Dual Mode Inspector Merging Optical Inspection and Microscopy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current defect detection and imaging processes in optical inspectors introduce misalignment errors due to sample transfer between platforms, leading to inaccurate capture of defects, especially for small defects on the order of micrometers, as the transfer causes rotational and linear variances that can result in missed or partially captured images.
Innovation Solution
A dual mode inspector system that integrates an optical inspector and a microscope within a single enclosure, allowing for defect detection and image capture without removing the sample from the platform, utilizing a controller to maintain alignment and store images associated with detected defects, and employing scanning lens distortion correction algorithms to ensure precise image capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the sample is transferred between platforms for defect detection and imaging, then the imaging capability is improved, but the alignment accuracy deteriorates due to rotational and linear variances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the optical inspector and microscope into a single integrated system with a shared platform. This merging eliminates the need to transfer the sample between separate platforms, thereby maintaining alignment accuracy while preserving both defect detection and imaging capabilities within one unified system
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system is designed to perform multiple functions (defect detection and high-magnification imaging) using a single shared platform. The system can switch between inspection mode and imaging mode without requiring physical sample transfer, making the platform universal for both purposes while maintaining positional accuracy
2Adaptability or versatility
If the sample is transferred between platforms, then the imaging function is enabled, but the time required for the process increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the optical inspector and microscope into one system with a shared platform, the patent eliminates the time-consuming sample transfer step. The system can perform both defect detection and imaging sequentially on the same platform without interruption, significantly reducing total process time
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system enables continuous operation where defect detection and imaging are performed in sequence on the same platform without breaking the workflow. The sample remains on the platform throughout, maintaining continuous positioning and eliminating idle transfer time
3Measurement precision
If the sample is kept on a single platform for both detection and imaging, then the alignment accuracy is maintained, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates two separate systems (optical inspector and microscope) into one unified system with shared components including the platform, control system, and image storage. This consolidation maintains alignment accuracy while managing complexity through shared architecture rather than separate independent systems
Data Source
AI summary
A dual mode inspector includes an optical inspector configured to detect a defect located at a first location on a sample, a microscope configured to capture an image of the defect at the first location on the sample, and a platform that is configured to support the sample. The sample is not removed from the platform between the detecting of the defect located at the first location on the sample and the capturing of the image of the defect at the first location on the sample. The dual mode optical inspector also includes a controller that causes the optical inspector to detect the defect located at the first location on the sample and causes the microscope to capture the image of the defect at the first location on the sample. The dual mode inspector also performs scanning lens distortion correction to improve the capturing of defect images.