Defect inspection device, pattern chip, and defect inspection method

A pattern chip that is placed on a table unit of a defect inspection device and irradiated with an illumination light shaped to extend in a first direction, the pattern chip comprising:

• a dot pattern area in which a plurality of dots are arrayed in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns,
• wherein a minimum interval between the dots corresponding to the lines aligned in the first direction among the plurality of dots arrayed in the dot pattern area in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction is smaller than a width of the illumination light,
• wherein a minimum interval between the plurality of dots arrayed in the dot pattern area is larger than a resolution of a detection optical system,
• wherein said plurality of dots of said dot pattern area are further arranged as a repeating plurality of smaller dot pattern areas each having a different area on a surface of said pattern chip, and
• wherein said repeating plurality of smaller dot pattern areas repeat in said first direction.

A method of inspecting a defect comprising:

• a step of irradiating a surface of a pattern chip with an illumination light shaped to extend in a first direction;
• a step of detecting a diffracted light and a scattered light generated from the surface of a sample or the surface of the pattern chip by irradiation of the illumination light using a detection optical system having an objective lens and an image sensor;
• a step of adjusting a focus of the detection optical system based on detection signals corresponding to the refracted light and the scattered light generated from the surface of the pattern chip;
• and
• a step of detecting a defect on the surface of the sample based on detection signals corresponding to the refracted light and the scattered light generated from the surface of the sample,
• wherein the pattern chip has a dot pattern area in which a plurality of dots are arrayed in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, a minimum interval between the dots corresponding to the lines aligned in the first direction among the plurality of dots arrayed in the dot pattern area in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction is smaller than a width of the illumination light, and a minimum interval between the plurality of dots arrayed in the dot pattern area is larger than a resolution of the detection optical system,
• wherein said plurality of dots of said dot pattern area are further arranged as a repeating plurality of smaller dot pattern areas each having a different area on said surface of said pattern chip, and
• wherein said repeating plurality of smaller dot pattern areas repeat in said first direction.