US 11,988,615 B2
Region prober optical inspector
Steven W. Meeks, Palo Alto, CA (US); Hung Phi Nguyen, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Alireza Shahdoost Moghaddam, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Lumina Instruments Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Lumina Instruments, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/576,986.
Application 17/576,986 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/838,026, filed on Apr. 2, 2020, granted, now 11,255,796.
Application 16/838,026 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/289,632, filed on Feb. 28, 2019, granted, now 10,641,713, issued on May 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0136982 A1, May 5, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 21/958 (2006.01); G01N 21/21 (2006.01); G01N 21/55 (2014.01); G01N 21/84 (2006.01); G01N 21/896 (2006.01); G02B 26/08 (2006.01); G02B 26/10 (2006.01); G02B 27/54 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/958 (2013.01) [G01N 21/21 (2013.01); G01N 21/55 (2013.01); G01N 21/8422 (2013.01); G02B 26/0816 (2013.01); G02B 26/101 (2013.01); G02B 26/105 (2013.01); G02B 27/54 (2013.01); G01N 21/896 (2013.01); G01N 2021/8967 (2013.01); G01N 2201/06113 (2013.01); G01N 2201/0633 (2013.01); G01N 2201/0636 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical scanning system, comprising:
a radiating source capable of outputting a light beam;
a first-time varying beam reflector that is configured to reflect the light beam through a scan lens towards a transparent sample at an incident angle that is not more than ten degrees greater or ten degrees less than Brewster's angle of the transparent sample;
a second time varying beam reflector that is configured to reflect the light beam reflected from the transparent sample after passing through a de-scan lens;
a focusing lens that is configured to focus the light beam reflected from the transparent sample after passing through the de-scan lens and reflecting from the second time varying beam reflector;
a blocker located at a focal plane of the focusing lens, wherein the light beam reflects from a top surface of the transparent sample, a bottom surface of the transparent sample, or any internal region between the top surface of the transparent sample, and wherein the blocker can be configured to block one or more portions of the light beam reflected from the transparent sample so that one or more selectable portions of the light beam reflected from the transparent sample can pass the blocker; and
a detector that is configured to be irradiated by the one or more selectable portions of the light beam reflected from the transparent sample that pass the blocker, wherein the output of the detector is usable to determine if a defect is present in the region in the transparent sample from where the one or more selectable portions of the light beam were reflected.