Abstract: A system for scanning a surface including: an illumination system providing inspection light for illumination of a field of view (FOV) on an inspection object to produce a reflected light beam from the inspection object; an objective lens arrangement, located between the illumination system and the surface; a light separator: having a reflective surface arranged: to direct the inspection light towards the FOV; and to receive and change a direction of brightfield light comprising a central portion of the reflected light beam; and sized and shaped to allow therearound darkfield light comprising a peripheral portion of the reflected light beam; a holder configured to provide mechanical support to the light separator, having a first portion attached to the light separator and a second portion extending away from the light separator.

Abstract: A wafer inspection tool including: an illumination system providing ultraviolet illumination light with wavelengths 2 below 300 nm and configured to direct light towards an object to be inspected; a detector array having a pixel pitch; one or more anti-aliasing (AA) elements; an objective having a numerical aperture (NA) and configured to collect light provided by the illumination system and returning from a plurality of field points on the object and to onwardly transmit a light beam formed from the returning light which has been collected towards the detector array via the one or more AA elements; a processor configured to: receive imaging requirements; control a NA of the objective; control, when the pixel pitch is larger than ?/(4*NA), position of the one or more anti-aliasing elements, based on the pixel pitch, the NA, and the imaging requirements.

Abstract: A polarizing beam manipulation unit, that includes: (i) a polarizing beam splitter that exhibits polarization extinction ratios that are based on angles of impingement of rays of radiation; and (ii) a telecentric lens that precedes the polarization beam splitter and is configured to: (a) receive a non-collimated input beam that comprises rays of different angles of impingement, and (b) convert the non-collimated input beam to a collimated input beam that comprises rays that are parallel to each other when impinging on the polarization beam splitter.

Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and an inspection system having optical aberration compensation capabilities, the inspection system includes (a) an illumination unit, (b) a configuration unit that is configured to configure the illumination unit, and (c) a recipe unit. The configuring is executed according to a recipe that is associated with the region of the object; wherein the configuring of the illumination unit includes configuring the deformed mirror. The recipe unit is configured to obtain the recipe that is associated with the region. The inspection system is configured to inspect the region by illuminating the region of the object using the deformed mirror. The recipe is determined by an iterative process.

Abstract: A wafer inspection tool comprising an illumination system having: a field of view (FOV); a light source pupil having a size and shape; a central optical axis; and one or more field angle defining a shape of said FOV extending away from said light source pupil; an objective lens arrangement including an objective and a plurality of interchangeable telescopes coupled thereto, the objective lens arrangement being configured to collect light reflected off a plurality of field points on the wafer and to onwardly transmit a light beam formed from the collected light; and a light separator having a first reflective surface with a transmissive region formed therein and a second surface, wherein said transmissive region is arranged to allow therethrough a central portion of said light beam transmitted from said objective lens arrangement corresponding to the brightfield channel while said reflective surface is arranged to reflect a peripheral portion of said light beam transmitted from said objective lens arrangement

Abstract: An auto-focus system that includes (i) an illumination path that is configured to illuminate a sample with illumination beams that form multiple spot arrays on the sample that comprises an upstream set of spot arrays formed on a first side of an imaging area, and a downstream set of spot arrays formed on another side of the imaging area; (ii) a collection path that comprises an entrance pupil and is configured to collect collected beams that are emitted from the sample, and focus the collected beams along a first axis while imaging the entrance pupil along a second axis to provide optically processed beams. The sensor is configured to generate detection signals that represent the optically processed beams. The controller is configured to determine a focus state of an evaluation beam that impinges on imaging area.

Abstract: An auto-focus system that includes (a) an illumination path that is configured to illuminate a sample with illumination beams that form multiple spot arrays on the sample that includes an upstream set of spot arrays formed on a first side of an imaging area, and a downstream set of spot arrays formed on another side of the imaging area; (b) a mask that is located at an entrance pupil, the mask comprises a pair of off-axis slits for truncating each collected beam to provide a pair of rays per each collected beam; and (c) a splitter that includes (i) a first reflecting facet that is configured to direct to the first branch, first rays associated with the first collected beams, and (ii) a second reflecting facet that is oriented to the first reflecting facet and is configured to direct to the second branch, rays associated with the second collected beams; wherein the first reflecting facet and the second reflecting facet are located at a reflecting facets location that is outside an image plain, and is located i

Abstract: An auto-focus system that includes (a) an illumination path that is configured to illuminate a sample with illumination beams that form multiple spot arrays on the sample that comprises an upstream set of spot arrays formed on a first side of an imaging area, and a downstream set of spot arrays formed on another side of the imaging area; and (b) a collection path that includes (b.1) a first segment that comprises a first spherical telescope, a first field curvature compensator, a pair of first prisms, and a first collimated relay that consists essentially of a first relay input spherical lens and a first relay output spherical lens; (b.2) a second segment that comprises an second spherical telescope, an second field curvature compensator, a pair of second prisms, and an second collimated relay that consists essentially of a second relay input spherical lens and a second relay output spherical lens; and (b.3) a shared module.

Abstract: A method for auto-focusing by an auto-focus system, the method includes (a) illuminating a sample with illumination beams that form multiple spot arrays on the sample, wherein the spot arrays comprise an upstream set of spot arrays formed on a first side of an imaging area, and a downstream set of spot arrays formed on another side of the imaging area; (b) collecting collected beams emitted from the sample along a collection path that comprises an entrance pupil; (c) focusing the collected beams along a first axis while imaging the entrance pupil along a second axis to provide optically processed beams; (d) generating detection signals that represent the optically processed beams; and (e) determining a focus state of an evaluation beam that impinges on the imaging area.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of providing a light signal separation unit in an optical reflective microscope system, said optical reflective microscope system comprising an objective lens arrangement configured to collect light reflected off a plurality of field points on an object and to onwardly transmit a light beam formed from the collected light and said light signal separation unit having a reflective surface with a central transmissive region formed therein, wherein said central transmissive region is arranged to allow therethrough a central portion of said light beam transmitted from said objective lens arrangement while said reflective surface is arranged to reflect a peripheral portion of said light beam transmitted from said objective lens arrangement. The method comprises determining an axial position at which to position said light signal separation unit.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of designing an objective lens arrangement for an optical microscope system, said objective lens arrangement being configured, in use, to collect light from a plurality of field points on an object and to onwardly transmit a light beam formed from the collected light, the method comprising: (a) providing an objective lens; (b) tracing, for the plurality of field points, a light cone from each field point through said objective lens arrangement; (c) determining a marginal ray and a chief ray for said light cone from each field point exiting said objective lens arrangement and monitoring said marginal ray relative to said chief ray for each light cone exiting said objective lens arrangement; (d) determining an exit pupil contour for said objective lens arrangement respective of each field point and monitoring an overlap of exit pupil contours respective of said plurality of field points; (e) determining an exit pupil magnification with respect to an entrance pupil of s

Abstract: A system for scanning a surface including: an illumination system providing inspection light for illumination of a field of view (FOV) on an inspection object to produce a reflected light beam from the inspection object; an objective lens arrangement, located between the illumination system and the surface; a light separator: having a reflective surface arranged: to direct the inspection light towards the FOV; and to receive and change a direction of brightfield light comprising a central portion of the reflected light beam; and sized and shaped to allow therearound darkfield light comprising a peripheral portion of the reflected light beam; a holder configured to provide mechanical support to the light separator, having a first portion attached to the light separator and a second portion extending away from the light separator.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter provides a method for aligning an objective and a pupil relay module of a microscope. The objective is configured to introduce an objective aberration component and the pupil relay module is configured to have a corresponding pupil relay module aberration component such that the pupil relay module aberration component compensates said objective aberration component when the pupil relay module is accurately aligned with the objective. The method comprises: (a) measuring a combined aberration indicator indicative of a combined aberration resulting from the optical combination of the objective and pupil relay module; (b) adjusting an optical alignment of the objective and pupil relay module based on the measured combined aberration indicator; (c) iterating (a) and (b) until the measured combined aberration indicator reaches a predetermined combined aberration indicator target thereby achieving accurate alignment.

Abstract: A wafer inspection tool comprising an illumination system having: a field of view (FOV); a light source pupil having a size and shape; a central optical axis; and one or more field angle defining a shape of said FOV extending away from said light source pupil; an objective lens arrangement including an objective and a plurality of interchangeable telescopes coupled thereto, the objective lens arrangement being configured to collect light reflected off a plurality of field points on the wafer and to onwardly transmit a light beam formed from the collected light; and a light separator having a first reflective surface with a transmissive region formed therein and a second surface, wherein said transmissive region is arranged to allow therethrough a central portion of said light beam transmitted from said objective lens arrangement corresponding to the brightfield channel while said reflective surface is arranged to reflect a peripheral portion of said light beam transmitted from said objective lens arrangement

Abstract: A scanning electron microscope and a method for evaluating a sample, the method may include (a) illuminating the sample with a primary electron beam, (b) directing secondary electrons emitted from the sample and propagated above a first scintillator, towards an upper portion of the first scintillator, wherein the first scintillator and a second scintillator are positioned between the sample and a column electrode of the column; wherein the first scintillator is positioned above the second scintillator; (c) detecting the secondary electrons by the first scintillator; (d) directing backscattered electrons emitted from the sample towards a lower portion of the second scintillator; and (e) detecting the backscattered electrons by the second scintillator.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.