Scanning

The goal of the scanning application is to inspect a wafer under a fixed laser. Multiple detectors collect the scattered laser light and feed the data to an analysis system that maps any defects.

The wafer rests on an XY stage that moves in two dimensions. The objective of the scan is to cover as much space on the wafer as possible in the shortest amount of time. Scanning a greater area increases the chances of detecting all defects. Shortening the scan time lowers the cycle time, and increases the speed of the production or testing.

You can perform a scanning application in one of the following three ways:

• Move the stage in a raster by connecting several straight-line move segments.
• Use blending to perform the scan in a single continuous move.
• Use contouring to create a custom scanning path for the stage.