System for testing light sources

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12540845-B2
Application number	US-202418600908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2024
Priority date	Mar 11, 2024
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

An example system includes a first color bandpass filter to receive part of light from a light source and a second color bandpass filter to receive part of the light from the light source. The first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter each has a cutoff wavelength at a band edge. The first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter each has a band edge within a predefined distance of a nominal wavelength of the light source. The first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter is each configured to output filtered light that is based on received parts of the light. One or more processing devices are configured to perform operations that include determining at least first and second values based on the filtered light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a first color bandpass filter to receive part of light from a light source; a second color bandpass filter to receive part of the light from the light source, the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter each having a cutoff wavelength at a band edge, and the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter each having a band edge within a predefined distance of a nominal wavelength of the light source; wherein the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter each is configured to output filtered light that is based on received parts of the light; and one or more processing devices to perform operations that comprise determining at least first and second values based on the filtered light.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
memory storing a look-up table (LUT) containing data corresponding to different wavelengths of light and line widths of light; wherein the operations comprise obtaining a wavelength and a line width of the light from the LUT using the first and second values.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the data is organized based on ratios that are based on filtered light.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first and second values comprise:
a first ratio based on a first intensity of first filtered light output from the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter; and a second ratio based on a second intensity of second filtered light output from the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter.

5 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a clear filter to pass visible light.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the second value is based also on a third intensity of light output from the clear filter.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the first value is:
10*log 10 ((first intensity of light)/(second intensity of light)); and wherein the second value is:
10*log 10 (((first intensity of light)+(second intensity of light))/(third intensity of light)).

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first color bandpass filter or the second color bandpass filter is rectangular in shape.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter has a cutoff that is steep and monotonic.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter each has a width that is substantially equal to a spectral line width of the light source.

11 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the operations comprise:
comparing at least one of the wavelength or the line width to a predefined wavelength or a predefined line width, respectively; and binning the light source based on the comparing.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein comparing comprises:
comparing the wavelength to an upper limit and to a lower limit, the upper limit having a greater magnitude than the lower limit; and wherein binning comprises storing data for the light source based on whether the wavelength is between the upper and lower limit.

13 . The system of claim 12 wherein, if the wavelength is between the upper limit and the lower limit, the data indicates that the light source has passed testing; and
wherein, if the wavelength is above the upper limit or below the lower limit, the data indicates that the light source has failed testing.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein cutoff wavelengths of the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter are separated by a spectral gap.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the spectral gap is different for different colors of light.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter have equal bandwidths.

18 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera to capture the light from the light source, the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter being part of a component configured for incorporation into the camera.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the light source is on a wafer under test and a lens of the camera is directed at the wafer to capture the light from the light source.

20 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a spectral gap between band edges of the first and second color bandpass filters is on the order of single-digit nanometers to tens of nanometers.

21 . A system comprising:
a first color bandpass filter to receive parts of light from light sources having known wavelengths and line widths; a second color bandpass filter to receive parts of the light from the light sources having the known wavelengths and line widths, the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter each having a cutoff wavelength at a band edge, and the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter each having a band edge that is within single-digit nanometers of a nominal wavelength of a light source, the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter being separated by a spectral gap; wherein the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter each is configured to output filtered light that is based on received parts of the light from each light source; and one or more processing devices to perform operations that comprise:
determining two values based on filtered light from each light source, the two values corresponding to a color space; and
populating a database with information corresponding to the two values.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the database comprises a look-up table.

23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the values comprise ratios.

24 . A system comprising:
a first color bandpass filter to receive part of light from a light source; a second color bandpass filter to receive part of the light from the light source, the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter each having a cutoff wavelength at a band edge, and the first color passband filter and the second color bandpass filter each having a band edge that is within a predefined distance of a nominal wavelength of the light source, the first color bandpass filter having a first passband, the second color bandpass filter having a second passband; wherein the first color bandpass filter and the second color bandpass filter each is configured to output filtered light that is based on received parts of the light; and one or more processing devices to perform operations that comprise determining first and second values based on the filtered light, the first and second values corresponding to a color space.

25 . The system of claim 24 , further comprising:
a notch filter having a stopband.

26 . The system of claim 25 , further comprising:
memory storing data corresponding to different wavelengths of light and line widths of light, the data being organized based on ratios from color-bandpass-filtered light; wherein the first and second values comprise:
a first value based on a first intensity of first filtered light output from the first color bandpass filter and a second intensity of second filtered light output from the second color bandpass filter; and
a second value based

Assignees

• Teradyne Inc

Inventors

• Pye Richard
• Lin Xianfeng
• Smith Timothy Jackson

Classifications

• G01J2001/4252

  for testing LED's · CPC title

• G01J2001/242

  Filter wheel, i.e. absorption filter series graduated · CPC title

• G01J1/24

  using electric radiation detectors · CPC title

• G01J1/0492

  using at least two different filters · CPC title

• G01J1/0228 Primary

  Control of working procedures; Failure detection; Spectral bandwidth calculation · CPC title