Back to results
US 12,209,971 B2Granted
Foreign substance/defect inspection device, image generation device in foreign substance/defect inspection, and foreign substance/defect inspection method
AssigneeVienex Corporation
InventorsOsamu Iwasaki, Yukihiro Kagawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One pixel unit including at least one light receiving element of a light receiving element array (photodiode array) and a light source have a one-to-one correspondence, and only when the light source emits light, the light beam is detected by at least one light receiving element (one pixel unit) corresponding to the light source. An illumination optical system includes a light guiding means for guiding to an inspection object by reducing an interval between optical axes of light beams emitted from a plurality of light sources in an arrangement direction of a plurality of the light sources.
Claims21
A foreign substance/defect inspection device, comprising:
- an illumination optical system including optical scanning means that performs scanning with a) a light beam obtained by collimating light emitted from a plurality of light sources arranged to be separated linearly with respect to at least one or more inspection surfaces in an inspection object having light scattering property, or a light beam obtained by further substantially concentrating a collimated light beam, or b) a light beam obtained by adjusting to narrow, or a light beam obtained by adjusting to expand, light emitted from a plurality of light sources arranged to be separately linearly with respect to at least one or more inspection surfaces in an inspection object having light scattering property;
- a light receiving optical system that is arranged in parallel with a scanning direction of the illumination optical system such that the light source and one pixel unit including at least one light receiving element have a one-to-one correspondence, and includes a plurality of light receiving elements that receive scattered light, diffused light, or light having intensity after absorption/diffuse reflection or transmission and diffusion from a foreign substance or a defect in the inspection object after the foreign substance or the defect is irradiated with the light beam transmitted through an inspection surface of the inspection object;
- and
- detecting means that causes a light beam from the light source at an optional position in a main scanning direction of the illumination optical system to be detected only by a corresponding light receiving element, wherein
- a spatial resolution of the one pixel unit including at least one light receiving element is equal to or higher than a spatial resolution of the light beam formed by the illumination optical system on an inspection surface of an inspection object, and
- the illumination optical system includes a light guiding means for guiding to an inspection object by reducing an interval between optical axis of light beams emitted from the plurality of light sources in an arrangement direction of the plurality of light sources.
3 more elements
A foreign substance/defect inspection method, comprising the steps of:
- scanning with a light beam by an illumination optical system including optical scanning means that performs scanning with a) a light beam obtained by collimating light emitted from a plurality of light sources arranged to be separated linearly with respect to at least one or more inspection surfaces in an inspection object having light scattering property, or a light beam obtained by further substantially concentrating a collimated light beam, or b) a light beam obtained by adjusting to narrow, or a light beam obtained by adjusting to expand, light emitted from a plurality of light sources arranged to be separated linearly with respect to at least one or more inspection surfaces in an inspection object having light scattering property;
- receiving a light beam by a light receiving optical system that is arranged in parallel with a scanning direction of the illumination optical system such that the light source and one pixel unit including at least one light receiving element have a one-to-one correspondence, and includes a plurality of light receiving elements that receive scattered light, diffused light, or light having intensity after absorption/diffuse reflection or transmission and diffusion from a foreign substance or a defect in the inspection object after the foreign substance or the defect is irradiated with the light beam transmitted through an inspection surface of the inspection object;
- and
- causing a light beam from the light source at an optional position in a main scanning direction of the illumination optical system to be detected only by a corresponding light receiving element, wherein
- a spatial resolution of the one pixel unit including at least one light receiving element is equal to or higher than a spatial resolution of the light beam formed by the illumination optical system on an inspection surface of an inspection object, and
- the illumination optical system includes a light guiding means for guiding to an inspection object by reducing an interval between optical axis of light beams emitted from the plurality of light sources in an arrangement direction of the plurality of light sources.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.