Abstract: Provided is a feature for highly precisely manufacturing a concave diffraction grating that has a uniform diffraction grating pattern. This method for manufacturing a concave diffraction grating includes: preparing a flat diffraction grating that has a lattice groove and that also has an elongated section, a thin-film section, or a low-friction section formed outside of a region for forming a mold for the concave diffraction grating; mounting the flat diffraction grating on a convex substrate and acquiring the mold for the concave diffraction grating; and transferring the lattice groove in the mold to the concave substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a concave diffraction grating and an optical device using the concave diffraction grating, the concave diffraction grating being capable of preventing deformation of a reflection film due to the influence of temperature, and preventing deterioration in optical characteristic due to temperature. This concave diffraction grating is provided with: a reflection film (22) having a plurality of grating grooves (21); a holding film (25) comprising metal and having one surface on which the reflection film (22) is provided; a concave substrate (24) having a concave surface (24a); and an affixing layer (23) provided between the concave surface (24a) and the other surface of the holding film (25), and affixing the holding film (25) and the reflection film (22) to the concave substrate (24).

Abstract: The present invention provides a concave diffraction grating capable of improved diffraction efficiency by suppressing spherical aberration. The concave diffraction grating is a concave diffraction grating 2 for dispersing and focusing light and comprises sawtooth grating grooves 21 on a concave substrate 24, with the sawtooth grating grooves 21 being unequally spaced. The concave diffraction grating 2 for dispersing and focusing light is formed by preparing a planar diffraction grating with a sawtooth shape which is formed on a planar substrate by photo-lithography and etching or machining and which forms unequally spaced grating grooves 21, deforming and mounting the planar diffraction grating along a fixed convex substrate to obtain a mold of a concave diffraction grating, and transferring the mold of the concave diffraction grating to the surface of a metal or a resin.

Abstract: The present invention provides a concave diffraction grating capable of improved diffraction efficiency by suppressing spherical aberration. The concave diffraction grating is a concave diffraction grating 2 for dispersing and focusing light and comprises sawtooth grating grooves 21 on a concave substrate 24, with the sawtooth grating grooves 21 being unequally spaced. The concave diffraction grating 2 for dispersing and focusing light is formed by preparing a planar diffraction grating with a sawtooth shape which is formed on a planar substrate by photo-lithography and etching or machining and which forms unequally spaced grating grooves 21, deforming and mounting the planar diffraction grating along a fixed convex substrate to obtain a mold of a concave diffraction grating, and transferring the mold of the concave diffraction grating to the surface of a metal or a resin.

Abstract: A technique is provided which enables preparation of a curved grating having a desired curvature, by plastically deforming, along a curved substrate, a flat grating prepared by a semiconductor process on a silicon substrate, and which thus prepares a diffraction grating with high accuracy. A silicon flat grating prepared by a semiconductor process is transferred to an amorphous material, and the amorphous material substrate is curved and mounted on a curved fixed substrate, thus providing a curved grating having a crystalline material in which the generation of a dislocation line is restrained.

Abstract: An abnormality processing system is provided capable of executing appropriate processing in cases where an abnormality occurs in a worker's living body. A management computer 300, if determining that an abnormality is present in a worker's living body, transmits an abnormality signal to an administrator terminal 100, a work device 200, a worker camera 20 and a surveillance camera 50. When receiving the abnormality signal, the administrator terminal 100 displays an image showing that an abnormality has occurred. When receiving the abnormality signal, the work device 200 stops operation. When receiving the abnormality signal, the worker camera 20 and the surveillance camera 50 transmit to the management computer 300 imaging data containing at least data of images before and after a timing at which the abnormality has occurred in the worker's living body.

Abstract: A curved surface diffraction grating fabrication method for fabricating a curved surface diffraction grating having a desired curvature with high accuracy, includes: a step of forming a diffraction grating pattern on a flat-shaped silicon substrate; a step of curving the silicon substrate on which the diffraction grating pattern is formed, by pressing, in a heated state, a fixing substrate having a shape with a desired curved surface onto the silicon substrate and of fixing the silicon substrate on which the diffraction grating pattern is formed to the fixing substrate having the shape with the curved surface, to fabricate a curved surface diffraction grating cast; and a step of bringing a member having flexibility into contact with the curved surface diffraction grating cast, to transfer the diffraction grating pattern to the member.

Abstract: To provide a technique that can measure a surface profile of any test object in a nondestructive manner and noncontact manner, highly accurately, and in a wide tilt angle dynamic range. In white light interference method using a dual beam interferometer, the technique is configured to be capable of changing a surface orientation of a standard plane with respect to an incident optical axis on the standard plane, acquires, while relatively changing the surface orientation of the standard plane with respect to a local surface orientation in any position on a test surface, a plurality of interferograms generated by interference of reflected light from the test surface and reflected light from the standard plane, and calculates the local surface orientation on the test surface from the interferograms to thereby measure a surface profile of the test surface.

Abstract: A technique is provided which enables preparation of a curved grating having a desired curvature, by plastically deforming, along a curved substrate, a flat grating prepared by a semiconductor process on a silicon substrate, and which thus prepares a diffraction grating with high accuracy. A silicon flat grating prepared by a semiconductor process is transferred to an amorphous material, and the amorphous material substrate is curved and mounted on a curved fixed substrate, thus providing a curved grating having a crystalline material in which the generation of a dislocation line is restrained.

Abstract: A technique of forming an asymmetric pattern by using a phase shift mask, and further, techniques of manufacturing a diffraction grating and a semiconductor device, capable of improving accuracy of a product and capable of shortening manufacturing time. In a method of manufacturing a diffraction grating by using a phase shift mask (in which a light shield part and a light transmission part are periodically arranged), light emitted from an illumination light source is transmitted through the phase shift mask, and a photoresist on a surface of a Si wafer is exposed by providing interference between zero diffraction order light and positive first diffraction order light which are generated by the transmission through this phase shift mask onto the surface of the Si wafer, and a diffraction grating which has a blazed cross-sectional shape is formed on the Si wafer.

Abstract: To provide a technique that can measure a surface profile of any test object in a nondestructive manner and noncontact manner, highly accurately, and in a wide tilt angle dynamic range. In white light interference method using a dual beam interferometer, the technique is configured to be capable of changing a surface orientation of a standard plane with respect to an incident optical axis on the standard plane, acquires, while relatively changing the surface orientation of the standard plane with respect to a local surface orientation in any position on a test surface, a plurality of interferograms generated by interference of reflected light from the test surface and reflected light from the standard plane, and calculates the local surface orientation on the test surface from the interferograms to thereby measure a surface profile of the test surface.

Abstract: A surface inspecting apparatus can inspect a smaller defect by using a PSL of a smaller particle size. However, the particle size of the PSL is restricted. In the conventional surface inspecting apparatus, therefore, no consideration has been taken as to how to inspect the defect of such a small particle size as is not set in the PSL which will be needed in the near future in an inspection of a semiconductor manufacturing step. The invention has a light source device for generating light which simulated at least one of a wavelength, a light intensity, a time-dependent change of the light intensity, and a polarization of light which was scattered, diffracted, or reflected by an inspection object, and the light is inputted to a photodetector of the surface inspecting apparatus. The smaller defect can be inspected.

Abstract: A curved surface diffraction grating fabrication method for fabricating a curved surface diffraction grating having a desired curvature with high accuracy, includes: a step of forming a diffraction grating pattern on a flat-shaped silicon substrate; a step of curving the silicon substrate on which the diffraction grating pattern is formed, by pressing, in a heated state, a fixing substrate having a shape with a desired curved surface onto the silicon substrate and of fixing the silicon substrate on which the diffraction grating pattern is formed to the fixing substrate having the shape with the curved surface, to fabricate a curved surface diffraction grating cast; and a step of bringing a member having flexibility into contact with the curved surface diffraction grating cast, to transfer the diffraction grating pattern to the member.

Abstract: A surface inspecting apparatus rotates a semiconductor wafer 100 (inspection object) as a main scan while translating the semiconductor wafer 100 as an auxiliary scan, illuminates the surface of the semiconductor wafer 100 with illuminating light 21, thereby forms an illumination spot 3 as the illumination area of the illuminating light 21, detects scattered or diffracted or reflected light from the illumination spot, and detects a foreign object existing on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 100 or in a part of the semiconductor wafer 100 in the vicinity of the surface based on the result of the detection. In the surface inspecting apparatus, the translation speed of the auxiliary scan is controlled according to the distance from the rotation center of the semiconductor wafer 100 in the main scan to the illumination spot.

Abstract: A surface defect inspection apparatus and method for irradiating a beam multiple times to a same region on a surface of an inspection sample, detecting each scattered light from the same region by detection optical systems individually to produce plural signals, and wherein irradiating the beam includes performing a line illumination of the beam on a line illumination region of the sample surface. The line illumination region is moved in a longitudinal direction at a pitch shorter than a length of the line illumination region in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: In the conventional contaminant particle/defect inspection method, if the illuminance of the illumination beam is held at not more than a predetermined upper limit value not to give thermal damage to the sample, the detection sensitivity and the inspection speed being in the tradeoff relation with each other, it is very difficult to improve one of the detection sensitivity and the inspection speed without sacrificing the other or improve both at the same time. The invention provides an improved optical inspection method and an improved optical inspection apparatus, in which a pulse laser is used as a light source, and a laser beam flux is split into a plurality of laser beam fluxes which are given different time delay to form a plurality of illumination spots. The scattered light signal from each illumination spot is isolated and detected by using a light emission start timing signal for each illumination spot.

Abstract: A technique of forming an asymmetric pattern by using a phase shift mask, and further, techniques of manufacturing a diffraction grating and a semiconductor device, capable of improving accuracy of a product and capable of shortening manufacturing time. In a method of manufacturing a diffraction grating by using a phase shift mask (in which a light shield part and a light transmission part are periodically arranged), light emitted from an illumination light source is transmitted through the phase shift mask, and a photoresist on a surface of a Si wafer is exposed by providing interference between zero diffraction order light and positive first diffraction order light which are generated by the transmission through this phase shift mask onto the surface of the Si wafer, and a diffraction grating which has a blazed cross-sectional shape is formed on the Si wafer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inspection apparatus having a high throughput and high sensitivity with respect to a number of various manufacturing processes and defects of interest in inspection of a specimen such as a semiconductor wafer on which a pattern is formed. The apparatus illuminates with light the specimen having the pattern formed thereon, forms an image of the specimen on an image sensor through a reflective optics, and determines the existence/nonexistence of a defect. The reflective optics has a conjugate pair of Fourier transform optics. An aberration of the reflective optics is corrected off-axis. The reflective optics has a field of view in non-straight-line slit form on the specimen surface. Also, the optics is of a reflection type, includes a conjugate pair of Fourier transform optics and has a field of view in non-straight-line slit form. An optimum wavelength band is selected according to the specimen (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A surface inspecting apparatus can inspect a smaller defect by using a PSL of a smaller particle size. However, the particle size of the PSL is restricted. In the conventional surface inspecting apparatus, therefore, no consideration has been taken as to how to inspect the defect of such a small particle size as is not set in the PSL which will be needed in the near future in an inspection of a semiconductor manufacturing step. The invention has a light source device for generating light which simulated at least one of a wavelength, a light intensity, a time-dependent change of the light intensity, and a polarization of light which was scattered, diffracted, or reflected by an inspection object, and the light is inputted to a photodetector of the surface inspecting apparatus. The smaller defect can be inspected.

Abstract: A method and equipment which includes an illustrated-spot illumination-distribution data table for storing an illumination distribution within an illustrated spot and which calculates a coordinate position for a particle or a defect and the diameter of the particle on the basis of detection light intensity data about the particle or defect and the illustrated-spot illumination-distribution data table. Thus, even when the illumination distribution within the illustrated spot based on an actual illumination optical system is not a Gaussian distribution, the calculation of the particle diameter of the detected particle or defect and the calculation of a coordinate position on the surface of an object to be inspected can be attained with an increased accuracy.