Abstract: A surface inspection device and method wherein an illumination system is arranged so that light from a laser diode is transformed into parallel light which is then directed through a half waveplate to a surface of a reticle to be inspected. A detecting system is arranged so that scattered light from a particle on the surface, for example, is collected by a lens array onto a sensor array. The direction of polarization of the parallel light defined by the half waveplate is made substantially parallel to a plane containing optical axes of the illumination system and the detecting system. Thus, even if an error occurs in the angle of incidence of the parallel light upon the reticle, a change in scattered light intensity due to interference between scattered light is kept small to assure accurate discrimination of the particle.

Abstract: A surface state inspecting device includes an illumination system for illuminating a surface to be inspected, with a beam having non-uniform sectional intensity distribution, a uniforming system for substantially uniforming the sectional intensity distribution of the beam, and an inspecting portion for detecting scattered light from the surface to determine the state of the surface.

Abstract: A reticle is inspected for color center defects by using excimer laser used for pattern transfer to a wafer to cause fluoresence of the color centers.

Abstract: Beam scanning accompanying the rotation of a polygonal mirror for scanning is performed while projecting two light beams having different incident angles onto the polygonal mirror, and simultaneously illuminating positions having the same shape on patterns having the same shape on a reticle by two light beams reflected by the polygonal mirror. Light beams from the respective irradiated points are separately detected and compared with each other, whereby the presence of a foreign particle or the like is inspected. The interval between the irradiated points is changed by the function of an actuator in order to deal with changes and errors in the distance between patterns on different reticles.

Abstract: This invention relates to a surface state inspection apparatus, and more particularly, to a surface state inspection apparatus which is suitable for detecting foreign particles or pattern defects on a pattern or on a surface of a photomask, a reticle or the like, serving as an original plate for pattern transfer in a semiconductor exposure apparatus. Light beams issued from a point to be inspected are guided to an aperture diaphragm using an optical system from a plurality of directions, and further, to a common detector. Hence, the present invention provides the effects that the amount of scattered light detected by the common detector can be greatly increased without providing a large condenser optical system, thereby increasing the S/N ratio, and a foreign particle or a defect at the point to be inspected is completely detected even if the outgoing direction of scattered light from the foreign particle or the defect has a peculiarity.

Abstract: A foreign particle inspection arrangement includes an optical illumination system that irradiates a predetermined area of a substrate surface with fluorescence exciting ultraviolet light pulses. Fluorescence from a foreign particle on the substrate is directed by an optical detection system to a photoelectric transducer which detects accumulation of fluorescence in response to plural ultraviolet light pulses. An electrical processing system inspects the adherence of the foreign particle to the substrate on the basis of the photoelectric transducer output. A position determining type of photoelectric transducer such as a charge coupled array or pickup tube may be used to determine the position of the foreign particle to avoid misdetection due to readherence. The illumination of a large area keeps the radiation density low to prevent damage to a reticle pattern on the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a surface condition of an object having at least a first surface to be inspected and a second surface to be inspected with a higher detection resolution than the first surface includes a holding mechanism, and first and second inspection systems. The holding mechanism holds the object so as to dispose the second surface at a constant position irrespective of the distance between the first and second surfaces. The first and second inspection systems inspect the first and second surfaces of the object, respectively, and each includes an irradiator producing a condensed light beam to illuminate a surface of the object and a receiver for receiving light from a surface of the object. The first and second inspection systems set the angle subtended by the condensed light beam of the first inspection system to be smaller than the angle subtended by the condensed light beam of the second inspection system.

Abstract: An optical system is arranged so that a scanning light beam for scanning a first region to be inspected and a scanning light beam for scanning a second region to be inspected are not simultaneously incident upon an object to be inspected. This prevents an adverse influence on the inspection caused by flare light generated when one scanning light beam is incident upon an edge of the object and is received by a light-receiving optical system for the region to be inspected scanned by another scanning light beam. The system includes two polygon mirrors provided as one body in an optical system at a position for projecting the light beams so that the distance between a focus point of the light beam projected on the lower surface of the object and a focus point of the light beam projected on the upper surface of the object in the beam scanning direction is greater than the width of the object in the beam scanning direction. As a result, the two light beams are alternately incident upon the object.

Abstract: An optical unit for inspecting the state of latent images or photochromic images on a wafer is mounted on an exposure apparatus. Before actually printing images on a product wafer, a reticle pattern is printed on the wafer using a wafer on which a resist for development is coated or a photochromic film for forming photochromic images is formed. Latent images or photochromic images of the reticle pattern thus obtained are inspected by the inspection unit. According to the result of inspection, it is determined whether or not any foreign particle of a level that would affect printing is present on the reticle.

Abstract: An inspecting apparatus, for inspecting a surface state of an article to be inspected, includes a zone detecting system for detecting a zone which can cause strong scattering of light; a surface state detecting system for detecting the surface state of the article, the surface state detecting system including a light source for projecting an inspecting light beam to the article, a light scanning mechanism for relatively moving the article and the inspecting light beam so that the article is scanned with the inspecting light beam, and a photoelectric converter for detecting light from the article scanned with the inspecting light beam by the light source and the light scanning mechanism; an inspecting device for receiving an output signal from the photoelectric converter and for inspecting the surface state of the article; and a sensitivity controller for controlling the detection sensitivity of the surface state detecting system on the basis of the detection by the zone detecting system, such that when the in

Abstract: An apparatus usable with an object having surfaces, for examining the states of the surfaces, includes on irradiating system for irradiating the surfaces of the object with a single light beam, and a plurality of light-receiving systems provided in association with the surfaces of the object, respectively, the plural light-receiving systems being arranged to receive light scatteringly reflected from the surfaces of the object, respectively, and to produce outputs corresponding to the states of the surfaces of the object, respectively.

Abstract: A surface state inspecting device, usable with a sample having substantially parallel first and second surfaces coupled by a side wall, for inspecting the state of each of the surfaces, is disclosed. The device includes a light irradiating system for projecting light obliquely to the sample, from the first surface side; an inspecting system for receiving light from the first surface irradiated by the irradiating system and light from the second surface irradiated with the light passed through the first surface, for inspecting the first and second surfaces; and an inspection control system effective to set a time zone for inspection of the first surface so that it does not overlap with the moment at which light impinges on a boundary between the second surface and the side wall.

Abstract: An apparatus usable with an object having surfaces, for examining the states of the surfaces, includes on irradiating system for irradiating the surfaces of the object with a single light beam, and a plurality of light-receiving systems provided in association with the surfaces of the object, respectively, the plural light-receiving systems being arranged to receive light scatteringly reflected from the surfaces of the object, respectively, and to produce outputs corresponding to the states of the surfaces of the object, respectively.

Abstract: In a detection optical apparatus for an object having an actual circuit pattern that diffracts an incident light and has an alignment pattern, an illumination device having a first aperture for controlling the beam of light, the illumination device adapted to effect a dark-field illumination to the object, and an imaging optical system for forming the image of the object. The imaging optical system has a second aperture located at a position optically conjugate with the first aperture by way of the object, the first and second apertures being not overlapped when the image of the first aperture is formed on the second aperture. The second aperture has such a light blocking area that blocks diffraction light produced when the beam of light passed through the light-transmitting area of the first aperture is incident on the actual circuit pattern.

Abstract: An optical device including a spatial filter disposed at a location coincident with or in close proximity to a position optically conjugate with a pupil of a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a mask onto a wafer. The spatial filter is adapted to intercept a light beam specularly reflected by a surface of the mask and/or by a surface of the wafer to thereby allow photoelectric detection of a light beam scatteringly reflected from the mask surface and/or the wafer surface. The spatial filter has a variable geometry filtering portion to assume high-accuracy photoelectric detection of the scatteringly reflected light beam.

Abstract: An optical device includes an objective lens, a relay lens group for relaying the beam from the objective lens, and a compensator for compensating the variation in the optical path length, which occurs when the relative position between said objective lens and said relay lens group changes, by expanding or contracting the optical path.

Abstract: A surface inspecting device may be used to inspect the surface of a reticle having a central transparent portion, bearing a circuit pattern to be photoprinted on a semiconductor wafer, and a peripheral light-intercepting portion surrounding the central transparent portion. Particularly, the device is usable to inspect the presence/absence of dust or foreign particles which are adhered to the transparent portion of the reticle. The device is arranged to detect the position of such a foreign particle, if any, adhered to the transparent portion, while taking as a reference the boundary between the transparent portion and the light-intercepting portion of the reticle. This operation permits accurate detection of the position of the particle on the transparent portion of the reticle.

Abstract: An apparatus usable with an object having a surface with a pattern, for examining the state of the surface, includes a projecting system for directing a light beam to the surface of the object, and a collecting system for collecting scattered light from the surface of the object. A projection of the optical axis of the collecting system onto the surface of the object extends in a direction different from a projection onto the surface of the object of a major portion of light diffracted from the pattern. A light-receiving unit receives the scattered light as collected by the collecting system and for producing an output corresponding to the state of the surface of the object.

Abstract: A projection optical system including a projection optical element for projecting a pattern of a mask onto a wafer, wherein astigmatism is corrected with respect to a predetermined region of a field of the projection optical element and wherein the astigmatism is not corrected with respect to another region of the field of the projection optical element. Also provided is a detector for detecting a state of focus of the projection optical element with respect to the wafer, on the basis of the effect of the astigmatism on a light beam from the region of the field of the projection optical element, in which region the astigmatism is not corrected.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus having a single light source and a plurality of exposure stages for carrying thereon wafers, respectively. The light emitting from the light source is directed to a plurality of masks simultaneously or sequentially, so that the patterns of the masks are simultaneously or sequentially transferred onto the wafers, respectively, carried on the exposure stages. In a preferred form, the light source comprises an excimer laser providing a pulsed laser beam.