Abstract: The present invention aims of preventing a diffracted light, in testing to detect a foreign substance or a flaw on a tested substrate having a repeated pattern, from entering the eye of the observer or a light receiving optical system to be hindrance to the defect test, by providing a defect testing apparatus which comprising: a light source; an illumination optical system for applying a light flux from the light source onto a tested substrate having a repeated pattern at a predetermined angle of incidence; a light receiving optical system for receiving a scattered light from the tested substrate; an image pick-up device for picking up an image formed by the light receiving optical system; a display device for displaying the image obtained by the image pick-up device; and a test stage for mounting the tested substrate thereon at the time of testing, wherein the tested substrate and the illumination optical system are arranged to be rotatable relatively to each other.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus of the present invention comprises: an illumination optical system 100 which is fixed at a first predetermined angle with respect to a wafer 3 and which irradiates a substantially parallel illuminating light toward the entire surface of the wafer 3; an image pickup device 6 which is fixed at a second predetermined angle with respect to the wafer 3 and which receives diffracted light or scattered light from the wafer 3 and projects an image of the wafer; and an image processing apparatus 7 which performs a macro inspection by taking the image signal generated by the image pickup device 6 and carrying out image processing, and is further provided with a plurality of interference filters F1˜F4 to enable the variable setting of the wavelength of the illuminating light from the illumination optical system 100.

Abstract: The present invention aims of preventing a diffracted light, in testing to detect a foreign substance or a flaw on a tested substrate having a repeated pattern, from entering the eye of the observer or a light receiving optical system to be hindrance to the defect test, by providing a defect testing apparatus which comprising: a light source; an illumination optical system for applying a light flux from the light source onto a tested substrate having a repeated pattern at a predetermined angle of incidence; a light receiving optical system for receiving a scattered light from the tested substrate; an image pick-up device for picking up an image formed by the light receiving optical system; a display device for displaying the image obtained by the image pick-up device; and a test stage for mounting the tested substrate thereon at the time of testing, wherein the tested substrate and the illumination optical system are arranged to be rotatable relatively to each other.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus is provided which uses at least two sets of surface inspection systems each comprising with a paired surface illumination device (A1, B1) and detection device (A2, B2), with each set of illumination devices and detection devices creating their own irradiation regions (51A, 51B) and detection regions (23A,23B), in which the irradiation and detection regions of one pair of illumination and detection devices does not over lap the illumination and detection regions of the adjacent pair of illumination and detection devices. The surface illumination devices preferably project light at an angle of 80° or more with respect to a normal to the surface being inspected (21). The detection devices detect light scattered by dust or defects on the surface to be inspected. The surface to be inspected can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the illumination and detection regions on the surface being inspected. Thus, the entire surface can be inspected.

Abstract: An image detection apparatus (10) having an illumination system (IS) irradiates light onto the surface (30S) of an object 30 to be inspected for defects. A detection optical system (34) condenses the light from the surface and forms an image of the surface on an image detector (48). The detection optical system includes a receiving mirror (38) having an optical axis (A.sub.38) that intersects the reference optical axis (A.sub.34) of the detection optical system. A processing apparatus (60) includes a processing system (62) that performs image processing based on an output from the detector corresponding to the image. The processing system includes an image distortion correction unit (62a) for eliminating the effects of distortion in the image of the surface generated by the inclination of the surface with respect to the reference optical axis and the receiving mirror.

Abstract: An optical detection system capable of detecting even small particles or defects on a specimen such as a mask with high sensitivity and being unaffected by diffracted light from the edges of the pattern even when inspecting a thick specimen. The optical detection system includes a light emission means for illuminating a pattern surface on the specimen with light, a first light reception optical system placed on the pattern surface side of the specimen for receiving scattered light emanating from the pattern surface, a second light reception optical system placed on the glass side of the specimen in symmetry with the first light reception optical system relative to the pattern surface for receiving scattered light emanating from the pattern surface through the specimen and a corrective optical element for correcting for differences in the aberration states of the first and second light reception optical systems.

Abstract: Position-detection apparatus (alignment sensors) are disclosed for determining the position of an object (e.g., wafer, bearing a position-detection mark) as required in microlithography processes for manufacturing semiconductor devices and displays. The apparatus comprises an irradiation optical system, a condenser optical system, a first photoelectric detector, a fiducial body bearing a fiducial mark, a combining optical system, a second photoelectric detector, and a processor. The position-detection and fiducial marks are illuminated with coherent illumination light from the irradiation optical system. Light diffracted from the marks is condensed by the condenser optical system. The first photoelectric detector receives the condensed diffracted light and produces first electrical signals. The combining optical system receives the diffracted light from the fiducial mark. The second photoelectric detector receives multiple diffracted light beams from the fiducial mark and produces second electrical signals.

Abstract: A position detection apparatus has a substrate on which a diffraction grating is formed and an alignment optical system for illuminating the diffraction grating with a pair of coherent light beams having different frequencies from each other from different directions. The intensity of interference fringes formed due to the interference of diffracted beams generated in the diffraction grating is detected photo-electrically. The alignment optical system forms the pair of coherent light by using an optical modulator, and two luminous fluxes from the optical modulator pass through independent optical paths positioned symmetrically with the optical axis of the alignment optical system therebetween and reach the diffraction grating from different directions. The alignment optical system has a stop having an opening having an inclined edge with respect to the direction of the grating components of the diffraction grating, the opening being in conjugation with the substrate.

Abstract: A position detection apparatus has a substrate on which a diffraction grating is formed and an alignment optical system for illuminating the diffraction grating with a pair of coherent light beams having different frequencies from each other from different directions. The intensity of interference fringes formed due to the interference of diffracted beams generated in the diffraction grating is detected photo-electrically. The alignment optical system forms the pair of coherent light by using an optical modulator, and two luminous fluxes from the optical modulator pass through independent optical paths positioned symmetrically with the optical axis of the alignment optical system therebetween and reach the diffraction grating from different directions. The alignment optical system has a stop having an opening having an inclined edge with respect to the direction of the grating components of the diffraction grating, the opening being in conjugation with the substrate.

Abstract: A portable printing system is provided for printing an image, such as alphanumeric or symbol information on a moveable recording medium, such as a tape, a sheet or the like, by means of manual scanning of the recording medium relative to the printing system. The printing system comprises a hand-held printer unit including a print head having an array of printing elements in combination with an adjacently disposed drive roller both disposed in cooperative arrangement along one edge of the printer unit. The drive roller is coupled to an encoder inside the unit that generates timing pulses upon rotational movement of the drive roller which control the rate of printing at the printing head of the printer to synchronize printing with the rate of movement of the recording medium relative to the printer unit.