We talked with the Olympus Scientific Equipment Group about their industrial microscopes at the Semicon West show in San Francisco. They were showing of the capabilities of their latest wafer inspection system for semiconductor production.

The BXiS microscope system is available with standard camera mount for digital cameras. Five versions of the microscope frame accommodate brightfield, darkfield, polarized light, infrared, differential interference contrast (DIC) and fluorescence imaging techniques The inspection system integrates wafer handler, microscope, video system, and a full software package to automate visual inspections.

The Stream software assists in microscope setup, image processing, and data management. The reporting capabilities includes metadata on the microscope objective lenses and other user-specified parameters. The software works with Windows 7, Office 2010, and SQL for reports. Enterprise-level users can manage the data in an Oracle database and can get a high-security module for controlled access in a client-server environment. On-site or WebEx training are available for initial operator instruction and on-going refresher courses.

Similar systems are available without the wafer handlers for metrology, semiconductor wafer manufacturing, quality assurance, advanced materials analysis, microlithography, metallography and other precision applications. The division also offers non-optical inspection systems to complement the optical offerings. Outside the semiconductor manufacturing areas, the microscopes are also used in industrial research, engineering, test, inspection and measuring instruments.

Olympus continues to work with their customers to manage capabilities and data to provide the most functional systems. The intent is to improve functionality and ease of measurements for higher productivity while improving accuracy and record keeping. By cross-fertilizing developments from areas like medical, chemical, and healthcare, the company can offer imaging solutions that continually advance the state of the art.