| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080273193 | PATTERN DEFECT INSPECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD - A pattern defect inspection apparatus capable of detecting minute defects on a sample with high sensitivity without generating speckle noise in signals is realized. Substantially the same region on a surface of a wafer is detected by using two detectors at mutually different timings. Output signals from the two detectors are summed and averaged to eliminate noise. Since a large number of rays of illumination light are not simultaneously irradiated to the same region on the wafer, a pattern defect inspection apparatus capable of suppressing noise resulting from interference of a large number of rays, eliminating noise owing to other causes and detecting with high sensitivity minute defects on the sample without the occurrence of speckle noise in the signal can be accomplished. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20090002695 | Method and Apparatus for Reviewing Defect - The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for reviewing a defect with high throughput by detecting the defect to be reviewed with high sensitivity, comprising: an optical microscope; a correction means; and a scanning electron microscope which reviews the defect existed on the sample; wherein the optical microscope has: an optical height detection system which optically detects a vertical position of an upper surface of the sample placed on the stage; an illumination optical system which illuminates the defect with light; an image detection optical system which converges and detects reflected light or scattered light generated from the defect illuminated by the illumination optical system to obtain an image signal; and a focus adjusting means which adjusts a focus position of the optical microscope based on the vertical position of the upper surface of the sample, which is detected by the optical height detection system. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090103079 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INSPECTING DEFECT IN OBJECT SURFACE - An aspect of the invention provides a defect inspection apparatus being able to accurately inspect a micro foreign matter or defect at a high speed for an inspection target substrate in which a repetitive pattern and a non-repetitive pattern are mixed. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090122303 | Apparatus And Method For Inspecting Defects - A defect inspection apparatus includes a movable stage for mounting a substrate having circuit patterns as an object of inspection, an irradiation optical system which irradiates a slit-shaped light beam from an oblique direction to the circuit patterns of the substrate, a detection optical system which includes an image sensor for receiving reflected/scattered light from the substrate by irradiation of the slit-shaped light beam and converting the received light into a signal, and an image processor which processes the signal. The irradiation optical system includes a cylindrical lens and a coherency reduction optical system, which receives the light beam and emits a plurality of slit-shaped light sub-beams which are spatially reduced in coherency in a light-converging direction of the cylindrical lens. The cylindrical lens focuses the plurality of slit-shaped light sub-beams into the slit-shaped light beam irradiated to the surface of the substrate. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20100019150 | Method And Apparatus For Reviewing Defects - A method of inspecting defects of a sample includes a first step for, on a basis of position information of defects on a sample placed on a movable table which is previously detected and obtained by an other inspection system, driving the table so that the defects come into a viewing field of an optical microscope having a focus which is adjusted, a second step for re-detecting the defects to obtain a first detection result, a third step for correcting the position information of defects on a basis of position information of defects re-detected of the first detection result, and a fourth step for reviewing the defects whose position information is corrected to obtain a second detection result. The method includes classifying types of defects on basis of the first detection result and the second detection result. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100225903 | PATTERN DEFECT INSPECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD - A pattern defect inspection apparatus capable of detecting minute defects on a sample with high sensitivity without generating speckle noise in signals is realized. Substantially the same region on a surface of a wafer is detected by using two detectors at mutually different timings. Output signals from the two detectors are summed and averaged to eliminate noise. Since a large number of rays of illumination light are not simultaneously irradiated to the same region on the wafer, a pattern defect inspection apparatus capable of suppressing noise resulting from interference of a large number of rays, eliminating noise owing to other causes and detecting with high sensitivity minute defects on the sample without the occurrence of speckle noise in the signal can be accomplished. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100265496 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INSPECTING DEFECTS - A defect inspection apparatus includes a movable stage for mounting a substrate having circuit patterns as an object of inspection, an irradiation optical system which irradiates a slit-shaped light beam from an oblique direction to the circuit patterns of the substrate, a detection optical system which includes an image sensor for receiving reflected/scattered light from the substrate by irradiation of the slit-shaped light beam and converting the received light into a signal, and an image processor which processes the signal. The irradiation optical system includes a cylindrical lens and a coherency reduction optical system, which receives the light beam and emits a plurality of slit-shaped light sub-beams which are spatially reduced in coherency in a light-converging direction of the cylindrical lens. The cylindrical lens focuses the plurality of slit-shaped light sub-beams into the slit-shaped light beam irradiated to the surface of the substrate. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20110063603 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INSPECTING DEFECTS - A defect inspection apparatus includes a movable stage for mounting a substrate having circuit patterns as an object of inspection, an irradiation optical system which irradiates a slit-shaped light beam from an oblique direction to the circuit patterns of the substrate, a detection optical system which includes an image sensor for receiving reflected/scattered light from the substrate by irradiation of the slit-shaped light beam and converting the received light into a signal, and an image processor which processes the signal. The irradiation optical system includes a cylindrical lens and a coherency reduction optical system, which receives the light beam and emits a plurality of slit-shaped light sub-beams which are spatially reduced in coherency in a light-converging direction of the cylindrical lens. The cylindrical lens focuses the plurality of slit-shaped light sub-beams into the slit-shaped light beam irradiated to the surface of the substrate. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110141272 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INSPECTING AN OBJECT SURFACE DEFECT - Disclosed is an apparatus having a light source of a deep ultraviolet ray for detecting a small foreign matter or pattern defect, which may arise during a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device or the like, in high resolution. The apparatus comprises a means for detecting a damage on an optical system due to a wavelength reduction thereby to save a damaged portion, and a means for comparing an optical system arrangement with that at the manufacturing time and detecting the abnormality thereof, to thereby make a correction, so that the apparatus can inspect the defect on an object substrate stably at a high speed and in high sensitivity. Also disclosed is a method for the stable inspection. The apparatus is provided, in the optical path of the optical system, with a means for detecting the intensity and the convergent state of an illumination light, and a means for detecting the abnormality of the optics system and for saving an abnormal portion from alignment with an optical axis. The apparatus is constituted such that the optical system is adjusted to make corrections for the optical conditions at the manufacturing time, thereby to elongate the lifetime of the optical system in the inspecting apparatus and to detect the small defect stably. | 06-16-2011 |
