# US 2026/0063571 A1 · Substrate inspection apparatus, substrate processing system including the same, and substrate inspection method using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0063571 A1 - Document ID: US20260063571A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/056,090 - Filed: 2025-02-18 - Published: 2026-03-05 - Earliest claimed: 2024-08-27 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Minho Rim; Souk Kim; Younghoon Sohn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260063571A1 ## CPC - G01N 21/9503: {Wafer edge inspection} - G01N 21/8806: {Specially adapted optical and illumination features} - G01N 21/9501: {Semiconductor wafers (manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20)} - 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 A substrate inspection apparatus may include: a plurality of inspection units, each of the plurality of inspection units including a light generator and a detector; a support configured to support and rotate a substrate; and an analyzer connected to the detector of each of the plurality of inspection units and configured to analyze an input obtained from the detector, wherein, in a plan view, the substrate includes a center region and an edge region enclosing the center region, wherein the light generator of each of the plurality of inspection units is configured to emit light toward the edge region of the substrate, wherein the detector of each of the plurality of inspection units is configured to detect the light that is emitted towards the edge region of the substrate, and wherein each of the plurality of inspection units extends parallel to a top surface of the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate inspection apparatus, comprising: a plurality of inspection units, each of the plurality of inspection units comprising a light generator and a detector; a supporter configured to support and rotate a substrate; and an analyzer connected to the detector of each of the plurality of inspection units and configured to analyze an input obtained from the detector, wherein, in a plan view, the substrate comprises a center region and an edge region enclosing the center region, wherein the light generator of each of the plurality of inspection units is configured to emit light toward the edge region of the substrate, wherein the detector of each of the plurality of inspection units is configured to detect the light that is emitted towards the edge region of the substrate, and wherein each of the plurality of inspection units extends parallel to a top surface of the substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inspection units are two-dimensionally arranged with respect to each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light generator of each of the plurality of inspection units is configured to emit light of a respective, different wavelength. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substrate inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light generator of each of the plurality of inspection units is configured to, in the plan view, emit the light along a virtual tangential line of the substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The substrate inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the analyzer is connected to the detector of each of the plurality of inspection units such as to be configured to receive an electrical signal from the detector of each of the plurality of inspection units. ### Claim 6 A substrate inspection method, comprising: preparing a substrate including a center region and an edge region enclosing the center region; emitting at least one light toward the edge region of the substrate; detecting at least one diffraction pattern based on the at least one light that is emitted toward the edge region of the substrate; and analyzing the at least one diffraction pattern that is detected, wherein the emitting the at least one light comprises generating at least one diffraction light, and wherein the at least one diffraction pattern is produced by the at least one diffraction light. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The substrate inspection method of claim 6, wherein the emitting the at least one light comprises emitting the at least one light in a direction parallel to a top surface of the substrate, along a virtual tangential line of the substrate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The substrate inspection method of claim 6, wherein the preparing the substrate comprises rotating the substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The substrate inspection method of claim 6, wherein the at least one light propagates as a plane wave, and the at least one diffraction light propagates as a spherical wave. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The substrate inspection method of claim 6, wherein the emitting the at least one light comprises emitting a first light, a second light, a third light, and a fourth light towards the edge region of the substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The substrate inspection method of claim 10, wherein the first light, the second light, the third light, and the fourth light have different wavelengths from each other. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The substrate inspection method of claim 10, wherein the emitting the at least one light further comprises emitting each of the first light, the second light, the third light, and the fourth light in a direction parallel to a top surface of the substrate, along a virtual tangential line of the substrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The substrate inspection method of claim 10, wherein the generating the at least one diffraction light comprises generating a first diffraction light, a second diffraction light, a third diffraction light, and a fourth diffraction light, and wherein the at least one diffraction pattern comprises a first diffraction pattern, a second diffraction pattern, a third diffraction pattern, and a fourth diffraction pattern produced by the first diffraction light, the second diffraction light, the third diffraction light, and the fourth diffraction light, respectively. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The substrate inspection method of claim 13, wherein the first diffraction pattern has a first peak, the second diffraction pattern has a second peak, the third diffraction pattern has a third peak, and the fourth diffraction pattern has a fourth peak. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The substrate inspection method of claim 14, wherein the analyzing the at least one diffraction pattern comprises evaluating the edge region of the substrate as normal based on a line passing through each of the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the fourth peak being a linear line. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The substrate inspection method of claim 14, wherein the analyzing the at least one diffraction pattern comprises evaluating the edge region of the substrate as abnormal based on a line passing through each of the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the fourth peak being a non-linear line. ### Claim 17 A substrate processing system, comprising: an interface module comprising an aligner that is configured to align a substrate; and a substrate processor connected to the interface module, wherein the substrate comprises a center region and an edge region enclosing the center region, wherein the aligner comprises: a supporter configured to rotate the substrate; an alignment detector configured to detect a notch of the substrate; and a substrate inspector configured to inspect the edge region of the substrate, and wherein the substrate inspector is configured to detect a defect on the edge region based on at least one diffraction pattern. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The substrate processing system of claim 17, wherein the substrate inspector comprises a light generator and a detector, wherein the light generator is configured to emit light in a tangential direction of the substrate, and wherein the detector is configured to detect the light that is emitted. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The substrate processing system of claim 17, wherein the substrate inspector comprises a plurality of light generators and a plurality of detectors, wherein each of the plurality of light generators is configured to emit light with a respective, different wavelength, and wherein the plurality of detectors are configured to detect the light that is emitted. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The substrate processing system of claim 17, wherein the substrate inspector comprises: a light generator configured to emit light; a beam splitter configured to split the light; and a plurality of detectors configured to detect the light.