KR101817289B1 - Laser scanning module including an optical isolator - Google Patents

Laser scanning module including an optical isolator Download PDF

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Publication number
KR101817289B1
KR101817289B1 KR1020157006110A KR20157006110A KR101817289B1 KR 101817289 B1 KR101817289 B1 KR 101817289B1 KR 1020157006110 A KR1020157006110 A KR 1020157006110A KR 20157006110 A KR20157006110 A KR 20157006110A KR 101817289 B1 KR101817289 B1 KR 101817289B1
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South Korea
Prior art keywords
laser scanning
laser
optical isolator
linear polarizer
light
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KR1020157006110A
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Korean (ko)
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KR20150045461A (en
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라마 알. 고루간투
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어드밴스드 마이크로 디바이시즈, 인코포레이티드
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Priority claimed from US13/593,970 external-priority patent/US9304308B2/en
Application filed by 어드밴스드 마이크로 디바이시즈, 인코포레이티드 filed Critical 어드밴스드 마이크로 디바이시즈, 인코포레이티드
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B21/00—Microscopes
    • G02B21/0004—Microscopes specially adapted for specific applications
    • G02B21/002—Scanning microscopes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B21/00—Microscopes
    • G02B21/06—Means for illuminating specimens
    • G02B21/08—Condensers
    • G02B21/10—Condensers affording dark-field illumination

Abstract

The present application discloses various implementations of a laser scanning module. In one embodiment, the laser scanning module comprises an optical isolator comprising first and second linear polarizers, a collimator configured to receive light generated by the laser light source and to pass a substantially collimated light beam through the first linear polarizer, And a scanning unit positioned to receive the light passed by the second linear polarizer. The first linear polarizer is spaced from the collimating optic by a first distance less than a second distance separating the second linear polarizer from the scan unit.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a laser scanning module including an optical isolator,

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 653,235, entitled "Optical Isolation Module and Method for Utilizing the Same," filed on December 9, 2009, The disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Laser scanning microscopy is widely used in semiconductor manufacturing. For example, laser scanning microscopy observations can be used to perform soft defect localization to detect soft defects such as timing marginality in fabricated semiconductor devices. Soft defect localization typically scans the area of the semiconductor device being tested using a laser. As the size of modern semiconductor devices is getting smaller and smaller, the resolution needed to isolate individual device features to analyze soft defects is increasingly corresponding.

High resolution imaging of semiconductor devices can be accomplished using a dark field microscopy approach using a solid immersion lens (S1L). In order for this approach to achieve the imaging resolution required for the minimum device size, the imaging light incident on the target may be a supercritical light that can create an evanescent field in the semiconductor material that contains the target. . Further, it may be necessary to focus the scattered light from the target along or along the central axis of the SIL. As a result, a laser scanning module capable of collecting light scattered by the target and generating supercritical light that scans the target using an optical isolator is a preferable feature for use in laser scanning microscope observation.

The present invention is directed to a laser scanning module comprising an optical isolator as shown in at least one of the figures and / or as described in connection therewith and more fully in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a laser scanning microscope observation system which illustratively implements a laser scanning module comprising an optical isolator;
2 is a flow chart illustrating one exemplary method of performing laser scanning microscopy observation;
Figure 3 illustrates a portion of an exemplary laser scanning microscope observation system implemented to perform dark field microscopy observations including the exemplary laser scanning module of Figure 1;
4 is a flow chart illustrating one exemplary method of performing optical isolation as part of a laser scanning microscopy observation process;
FIG. 5A illustrates a portion of the laser scanning module of FIG. 3 at an early stage of the exemplary method illustrated in FIG. 4, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; FIG.
FIG. 5B illustrates a portion of the laser scanning module of FIG. 3 at an intermediate stage of the exemplary method illustrated in FIG. 4, according to one exemplary implementation; FIG.
FIG. 5C illustrates a portion of the laser scanning module of FIG. 3 at another intermediate step of the exemplary method illustrated in FIG. 4, according to one exemplary implementation; FIG.

The following detailed description includes specific information regarding implementing the invention. The drawings of the present application and the detailed description relating thereto relate only to exemplary implementations. Unless otherwise stated, the same or corresponding elements in the figures may be indicated by the same or corresponding reference numerals. Further, the drawings and illustrations in this application are generally not to scale and are not intended to correspond to the actual relative sizes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a laser scanning microscope observation system including an exemplary embodiment of a laser scanning module including an optical isolator. The laser scanning microscope observation system 100 includes a laser light source 101 that generates light 102 for use in the imaging target 160, an objective lens 150, and an objective lens 150, And a laser scanning module 110 positioned between the laser scanning module 110 and the laser scanning module. The laser scan module 110 is shown to include an optical isolator 120 and a scan unit 140. Although the scan unit 140 is shown as an integrated block component or unit, for the sake of clarity, the scan unit 140 may include, for example, a scan mirror and one or more scan lenses Such as a galvanometer scanner that includes a mirror and a lens (e.g., a mirror and lens that is not a mirror). The laser scanning microscope observation system 100 may be implemented to analyze soft defects of a target 160 that may take the form of an integrated circuit (IC) fabricated on a semiconductor wafer or die.

The optical isolator 120 includes at least a first linear polarizer 123, a Faraday rotator 125, a half-wave plate 126a and a transmissive element 126 ), And a second linear polarizer (128). 1, the Faraday rotator 125 and the transmissive element 126 including the half waveplate 126a and the aperture 126b are disposed between the first linear polarizer 123 and the second linear polarizer 128 . Optionally and as shown further in FIG. 1, in some implementations, the optical isolator 120 may include an inlet aperture 112, which may be a cofocal inlet aperture, and collimating optics 121 ), ≪ / RTI > or both. In other words, in some embodiments, the inlet aperture 112 and / or the collimating optics 121 are not included in the optical isolator 120, but may constitute separate components of the laser scanning module 110 . It is noted that optical isolator 120 is located within laser scanning module 110 between collimating optics 121 and scan unit 140 in an embodiment in which collimating optics 121 is omitted. do.

The first linear polarizer 123 is spaced from the collimating optics 121 by a first distance 124 while the second linear polarizer 128 is spaced from the scan unit 140 by a second distance 129. [ In at least one embodiment, the first distance 124 separating the first linear polarizer 123 from the collimating optics 121 is greater than the second distance 124 separating the second linear polarizer 128 from the scan unit 140, RTI ID = 0.0 > 129 < / RTI > For example, in one implementation, the first distance 124 may be about 1 millimeter (1 mm) and the second distance 129 may be about 2 mm. 1 also shows the spacing 113, the substantially collimated light beam 122, and the annular light 139 generated by the optical isolator 120 from the substantially collimated light beam 122.

As described in more detail below, the laser scanning module 110, including the optical isolator 120, receives the light 102, generates an annulus of light 139, 140 to scan the target 160 using annular light 139. Further, as described in more detail below, the optical isolator 120 of the laser scanning module 110 is configured to condense the light scattered by the target 160.

The function of the laser scanning module 110 is further described with reference to Figure 2, which depicts a flow chart implementing one exemplary method of performing laser scanning microscopy observations. It is noted that in the method outlined in FIG. 2, certain details and features are excluded from the flowchart 200 in order not to obscure the description of features of the present invention in this application.

Referring now to flow diagram 200 with further reference to the laser scanning microscope viewing system 100 of Figure 1, the flowchart 200 illustrates that the laser scanning module 110 receives light 102 generated by the laser light source 101 (210). The light 102 generated by the laser light source 101 may be received by the laser scanning module 110 and may enter the optical isolator 120 through the inlet opening 112. It is understood that the inlet opening 112 for entering the light 102 may be included as part of the optical isolator 120 or may be provided as a separate component of the laser scanning module 110 as described above.

The flow chart 200 continues when the collimating optics 121 collimates the received light 102 through the inlet aperture 112 to pass the collimated light beam 122. 1, the collimating optics 121 receives the light 102 generated by the laser light source 101 and transmits the substantially collimated light beam 122 to the first linear polarizer 123 Respectively.

According to one embodiment, the collimating optic 121 may comprise an achromatic doublet lens having a focal length corresponding to the gap 113. [ In an implementation where the inflow aperture is a confocal inflow aperture, for example, the interval 113 may be substantially the same as the focal length of the collimating optics 121. As a specific example, in one embodiment, collimating optics 121 may have a focal length of about 50 mm, and inflow aperture 112 may be substantially equal to 50 mm, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > a < / RTI >

The flow chart 200 continues to pass 230 the portion of the substantially collimated light beam 122 using the optical isolator 120. 1, the optical isolator 120 receives the substantially collimated light beam 122 from the first linear polarizer 123 and receives the collimated light beam 122 from the second linear polarizer 128, And to pass light 139 therethrough. An exemplary process by which optical isolator 120 produces annular light 139 from a substantially collimated light beam 122 is further described below with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5A, 5B and 5C.

The flowchart 200 continues to scan 240 the target 160 using the scan unit 140. The scan unit 140 is positioned to receive light passed through the second polarizer plate 128, e.g., annular light 139, and is configured to scan the target 160 using the light. The scan unit 140 may include a galvanometer scanner and a scan lens or lens as described above. Scanning the target 160 by the scan unit 140 may be performed using any suitable technique. One such technique of performing darkfield microscopic observation using a solid immersion lens (SIL) is described below with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5A, 5B and 5C.

The flow chart 200 terminates with focusing (250) the scattered light from the target (160). An exemplary embodiment for condensing light scattered at the target 160 using the optical isolator 120 of the laser scanning module 110 is further described below with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5A, 5B .

Referring now to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a portion of an exemplary laser scanning microscope viewing system implemented to perform dark field microscopy viewing, including the exemplary laser scanning module of FIG. The laser scanning microscope observation system 300 includes a laser scanning module 310, an objective lens 350, an SIL 352 and a target 360, including an optical isolator 320 and a scanning unit 340, Circuitry 364 includes the back side of, for example, a semiconductor wafer or die 362 fabricated thereon. 3 also depicts light 302, a substantially collimated light beam 322, a substantially supercritical incident light 351, and scattered light 356 focused from the target 360.

The optical isolator 320 includes a transmissive element 326 including a first linear polarizer 323, a Faraday rotator 325, a half wave plate 326a and an aperture 326b, and a second linear polarizer 328 do. Further, in some embodiments, optical isolator 320 may include inlet aperture 312 and / or collimating optics 321, as shown in FIG. The laser scan module 310 including the optical isolator 320 and the scan unit 340 corresponds to the laser scan module 110 including the optical isolator 120 and the scan unit 140 in FIG. Further, the inlet aperture 312, the collimating optics 321, the first linear polarizer 323, the Faraday rotator 325, the transmissive element 326 and the second linear polarizer 328 in FIG. The collimating optics 121, the first linear polarizer 123, the Faraday rotator 125, the transmissive element 126 and the second linear polarizer 128, respectively. The laser scanning microscopy observation system 300 can be implemented to analyze soft defects of semiconductor devices fabricated as part of the circuit 364 on a semiconductor wafer or die 362.

3, light 302 is incident from a light source (not shown in FIG. 3) of a laser scanning microscope observation system 300, such as a laser light source corresponding to the laser light source 101 in FIG. And enters through opening 312. The light 302 is received by the collimating optics 321 and the collimating optics passes the collimated light beam 322 to the first linearly polarizing plate 323. The substantially collimated light beam 322 is then filtered and manipulated by the optical isolator 320 to be shaped into an annular light 339 passed by the second linear polarizer 328.

The annular light 339 is received by the scan unit 340 and the scan unit scans the target 360 through the objective lens 350 and the SIL 352 using light rays 351 that are incident at substantially supercritical Scan. Thus, the light enters the laser scanning module 310 as light 302 and emits the laser scanning module with light rays 351 that are incident substantially in the supercritical state. The scattered light 356 from the target 360 traveling along or about the central optical axis 354 of the SIL 352 is incident on the optical isolator (not shown) for use in the imaging semiconductor device of the circuit 364. [ 320, respectively.

Optical isolator 320 receives light 302 or a substantially collimated light beam 322 and is substantially super critical in accordance with a particular configuration of optical isolator 320, And to condense scattered light 356 along the central optical axis 354 of the SIL 352, as well as to produce annular light 339 that is shaped to provide a light ray 351 that is incident on the SIL 352.

It is noted that although FIG. 3 illustrates optical isolator 320 as including certain elements in a particular order, in other embodiments optical isolator 320 may have an arrangement other than that shown in FIG. 3 illustrates a Faraday rotator 325 positioned between the first linear polarizer 323 and the transmissive element 326 but in other embodiments the transmissive element 326 is a first And may be disposed between the linearly polarizing plate 323 and the Faraday rotator 325.

It is further noted that the particular implementation environment shown in Figures 3, 4, 5A, 5B, and 5C is only shown for clarity of concept and should not be construed as limiting the invention. As shown and described in this application, the concepts of the present invention are applicable to high resolution imaging of semiconductor devices. However, more generally, this concept can be used to perform laser scanning microscopy observations of nano-materials and biological samples, and semiconductor dies (whether packaged or on a wafer).

Performing optical isolation as part of a laser scanning microscope observing process using a laser scanning module 310 including an optical isolator 320 is now further described with reference to Figures 4, 5A, 5B and 5C. It is noted that in the method outlined in FIG. 4, certain details and features are omitted from the flowchart 400 in order not to obscure the description of features of the present invention in this application.

Referring to FIG. 5A, FIG. 5A illustrates a laser scanning environment 532 that includes a portion of the laser scanning module 310 of FIG. 3 at an early stage of the exemplary method illustrated in the flowchart 400 of FIG. The laser scanning environment 532 includes a substantially collimated light beam 522, a first linear polarizer 523, a Faraday rotator 525, an objective lens 550, a SIL 552, and a semiconductor wafer or die 562 And a circuit 564. The target 560 includes an input /

The substantially collimated light beam 522, the first linear polarizer 523, the Faraday rotator 525, the objective lens 550, the SIL 552 and the target 560 are substantially The collimated light beam 122/322, the first linear polarizer 123/323, the Faraday rotator 125/325, the objective lens 150/350, the SIL 352 and the target 160/360 Respectively. Further, the transmissive element 526, including half waveplate 526a and aperture 526b, introduced in Figure 5b includes half waveplate 126a / 326a and aperture 126b / 326b in Figure 1 / Corresponds to transmissive element 126/326. Further, the optical isolator 520 including the first linear polarizer 523, the Faraday rotator 525, the transmissive element 526 and the second linear polarizer 528 in FIG. 5C is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 Corresponds to the optical isolator 120/320 of the laser scanning module 110/310. 5A shows the polarization diagram 522P of the linearly polarized light 533, the first rotated imaging light 535 and each polarization diagram 533P and 535P as well as the substantially collimated light beam 522, .

The laser scan environment 532 depicts an optical isolation process performed by a laser scan module 110/310 that includes optical isolator 120/320 in accordance with one exemplary embodiment at an early stage of this process. 5B and 5C, each laser scan environment 534 and 536 includes a laser scan module 110/310 that includes optical isolator 120/320 at an intermediate stage of the exemplary method of flowchart 400 ). ≪ / RTI >

Referring to flowchart 400, with further reference to the laser scanning environment 532 in FIG. 5A, the flowchart 400 illustrates rotating the polarization axis of the light beam 522, which is substantially linearly polarized by the first rotation in the first direction, (432). It is understood that the substantially collimated light beam 522, as shown in the polarization diagram 522P, can reach the first linear polarizer 523 in the unpolarized state. The first linear polarizer plate 523, shown as a horizontal polarizer plate, passes linearly polarized light 533 having a horizontal polarization axis as shown in the polarization diagram 533P. As further shown in the polarization diagram 535P, the first rotation in the first direction is performed by the Faraday rotator 525 and the linearly polarized light 533 passed by the first linear polarizer 523, In the counterclockwise direction.

Although the embodiment of Fig. 5A shows the first linear polarizer plate 523 as a horizontal polarizer plate, it is noted that this characteristic is merely exemplary. In another embodiment, the first linear polarizer 523 may provide a polarization axis with an arbitrary angular deviation with respect to the collimated light beam 522. [ Further, since the linearly polarized light 533 may have a polarization angle other than 0 degrees, that is, the polarized light 533 may not be horizontally polarized, so that the Faraday rotator 525, Rotating the linearly polarized light 533 by 45 degrees in a clockwise direction can produce a first rotated imaging light 535 having a polarization different from that shown in the polarization diagram 535P.

Referring now to the laser scanning environment 534 in FIG. 5B in conjunction with FIG. 4, the flowchart 400 selectively rotates 434 a portion of the first rotated imaging light 535 by a second rotation in a first direction, . This optional rotation may be performed by the transmissive element 526. As mentioned, the transmissive element 526 includes a half wave plate 526a. In this embodiment, the arrangement comprises an annular half wave plate 526a (also shown in FIG. 52A) that surrounds the central aperture 526b of the transmissive element 526, which may include, for example, a circular aperture having a diameter of about 2.3 mm 5b). ≪ / RTI > As a result, a portion of the first rotated imaging light 535 passing through the half waveplate 526a is rotated an additional 90 degrees (90 degrees) in the counterclockwise direction while the portion passing through the aperture 526b is rotated further It does not rotate. Thus, the optional rotation may include a first linearly polarized light beam portion, e.g., a portion that passes through aperture 526b of transmissive element 526 and is rotated only by a first rotation by Faraday rotator 525, And a second linearly polarized light beam portion passing through the half wave plate 526a of the transmission element 526 and incident on the second linearly polarized light beam portion 906 in the same direction as the 45 属 first rotation imposed by the Faraday rotator 525, And generates optically isolated imaging light 537 comprising the rotated second portion.

As a result, light-isolated imaging light 537 passing through transmissive element 526, as shown in polarization diagram 537P, is characterized by an annular portion having a polarization axis perpendicular to the polarization axis of the central portion. As further illustrated in polarization diagram 537P, this exemplary method includes an annular light beam portion having a polarization axis rotated through 135 degrees (135 degrees) counterclockwise through half waveplate 526a, and an aperture 526b, To produce a central light beam portion having a polarization axis rotated by 45 degrees in a counterclockwise direction.

Referring now to Figure 4, and with reference to the laser scanning environment 536 of Figure 5c, the flowchart 400 filters one of the two linearly polarized light beams generated so far to produce annular light 539 436). According to the embodiment of FIG. 5C, the filtering described uses a second linear polarizer 528 having a polarization axis selected to transmit the annular light beam portion, so that the optical isolation, having two linearly polarized portions whose polarization axes are perpendicular to each other, Which corresponds to filtering out the imaging light 537. Since the polarization axis of the central light beam portion is perpendicular to the polarization axis of the annular portion, this polarization axis is substantially perpendicular to the polarization axis of the second linear polarizer 528, thereby blocking the central portion of the polarized light beam.

Thus, according to this embodiment, since the second linear polarizer 528 has a polarization axis set at 135 degrees, the central section is blocked by the second linear polarizer 528 to block the central portion of the optically isolated imaging light 537 Substantially pass the annular light 539, as shown in the polarization diagram 539P, shown in black to indicate that the light is incident on the light source. Although the foregoing description of the various elements of optical isolator 520 describes one possible implementation model, there are many variations. For example, even if the positions of the Faraday rotator 525 and transmissive element 526 are exchanged, substantially the same as the first and second portions of the optically isolated imaging light 537, as achieved in the embodiment of FIG. 5C It will be possible to generate cumulative rotation.

Further, in some other embodiments, the transmissive element 526 may have a central section occupied by the half-wave plate, rather than an aperture 526b, in which case the outer annular zone is configured not to substantially rotate the transmitted light. In this embodiment, the annular portion of the optically isolated imaging light 537 rotates once by 45 degrees due to passing through the Faraday rotator 525, while the central portion of the optically isolated imaging light 537 rotates 2 So as to generate an accumulated rotation of 135 DEG with respect to this central portion. Simply replacing the second linear polarizer 528 with a linear polarizer having a polarization axis set at 45 degrees instead of 135 degrees substantially blocks the central portion of the optically isolated imaging light 537, .

The flowchart 400 illustrates focusing 442 the annular light 539 onto a target 560 such as a circuit 564 fabricated on a semiconductor wafer or die 562 using SIL 552 It continues. Focusing the annular light 539 on the target 560 is accomplished by passing an SIL through the objective lens 550, which receives the substantially supercritical incident light 551 from the laser scanning module including the optical isolator 520 and the scan unit. (Scan unit is omitted in FIG. 5C due to emphasizing optical isolation in this figure). As a result, the SIL 552 can be used to image an individual device to the circuitry 564 using the supercritical imaging light provided by the laser scanning module including the optical isolator 520.

3, the flow diagram 400 terminates by focusing (452) light scattered from the target 360 along the central optical axis 354 of the SIL 352. For example, we recall the sample implementation details resulting from the implementation shown in Figures 5A-5C. In other words, the first linear polarizer 323 is a horizontal polarizer, the transmissive element 326 includes an annular half wave plate 326a and an aperture 326b, and the polarization axis of the second linear polarizer 328 is an annular light 339 Lt; / RTI > to the SIL 352. < RTI ID = 0.0 >

Scattered light 356 (hereinafter "near-axis scattered light 356") oriented along the central optical axis 354 of the SIL 352 is incident on the scan unit 340 Is polarized by the second linear polarizer 328 and passes substantially unchanged through the aperture 326b of the transmissive element 326 and is reflected by the Faraday rotator 325 in the clockwise direction By 45 [deg.]. As a result, the near-axis scattered light 356 enters horizontally polarized light into the first linear polarizer 323, resulting in a detector (not shown in FIG. 3) of the laser scanning microscope observation system 300 Substantially. Rotating the near-axis scattered light 356 in the described clockwise direction is a result of the inherent properties of the Faraday rotator, where the direction of rotation generated by the Faraday rotator is the Faraday rotator The direction of the light propagates through the light-emitting layer. Accordingly, when the Faraday rotator 325 is included in the laser scanning module 310 as an element of the optical isolator 320, the linearly polarized light advancing toward the SIL 352 rotates counterclockwise, but the SIL 352 To clockwise to cause the near-axis scattered light 356 to condense.

More generally, focusing the near-axis scattered light 356 from the target 360 may be accomplished by, for example, linearly polarizing the near-axis scattered light 356 by the second linear polarizer 328 And selectively rotating portions of the scattered light linearly polarized by a third rotation in a first direction to produce first and second linearly polarized scattered light portions. In other words, the off-axis portion of the scattered light (off-axis scattered light not shown in FIG. 3) passing through the half wave plate 326a is rotated 90 ° counterclockwise, Scattered light 356 is not rotated while passing through aperture 326b. Concentrating the near-axis scattered light 356 is accomplished by a fourth rotation of both the off-axis scattered light and the near-axis scattered light 356, for example, by 45 degrees in the clockwise direction, And rotating the first and second linearly polarized scattered light portions in a second direction opposite to the first and second linearly polarized scattered light portions. As a result, the near-axis scattered light 356 is rotated only by the fourth rotation, while the off-axis scattered light portion is subjected to both the third and fourth rotations. Subsequent filtering by the first linear polarizer 323 allows off-axis scattered light to be blocked and condensed to pass through the near-axis scattered light 356 traveling along the central optical axis 354.

More generally, it has been described in terms of specific design parameters to focus the scattered light by the target 360, but in view of the variations of the above-described embodiment, the optical isolator 320 described in the present application All of the various embodiments of the laser scanning module 310 are configured to (1) substantially block the subcritical imaging light component and at the same time deliver annular light 339 comprising a supercritical incident ray 351 , And (2) the near-axis scattered light 356 traveling along the central optical axis 354 of the SIL 352.

The inventor has found that a significant portion of the scattered light from the target semiconductor device is directed along the central optical axis 354 as a result of the Ebenessant field generated in the wafer or die by the laser scanning microscope observation system 300. [ As a result, substantially super-critical imaging light is delivered to the target device from a solution that can block the sub-critical center portion of the imaging light beam along the central optical axis and focus the near-axis scattered light 356 Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > brightness and contrast. ≪ / RTI >

As discussed above, the present application is preferably directed to a laser scanning system capable of delivering a substantially supercritical imaging light component, substantially blocking subcritical imaging light components, and selectively focusing scattered light from the target Modules and systems. As a result, implementations of the inventive concept can provide lateral resolution on the order of 50 nanometers (50 nm). Furthermore, the laser scanning module disclosed in this application makes it possible to implement a laser scanning microscope observation system capable of quickly and efficiently imaging a semiconductor wafer or a device fabricated on a die. Further, since the implementation of the present laser scan module can be implemented in combination with the SIL, the disclosed solution provides a robust approach to IC and device imaging, and circuit analysis applications such as soft-defect localization.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that various techniques may be used to implement the concepts described in this application without departing from the concept of the present invention. Furthermore, although the various concepts have been described with reference to particular implementations, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the present invention will be. Thus, the described implementations are illustrative only and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. This application is not intended to be limited to the particular implementations described above, but is understood to be capable of many rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (23)

As a laser scanning module,
An optical isolator including first and second linear polarizers;
A collimating optical device configured to receive light generated by the laser light source and pass the collimated light beam to the first linear polarizer; And
And a scan unit positioned to receive light passed by said second linear polarizer. 2. The laser scanning module of claim 1, wherein a first distance separating the first linear polarizer from the collimating optics is less than a second distance separating the second linear polarizer from the scan unit. The laser scanning module of claim 1, wherein the optical isolator comprises the collimating optics. The laser scanning module of claim 1, further comprising a confocal inlet aperture for entering the light generated by the laser light source. 5. The laser scanning module of claim 4, wherein the optical isolator comprises the confocal inflow aperture. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical isolator further comprises a transmissive element comprising a Faraday rotator and a half wave plate, wherein the Faraday rotator and the transmissive element are disposed between the first and second linear polarizers A laser scan module positioned. The laser scanning module of claim 1, wherein the light passed by the second linear polarizer comprises annular light generated from the collimated light beam. As a laser scanning microscope observation system,
A laser light source and an objective lens; And
And a laser scanning module positioned between the laser light source and the objective lens,
An optical isolator including first and second linear polarizers;
A collimating optical device configured to receive light generated by the laser light source and pass a collimated light beam to the first linear polarizer; And
And a scan unit positioned to receive light passed by said second linear polarizer. 9. The laser scanning microscope observation system of claim 8, wherein a first distance separating the first linear polarizer from the collimating optics is less than a second distance separating the second linear polarizer from the scan unit. 9. The laser scanning microscope observation system according to claim 8, wherein the optical isolator includes the collimating optical device. The laser scanning microscope observation system according to claim 8, wherein the laser scanning module further comprises a confocal entrance opening for entering the light generated by the laser light source. The laser scanning microscope observation system according to claim 11, wherein the optical isolator comprises the confocal inflow opening. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the optical isolator further comprises a transmissive element comprising a Faraday rotator and a half wave plate, wherein the Faraday rotator and the transmissive element are positioned between the first and second linear polarizers Laser scanning microscope observation system. The laser scanning microscope observation system according to claim 8, wherein the light passed by the second linear polarizer comprises annular light generated from the collimated light beam. The laser scanning microscope observation system according to claim 8, further comprising a solid immersion lens (SIL). CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. A method of performing laser scanning,
Receiving, by the laser scanning module, light generated by the laser light source;
Collimating the light to pass a collimated light beam by a collimating optics included in the laser scanning module;
Passing a portion of the collimated light beam by an optical isolator of the laser scanning module;
And performing the laser scan on a target by a scan unit of the laser scan module. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the portion of the collimated light beam passed by the optical isolator comprises annular light generated from the collimated light beam. 17. The method of claim 16,
After passing said portion of said collimated light beam by said optical isolator,
Further comprising the step of focusing a portion of the collimated light beam passed by the optical isolator on the target. 17. The method of claim 16,
After passing said portion of said collimated light beam by said optical isolator,
Further comprising using a solid immersion lens (SIL) to focus a portion of the collimated light beam passed by the optical isolator on the target. 20. The method of claim 19,
When performing the laser scan on the target by the scan unit of the laser scan module,
Further comprising focusing the scattered light from the target along a central optical axis of the SIL. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the collimating optics is located between the inlet opening of the laser scanning module and the first linear polarizer so as to have an interval between the inlet opening corresponding to the focal length of the collimating optics and the collimating optics, Scan module. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the collimating optics is located between the inlet opening of the laser scanning module and the first linear polarizer so as to have an interval between the inlet opening corresponding to the focal length of the collimating optics and the collimating optics, Scanning microscope observation system. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the distance between the inlet opening of the laser scanning module and the collimating optics corresponds to the focal length of the collimating optics.
KR1020157006110A 2012-08-24 2013-08-16 Laser scanning module including an optical isolator KR101817289B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US13/593,970 2012-08-24
US13/593,970 US9304308B2 (en) 2009-12-09 2012-08-24 Laser scanning module including an optical isolator
PCT/US2013/055421 WO2014031490A1 (en) 2012-08-24 2013-08-16 Laser scanning module including an optical isolator

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