# US 2014/0192353 A1 · Inspection apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192353 A1 - Document ID: US20140192353A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/204,207 - Filed: 2014-03-11 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2009-07-21 - Assignees: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation - Applicants: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Yoshimasa OSHIMA; Yuta URANO; Toshiyuki NAKAO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192353A1 ## CPC - G01N 21/9501: {Semiconductor wafers (manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20)} - G01N 21/47: Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection (G01N21/25, G01N21/41 take precedence {G01N21/55 takes precedence}) - G01N 21/94: Investigating contamination, e.g. dust (G01N21/85 takes precedence) - G01N 21/21: Polarisation-affecting properties (G01N21/19 takes precedence) - G01N 2021/4707: {Forward scatter; Low angle scatter} - G01N 2021/4709: {Backscatter} - G01N 2021/8864: {Mapping zones of defects} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract An inspection method and apparatus for detecting defects or haze of a sample, includes illuminating light to the sample from an oblique direction relative to a surface of the sample with an illuminator, detecting first scattered light at a forward position relative to an illuminating direction from the sample with a first detector, detecting second scattered light at a sideward or backward position relative to the illuminating direction from the sample with a second detection, and processing a first signal of the first scattered light and a second signal of the second scattered light with different weighting for the first signal and for the second signal with a processor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inspection method for detecting defects or haze of a sample, comprising the steps of: illuminating light to the sample from an oblique direction relative to a surface of the sample; detecting first forward scattered light scattering toward a forward direction relative to an illuminating direction from the sample to generate a first signal; detecting second sideward or backward scattered light scattering toward a sideward or backward direction relative to the illuminating direction from the sample to generate a second signal; and processing the first-signal of the first forward scattered light and a the second signal of the second sideward or backward scattered light with different weighting for the first signal and for the second signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the processing step effects the different weighting in accordance with a noise intensity of the first signal and the second signal by relative comparison. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the processing step effects the different weightings the first signal and the second signal in accordance with a difference in sensitivity between detectors for detecting the first forward scattered light and for detecting the second sideward or backward scattered light in advance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the processing step effects a greater weighting for the first signal than a weighting for the second signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The inspection method according to claim 4, wherein the processing step effects adding of the first signal which is weighted and the second signal which is weighted, wherein the processing step detects defects and/or haze in accordance with the added signals. ### Claim 6 (canceled) ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the processing step effects a greater weighting for the second signal than a weighting for the first signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The inspection method according to claim 7, wherein the processing step effects adding of the first signal which is weighted and the second signal which is weighted, wherein the processing step detects defects and/or haze in accordance with the added signals. ### Claim 9 (canceled) ### Claim 10 (canceled) ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the processing step effects the weighting of the first signal and the second signal and detects defects or haze in accordance with the weighted signals. ### Claim 12 An inspection apparatus for detecting defects or haze of a sample, comprising: an illuminator which illuminates light to the sample from an oblique direction relative to a surface of the sample; a detector which detects first forward scattered light scattering toward a forward direction relative to an illuminating direction from the sample to generate a first signal and second sideward or backward scattered light scattering toward a sideward or backward direction relative to the illuminating direction from the sample to generate a second signal; a processor which processes the first signal of the first scattered light and the second signal of the second scattered light with different weighting for the first signal and for the second signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The inspection apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to effect the different weighting in accordance with a noise intensity of the first signal and the second signal by relative comparison. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The inspection apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the detector comprises first detector and second detectors, wherein the processor is configured to effect the different weighting of the first signal and the second signal in accordance with a difference in sensitivity between the first and second detectors in advance. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The inspection apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to effect a greater weighting for the first signal than a weighting for the second signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The inspection apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to effect adding of the first signal which is weighted and the second signal which is weighted, wherein the processor is configured to detect defects and/or haze in accordance with the added signals. ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The inspection apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to effect a greater weighting for the second signal than a weighting for the first signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The inspection apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to effect adding of the first signal which is weighted and the second signal which is weighted, wherein the processor is configured to detect and/or haze defects in accordance with the added signals. ### Claim 20 (canceled) ### Claim 21 (canceled) ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The inspection apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to effect the weighting of the first signal and the second signal and detects defects or haze in accordance with the weighted signals. ### Claim 23 An inspection method for detecting defects or haze of a sample, comprising the steps of: illuminating light to the sample from an oblique direction relative to a surface of the sample; detecting first forward scattered light scattering toward a forward direction relative to an illuminating direction from the sample to generate a first signal; detecting second scattered light at a sideward or backward position relative to the illuminating direction from the sample to generate a second signal; and processing the first signal of the first scattered light and the second signal of the second scattered light with different weighting for the first signal and for the second signal, wherein first detection optics detects the first scattered light scattering toward the forward position relative to the illuminating direction, and wherein second detection optics detects the second scattered light scattering toward the sideward and backward direction relative to the illuminating direction, and further comprising detecting haze by performing a first weighting process on the first and second signals and detecting defects by performing a second weighting process on the first and second signals. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The inspection apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising detecting haze by weighting the first signal of the detected first scattered light scattering toward the forward direction more than weighting the second signal of the detected second scattered light scattering toward the sideward or backward direction. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The inspection apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising detecting defects by weighting the second signal of the detected second scattered light scattering in at least one of toward the sideward or backward direction more than weighting the first signal of the detected second scattered light scattering toward the forward direction. ### Claim 26 An inspection apparatus for inspecting a sample, comprising: an illuminating optical system that illuminates a light to the sample from an oblique direction relative to a surface of the sample; a first detecting optical system that detects a first scattered light at a first elevation angle relative to the surface of the sample to generate a first signal; a second detecting optical system that detects a second scattered light at a second elevation angle which is a different angle than the first elevation angle relative to the surface of the sample to generate a second signal; and a processing system that processes the first signal and the second signal with a different weighting for the first signal and for the second signal. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The inspection apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising: a third detection optical system that detects a third scattered light at a sideward position or a backward position relative to an illuminating direction to the sample to generate a third signal; wherein the first scattered light is detected at a forward position relative to the illuminating direction to the sample; and wherein the processing system is configured to process the first signal, the second signal and the third signal with different weighting for the first signal, for the second signal and for the third signal. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The inspection apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising: an extraction system that extracts a concave defect or a convex defect from an output of the processing system.