Confocal 3D inspection system and process

Abstract

A confocal three dimensional inspection system, and process for use thereof, allows for rapid inspecting of bumps and other three dimensional (3D) features on wafers, other semiconductor substrates and other large format micro topographies. The sensor eliminates out of focus light using a confocal principal to create a narrow depth response in the micron range.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An inspection device including: 
 a light source;    a pellicle beamsplitter for receiving light from the light source and redirecting said light;    an aperture array for receiving light from the pellicle beamsplitter where the aperture array includes multiple arrays; and    an imaging system including an object imager including a plurality of lenses, a camera reimager including a plurality of lenses, and a camera for collecting focused light.    
     
     
         2 . The inspection device of  claim 1  wherein the multiple arrays include multiple arrays of pinholes.  
     
     
         3 . The inspection device of  claim 2  wherein the multiple arrays include multiple one dimensional arrays of pinholes.  
     
     
         4 . The inspection device of  claim 3  wherein each one dimensional array in the multiple one dimensional arrays of pinholes is conjugate to a different height from a surface to be inspected.  
     
     
         5 . The inspection device of  claim 4  wherein each one dimensional array in the multiple one dimensional arrays of pinholes is conjugate to a different height from a surface to be inspected.  
     
     
         6 . The inspection device of  claim 5  wherein the camera is one of a multi-sensor line scan camera, a multi-sensor TDI line scan camera, and a CMOS area scan camera.  
     
     
         7 . The inspection device of  claim 2  wherein the multiple arrays include multiple two dimensional arrays of pinholes.  
     
     
         8 . The inspection device of  claim 7  wherein each two dimensional array in the multiple two dimensional arrays of pinholes is conjugate to a different height from a surface to be inspected.  
     
     
         9 . The inspection device of  claim 8  wherein the camera is one of a multi-sensor line scan camera, a multi-sensor TDI line scan camera, and a CMOS area scan camera.