Abstract: Provided is a defect detection device including an illumination unit including a condenser lens and a plurality of light beam synthesis units, and a detection unit detecting scattered light generated on a sample by the illumination unit. The condenser lens condenses a plurality of light beams, emitted onto the sample and having substantially the same wavelength and substantially the same polarization, on the sample. The plurality of light beam synthesis units bring the plurality of light beams close to each other and make the light beams have light paths parallel to the optical axis of the condenser lens.

Abstract: In order to achieve highly precise alignment of inspection images when integrating a plurality of inspection images having different imaging conditions to improve inspection performance, and in order to achieve highly precise alignment of images acquired at different inspection angles and different polarization states, an inspection device is configured to comprise: an image acquiring unit that acquires image data, under a plurality of imaging conditions, for a sample; a feature extracting unit that extracts at least one feature point; a position correction calculating unit that calculates, on the basis of the feature point, the amount of position correction for the plurality of image data sets; a position correcting unit that corrects the position of the plurality of image data sets with the amount of position correction; and an integrating unit that detects defects by integrating a plurality of data sets for which position correction is done.

Abstract: In an defect inspection method and device, in order to detect a minute defect present on a surface of a sample with a high degree of sensitivity, a defect inspection method includes imaging the same region of a sample in a plurality of image acquisition conditions and acquiring a plurality of images, processing the plurality of acquired images and extracting a defect candidate, clipping a partial image including the extracted defect candidate and a neighboring image of the defect candidate from the acquired images based on position information of the extracted defect candidate, obtaining feature quantities of the defect candidates in the plurality of clipped partial images, associating the defect candidates that have the same coordinates on the sample and are detected in different image acquisition condition, extracting a defect from among the associated defect candidates in a multi-dimensional feature quantity space, and outputting information of the extracted defect.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for observing defects by using an SEM, wherein, in order to observe defects on a wafer at high speed and high sensitivity, positional information of defects on a sample, which has been optically inspected and detected by other inspecting apparatus, and information of the conditions of the optical inspection having been performed by other inspecting apparatus are obtained, and optically detecting the defects on the sample placed on a table, on the basis of the thus obtained information, and on the basis of the detected positional information of the defect on the sample placed on the table, the positional information of the defect having been inspected and detected by other inspecting apparatus is corrected, then, the defects on the sample placed on the table are observed by the SEM using the thus corrected positional information of the defects.

Abstract: A method for reviewing a defect including a light capturing step that illuminates a sample with light under plural optical conditions, while varying only at least one of illumination conditions, sample conditions, or detection conditions, and detects plural lights scattering from the sample; a signal obtaining step that obtains plural signals based on the lights detected; and a processing step that discriminates a defect from noise according to a waveform characteristic quantity, an image characteristic quantity, or a value characteristic quantity created using the signals and derives the coordinates of defect.

Abstract: The present invention is suppressing the elongating phenomenon in the dark field image of defects in detecting a minute defect by using a dark field microscope. Provided is a method for detecting defects in which scattered light generated from the sample, is concentrated to form an image and is captured and processed to extract a defect to find the positional information of the defect, and the positional information is output, wherein an image of the scattered light that suppresses the occurrence of the elongating phenomenon is formed for which partial shielding of a component of the forward scattered light, that passes through a region near the outer edge of the field of view of the objective lens, and the positional information for the defect is found from a luminance signal for a defect that is extracted from a captured scattered light image that suppresses the occurrence of the elongating phenomenon.

Abstract: In optical dark field defect inspection, the present invention provides including: condensing laser emitted from a light source in a line shape; reflecting the laser, with a mirror; irradiating the reflected laser via an objective lens to a sample placed on a table from a vertical direction; condensing reflected scattered light from the sample with the objective lens; shielding diffraction light occurred from a periodical pattern formed on the sample, in the reflected scattered light from the sample and scattered light occurred from the mirror, with a spatial filter; receiving the reflected scattered light from the sample, not shielded with the spatial filter, with an imaging lens, and forming an image of the reflected scattered light; detecting the image of the reflected scattered light; and processing a detection signal obtained by detecting the image of the reflected scattered light and detecting a defect on the sample.

Abstract: A defect inspection method includes irradiating a sample with laser, condensing and detecting scattered light beams, processing signals that detectors have detected and extracting a defect on a sample surface, and outputting information on the extracted defect. Detection of the scattered light beams is performed by condensing the scattered light beams, adjusting polarization directions of the condensed scattered light beams, mutually separating the light beams depending on the polarization direction, and detecting the light beams by a plurality of detectors. Extraction of the defect is performed by processing output signals from the detectors by multiplying each detection signal by a gain, discriminating between a noise and the defect, and detecting the defect.

Abstract: To detect an infinitesimal defect, highly precisely measure the dimensions of the detect, a detect inspection device is configured to comprise: a irradiation unit which irradiate light in a linear region on a surface of a sample; a detection unit which detect light from the linear region; and a signal processing unit which processes a signal obtained by detecting light and detecting a defect. The detection unit includes: an optical assembly which diffuses the light from the sample in one direction and forms an image in a direction orthogonal to the one direction; and a detection assembly having an array sensor in which detection pixels are positioned two-dimensionally, which detects the light diffused in the one direction and imaged in the direction orthogonal to the one direction, adds output signals of each of the detection pixels aligned in the direction in which the light is diffused, and outputs same.

Abstract: A defect inspection method includes an illumination light adjustment step of adjusting light emitted from a light source, an illumination intensity distribution control step of forming light flux obtained in the illumination light adjustment step into desired illumination intensity distribution, a sample scanning step of displacing a sample in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the illumination intensity distribution, a scattered light detection step of counting the number of photons of scattered light emitted from plural small areas in an area irradiated with illumination light to produce plural scattered light detection signals corresponding to the plural small areas, a defect judgment step of processing the plural scattered light detection signals to judge presence of a defect, a defect dimension judgment step of judging dimensions of the defect in each place in which the defect is judged to be present and a display step of displaying a position on sample surface and the

Abstract: A defect observation method for observing a defect on a sample detected by another inspection device with a scanning electron microscope including the steps of: optically detecting the defect using the position information for the defect: illuminating the sample including the defect with an illumination intensity pattern having periodic intensity variation in two dimensions by irradiating a plurality of illumination light beams onto the surface of the sample while phase modulating the light beams in a single direction and successively moving the light beams in small movements in a direction different from the single direction, imaging the surface of the sample that is illuminated by the illumination intensity pattern having periodic intensity variation in two dimensions and includes the defect detected by the other inspection device, and detecting the defect detected by the other inspection device from the image obtained through the imaging of the surface of the sample.

Abstract: To detect an infinitesimal defect, highly precisely measure the dimensions of the detect, a detect inspection device is configured to comprise: a irradiation unit which irradiate light in a linear region on a surface of a sample; a detection unit which detect light from the linear region; and a signal processing unit which processes a signal obtained by detecting light and detecting a defect. The detection unit includes: an optical assembly which diffuses the light from the sample in one direction and forms an image in a direction orthogonal to the one direction; and a detection assembly having an array sensor in which detection pixels are positioned two-dimensionally, which detects the light diffused in the one direction and imaged in the direction orthogonal to the one direction, adds output signals of each of the detection pixels aligned in the direction in which the light is diffused, and outputs same.

Abstract: To increase the illumination efficiency by facilitating the change of the incident angle of illumination light with a narrow illumination width according to an inspection object and enabling an illumination region to be effectively irradiated with light, provided is a defect inspection method for obliquely irradiating a sample mounted on a table that is moving continuously in one direction with illumination light, collecting scattered light from the sample obliquely irradiated with the illumination light, detecting an image of the surface of the sample formed by the scattered light, processing a signal obtained by detecting the image formed by the scattered light, and extracting a defect candidate, wherein the oblique irradiation of the light is implemented by linearly collecting light emitted from a light source, and obliquely projecting the collected light onto the surface of the sample, thereby illuminating a linear region on the surface of the sample.

Abstract: A defect inspection device inspecting a sample includes a movable table on which the sample as an inspection object and a pattern chip are mounted, an illumination light irradiation unit which irradiates a surface of the sample or a surface of the pattern chip with linearly-formed illumination light, a detection optical system section where a plurality of detection optical systems are disposed at a plurality of positions above the table and which detect images of scattered light generated from the sample, and a signal processing unit which processes detected signals to detect a defect of the sample surface, and a plurality of repeating patterns for generating the scattered light according to positions of the objective lenses of the plurality of detection optical systems of the detection optical system section when the linearly-formed illumination light is irradiated by the illumination light irradiation unit are periodically formed in the pattern chip.

Abstract: A defect inspection method includes an illumination light adjustment step of adjusting light emitted from a light source, an illumination intensity distribution control step of forming light flux obtained in the illumination light adjustment step into desired illumination intensity distribution, a sample scanning step of displacing a sample in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the illumination intensity distribution, a scattered light detection step of counting the number of photons of scattered light emitted from plural small areas in an area irradiated with illumination light to produce plural scattered light detection signals corresponding to the plural small areas, a defect judgment step of processing the plural scattered light detection signals to judge presence of a defect, a defect dimension judgment step of judging dimensions of the defect in each place in which the defect is judged to be present and a display step of displaying a position on sample surface and the

Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes: a seed light generator including a pulse signal generator that generates a pulse signal and a polarization modulator that outputs pulse light of any one of two polarization states orthogonal to each other in synchronization with the pulse signal output from the pulse signal generator; a wavelength converting unit including a branching mechanism that branches the pulse light output by the polarization modulator of the seed light generator using polarization and a converting unit that wavelength-converts the pulse light branched by the branching mechanism into beams of two different wavelengths, respectively; an illumination optical system that illuminates a surface of an inspected target material with the beams of the two different wavelengths converted by the wavelength converting unit; a detection optical system including a detecting unit that detects light generated by the beams of the two different wavelengths illuminated by the illumination optical system; and a sig

Abstract: To detect an infinitesimal defect, highly precisely measure the dimensions of the detect, a detect inspection device is configured to comprise: a irradiation unit which irradiate light in a linear region on a surface of a sample; a detection unit which detect light from the linear region; and a signal processing unit which processes a signal obtained by detecting light and detecting a defect. The detection unit includes: an optical assembly which diffuses the light from the sample in one direction and forms an image in a direction orthogonal to the one direction; and a detection assembly having an array sensor in which detection pixels are positioned two-dimensionally, which detects the light diffused in the one direction and imaged in the direction orthogonal to the one direction, adds output signals of each of the detection pixels aligned in the direction in which the light is diffused, and outputs same.

Abstract: A defect-inspection device includes an irradiation unit having an objective-pupil-optical unit that allows illumination light linearly condensed by a first light-condensing unit to pass through, and an objective lens that allows the illumination light having passed through the objective-pupil-optical unit to pass through; an irradiation-position-control unit that controls a passing position of the illumination light in the objective-pupil-optical unit disposed at a pupil surface of the objective lens; a detection unit having a second light-condensing unit that condenses light irradiated by the irradiation unit and generated from a sample, a specular-reflection light-blocking unit that blocks specular-reflection light from the sample and light components generated near the pupil surface among the light beams condensed by the second light-condensing unit, and an image-forming unit that images the light that is condensed by the second light-condensing unit and is not blocked by the specular-reflection light-bloc

Abstract: To increase the illumination efficiency by facilitating the change of the incident angle of illumination light with a narrow illumination width according to an inspection object and enabling an illumination region to be effectively irradiated with light, provided is a defect inspection method for obliquely irradiating a sample mounted on a table that is moving continuously in one direction with illumination light, collecting scattered light from the sample obliquely irradiated with the illumination light, detecting an image of the surface of the sample formed by the scattered light, processing a signal obtained by detecting the image formed by the scattered light, and extracting a defect candidate, wherein the oblique irradiation of the light is implemented by linearly collecting light emitted from a light source, and obliquely projecting the collected light onto the surface of the sample, thereby illuminating a linear region on the surface of the sample.

Abstract: The X-ray inspection device includes: an X-ray source with a focal spot size greater than the diameter of a defect for irradiating a sample with X-rays; an X-ray TDI detector arranged near the sample and having long pixels in a direction parallel to the scanning direction of the sample for detecting the X-rays emitted by the X-ray source and passing through the sample as an X-ray transmission image; and a defect-detecting unit for detecting defects based on the X-ray transmission image detected by the X-ray TDI detector.