Abstract: A semiconductor device having grooves uniformly filled with semiconductor fillers is provided. Both ends of each of narrow active grooves are connected to an inner circumferential groove surrounding the active grooves. The growth speed of semiconductor fillers on both ends of the active grooves becomes equal to that at their central portions. As a result, a semiconductor device having the active grooves filled with the semiconductor fillers at a uniform height is obtained.

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 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 method of inspecting a pattern formed on a substrate, comprising the steps of emitting an ultraviolet laser beam from a light source, polarizing the ultraviolet laser beam, scanning the polarized ultraviolet laser beam on a pupil of an objective lens, illuminating a sample with the polarized ultraviolet laser beam after the polarized ultraviolet light beam has passed through the objective lens, analyzing light reflected from the sample as a result of the illuminating step after the reflected light has passed through the objective lens, detecting an image of the sample formed by the analyzed light with a time delay integration sensor, outputting signals corresponding to the detected image of the sample from the time delay integration sensor in parallel, and processing the parallel signals outputted from the time delay integration sensor to detect a defect of a pattern on the sample.

Abstract: With a view to provide a method and equipment for detecting a minute circuit pattern with a high resolution, pattern defect detecting equipment is provided, comprising: an ultraviolet laser source; coherence reducing means for reducing the coherence of the ultraviolet laser beam emitted from this ultraviolet laser source; projecting means for projecting the ultraviolet laser beam passing through this coherence reducing means on a pupil of an objecting lens; illuminating means for illuminating a detection field of view in the object uniformly by the ultraviolet laser beam projected on the pupil of the objective lens by this projecting means through the objective lens; image detecting means for detecting an image of the object illuminated almost uniformly by the illuminating means; and detecting means for detecting a defect on the object by comparing image data obtained from the image of the object detected by this image detecting means to image data stored beforehand.

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 semiconductor device having grooves uniformly filled with semiconductor fillers is provided. Both ends of each of narrow active grooves are connected to an inner circumferential groove surrounding the active grooves. The growth speed of semiconductor fillers on both ends of the active grooves becomes equal to that at their central portions. As a result, a semiconductor device having the active grooves filled with the semiconductor fillers at a uniform height is obtained.

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: In a method and apparatus for detecting pattern defects, a UV laser is focused on a pupil of an objective lens and scanned; the focused and scanned UV lens illuminates a specimen on which patterns are formed; the specimen illuminated by the UV laser is imaged: and the resulting image of the specimen is compared with a previously stored reference image. The specimen illuminated by UV light is imaged using an anti-blooming time delay integration image sensor or a back-illumination time delay integration image sensor; and the resulting specimen image is compared with a previously stored reference image.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a pattern formed on a substrate, comprising the steps of emitting an ultraviolet laser beam from a light source, polarizing the ultraviolet laser beam, scanning the polarized ultraviolet laser beam on a pupil of an objective lens, illuminating a sample with the polarized ultraviolet laser beam after the polarized ultraviolet light beam has passed through the objective lens, analyzing light reflected from the sample as a result of the illuminating step after the reflected light has passed through the objective lens, detecting an image of the sample formed by the analyzed light with a time delay integration sensor, outputting signals corresponding to the detected image of the sample from the time delay integration sensor in parallel, and processing the parallel signals outputted from the time delay integration sensor to detect a defect of a pattern on the sample.

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 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 reticle inspecting apparatus for inspecting a reticle for defects has a transparent or translucent substrate, a circuit pattern formed on the front surface of the substrate, and a phase shifter formed of a light-transmissive film on the front surface of the substrate. In the apparatus, a detection optical system is disposed so as not to gather directly reflected light and directly transmitted light and so as to gather scattered light and diffracted light which has been scattered and diffracted, respectively, by the reticle. This detection optical system is capable of separating the gathered light by direction of illumination using detectors, and spatial filters disposed respectively on Fourier transform planes to intercept light diffracted by straight edges of the circuit pattern, so as to form images of gathered light on the detectors.

Abstract: A reticle inspecting apparatus for inspecting a reticle for defects has a transparent of translucent substrate, a circuit pattern formed on the front surface of the substrate, and a phase shifter formed of a light-transmissive film on the front surface of the substrate. In the apparatus, a detection optical system is disposed so as not to gather directly reflected light and directly transmitted light and so as to gather scattered light and diffracted light which has been scattered and diffracted, respectively, by the reticle. This detection optical system enables separation of the gathered light by direction of illumination using detectors and spatial filters disposed respectively on Fourier transform planes to intercept light diffracted by straight edges of the circuit pattern, so as to form images of gathered light on the detectors. A signal processing system having a signal processing unit calculates defects on the basis of the output signals of the detectors and displays the calculated data on a display.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a phase shift reticle comprising a transparent or translucent substrate, a circuit pattern of an opaque film formed on the front surface of the substrate and a pattern of a transparent or translucent film formed on the front surface of the substrate comprises: obliquely projecting a front illuminating light beam on the front surface of the substrate by a front illuminating system; concentrating scattered light scattered by the surface of the substrate and the surfaces of the patterns, obliquely projecting a back illuminating light beam on the back surface of the substrate by a back illuminating system, concentrating transmitted-and-diffracted light transmitted and diffracted by the substrate and the patterns; intercepting the scattered light scattered by the patterns and the transmitted-and-diffracted light transmitted and diffracted by the patterns with spatial filters disposed on Fourier transform planes, focusing the scattered light and the transmitted-and-diffracted light transmitte

Abstract: A foreign particle inspection apparatus includes a detection optical system (4) for condensing scattered light generated by slant illumination (2) by an optical system (41) with a NA of more than 0.4 from the rear side of a sample using a transparent or semitransparent substrate having an opaque circuit pattern. The circuit pattern, such as a reticle, etc., has a phase shift film for improving the patterning resolution, for shielding diffracted light from the circuit pattern by a spatial filter (44) mounted on the Fourier transform plane, and for forming images on a detector (51). A circuit (113) is also provided for correcting detected values of the detector according to uneven illumination, and a circuit for obtaining the added value of detected values of 2 by 2 pixels. A circuit (114) is provided for obtaining the maximum value of four added values which are shifted pixel by pixel in the four directions around each detector pixel.

Abstract: Method of inspecting reticles and an apparatus therefor, where means for holding and transferring an inspected reticle and a standard reticle respectively, means for illuminating light with spatial coherency adjusted onto both reticles respectively, and an objective lens for collecting transmitted light or reflected light from the illuminated body produced by the illuminating, are installed on respective Fourier transformation surfaces of both reticle surfaces, and a light blocking plate for blocking light corresponding to the adjusted spatial coherency is installed, and electric signals obtained are compared thereby a defect or a foreign substance existing on the inspected reticle can be detected.

Abstract: A system for detecting abnormal patterns in a surface pattern on the surface of a sample wherein, when the abnormal pattern has a portion smaller than the surface pattern, the light for illuminating the sample is stopped down to an opening so that the abnormal pattern can be distinguished over the surface pattern, the surface pattern is limited to a predetermined opening by the illumination light to form an image on a detector, and the surface pattern detected by the detector is processed to detect the abnormal pattern in the surface pattern. Further, the plurality of light rays having good directivity are illuminated onto a point on the surface of the sample from dissimilar directions maintaining a predetermined angle of incidence, the detect signals are separated to be corresponded to said light rays, and the above processing is carried out to enhance the precision of detection.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for detecting a fine foreign substance in which the surface of a specimen is illuminated with linearly-polarized laser beam to detect light scattered from the surface and having passed through a polarization filter, the back side of the specimen is illuminated with light from a light source such as a mercury lamp to obtain the light and darkness information or phase information on the specimen surface by transmitted light from the specimen, and fine massive and filmy foreign substances on the specimen surface are detected on the basis of information given by the scattered light and transmitted light.