| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and apparatus for reducing speckle during inspection of articles used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, including wafers, masks, photomasks, and reticles. SOLUTION: The coherence of a light beam output by a coherent light source 4, such as a pulsed laser, is reduced by disposing elements 30 in a light path. Examples of such elements include optical fiber bundles; optical light guides; optical gratings; an integrating sphere; and an acousto-optic modulator. These various elements may be combined as desired, such that light beams outputted by the element combinations have optical path length differences that are greater than a coherence length of the light beam output by the coherent light source. |
