Abstract: An object is to provide a flat surface inspection apparatus that can prevent sliders from being damaged and detect micro defects. A flat surface inspection apparatus includes: a measured subject; a stage that supports the measured subject; a spindle that rotates the stage; a first part having light sources applying light beam onto the measured subject, a scattered-light-detecting section, a signal processing section that converts the scattered light into information about a first defect, and a first memory section that stores therein the information about the first defect; and a second part having sliders mounted with a contact sensor that detects a second defect smaller than the first defect, a loading/unloading mechanism that flies the slider over the measured subject, a slider control section that controls the loading/unloading mechanism based on the information about the first defects and second defects.

Abstract: An inspecting apparatus and method including first and second illuminating units for illuminating a surface of a specimen to be inspected with different incident angles and first and second detecting optical units arranged at different elevation angle directions to the surface of the specimen for detecting images of the specimen illuminated by the first and second illuminating units.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscope, capable of performing shape measurement not affected by electrostatic charge distribution of a sample, which: monitors an electrostatic charge state by detecting a change in a flexure or vibrating state of a cantilever due to electrostatic charges in synchronization with scanning during measurement with relative scanning between the probe and the sample, and makes potential adjustment so as to cancel an influence of electrostatic charge distribution, thus preventing damage of the probe or the sample due to discharge and achieving reduction in measurement errors due to electrostatic charge distribution.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for inspecting defects includes emitting an ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet light source, illuminating a specimen with the ultraviolet light in which a polarization condition of the ultraviolet light is controlled, controlling a polarization condition of light reflected from the specimen which is illuminated by the polarization condition controlled ultraviolet light, detecting the light reflected from the specimen, processing the detected light so as to detect defects, and outputting information about the defects. The ultraviolet light source is disposed in a clean environment supplied with clean gas and separated from outside.

Abstract: The invention provides a scanning probe microscope capable of performing highly accurate three-dimensional profile measurement in a state in which no sliding of the probe or deformation of the sample substantially occurs.

Abstract: A defect inspection device, which inspects defects such as foreign materials existing on a specimen on which a circuit pattern of wiring or the like is formed, is provided with an illumination optical system which illuminates a plurality of different areas the specimen with a plurality of linear shaped beams and an image forming optical system that forms images of the plurality of the illuminated areas on a plurality of detectors, and the detectors are configured to receive a plurality of polarization components substantially at the same time and individually, wherein the polarization components are different from each other and are contained in each of the plurality of the optical images formed by the image forming optical system, thereby detecting a plurality of signals corresponding to the polarization components and carrying out the inspection at high speed under a plurality of optical conditions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for inspecting defects includes emitting an ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet light source, illuminating a specimen with the ultraviolet light in which a polarization condition of the ultraviolet light is controlled, controlling a polarization condition of light reflected from the specimen which is illuminated by the polarization condition controlled ultraviolet light, detecting the light reflected from the specimen, processing the detected light so as to detect defects, and outputting information about the defects. The ultraviolet light source is disposed in a clean environment supplied with clean gas and separated from outside.

Abstract: It is difficult for a scanning probe microscope according to the conventional technology to operate a probe for scanning and positioning in a wide range and for high-precision scanning in a narrow range. A scanning probe microscope according to the invention uses probe driving actuators for coarse adjustment and fine adjustment. For scanning and positioning in a wide range, the coarse adjustment actuator is switched to fast responsiveness. For scanning in a narrow range, the coarse adjustment actuator is switched to slow responsiveness. Instead, positional noise is reduced and the fine adjustment actuator is mainly used for scanning in a narrow range. The probe is capable of not only scanning and positioning in a wide range but also high-precision scanning in a narrow range.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus and method includes a light source, 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: Optical information and topographic information of the surface of a sample are measured at a nanometer-order resolution and with high reproducibility without damaging a probe and the sample by combining a nanometer-order cylindrical structure with a nanometer-order microstructure to form a plasmon intensifying near-field probe having a nanometer-order optical resolution and by repeating approach/retreat of the probe to/from each measurement point on the sample at a low contact force.

Abstract: A TFT device having a pixel portion and a driving circuit portion formed on a glass substrate; wherein at least the active layer (active region) of a transistor constituting said driving circuit comprises polycrystalline silicon including crystals that do not have crystal grain boundaries which cross the direction of current flow.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting defects are provided for detecting harmful defects or foreign matter with high sensitivity on an object to be inspected with a transparent film, such as an oxide film, by reducing noise due to a circuit pattern. The apparatus for detecting defects includes a stage part on which a substrate specimen is put and which is arbitrarily movable in each of the X-Y-Z-? directions, an illumination system for irradiating the circuit pattern with light from an inclined direction, and an image-forming optical system for forming an image of an irradiated detection area on a detector from the upward and oblique directions. With this arrangement, diffracted light and scattered light caused on the circuit pattern through the illumination by the illumination system is collected. Furthermore, a spatial filter is provided on a Fourier transform surface for blocking the diffracted light from a linear part of the circuit pattern.

Abstract: An inspecting apparatus and method including first and second illuminating units for illuminating a surface of a specimen to be inspected with different incident angles and first and second detecting optical units arranged at different elevation angle directions to the surface of the specimen for detecting images of the specimen illuminated by the first and second illuminating units.

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: In a scanning probe microscope, a nanotube and metal nano-particles are combined together to configure a plasmon-enhanced near-field probe having an optical resolution on the order of nanometers as a measuring probe in which a metal structure is embedded, and this plasmon-enhanced near-field probe is installed in a highly-efficient plasmon exciting unit to repeat approaching to and retracting from each measuring point on a sample with a low contact force, so that optical information and profile information of the surface of the sample are measured with a resolution on the order of nanometers, a high S/N ratio, and high reproducibility without damaging both of the probe and the sample.

Abstract: An inspecting apparatus and method including first and second illuminating units for illuminating a surface of a specimen to be inspected with different incident angles and first and second detecting optical units arranged at different elevation angle directions to the surface of the specimen for detecting images of the specimen illuminated by the first and second illuminating units.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting defects are provided for detecting harmful defects or foreign matter with high sensitivity on an object to be inspected with a transparent film, such as an oxide film, by reducing noise due to a circuit pattern. The apparatus for detecting defects includes a stage part on which a substrate specimen is put and which is arbitrarily movable in each of the X-Y-Z-? directions, an illumination system for irradiating the circuit pattern with light from an inclined direction, and an image-forming optical system for forming an image of an irradiated detection area on a detector from the upward and oblique directions. With this arrangement, diffracted light and scattered light caused on the circuit pattern through the illumination by the illumination system is collected. Furthermore, a spatial filter is provided on a Fourier transform surface for blocking the diffracted light from a linear part of the circuit pattern.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of using an accurate three-dimensional shape without damaging a sample by making a probe contact the sample only at a measuring point, lifting and retracting the probe when moving to the next measuring point and making the probe approach the sample after moving to the next measuring point, wherein high frequency/minute amplitude cantilever excitation and vibration detection are performed and further horizontal direction excitation or vertical/horizontal double direction excitation are performed to improve the sensitivity of contacting force detection on a slope of steep inclination. The method uses unit for inclining the probe in accordance with the inclination of a measurement target and a structure capable of absorbing or adjusting the orientation of the light detecting the condition of contact between the probe and sample after reflection on the cantilever, which varies a great deal depending on the inclination of the probe.

Abstract: In a near-field scanning microscope using an aperture probe, the upper limit of the aperture formation is at most several ten nm in practice. In a near-field scanning microscope using a scatter probe, the resolution ability is limited to at most several ten nm because of the external illuminating light serving as background noise. Moreover, measurement reproducibility is seriously lowered by a damage or abrasion of a probe. Optical data and unevenness data of the surface of a sample can be measured at a nm-order resolution ability and a high reproducibility while damaging neither the probe nor the sample by fabricating a plasmon-enhanced near-field probe having a nm-order optical resolution ability by combining a nm-order cylindrical structure with nm-order microparticles and repeatedly moving the probe toward the sample and away therefrom at a low contact force at individual measurement points on the sample.

Abstract: In a displacement measurement apparatus using light interference, a probe light path is spatially separated from a reference light path. Therefore, when a temperature or refractive index distribution by a fluctuation of air or the like, or a mechanical vibration is generated, an optical path difference fluctuates between both of the optical paths, and a measurement error is generated. In the solution, an optical axis of probe light is brought close to that of reference light by a distance which is not influenced by any disturbance, a sample is irradiated with the probe light, a reference surface is irradiated with the reference light, reflected light beams are allowed to interfere with each other, and a displacement of the sample is obtained from the resultant interference light to thereby prevent the measurement error from being generated by the fluctuation of the optical path difference.