An inspection system includes a CMOS integrated circuit having integrally formed thereon an at least two dimensional array of photosensors and providing an inspection output representing an object to be inspected. A defect analyzer is operative to receive the inspection output and to provide a defect report.

High-sensitivity optical scanning using memory integration

Imaging techniques and devices for performing time-delayed integration based on active pixel sensors. An integrator array is integrated on the chip with the active pixel sensors to perform correlated double sampling and the signal summing based switching capacitor banks.

Time-delayed-integration imaging with active pixel sensors

An inspection system for inspecting a surface of a wafer/mask/reticle can include a modular array. The modular array can include a plurality of time delay integration (TDI) sensor modules, each TDI sensor module having a TDI sensor and a plurality of localized circuits for driving and processing the TDI sensor. At least one of the localized circuits can control a clock associated with the TDI sensor. At least one light pipe can be used to distribute a source illumination to the plurality of TDI sensor modules. The plurality of TDI sensor modules can be positioned capture a same inspection region or different inspection regions. The plurality of TDI sensor modules can be identical or provide for different integration stages. Spacing of the modules can be arranged to provide 100% coverage of the inspection region in one pass or for fractional coverage requiring two or more passes for complete coverage.

TDI sensor modules with localized driving and signal processing circuitry for high speed inspection

Imaging device and method for high-sensitivity optical scanning and integrated circuit therefor

A rolling electronic snap enables each row to integrate for a defined period of time. A control system for the rolling electronic snap includes a latched row logic which latches into reset. The device can be removed from reset in order to integrate. After integrating, the row is selected to receive the information therefrom and then the reset is again maintained. By latching the row in and out of reset, its state can be maintained for longer periods of time.

Latched row logic for a rolling exposure snap

Disclosed is a detection method and a corresponding array architecture comprising sensors positioned according to a particular geometry, enabling the integration of a circuit for the management of the integration cycles and of transfers of charges between injection-integration circuits and TDI type summation circuits in the focal plane of the array. The array is fitted into a scanning camera that scans in a particular direction. The camera is designed to form a video signal for an image made up of pixels spaced out at a pitch p p with a value corresponding to the standard. The array has several rows of elementary sensors. The the sensors that belong to different rows and are aligned in the scanning direction define a detection channel V k . The spatial pitch p c of one and the same detection channel has a value that differs from the value of the pixel pitch p p by a fraction of this pixel pitch such that a sensor-pixel coincidence, which is achieved for a reference sensor C 0 , is no longer synchronous for any other sensor exposed to the same elementary field of view.

Detection method using distributed read and integration cycles for scanning camera and corresponding detection array

of EP0738074The method involves using sensors in the form of a bar lying perpendicular to the direction of sweep. A picture is composed of pixels of a predetermined increment (pp). The camera has several rows of elementary sensors (C) with the sensors in different rows defining a detection path (Vk). Each path has a charge injection circuit and charge integration circuit for the charges delivered by each sensor during an exposure period to form a sample signal. A summing reader circuit adds the samples for each pixel. The step spacing for a sensor differs from that for a pixel such that the two coincide for a reference sensor (CD) but for no other sensors. Between two successive readings of each sensor, data from the associated integration circuit are written into each summer.

Detection method with distributed integration and read-out cycles for a scanning camera, and detector array therefor

L'invention propose un procede de detection et une architecture de barrette correspondante comportant des capteurs disposes selon une geometrie particuliere, permettant d'integrer un circuit de gestion des cycles d'integration et de transferts de charges entre des circuits d'injection-integration et des circuits de sommation de type TDI dans le plan focal de la barrette. La barrette selon l'invention equipe une camera a balayage selon une direction donnee DELTA destinee a former un signal video pour une image composee de pixels espaces d'un pas pp correspondant au standard. La barrette comporte plusieurs rangees de capteurs elementaires, les capteurs de rangees differentes et alignes selon la direction DELTA definissant une voie Vk de detection. Selon le procede de l'invention, le pas spatial pc d'une meme voie de detection a une valeur qui differe de celle du pas pixel pp d'une fraction de celui-ci, de sorte qu'une coincidence capteur-pixel, qui est realisee pour un capteur de reference CO , n'est plus synchrone pour tout autre capteur expose au meme champ de vue elementaire. Application a une utilisation multimode (sous-balayage, multistandard).

Christian Pepin

Papers

Detection method using distributed read and integration cycles for scanning camera and corresponding detection array

Detection method with distributed integration and read-out cycles for a scanning camera, and detector array therefor

Procede de detection a cycles d'integration et de lecture repartis pour camera a balayage, et barrette de detection correspondante