Patent ID: 6946670

Claim:
An inspection system adapted to inspect structures on a substrate, the inspection system comprising: a beam generator adapted to direct a primary beam at the substrate at a variable scanning angle as defined by X and Y coordinates and not by an angle of incidence of the primary beam on the substrate, thereby producing a secondary beam having properties that are characteristic of properties of the structures on the substrate, a stage adapted to scan the substrate relative to the primary beam at a selectable speed, where a direction of movement of the stage is defined as the X coordinate, and the Y coordinate is perpendicular to the X coordinate within a plane of the substrate, a sensor adapted to receive the secondary beam and provide analog signals having properties that are characteristic of the properties of the secondary beam, an analog to digital converter adapted to receive the analog signals and provide digital signals having properties that are characteristic of the properties of the analog signals, and a controller adapted to receive the digital signals and determine the properties of the structures on the substrate based at least in part on the properties of the digital signals, and to selectively order the digital signals in an output based on a relationship between the variable scanning angle and the selectable speed, where a resolution of the inspection system is variable based on the variable scanning angle and the selectable speed.