Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an appearance inspection apparatus that can change the method of illumination, the shape of illumination light, and a spatial filter for the projection of an image of a sample dynamically during inspection, and also to provide a projection method for projecting the image of the sample. Illumination optics 12 and 13 and imaging optics 21 and 22 in the appearance inspection apparatus are respectively configured to form reflecting optical systems with mirror array devices 16 and 26 disposed at points conjugate to the pupil position 8 of an objective lens 3. The mirror array devices 16 and 26 are controlled in accordance with the field-of-view position of the objective lens 3 on the sample.

Abstract: In a semiconductor surface inspection apparatus for inspecting the surface of a semiconductor device as a test object based on an optical image thereof, the present invention achieves illumination that enables diffracted light from the test object under dark-field illumination to be obtained efficiently from the entire area of the test object and thereby alleviates degradation of the defect detection sensitivity of the inspection apparatus over the entire area of the test object.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an appearance inspection apparatus that can change the method of illumination, the shape of illumination light, and a spatial filter for the projection of an image of a sample dynamically during inspection, and also to provide a projection method for projecting the image of the sample. Illumination optics 12 and 13 and imaging optics 21 and 22 in the appearance inspection apparatus are respectively configured to form reflecting optical systems with mirror array devices 16 and 26 disposed at points conjugate to the pupil position 8 of an objective lens 3. The mirror array devices 16 and 26 are controlled in accordance with the field-of-view position of the objective lens 3 on the sample.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for autofocusing onto a measuring location on an object moving in a direction which is at least approximately vertical to the optical axis of the imaging optics. According to the invention, a diaphragm device is to be provided the diaphragm opening of which extends in a direction aligned with the direction of movement of the measuring location; a receiving device for the measuring light has receiving areas arranged in a row beside each other and is inclined relative to the optical axis so that the image from the diaphragm device is incident on the receiving areas at an inclination of an angle &agr;; wherein the receiving device and the diaphragm opening are positioned relative to each other in such a way that characteristic measuring values are measured on the receiving areas when the measuring location is in or near the focus position.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for autofocusing onto a measuring location (M) on an object (O) moving in a direction (R) which is at least approximately vertical to the optical axis (A) of the imaging optics (3). According to the invention, a diaphragm device is to be provided the diaphragm opening of which extends in a direction (R′) aligned with the direction of movement (R) of the measuring location (M); a receiving device for the measuring light has receiving areas (e1, e2, . . . en) arranged in a row beside each other and is inclined relative to the optical axis so that the image from the diaphragm device is incident on the receiving areas (e1, e2, . . . en) at an inclination of an angle a; wherein the receiving device and the diaphragm opening are positioned relative to each other in such a way that characteristic measuring values are measured on the receiving areas when the measuring location (M) is in or near the focus position.

Abstract: A microscope comprises an illumination source, an optical imaging device by which light from the illumination source in the form of an illuminated field is directed onto an observed object, a reception device which receives the light influenced by the observed object in the from of an image field corresponding to the illuminated field, and a device for adjusting the distance between the imaging device and the observed object. Further, there is a device for structuring the illumination light in the beam path between the illumination source and the imaging device with two or more diaphragms spaced apart axially in the direction of the beam path. The diaphragms are arranged in such a way that a plane lying therebetween is focused in the image field on the reception device at the same time as the observed object. An evaluating device generates an actuating signal (s) for actuating the adjusting device depending on the intensities.

Abstract: A Time Delay Integration technique is applied to an image sensor of this invention. A sensor part is constructed in such a way that diagonally-arranged photo-sensors are arranged periodically lengthwise and widthwise. The signal charge read from the photo-sensors of each line is transferred vertically to horizontal CCD shift registers. Each horizontal CCD shift register is provided on each line of the diagonally-arranged photo-sensors, and the horizontal CCD shift register outputs the signal charge to an A/D converter, which converts the signal charge into a digital signal. Thus, one A/D converter processes only a small amount of data, and the object can be scanned at high speed.