Abstract: An inspection apparatus and method includes a light source which emits an ultraviolet laser beam, an illuminating unit having a polarization controller and an object lens for illuminating a specimen with light emitted from the light source and passed through the polarization controller and the object lens, a detection unit having a sensor for detecting light from the specimen illuminated by the illuminating unit, a processor which processes a signal output from the sensor so as to detect a defect on the specimen, and a display which displays information output from the processor. The processor processes an image formed from the signal output from the sensor in which the image is reduced in speckle pattern.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having high withstand strength against destruction. The semiconductor device 1 includes guard buried regions 44b of second conductivity type concentrically provided on a resistance layer 15 of first conductivity type and base diffusion regions 17a are provided inside of the guard buried region 44b and base buried regions 44a of the second conductivity type are provided on the bottom surface of the base diffusion regions 17a. A distance between adjacent base buried regions 44a at the bottom of the same base diffusion region 17a is Wm1, a distance between adjacent base buried regions 44a at the bottom of the different base diffusion regions 17a is Wm2, and a distance between the guard buried regions 44b is WPE. A ratio of an impurity quantity Q1 of the first conductivity type and an impurity quantity Q2 of the second conductivity type included inside the widthwise center of the innermost guard buried region 44b is 0.90<Q2/Q1 when Wm1<WPE<Wm2.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus and method includes a light source which emits an ultraviolet laser beam, an illuminating unit having a polarization controller and an object lens for illuminating a specimen with light emitted from the light source and passed through the polarization controller and the object lens, a detection unit having a sensor for detecting light from the specimen illuminated by the illuminating unit, a processor which processes a signal output from the sensor so as to detect a defect on the specimen, and a display which displays information output from the processor. The processor processes an image formed from the signal output from the sensor in which the image is reduced in speckle pattern.

Abstract: An Inspection apparatus and method includes utilizing an emitter which emits a light beam, an illumination optical system, a detection optical system, and a processor. The illumination optical system includes a polarization controller, a coherence reducer, and an objective lens, for illuminating a specimen with a polarization condition controlled and coherency reduced light beam through the objective lens. The detection optical system includes an imaging lens and a sensor for detecting an image of the specimen illuminated by the light beam through the illumination optical system. The processor processes a signal outputted from the sensor and detects a defect on the specimen.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having high withstand voltage is provided. An active groove 22a includes a long and narrow main groove part 26 and a sub groove part 27 connected to a longitudinal side surface of the main groove part, and a buried region 24 of a second conductivity type whose height is lower than the bottom surface of the base diffusion region 32a of the second conductivity type is provided on the bottom surface of the main groove part 26. An active groove filling region 25 of the second conductivity type in contact with the base diffusion region 32a is provided in the sub groove part 27. The buried region 24 is contacted to the base diffusion region 32a through the active groove filling region 25. Since one gate groove 83 is formed by the part above the buried region 24 in one active groove 22a, the gate electrode plugs 48 are not separated, which allows the electrode pattern to be simplified.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having high ruggedness is provided. The distance Wm2 between buried regions, positioned at the bottoms of different base diffusion regions and face each other, is set smaller than the distance Wm1 between buried regions positioned at the bottom of the same base diffusion region (Wm1>Wm2). An avalanche breakdown occurs under the bottom of the base diffusion region, and the avalanche current is not passed through a high resistance part immediately under the source diffusion region in the base diffusion region, thereby providing high withstand strength against destruction.

Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus for inspecting a fine circuit pattern with high resolution to detect a defective portion is constructed to have an objective lens for detecting an image of a sample, a laser illumination unit for illuminating the sample through the objective lens, a unit for reducing the coherence of the laser illumination, an accumulation type detector, and a unit for processing the detected image signal.

Abstract: A technique for improving a ruggedness of a transistor against breakdown is provided. In a transistor of the present invention, a height of filling regions is higher than that of buried regions, so that a withstanding voltage of the filling regions is higher than that of the buried regions. Therefore, since avalanche breakdown occurs in an active region, causing an avalanche breakdown current to flow through the active region having a large area, current concentration does not occur. As a result, a ruggedness of an element against breakdown is increased.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having high withstand strength against destruction. The semiconductor device 1 includes guard buried regions 44b of second conductivity type concentrically provided on a resistance layer 15 of first conductivity type and base diffusion regions 17a are provided inside of the guard buried region 44b and base buried regions 44a of the second conductivity type are provided on the bottom surface of the base diffusion regions 17a. A distance between adjacent base buried regions 44a at the bottom of the same base diffusion region 17a is Wm1, a distance between adjacent base buried regions 44a at the bottom of the different base diffusion regions 17a is Wm2, and a distance between the guard buried regions 44b is WPE. A ratio of an impurity quantity Q1 of the first conductivity type and an impurity quantity Q2 of the second conductivity type included inside the widthwise center of the innermost guard buried region 44b is 0.90<Q2/Q1 when Wm1<WPE<Wm2.

Abstract: An active groove filled region 23a is kept at a portion of an active groove 22a connecting to an embedded region 24 positioned below a gate groove 83. The active groove filled region 23a connects to a source electrode film 58a so as to have the same electric potential as a source region 64. When a reverse bias is applied between a base region 32a and a conductive layer 12, a reverse bias is also applied between the embedded region 24 and the conductive layer 12; and therefore, depletion layers spread out together and a withstanding voltage is increased.

Abstract: An Inspection apparatus and method includes utilizing an emitter which emits a light beam, an illumination optical system, a detection optical system, and a processor. The illumination optical system includes a polarization controller, a coherence reducer, and an objective lens, for illuminating a specimen with a polarization condition controlled and coherency reduced light beam through the objective lens. The detection optical system includes an imaging lens and a sensor for detecting an image of the specimen illuminated by the light beam through the illumination optical system. The processor processes a signal outputted from the sensor and detects a defect on the specimen.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having high withstand voltage is provided. An active groove 22a includes a long and narrow main groove part 26 and a sub groove part 27 connected to a longitudinal side surface of the main groove part, and a buried region 24 of a second conductivity type whose height is lower than the bottom surface of the base diffusion region 32a of the second conductivity type is provided on the bottom surface of the main groove part 26. An active groove filling region 25 of the second conductivity type in contact with the base diffusion region 32a is provided in the sub groove part 27. The buried region 24 is contacted to the base diffusion region 32a through the active groove filling region 25. Since one gate groove 83 is formed by the part above the buried region 24 in one active groove 22a, the gate electrode plugs 48 are not separated, which allows the electrode pattern to be simplified.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having high ruggedness is provided. The distance Wm2 between buried regions, positioned at the bottoms of different base diffusion regions and face each other, is set smaller than the distance Wm1 between buried regions positioned at the bottom of the same base diffusion region (Wm1>Wm2). An avalanche breakdown occurs under the bottom of the base diffusion region, and the avalanche current is not passed through a high resistance part immediately under the source diffusion region in the base diffusion region, thereby providing high withstand strength against destruction.

Abstract: An Inspection apparatus and method includes utilizing a laser source which emits an ultraviolet laser beam, an illumination optical system, a detection optical system, and a processor. The illumination optical system includes a polarization controller, a coherence reducer and an objective lens for illuminating a specimen with a polarization condition controlled and coherency reduced ultraviolet laser beam through the objective lens. The detection optical system includes an imaging lens and a sensor for detecting an image of the specimen illuminated by the ultraviolet laser beam through the illumination optical system. The processor processes a signal outputted from the sensor and detects a defect on the specimen.

Abstract: A technique for improving a ruggedness of a transistor against breakdown is provided. In a transistor of the present invention, a height of filling regions is higher than that of buried regions, so that a withstanding voltage of the filling regions is higher than that of the buried regions. Therefore, since avalanche breakdown occurs in an active region, causing an avalanche breakdown current to flow through the active region having a large area, current concentration does not occur. As a result, a ruggedness of an element against breakdown is increased.

Abstract: An Inspection apparatus and method includes utilizing a laser source which emits an ultraviolet laser beam, an illumination optical system, a detection optical system, and a processor. The illumination optical system includes a polarization controller, a coherence reducer and an objective lens for illuminating a specimen with a polarization condition controlled and coherency reduced ultraviolet laser beam through the objective lens. The detection optical system includes an imaging lens and a sensor for detecting an image of the specimen illuminated by the ultraviolet laser beam through the illumination optical system. The processor processes a signal outputted from the sensor and detects a defect on the specimen.

Abstract: An active groove filled region 23a is kept at a portion of an active groove 22a connecting to an embedded region 24 positioned below a gate groove 83. The active groove filled region 23a connects to a source electrode film 58a so as to have the same electric potential as a source region 64. When a reverse bias is applied between a base region 32a and a conductive layer 12, a reverse bias is also applied between the embedded region 24 and the conductive layer 12; and therefore, depletion layers spread out together and a withstanding voltage is increased.

Abstract: Inspection apparatus and method in which laser source emits a laser beam and a coherence of the laser beam emitted from the laser source is reduced by a coherence reducer. A detector detects light from the sample irradiated with the coherence reduced laser beam and a processor processes a signal outputted from the detector and detects a defect on the sample. The coherence reducer has an optical path which includes a plurality of at least one of optical fibers and glass rods.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having guard grooves uniformly filled with a semiconductor filler is provided. The four corners of a rectangular ring-shaped guard groove meet at right angles, and outer and inner auxiliary diffusion regions both rounded are connected to the four corners. Since the guard grooves do not have to be rounded, the plane orientation of a silicon single crystal exposed inside the guard grooves can be all {100}. Therefore, epitaxial growth in the guard grooves is uniformly carried out, and the grooves are filled with guard regions without defects.

Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus for inspecting a fine circuit pattern with high resolution to detect a defective portion is constructed to have an objective lens for detecting an image of a sample, a laser illumination unit for illuminating the sample through the objective lens, a unit for reducing the coherence of the laser illumination, an accumulation type detector, and a unit for processing the detected image signal.