ENHANCED ULTRA-HIGH RESOLUTION ACOUSTIC MICROSCOPE
First Claim
1. A transducer structure, comprising:
- at least one metal or semiconducting film in which a part of a pump light pulse is absorbed to generate a sound pulse; and
at least one dielectric film, where the thicknesses and optical properties of the at least one metal or semiconducting film and the at least one dielectric film are selected so that a returning sound pulse results in a measurable change in the optical reflectivity and/or some other optical characteristic of the transducer structure.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical-acoustic transducer structure includes at least one metal or semiconducting film in which a part of a pump light pulse is absorbed to generate a sound pulse; and at least one dielectric film. The thicknesses and optical properties of the at least one metal or semiconducting film and the at least one dielectric film are selected so that a returning sound pulse results in a measurable change in the optical reflectivity and/or some other optical characteristic of the transducer structure. The transducer structure includes a resonant cavity, and an output surface that is shaped so as to provide no significant focusing of generated sound waves when the sound waves are launched towards a surface of the sample.
40 Citations
60 Claims
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1. A transducer structure, comprising:
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at least one metal or semiconducting film in which a part of a pump light pulse is absorbed to generate a sound pulse; and at least one dielectric film, where the thicknesses and optical properties of the at least one metal or semiconducting film and the at least one dielectric film are selected so that a returning sound pulse results in a measurable change in the optical reflectivity and/or some other optical characteristic of the transducer structure.
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2. A transducer assembly comprising:
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a substrate having a top surface for receiving pump light and probe light and a bottom surface; and a transducer structure coupled to the bottom surface, said transducer structure configured to generate sound waves in response to the pump light and comprising an optical cavity having an output surface to direct the generated sound waves towards a sample and to collect sound waves returning from the sample, said output surface being shaped so as to provide no significant focusing of the generated sound waves when the sound waves are launched towards a surface of the sample. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A processing system, comprising:
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a process controller; a plurality of process stations implementing a process flow on a structure under direction of the process controller; and at least one opto-acoustic microscope system coupled to the process controller and operable for determining at least one characteristic of a surface of the structure, said opto-acoustic microscope comprising a transducer assembly that comprises a substrate having a top surface for receiving pump light and probe light and a bottom surface; and
a transducer body coupled to the bottom surface, said transducer body configured to generate sound waves in response to the pump light and comprising an optical cavity having an output surface to direct the generated sound waves towards the surface of the structure and to collect sound waves returning from the surface of the structure, said output surface shaped so as to provide no significant focusing of the generated sound waves when the sound waves are launched towards the surface of the structure. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method comprising:
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applying a pulse of pump light to a transducer structure comprising an optical cavity; generating a pulse of acoustic energy within the transducer structure in response to the pulse of pump light; directing the pulse of acoustic energy from the transducer structure towards a surface of a sample, the directed pulse having a substantially planar wave front; receiving in the transducer structure at least a portion of acoustic energy returning back from the surface; applying a pulse of probe light to the transducer structure; detecting, in cooperation with the optical cavity, the received acoustic energy through a change in at least one characteristic of the probe light; and - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification