Abstract: There is provided a method for inspecting a substrate including: irradiating an illumination light onto a first surface or a second surface opposite to the first surface, of a substrate in which a pattern having a periodicity and extending from the first surface to an inside of the substrate is formed in the first surface, the illumination light having a permeability to permeate the substrate to a predetermined depth; detecting a light reflected from or transmitted through the substrate due to irradiation of the illumination light; and inspecting the substrate by utilizing information based on the periodicity of the pattern obtained from detection of the light reflected from or transmitted through the substrate.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus (1) has a stage (5) for supporting a wafer (10) on which predetermined patterns have been formed by exposure using an exposure device (100); an illumination system (20) for irradiating an illuminating light on the surface of the wafer (10) supported by the stage (5); an imaging device (35) for detecting light from the surface of the wafer (10) on which illuminating light has been irradiated, and outputting a detection signal; and an image processing unit (40) for determining the focus state during exposure, on the basis of the detection signal sent from the imaging device (35).

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus includes: a detection unit configured to detect a first detection signal according to a first diffracted light beam and a second detection signal according to a second diffracted light beam; a storage unit which is configured to store a first reference data and a second reference data; and a determination unit which is configured to determine a processing condition of the pattern in the substrate as an inspection object substrate, based on consistency between the first detection signal and the first reference data, and consistency between the second detection signal and the second reference data.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus includes: a detection unit configured to detect a first detection signal according to a first diffracted light beam and a second detection signal according to a second diffracted light beam; a storage unit which is configured to store a first reference data and a second reference data; and a determination unit which is configured to determine a processing condition of the pattern in the substrate as an inspection object substrate, based on consistency between the first detection signal and the first reference data, and consistency between the second detection signal and the second reference data.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus includes: an irradiation unit; a detection unit configured to detect a first detection signal according to a first light beam and a second detection signal according to a second light beam; a providing unit which is configured to provide a first reference data and a second reference data; and a determination unit which is configured to determine a processing condition of the pattern in the substrate as an inspection object substrate, based on consistency between the first detection signal and the first reference data, and consistency between the second detection signal and the second reference data.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus includes: an irradiation unit; a detection unit configured to detect a first detection signal according to a first light beam and a second detection signal according to a second light beam; a providing unit which is configured to provide a first reference data and a second reference data; and a determination unit which is configured to determine a processing condition of the pattern in the substrate as an inspection object substrate, based on consistency between the first detection signal and the first reference data, and consistency between the second detection signal and the second reference data.

Abstract: There is provided a measuring apparatus including: an illuminator configured to illuminate, with an illumination light, a substrate having a pattern formed by exposure on a surface; a detector configured to detect the illumination light modulated by the pattern to output a detection signal; and a measuring unit configured to measure an exposure condition of the pattern of a desired portion by using the detection signals detected at a plurality of portions of the pattern.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus (1) has a stage (5) for supporting a wafer (10) on which predetermined patterns have been formed by exposure using an exposure device (100); an illumination system (20) for irradiating an illuminating light on the surface of the wafer (10) supported by the stage (5); an imaging device (35) for detecting light from the surface of the wafer (10) on which illuminating light has been irradiated, and outputting a detection signal; and an image processing unit (40) for determining the focus state during exposure, on the basis of the detection signal sent from the imaging device (35).

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus includes: an irradiation unit; a detection unit configured to detect a first detection signal according to a first light beam and a second detection signal according to a second light beam; a providing unit which is configured to provide a first reference data and a second reference data; and a determination unit which is configured to determine a processing condition of the pattern in the substrate as an inspection object substrate, based on consistency between the first detection signal and the first reference data, and consistency between the second detection signal and the second reference data.

Abstract: There is provided a method for inspecting a substrate including: irradiating an illumination light onto a first surface or a second surface opposite to the first surface, of a substrate in which a pattern having a periodicity and extending from the first surface to an inside of the substrate is formed in the first surface, the illumination light having a permeability to permeate the substrate to a predetermined depth; detecting a light reflected from or transmitted through the substrate due to irradiation of the illumination light; and inspecting the substrate by utilizing information based on the periodicity of the pattern obtained from detection of the light reflected from or transmitted through the substrate.

Abstract: A surface inspection method inspects a surface of a wafer having a repeated pattern formed by double patterning. The method includes: a first step (S121) which applies an inspection light to a surface of a wafer; a second step (S122) which detects a diffracted light from the surface of the wafer to which the inspection light has been applied; and a third step (S123) which checks whether a defect is present in the repeated pattern according to the diffracted light detected in the second step. The second step detects a diffracted light corresponding to a pattern having a pitch multiplied by 2 with respect to the pitch of the repeated pattern.

Abstract: A surface inspection device includes an illumination optical system that illuminates, with a linearly polarized light, a surface of a wafer where a repeated pattern is formed; an alignment stage that holds the wafer; a pick-up optical system that picks up an image of reflected light from the surface of the wafer; an image storage unit that stores the image picked up by the pick-up optical system; an image processing unit that performs predetermined image processing on the image stored in the image storage unit and detects a defect of the repeated pattern; and an image output unit that outputs the results of the image processing by the image processing unit. The orientation of the transmission axis of a second polarizing plate is set to be inclined at 45 degrees with respect to the transmission axis of a first polarizing plate.

Abstract: A surface inspection method inspects a surface of a wafer having a repeated pattern formed by double patterning. The method includes: a first step (S121) which applies an inspection light to a surface of a wafer; a second step (S122) which detects a diffracted light from the surface of the wafer to which the inspection light has been applied; and a third step (S123) which checks whether a defect is present in the repeated pattern according to the diffracted light detected in the second step. The second step detects a diffracted light corresponding to a pattern having a pitch multiplied by 2 with respect to the pitch of the repeated pattern.

Abstract: In a manufacturing method for an inspection device, a distortion measurement step has a first step of a line sensor picking up an image of a linear pattern extending substantially in parallel with a main scanning axis direction to create two-dimensional image data of the linear pattern, and calculating a distortion amount in a sub-scanning axis direction in a two-dimensional image from the created two-dimensional image data of the linear pattern; and a second step of the line sensor picking up an image of an oblique linear pattern extending in an inclined direction with respect to the main scanning axis direction to create two-dimensional image data of the oblique pattern, and calculating a distortion amount in the main scanning axis direction in the two-dimensional image from the created two-dimensional image data of the oblique pattern and the distortion amount in the sub-scanning axis direction calculated in the first step.

Abstract: A surface inspection device includes an illumination optical system that illuminates, with a linearly polarized light, a surface of a wafer where a repeated pattern is formed; an alignment stage that holds the wafer; a pick-up optical system that picks up an image of reflected light from the surface of the wafer; an image storage unit that stores the image picked up by the pick-up optical system; an image processing unit that performs predetermined image processing on the image stored in the image storage unit and detects a defect of the repeated pattern; and an image output unit that outputs the results of the image processing by the image processing unit. The orientation of the transmission axis of a second polarizing plate is set to be inclined at 45 degrees with respect to the transmission axis of a first polarizing plate.

Abstract: A surface inspection device, including an illumination light source that irradiates a surface of a wafer with an inspection illumination light; a camera that receives a scattered light from the wafer irradiate with the inspection illumination light, and captures an image of the surface; a display device that displays the image of the wafer surface captured by an image sensing element of the camera; and an image expansion processing device that expands a portion having a high luminance in the image of the surface of the wafer captured by the image sensing element and causes the display device to display the expanded image.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a pattern formed on an object such as a mask or a reticle in accordance with design data includes a character extraction circuit that employs a multiplicity of templates for detecting any of a plurality of different types of bends of an edge of the pattern with respect to a reference edge, for any of a plurality of rotation angles of the reference edge. Although a large number of templates is employed, template outputs are sorted into a small number of groups, and a comparison is made between synthesized template outputs for data representing an image of a pattern region on the object and for corresponding reference data. The apparatus also includes a direct comparison circuit for comparing image data and reference data to detect defects in the pattern and to determine the size of any defect along different directions (ignoring size along an edge of the pattern). The direct comparison circuit also determines the maximum size of the defect along the different directions.

Abstract: A pattern inspection apparatus for accurately inspecting a pattern such that design image data is processed in correspondence to resizing of a pattern to be inspected. Image data corresponding to an image area of a predetermined size is extracted from input information represented by binary logic levels and representing a pattern to be resized. Template circuits add additional data of a predetermined logic level to a predetermined pixel position when a distribution of the image logic levels included in the extracted image data is a predetermined distribution. Thus, the additional data is added to the pattern image data to resize the pattern.

Abstract: A pattern forming apparatus for inverting at least one of plural patterns according to numerical design data respectively representing the plural patterns and synthesizing thus inverted pattern with the remainder of the plural patterns, comprises first operation device for attaching a flag of a positive image to the design data of uninverted patterns, and attaching a flag of an inverted image to the design data of inverted patterns, second operation device for handling the entire area of either inverted patterns or uninverted ones among the plural patterns as a single pattern, and attaching a corresponding flag to the design data of the pattern, and image forming device for forming image data of the area according to the data of the second operation device and then forming image data of each pattern according to the data of the first operation device.