plate has multiple heating zones with each heating zone independently controllable such that each heating zone can be set to a temperature value independent of other heating zones. The controller is configured to control the first hot plate to provide the uniform heating, receive a bow measurement from wafer curvature measurement of a wafer, and set the multiple heating zones of the second hot plate to their respective temperature values that correspond to the bow measurement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for the alignment of substrates.

Abstract: A method setting respective relative laser intensities to a plurality of pixels representing a lithographic exposure includes: decreasing a relative laser intensity of each pixel from a respective first relative laser intensity to a respective second relative laser intensity, adjusting a laser dose translation of relative laser intensity of pixels from a first laser dose translation of the first relative laser intensity to a second laser dose translation of the second relative laser intensity, such that a respective effective exposed laser dose of each pixel achieved by the second laser dose translation is equal to a respective effective exposed laser dose of each pixel that would have resulted from the first laser dose translation, and increasing, by a constant additive term, the respective relative laser intensity of an edge pixel or of a neighbouring pixel from the respective second relative laser intensity to a respective third relative laser intensity.

Abstract: A method includes providing a workpiece to a semiconductor apparatus, the workpiece including a material layer including a first strip having: a first plurality of exposure fields; and a second plurality of exposure fields alternatingly arranged with the first plurality of exposure fields. The method further includes: scanning the first strip along a first scan route from a first side of the workpiece to a second side of the workpiece to generate first topography measurement data; scanning the first strip along a second scan route from the second side to the first side to generate second topography measurement data; and exposing the first plurality of exposure fields and exposing the second plurality of exposure fields according to the first topography measurement data and the second topography measurement data.

Abstract: An automated optical double-sided inspection apparatus includes a first image-capturing portion, a second image-capturing portion, a platform, a first light-blocking portion, a second light-blocking portion, and a processing portion. The platform carries an external object. When the processing portion operates in a first capturing mode, the second light-blocking portion blocks visible light from passing therethrough, while the first light-blocking portion allows visible light to pass therethrough, so that the first image-capturing portion shoots a first side of the external object through the first light-blocking portion to obtain a first image.

Abstract: An inspecting apparatus includes a table for supporting a workpiece thereon, a light applying unit for applying light to the workpiece supported on the table, and a light detector for detecting light reflected from the workpiece. The light detector includes a camera and a diffusion plate disposed between the table and the camera.

Abstract: A station for detecting glass disease-type defects in a segment of containers includes: a non-deformable support on which the projectors and the imagers are mounted by a complete connection so as to fix beam directions of the projectors and the optical axes of the imagers; several sets of projectors each include at least six projectors whose beam direction is tangent to a cylinder with a diameter included in a determined range of diameters; an electronic system configured to inspect the containers falling within all of the ranges of diameters, such that during inspection of the containers whose segment diameter to be inspected is included in the range of diameters of a set, the electronic system ensures acquisition of at least six images of each container when it passes through the inspection area by selectively activating the at least six imagers simultaneously with the associated projectors of said set.

Abstract: A method of measuring the degree of Z-axis variability in a chemical reagent test slide, which includes the steps of placing a Z-axis measurement fixture on a surface of a gauge block of an optical measurement system having a camera, mounting the chemical reagent test slide on the Z-axis measurement fixture, and positioning the chemical reagent test slide mounted on the Z-axis measurement fixture in optical communication with the camera.

Abstract: An optical system and design can image objects under inspection in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible spectrums. This imaging can be used to detect both large defects in the visible spectrum and small defects in the UV spectrum in a single pass while reducing the time and cost of the inspection process. The optical system may include an off-axis reflective focusing system for aberration correction with a beamsplitter to separate the visible spectrum from the UV wavelengths. Cameras may then image visible and UV wavelengths.

Abstract: A system for differentiating particulate contamination from defects on a surface of a specimen includes an illumination source configured to illuminate the specimen with a light at a predetermined angle relative to the surface of the specimen, an image recording device configured to capture the light reflected from the surface of the specimen in a sensor image, and an evaluation unit configured to receive deflectometry or phase-shifted deflectometry (PSD) image data and dust channel image data from the image recording device, correlate the PSD image data and dust channel image data, and separately output first result information and second result information, the first result information including defect identification information and defect location information and the second result information including contamination identification information and contamination location information.

Abstract: A computation device is provided for measuring the dimensions of patterns formed on a sample based on a signal obtained from a charged particle beam device. The computation device includes a positional deviation amount calculation unit for calculating the amount of positional deviation in a direction parallel to a wafer surface between two patterns having different heights based on an image acquired at a given beam tilt angle; a pattern inclination amount calculation unit for calculating an amount of pattern inclination from the amount of positional deviation using a predetermined relational expression for the amount of positional deviation and the amount of pattern inclination; and a beam tilt control amount calculation unit for controlling the beam tilt angle so as to match the amount of pattern inclination. The pattern measurement device sets the beam tilt angle to a calculated beam tilt angle, reacquires an image and measures the patterns.

Abstract: Disclosed are a vertical motion protection method and device based on a dual-stage motion system of a photolithography machine. The method comprises: according to a distance between measured points and reference points of the eddy current sensor and coordinates of the reference points of the eddy current sensor, calculating coordinates of the measured points on a lower surface of the micro-motion stage respectively; calculating a point normal form equation of the micro-motion stage at the current time using measured coordinates of the measured points on the micro-motion stage, then substituting X and Y coordinates of the measured points on the translated micro-motion stage to determine a maximum height of the micro-motion stage at the current time; and comparing the maximum height with a height threshold, if the maximum height exceeds the height threshold, shutting down for protection, or else continuing to operate the system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a positioning apparatus for positioning of an object, the positioning apparatus including a first actuator and a second actuator configured to be arranged along a first direction so as to be parallel to each other, and to cause a beam to move in the first direction, a third actuator configured to be built in the beam, and to cause the object to move in a second direction relative to the beam, the second direction intersecting with the first direction, and a control unit configured to control the first actuator, the second actuator, and the third actuator.

Abstract: The semiconductor failure analysis device includes: a light source configured to generate irradiation light with which the semiconductor device is irradiated; a solid immersion lens disposed on an optical path of the irradiation light; a light detection unit configured to receive reflected light and to output a detection signal according to the reflected light; an optical system 6 disposed between the light source and the solid immersion lens to emit the irradiation light to the semiconductor device via the solid immersion lens and disposed between the solid immersion lens and the light detection unit to emit the reflected light received via the solid immersion lens to the light detection unit. The light source emits the irradiation light having a center wavelength of 880 nm or more and 980 nm or less. The solid immersion lens is formed of GaAs.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a component for anomalous regions includes recording a plurality of sensor readings using one or more sensors, each reading corresponding to a different region of the component; determining an appearance metric for each reading; and determining a nominal appearance metric based on individual values of the appearance metric for a first subset of the readings. The method includes, for a particular sensor reading outside the first subset: determining a difference between the nominal appearance metric and the appearance metric of the particular sensor reading; updating the nominal appearance metric based on the particular sensor reading; and, based on the difference exceeding a threshold: determining that the particular sensor reading is anomalous and corresponds to an anomalous region of the component, and recording additional sensor readings of the anomalous region using one or more sensing parameters that differ from those used to record the anomalous sensor reading.