US 2011/0032515 A1 · METHOD OF APPARATUS FOR DETECTING PARTICLES ON A SPECIMEN

Abstract

A method and apparatus of detecting a defect by inspecting a specimen in which a surface of a specimen on which plural patterns are formed is illuminated with an elongated shape light flux from one of plural directions which are different in elevation angle by switching an optical path of the light flux emitted from an illuminating light source in accordance with a kind of defect to be detected. Plural optical images of the specimen illuminated by the elongated shape light flux are captured with plural image sensors installed in different elevation angle directions by changing an enlarging magnification in accordance with a density of the pattern formed on the sample in an area irradiated with the illuminating elongated shape light flux. A defect on the specimen is detected by processing the images captured by the plural image sensors.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of detecting a defect by inspecting a specimen including the steps of:

illuminating a surface of a specimen on which plural patterns are formed with an elongated shape light flux from a first elevation angle, said specimen being set on a stage which is continuously moving in one direction;
capturing an image of the specimen illuminated by the elongated shape light flux with a linear image sensor of an optical detecting unit installed in a second elevation angle direction;
and
detecting a defect on the specimen by processing a signal output from the linear image sensor,
wherein a longitudinal direction of said elongated shape light flux is perpendicular to a direction along which said stage is continuously moving, and
wherein the stage moves within a plane defined by two axes of a Cartesian coordinate system and the elongated shape light flux is directed along a third axis of the Cartesian coordinate system.

3 more elements

An apparatus for inspecting a defect on a specimen comprising:

an ultraviolet laser light source which emits a pulsed ultraviolet laser having an elongated shape;
a stage which continuously moves at least in one direction, and on which a specimen having plural patterns are formed thereon is mounted;
an illuminator which illuminates the specimen from a first elevation angle direction relative to the specimen with the pulsed ultraviolet laser having the elongated shape on said specimen;
an optical image detecting unit having a linear image sensor and installed in a second elevation angle direction relative to the specimen for detecting an image of the sample illuminated by the elongated shape pulsed ultraviolet laser;
and
an image signal processing means for processing an image signal output from the linear image sensor to detect defects on the specimen,
wherein a longitudinal direction of said elongated shape light flux on said specimen is perpendicular to a direction along which said stage is continuously moving, and
wherein the stage moves within a plane defined by two axes of a Cartesian coordinate system and the elongated shape light flux is directed along a third axis of the Cartesian coordinate system.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of apparatus for detecting particles on a specimen

Life of this patent

Method of apparatus for detecting particles on a specimen

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14