Patent ID: 7110106

Claim:
An inspection system comprising: a stage operable to support an article for inspection, the article having a surface; a light source adapted to provide light impinging on and scattering from an illumination area of the surface; a first ring of collectors adapted to collect the scattered light, said first ring of collectors positioned at a first ring polar angle and said first ring of collectors comprising a set of collectors; a second ring of collectors adapted to collect the scattered light, said second ring of collectors positioned at a second ring polar angle and said second ring of collectors comprising a set of collectors; a third ring of collectors adapted to collect the scattered light, said third ring of collectors positioned at a third ring polar angle and said third ring of collectors comprising a set of collectors; a plurality of channels wherein each collector of said first ring of collectors, said second ring of collectors, and said third ring of collectors is associated with a channel; and a processor connected to the channels, said processor adapted to process information from the channels; wherein each channel comprises a waveguide to guide collected light to a photo detector adapted to convert the collected light into electrical signal, and an amplifier connected to the photo detector, wherein said amplifier operable to amplify the electrical signal and an analog-to-digital converter operable to convert the amplified electrical signal to digital electrical signals.