Inspection Apparatus
AssigneeHitachi High-Technologies Corporation
InventorsYoshimasa OSHIMA, Yuta URANO, Toshiyuki NAKAO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Scattered light that originates from the surface roughness of silicon or other metallic films is distributed more strongly at positions closer to the starting position of the scattering. Of all scattered-light detection signals obtained during multi-directional detection, therefore, only a detection signal of forward scattered light can be used to detect micro-defects, and only a detection signal of backward scattered light can be used to detect the surface roughness very accurately.
Claims17
An inspection apparatus for detecting defects and haze on a surface of a sample, the apparatus comprising:
- illumination optics for emitting light to illuminate an inspection region on the surface of the sample from an oblique direction relative to the inspection region;
- first detection optics provided at one or a plurality of forward positions relative to the direction of the illumination by the illumination optics, the detection optics being adapted to detect the light scattered from the inspection region, in a forward direction relative to the direction of the illumination by the illumination optics;
- second detection optics provided at one or a plurality of sideward or backward positions relative to the direction of the illumination by the illumination optics, the detection optics being adapted to detect the light scattered from the inspection region, in sideward or backward directions relative to the direction of the illumination by the illumination optics;
- and
- a signal-processing unit for detecting defects on the surface of the sample on the basis of a signal detected by the first detection optics, the unit further detecting haze on the surface of the sample on the basis of a signal detected by the second detection optics.
An inspection apparatus for detecting defects and haze on a surface of a sample, the apparatus comprising:
- illumination optics for emitting light to illuminate an inspection region on the surface of the sample from an oblique direction relative to the inspection region;
- plural sets of detection optics arranged with at least a plurality of azimuth angles different from each other, the plural sets of detection optics being adapted to detect in the lump the respective beams of light scattered from the inspection region, at the respective arrangement angles;
- and
- a signal-processing unit for detecting defects on the surface of the sample on the basis of a signal obtained by performing a first weighting process between a plurality of signals detected by the respective plural sets of detection optics, the unit further detecting haze on the surface of the sample on the basis of a signal obtained by performing a second weighting process between the plurality of signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.